As Sol Mercer holstered his dual guns, Billy immediately rushed up and hugged him tightly.
"You gave me the last weapon and charged into that Ethereal horde alone—you're as noble as a Starlight Knight!"
"Why are you so good to me? I'm so moved!"
As he spoke, Billy's mechanical voice even choked up a little.
If he had tear ducts, tears might've already started flowing.
"Don't be so cheesy. I'd do the same for any teammate." Sol Mercer pushed Billy away with a look of disdain. "If it were Nicole or Anby instead, I'd be even happier."
"When you talk like that, it hurts my feelings~"
Billy obediently let go of Sol Mercer, looking a bit resentful.
Moments like this were supposed to be for showcasing brotherhood. He hadn't expected Sol Mercer to be this uncooperative.
"Tch, for a robot, your emotional module is way too advanced."
Sol Mercer took Raiga back from Billy and hooked it onto his waist.
Billy had no choice but to move aside, sulking in silence.
Then Anby walked over. Though a little hesitant, she still gently hugged Sol Mercer.
"You're a comrade I can entrust my back to. But next time, please just provide fire support from behind me."
A shooter should always be behind the fighter. Sol Mercer had pulled off a flashy move this time, but next time—
"Thanks for the recognition, but I'm still charging forward next time."
Sol Mercer said with a smile.
He truly enjoyed close-quarters combat—thrilling and intense.
"Then let's go together. I'll cover you."
Anby looked at Sol Mercer seriously as she spoke.
A fighter should stand shoulder to shoulder with their comrades.
"Alright."
Feeling Anby's sincerity, Sol Mercer responded just as earnestly.
"Hey! Quit chatting and get over here to clean up the battlefield! Collect all the Ethereal core fragments!"
Nicole, who was gathering the Ethereal core fragments with Eous, stood with her hands on her hips and shouted at the group.
For some reason, seeing Sol Mercer and Anby growing closer gave her a twinge of jealousy.
He had carried her on his back and in his arms before...
Pfft, scumbag!
"Coming, Boss Nicole!"
Billy immediately ran over and started gathering earnestly.
These were his future bullets—not a single piece could be wasted.
He was a high-performance combat unit designed for suppressive fire. Back in the Outer Ring, when he had plenty of ammo, he would melt his enemies with a storm of bullets.
Now he was so broke he couldn't even afford ammo. Sigh...
Sol Mercer and Anby also walked over. The group worked together to gather the Ethereal core fragments.
The cores shattered by gunfire were small and irregularly shaped—very tricky to collect.
"Next time, I should be more careful with the angle. Can't shatter them too much."
Sol Mercer mused to himself as he picked up the pieces.
Before long, the collection was complete.
"Phew~, time for us to head back. Staying in a Hollow for too long isn't good."
Nicole weighed the small pouch filled with Ethereal cores and said with delight.
"Everyone, please stay close to me."
Belle, operating Eous, took the lead, and everyone followed closely behind.
Finally, there was time to talk. Belle turned to Sol Mercer and asked, "May I ask what thoughts you had about the battle just now?"
She was so curious. After taking down so many Ethereal, what could Sol Mercer possibly be thinking?
Were they too weak?
Was I too strong?
"What did I think about the battle?" Sol Mercer thought for a moment and answered earnestly, "It was an evenly matched, exhilarating fight!"
After that intense battle, he felt completely liberated.
Years of pressure and frustration, built up since childhood, had all dissipated with the fall of the Ethereal.
No wonder they say violence is a great emotional outlet—as long as you're not the one getting hit.
"Evenly matched? You were just a pay-to-win player mowing down mobs!"
Looking at Sol Mercer's refreshed and cheerful expression, even Eous's display screen turned into an emoji.
He'd killed so many Ethereal without breaking a sweat—and that was an "evenly matched fight"?
She'd only seen that kind of steamrolling in cracked video games.
"Hehe, a little pay-to-win doesn't count."
Sol Mercer patted Eous on the head.
He was just a mechanics freak—unlimited ammo, untargetable—not too overpowered.
Once his stats scaled up properly, then he could start getting cocky.
"Ugh, don't touch my head! I won't grow taller!"
Belle manipulated the tiny arms, trying to push Sol Mercer's hand away from Eous's head.
"Hmm, does rubbing a Bangboo's head really stop the pilot from growing?"
Sol Mercer kept rubbing Eous's ears, not letting go.
The little Bangboo couldn't fight back, so he figured there was no harm in squishing it a bit more.
Belle fumed as she felt Sol Mercer's hand through the controls. Her teeth itched with frustration, but in the Bangboo's body, she couldn't resist at all. All she could do was let him keep patting.
"Sol Mercer, are you interested in working with us long-term?"
"The pay's great—salary guaranteed, and mission bonuses too!"
Even though he had a habit of head-patting, his skills were so impressive it was hard not to be tempted.
And since he was patting Eous's head, Belle figured Eous wouldn't mind.
Before Sol Mercer could respond, Nicole rushed over and grabbed his arm, hugging it tightly.
"Sol Mercer, don't listen to her! You're mine!"
Sol Mercer bore her surname, and he was this reliable and powerful—she couldn't just let some little vixen snatch him away.
"Don't worry, Nicole. I'm not going anywhere."
Sol Mercer smiled, clearly enjoying the softness pressing against his arm.
Just that voluptuous embrace alone was enough reason to stay.
Plus, working with Nicole meant free access to Phaethon's services. Win-win.
Satisfied with Sol Mercer's answer, Nicole smugly looked at Eous.
"Proxy, poaching someone right in front of me isn't very polite. Besides, Sol Mercer isn't going with you!"
"Hehe, I almost forgot Sol Mercer's an employee of theCunning Hares." Eous scratched its head awkwardly. "But seriously, Nicole—how did you recruit him? Introduce me to your talent agency sometime!"
She was so envious. She really wanted a handsome, strong, and reliable teammate like that.
"Sol Mercer's a gift from the heavens—not something you find at a job fair."
Nicole held her head high, proudly declaring it.
"Tch, fine, don't tell me then." Belle pouted, then tried again with temptation. "But seriously, can't you transfer Sol Mercer to me? If you do, I'll wipe your debt clean, and this mission's commission—gone!"
"No way! That's absolutely impossible!"
Nicole crossed her arms and instantly rejected the offer.
She was afraid that if she hesitated even for a second, the Dennies would cloud her judgment.
It was millions of Dennies' worth of debt. If that got wiped…
Just thinking about it made her chest tighten with pain.
Nicole quickly pulled Sol Mercer away from Eous, afraid Belle might offer her an even more irresistible deal.
"Tch, I was only joking."
Belle pursed her lips and muttered softly.
She and her brother had unique statuses—there was no way they'd let a stranger they'd just met join them so easily.
Even if… this one really was something special.