"After Caesar came back that time, she would often look at that comic book and giggle. Lucy even said she was infatuated," Burnice said with a smirk.
"Burnice! What nonsense are you saying? I wasn't! You'll make people misunderstand," Caesar protested, her face flushing as she raised her voice.
Of course, she'd only been thinking about what she saw in that comic book. That's why her face was so flushed.
Hearing this, Burnice let out an awkward little laugh, and Wise, not sure how to jump in, just smiled quietly.
"By the way, this is your new citizen ID, Grandma. Please keep it safe," Wise said as he took it out and handed it over.
The old woman accepted it and glanced at Caesar and Burnice, who were still chatting. Then, she suddenly spoke in a voice only Wise could hear.
"Young man, do you have a girlfriend? If not, what do you think of Caesar?"
"What?"
Wise was caught off guard by the sudden question, but she continued, "You and Caesar have known each other before, right? You should know she's a good girl and very capable. I also know her father. If you think it's alright, should I arrange something for the two of you?"
"Uh, thank you for your kindness, Grandma, but young people nowadays aren't very fond of arranged relationships."
He wasn't rejecting Caesar herself, just politely declining the offer.
The old woman looked a little disappointed but didn't press further.
"By the way, Caesar, didn't you say you wanted to go for a walk?"
Her words interrupted the two girls, and Burnice quickly reacted.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot. Grandma, do you want to come with us? And you, Wise, are you free?"
Still full of energy, Burnice invited them both, but the old woman waved her hand.
"No need. You young people go ahead."
Seeing her refuse, Burnice turned to Wise. Remembering he had planned to go shopping with Belle, he still nodded in agreement.
"Yay, let's go together!"
Not long after, Belle looked at her brother, who had only just left her earlier, yet now returned with two beautiful girls. She couldn't help but fall into thought.
"Belle, long time no see. Do you still remember me? I'm Caesar."
Seeing Belle bow her head silently, Caesar thought she had been forgotten and spoke up.
But of course, Belle remembered her. They both liked Wise's works and got along quite well.
"Oh? Hello, I'm Burnice. You're Wise's sister, right? Belle? That's such a cute name! You two siblings are both really good-looking!"
Before Belle could respond, Burnice's enthusiasm completely threw her off.
"Uh, hello everyone…"
She smiled politely while glancing at Wise, her eyes filled with questions.
He understood immediately and explained what had just happened, along with the plan to go shopping together.
Belle nodded, feeling a little pleased. No matter how reliable her brother was, he was still a boy. Shopping with him was always a bit inconvenient.
For example, whenever she wanted to browse longer, he would get impatient and rush her.
Wise, of course, had no idea what she was thinking. Otherwise, he would definitely complain.
Seeing that his sister had no objections, he finally relaxed.
<<>>
Meanwhile, on the other side, Jane, who had just secured an opportunity for Seth, returned to the transfer station. The moment she left, he was locked back inside his cell.
She began tallying the escape supplies. Only after confirming everything was ready did she feel a slight sense of relief. With these, her chances of survival would improve, even if only marginally.
But a small increase wasn't enough. Right now, she needed to figure out how to get an edge in the duel with Seth.
'I have to complete the mission... no matter what it takes.'
She was already prepared to leave a bite mark on the Mountain Lion's neck if it came to that.
"Hmm, what's that you're holding?"
Lost in thought, Jane suddenly noticed something in the hand of a nearby gatekeeper. Though slightly worn, it was intricately crafted and delicate. It looked like an amulet.
"Ah, Sister Jane, you mean this?" The man perked up. "I found it while I was out on patrol. Looked cool, so I kept it. Hey, if you want it, take it as a thank you for getting me that movie."
Before she could refuse, he pressed the amulet into her hand and ran off.
"Eh? Wait... oh, forget it."
Jane glanced at the object in her palm and said, "An amulet? If it actually works, then maybe it'll bless my plan."
Then, she let out a dry chuckle.
"Heh, just kidding."
After a quick inspection, she slipped it into her pocket, no longer paying it much attention.
What concerned her more was the guard minion she had sent earlier. He had headed toward the fissure the mechanism had warned about.
He had claimed to be familiar with every Hollow fissure and shortcut in the area.
All she could do was trust him.
"Please... be safe."
A trace of worry appeared on her face as she quietly prayed.
With two worker hostages gone and the duel drawing near, Razor, the leader of the Mountain Lion Gang, decided to evacuate early. The restless gang members began hurriedly packing their belongings.
Jane was still trying to figure out a way to turn things around when Razor's confidant approached her, saying he needed to bring her to headquarters.
The sudden change forced her to abandon the supplies she had prepared. From this point on, everything would have to be improvised.
Everyone else was too busy packing to notice the two figures hidden within the Hollow, silently observing everything that had just happened.
<<>>
In the evening, after a full day of shopping, Wise and Belle finally returned to the video store.
"Phew, it's finally over. Did adding two more people really make it take this long?" Wise let out a tired sigh.
With his current physical condition, this level of activity should have been nothing. It was more than he was mentally exhausted.
Originally, Caesar and Burnice hadn't planned on trying any clothes, but Belle had managed to convince them otherwise.
And so, they ended up shopping until this late before finally heading back.
Belle couldn't help but chuckle at her brother's state.
"Eh? Already tired? You're always so full of energy when you're 'playing' with me, so why do you look so useless now? Pathetic."
Wise glanced at her dismissive smile and felt an inexplicable urge to put her in her place. His voice dropped, calm but firm.
"Belle, you might want to think about the consequences before saying something like that."
"Dammit…" Belle instantly shut her mouth.
