Currently, a branch of the international criminal organization known as the 'Great Magic Cult¹' is operating in the shadows of the Klein Kingdom. Through a traitor within the Ministry of Magic, they have been scouring the 'Arcana' magic registry to abduct Mages who possess rare 'Factors.'
(In the original Hollow game, there are several routes where he gets kidnapped by the Great Magic Cult, leading straight to the 'Void Extraction' Bad End...)
To prevent that, I pulled some strings with Fiona-san and registered my Innate Magic as <Refraction> instead of <Void>. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. Tonight, the Klein Kingdom branch of the Great Magic Cult will raid the 'Garzac Underground Dungeon' to seize the 'Demon King's Factor²' stored within.
(It's not like leaving it alone would cause an immediate catastrophe, but still...)
The Great Magic Cult is one of the 'Big Bad' factions of the main story route. It'll be a massive headache if they grow too powerful, so I figured I'd step in and 'trim the hedges' a bit, keeping the future in mind. And that is how I found myself here at the Garzac Underground Dungeon. Even by the standards of the Klein Kingdom, the security here is exceptionally tight; ordinary citizens aren't even allowed to set foot near the place. However, that doesn't apply to the House of Heisenberg, one of the Four Great Noble Houses.
"You must be Hollow-sama? I've received word from Lord Heisenberg. Please, step this way," said the guard.
"Umu," I replied.
With a single 'royal decree' from Papa, I was ushered in without a hitch. I was led to a special VIP guest room, where I currently have five guards acting as my personal escort.
"Hollow-sama, your tea has been served," one said.
"Hollow-sama, please enjoy these refreshments," said another.
"Hollow-sama, would you care for a massage?" asked a third.
The guards were being incredibly kind, but... I get it. I really do. I'm totally in the way, right? I'm a huge pain in the neck, aren't I? Having some snot-nosed brat show up for a 'social studies field trip' must be nothing but an annoyance. I feel for them; I really do. I'm truly sorry, guys, but you'll just have to bear with me for a few more minutes. Because the main event is about to start. I fixed my eyes on the wall clock and began the countdown in my head.
(Five... four... three... two... one...)
Zero.
Right on cue, a massive explosion erupted. BOOM! The entire prison shuddered violently as the <Alarm> magic triggered. Amidst the deafening klaxons, frantic shouts echoed from outside the VIP room.
"Wh-What happened!?" shouted a voice.
"Intruders at the North Gate! It's likely the Great Magic Cult we've been hearing about!" another cried.
"Those filthy thieves... Their target is definitely 'that thing' in the basement! To arms! Follow me!" a captain ordered.
Meanwhile, the guards assigned to me were in a panic.
"Wh-What do we do? Shouldn't we head to the front lines?" asked one.
"But we have to protect Hollow-sama...!" another replied.
They seemed torn between their duty to guard me and the urge to join the fray. I decided to give them a little nudge.
"Don't mind me. Go and fulfill your duties," I said.
"But if we do that, Hollow-sama will be—"
"Don't sweat it. I can handle myself. Or are you suggesting the heir to the House of Heisenberg looks so pathetic that he'd be taken down by a few lowly thieves?" I asked.
"N-Not at all! ...Alright, let's move!" the guard shouted.
The guards rushed off to suppress the intruders.
(Alright, now I can move freely.)
The stage is cleared. Time to get to work. I have two goals this time: dispose of the Demon King's Factor, and gather some real-world combat data for my <Void> magic.
"Now, let's see..." I muttered.
Rising from the plush sofa, I stroked my chin while scanning the prison layout posted on the wall. This VIP room is in the Administrative Area on the top floor. Below that are the Interrogation Area, the Execution Area on the mid-level, the Punishment Area, and finally, the Dungeon Area at the very bottom. Among all those grim names, something about the bottom floor felt... off. This map... it's clearly wrong. There's a suspicious, gaping hole of empty space behind the bottom-floor cells.
(I see. So it's over there.)
I locked the coordinates into my mind and activated <Void Crossing>. Bypassing every physical obstacle, I jumped straight to my destination in one go.
(Bingo.)
At the end of my teleportation—in an area that supposedly didn't exist—a massive cavern opened up, housing an eerie building that looked like a laboratory. From behind the towering, heavy iron doors, I could hear pained groans.
"Perfect. It hasn't been taken yet," I said.
I managed to beat the Great Magic Cult to the punch. The 'Demon King's Factor' is as good as mine.
(Now, as for that combat data... Oh, here they come.)