A certain memory surfaced in her mind, one where Wise had deliberately let her win, only for her to get carried away.
The outcome? A lecture so relentless that even begging for mercy hadn't helped.
A chill ran down her spine. She quickly shook her head and forced a flattering smile at him.
Wise ignored her attempt entirely.
At that moment, the door opened, and Odile and Odette walked in.
"You two went to the Ballet Twins Hollow again, didn't you? How did it go? Did you find anything?"
Wise looked at the sisters. Naturally, he was aware of their actions and had allowed them to go.
Hearing his question, they first nodded, then shook their heads in perfect sync, like reflections in a mirror.
"Hmm? What's that supposed to mean?" He raised an eyebrow, puzzled.
Odette stepped forward.
"My sister and I did find the amulet in the Hollow, but... someone got to it before us. We couldn't take it at the time, and now it's been moved elsewhere."
"Moved?" Wise narrowed his eyes.
"Yes. There were too many people around, so we couldn't act directly. I sent Mumu to retrieve it instead..." Odile's voice trailed off, making it clear the plan had failed.
<<>>
Meanwhile, a small white snake, accidentally packed into a box while sneaking in, quietly waited for rescue.
'Hmm, I should be able to hold on... right? I won't be abandoned... will I?'
The little snake reassured herself over and over.
After all, with so many enemies nearby, if someone like her, such a tiny Ethereal, were discovered, escaping would be impossible.
'Master, please come save me!'
<<>>
"So Mumu has been captured by them?"
"Yes, Master. But on the bright side, I can use her to track their location."
Odile calmly raised a finger as she spoke.
Wise rubbed his forehead, feeling a slight headache coming on. What he had thought would be a simple task of retrieving an amulet had somehow turned into a complicated mess.
Still, as long as he could get both Mumu and the amulet back, everything would be fine.
"By the way, Master, there is something else I need to report," Odette said, lifting her hand slightly.
"We saw the young lady who borrowed the videotapes earlier. She was with that group. They also captured someone called a PubSec Officer," she added.
Wise's lips twitched as he heard this. It seemed he had unknowingly gotten himself tangled in something far more troublesome than he had expected.
<<>>
"This is... Hollow Zero?! The Mountain Lion's lair is actually hidden within Hollow Zero?!"
Jane stepped out of the fissure and quickly identified her surroundings. A flicker of astonishment crossed her face.
The Mountain Lion Gang's confidant beside her let out a smug chuckle.
"Hmph, the most dangerous place is the safest. Those cowards from Public Security don't dare step into danger, but we Mountain Lions fear nothing!"
In that instant, everything became clear to Jane. The Mountain Lion Gang had been using a stable fissure that linked this Hollow to Hollow Zero.
Each time they fled, they retreated into Hollow Zero. That explained why Public Security never managed to track them down.
No wonder the transfer station was stocked with anti-erosion supplies.
'So they were using those while hiding in Hollow Zero... waiting for things to calm down before escaping through the fissure,' she thought.
"Impressive. A strategy like this... only those with real skill and courage could pull it off," Jane said.
The confidant let out a scoff, clearly unimpressed.
"No need to envy us. You'll be joining this group of skilled and courageous people soon enough... as long as you qualify!!"
As his words fell, he suddenly shoved her hard from behind, sending Jane tumbling off the platform.
She reacted quickly and landed with ease, but her eyes flashed with anger as she turned back.
"Hey, what's the meaning of this?" she demanded.
"The duel arena is up those stairs. You can head up once you meet the conditions."
"Wait a second, no one mentioned a preliminary round before the duel?"
The sudden turn of events left Jane uneasy, but the confidant gave her no chance to argue. Under pressure, she had no choice but to move forward.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Wise and the sisters arrived before a fissure. Odile sniffed the air briefly before nodding with certainty.
"Yes, this is the place. Mumu's scent leads all the way here."
"It looks like they left through this fissure... but where does it lead?" Wise wondered, resting a hand on his chin.
The transfer station was completely empty now. It wasn't difficult to figure out that they had all entered another Hollow through the fissure.
Charging in recklessly might alert them, and with a Public Security officer involved, they had to be even more cautious.
"You two stay here. I'll go take a look first."
After saying this, Wise activated his ability and rushed through. Due to the effect of 'Ghostly Concealment' combined with his current strength, it was difficult for ordinary people to detect him.
The sisters, along with Belle controlling Eous, were clearly worried, but they had no time to protest and could only wait.
After passing through the fissure, Wise found no enemies. As he observed his surroundings, he quickly realized they had entered Hollow Zero.
Not far away, he spotted Jane, who was close to completing a challenge. Without hesitation, he returned through the fissure and brought the sisters and Belle with him.
They arrived just in time to see Jane counter an ambush while climbing the stairs.
But something felt off. As Wise and the others rushed forward, Jane was ambushed again on the platform.
A sharp pain tore through her back, and the force of the blow sent her flying.
"Disable one of her arms. That is my command!" Razor said.
Hearing this, Jane felt a surge of panic and disbelief, though her expression remained a mix of anger and confusion.
"Razor... Boss? You... why?"
At first, she thought her identity had been exposed. But after hearing his explanation, she found it almost absurd.
He wanted her to deliberately lose to Seth, then have Seth eliminate him personally to secure his own position.
"Heh... ha... hahaha!" Jane laughed bitterly. "So this whole act... is just because you're afraid of losing your status? I thought you had uncovered something... cough! Turns out... it's nothing but blind luck...!"
She had been risking everything in an undercover mission. Yet these people were treating it like a childish game.
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Novels Available:
-> Zenless Zone Zero: The Almighty Incubus of Sixth Street. (Translation)
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