The wall behind me blew apart with a spectacular crash, and the raiders stormed in. Dark blue frock coats... no doubt about it, that's the Great Magic Cult uniform. At a glance, there are just under twenty of them. A decent number for testing. They froze the moment they spotted me.
"Who the hell are you...? What's a kid doing in a place like this?" the leader asked.
The man leading the pack shot me a suspicious look. Simultaneously, the men behind him began chanting offensive magic.
"<Flame>!"
"<Lightning>!"
"<Blizzard>!"
Fire, lightning, and ice—a chaotic barrage of magic—vanished into the Void just inches before they could touch me.
"Wha—!?"
"What just happened!?"
"The magic... it's gone!?"
The enemies were visibly rattled.
(Yep, <Void Possession> is working perfectly.)
Void Possession is a defensive spell that coats the user in a thin film of 'Void,' shunting anything that passes through it into the Void Realm. After countless adjustments, it now automatically filters out threats, letting me ignore everything else. I've already optimized it to run 24/7, from the moment I wake up until I hit the hay.
"Honestly, you really haven't trained your subordinates well, have you?" I asked.
I said as I calmly extended my right hand.
(Let's start with the basics.)
As I channeled mana into my crimson eyes, black vortexes tore open in the air, swallowing ten of the cultists into the Void.
"What!?" the survivors gasped.
While the survivors stood there with their jaws on the floor, I began analyzing the precious data.
(I can swallow up to ten points simultaneously. Any more than that and the precision starts to drop, huh?)
Hmm. During practice, I managed to hit fourteen spots, but... since these targets are actually moving, locking onto their coordinates is a bit trickier. Well, the twelve-year-old Hollow from the game could only manifest three Void points at once, and his accuracy was garbage. Compared to that, my current proficiency isn't half bad.
"Was that... Space-type Innate Magic!?"
"Don't you mock us, you little brat...!"
Two men in black suits lunged from the group, flanking me in a pincer attack.
(So they instantly recognized the nature of my magic and moved to close the distance, huh?)
Space-type Innate Magic is specialized for long-range combat but is notoriously weak in a melee. I have to hand it to the Great Magic Cult; unlike those random Thief Brigade Members, they actually know how to fight.
"Hah!" one yelled.
"Die!" the other screamed.
They swung their heavy scimitars with everything they had. However...
"Wait, wha—!?"
"How...!?"
The two blades passed right through my torso as if I were a ghost, causing the two attackers to slice right into each other's chests. They collapsed on the spot, mortally wounded.
(Good, good. <Void Phasing> is flawless.)
The moment the blades were about to make contact, I shunted only the cross-section of my torso into the Void. As a result, their swords swung through empty space and struck each other. I'd practiced Void Phasing so much I knew it would work, but... honestly, when those blades came flying at me, my stomach did a serious flip. Since I'm a gentleman, I won't say exactly what shriveled up, but let's just say my 'Great Dragon' and 'Golden Orbs' tried to retreat into my body.
While I was busy thinning out the fodder...
"Hoh. You use quite the interesting magic," the leader said.
The man who seemed to be their leader stepped forward. If I recall, his name was... Travis Norland, or something? I don't remember him very clearly.
"I am Travis Norland, Vice-Captain of the Great Magic Cult's Southern Branch. For our sublime purpose—"
"—You're collecting rare magic Factors, right?" I interrupted.
I finished his sentence for him. It was the exact same line from the game, and I already knew their goal anyway.
"...You. Who are you, really?" Travis asked.
"Just a villainous noble hated by the 'Scenario' of this world," I replied.
"Hmph. So you won't give me a straight answer," Travis muttered.
Travis snorted in annoyance and raised his right hand.
"In that case, I'll beat the truth out of you! Take this! <Water Lance>!"
A spear of pressurized water shot toward me at a terrifying speed. However...
"—<Void Return>," I whispered.
"Wait... what...?" Travis stammered.
The <Water Lance> intended for me emerged from a Void portal right behind Travis, impaling him through the chest. A brilliant spray of blood erupted as he crumpled to the floor.
"Hmm. Not bad," I said.
"...Y-you... what did you... do!?" Travis wheezed.
"Hey now, weren't you going to 'beat the truth out of me'?" I asked.
Actually, it wasn't complicated at all. I opened Void A in front of me and Void B behind Travis. The water spear went into A, came out of B, and took him in the back. It's a basic Void trick once you know how it works.
(The absolute defense of <Void Possession> is a given, but the phasing of <Void Phasing> and the counter-ability of <Void Return> are looking sharp, too. Now I just need to increase the number of portals I can maintain and boost my base stats.)
While reviewing the feedback from the fight, I applied some basic first aid to the cultists.
"Now then, time for you all to go 'Home,'" I said.
I sent the unconscious men into the Void Realm (Void Town). The Void is very welcoming. Now, they're part of my 'family' too. I'll have them work together with Glard Glanz and the Thief Brigade to help develop Void Town.
(Still, I picked up something interesting today.)
Travis was a user of the elite-tier Innate Magic, <Water Blessing>. By absorbing his magic Factor, the water situation in Void Town should improve significantly, bumping up the overall civilization level.
(Factor hunting... yeah, this is a viable strategy.)
I'm not trying to copy the Great Magic Cult, but this is incredibly useful for building up Void Town. It's like a collection mechanic in a game. From now on, whenever I find a rare Factor, I'll be sure to 'invite' them to my town. Of course, I'll only target the 'bad guys.' If I started snatching innocent people, I'd really just be the Great Magic Cult 2.0.
Just as I was wrapping things up, I heard the clatter-clatter-clatter of boots rushing down the stairs from above. Most likely the prison guards.
(If I get caught here, it'll be a huge hassle. I've secured the 'Demon King's Factor,' so I'd better disappear before someone sees me.)
Spinning on my heel, I unleashed <Void Crossing> once more, warping the entire creepy laboratory—lock, stock, and barrel—to Mount Garan, a private property owned by the House of Heisenberg.
Summary:
Hollow infiltrates the Garzac Underground Dungeon using his noble influence to bypass security. He anticipates a raid by the Great Magic Cult and uses the chaos to secure a secret lab containing the 'Demon King's Factor.' After a brief battle where he tests his highly-refined Void Magic against Vice-Captain Travis, Hollow abducts the cultists and the entire lab facility into his personal 'Void Town.'
Trivia:
- Hollow mentions registering his magic as <Refraction> to avoid the 'Void Extraction' bad end, showing his proactive survival strategy.
- The 'Demon King's Factor' is stored in a hidden cavern not on the official maps, hinting at deep government conspiracies in the Klein Kingdom.
- The acquisition of the <Water Blessing> factor suggests that Hollow's Void Town can 'level up' by absorbing the unique abilities of those he abducts
Character Insight:
Hollow's relationship with his father, 'Papa' (Lord Heisenberg), is shown to be one of absolute authority, allowing him easy access to high-security areas. His treatment of the cultists—abducting them to his dimension—shows a chillingly pragmatic approach to 'family building.'
Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
Introduces the concept of 'Factors' (unique magical traits) and the 'Arcana' (a global magic catalog). The existence of the 'Demon King's Factor' suggests that the threat of the Demon King is a tangible scientific reality in this world's history or future.
TL Notes:
The 'Great Dragon and Golden Orbs' is a localized euphemism for the character's reaction to danger, preserving the author's crude but gentlemanly wit.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ An international criminal organization seeking to abduct mages with rare magical traits.
2 ↩ A mysterious and powerful magical essence associated with the Demon King, kept under high security.
Notes:
• Hollow - 15‑year‑old heir of the Heisenberg ducal house, 170 cm tall, dark crimson medium‑length hair in a ribbon‑ponytail, crimson eyes, lean aristocratic build, black school uniform and navy jacket. Arrogant noble of the Four Great Houses, top‑ranked freshman at Redrick Academy, wielding innate Void magic (registered as Refraction) and meta‑knowledge to sabotage rivals while plotting as a ruthless villain.
• Fiona - An 18‑year‑old Arbiter of the Ministry of Magic, 160 cm, slender, black‑ponytail, mauve eyes, snow‑white skin, wearing a white jacket, black shirt and miniskirt. She teaches the Special Advancement Class at Redrick Academy, sharp‑witted, manipulative, gambler and drinker, loyal to Hollow’s family, owes him 60 million Gordo, and obeys his whims.
• Heisenberg - Lord of the Heisenberg family. One of the Four Great Noble Houses. Noted for his immense wealth and territorial holdings.
• Travis - Vice-Captain of the Great Magic Cult's Southern Branch. A user of the elite-tier Innate Magic .
• Glard - 50-year-old leader of the thief brigade. Former employee of the Ministry of Magic who was framed for a crime. Smokes thick cigars. The boss of the Thief Brigade. A man of mettle and pride who initially resists Hollow's manipulation before succumbing to hunger to save his men.