That’s right, the sword in Russell’s hand was a Diamond Sword.
The very Diamond Sword everyone would think of first.
Base damage 7, unbreaking 1561, attack speed 1.6.
Crafted from two diamonds and a stick at a Crafting Table.
The sword in Russell’s hand glowed with a purple aura, clearly enchanted.
Against these low-level Ethereal, one strike was enough to take down each of them like children.
After a minute of “fierce battle,” the pile of Ethereal corpses reverted to Ether and vanished into thin air.
The entire entrance was empty, as if nothing had happened.
No need to clean up the battlefield… one of the perks of Hollow combat.
Russell tapped the tactical sword against the back of his hand.
The blade that had just cut through everything disappeared in an instant, as if it had never existed.
Vanishing in reality meant it was naturally stored in his Inventory.
The MC System—this was Russell’s Ether Aptitude, or possibly his traveler’s cheat.
Where the boundary lay between the two, Russell still didn’t know.
If it was an Ether Aptitude, Russell had played Zenless Zone Zero and knew some of the stranger Ether abilities.
But this directly functioning as an MC Survival System was just too advanced!
Yet if it was just a traveler’s cheat, the biggest issue with this MC Survival System was that it couldn’t be activated outside the Hollow… a feature very reminiscent of Ether Aptitude.
Those with Ether Aptitude, even if highly skilled, dared not defy the Public Security Bureau or the Defense Force, because most people’s abilities dropped by ninety-nine percent outside the Hollow.
They could only rely on the Ether Energy stored in the W-Engine to use their powers.
In that sense, this seemingly high-end MC System unexpectedly adhered to the traits of an Ether ability.
Russell had later undergone an Ether Aptitude test.
His aptitude was only moderate—he could spend a few hours in a Hollow, but he couldn’t live there permanently without eventually joining the ranks of the Ethereal.
As for why the MC Map could be taken outside, that too was related to this system’s peculiar design…
Bzzz… Vroom…
A roar of engines broke Russell’s train of thought.
He quickly spotted a shadow at the corner of the street and ducked into it.
The engine’s deep, powerful noise, combined with the roaring exhaust, didn’t sound like a typical civilian vehicle.
…Of course, civilian vehicles here would be the unusual thing.
As Russell muttered to himself, two black armored vehicles drove along the dirt road—not heavy Defense Force vehicles, but lighter models.
They drove about 300 meters into the Hollow before stopping, indicating they had extremely precise Maps, allowing them the confidence to bring the vehicles in.
Once parked, both armored vehicle doors opened simultaneously.
Out came two people in Investigator gear, a man and a woman, efficiently setting up monitoring equipment.
Then a technician with a large equipment case appeared.
Though Russell didn’t know what was inside, the thud when it hit the ground indicated it was heavy.
Even so, the investigator carrying it refused any help from those nearby.
A fourth person stepped out of the vehicle.
The first thing that caught Russell’s eye was a pair of shapely legs in black heels.
A well-proportioned woman in uniform emerged from the narrow door, her posture upright, movements elegant.
Once she stood still, her refined yet sharp aura became more apparent, though this sharpness seemed better suited to a high-end office than the field.
“…Why is she here?”
Russell whispered to himself, clearly recognizing her.
Whether it was Russell’s muttering or her keen senses… she glanced toward the shadow where he was hiding.
That single glance made Russell instinctively hold his breath.
Her pink hair fluttered lightly in the wind, strands brushing past her signature oval half-frame glasses.
The lenses caught the morning sun, flashing a cold gleam, though only for an instant.
“What is it, Vice Section Chief?”
“Nothing, Asaba.
We’re not out here for leisure.
Stay alert.”
“Y-Yes, I’m fully alert.”
“…”
The pink-haired woman looked somewhat exasperated at her yawning teammate, seemingly having stayed up all night… Luckily, he hadn’t been sent on a solo mission this time, or tomorrow rumors about Section 6 staff falling asleep mid-task would circulate.
But just as her mind relaxed, her brows suddenly furrowed.
The Hollow Raider hiding in the shadows earlier had disappeared.
Her sharp senses hadn’t even caught when they left.
Instinctively alert, she sensed something unusual—this might not be just any Hollow Raider.
Yet a glance at the busy investigators and her drowsy teammate made her abandon further pursuit.
“Never mind, probably just a passerby.”
·
“…Section 6, Tsukishiro Yanagi… and Asaba Harumasa?”
Russell, having broken the invisibility potion, silently retreated deeper into the shadows of the factory ruins.
It was the first time in two months in New Eridu that he had encountered main story characters.
New Eridu wasn’t too big, but not small either.
Sixth Street was already a decent area in Eridu.
Compared to Russell’s secondhand recycling work in the Outer Ring, this was quite respectable.
Still, Russell never imagined suddenly knocking on the door of Random Play’s two shop managers saying, “I know you’re Phaethon, let me join you…” or anything like that.
Russell was grateful he had traveled to New Eridu rather than some ancient world where every toilet visit required a leaf.
He didn’t want to disturb anyone.
Thus, he never actively sought out main story information, at most occasionally seeing advertisements on TV.
Yet seeing someone like Tsukishiro Yanagi of Section 6 appear in his contracted area forced him to be alert.
Having lived in New Eridu for over two months as a proper Outer Ring resident, Russell understood the weight of HAND and Section 6 in this city’s system.
He could only be glad that Section Chief 170 of Section 6 hadn’t shown up, otherwise he might have abandoned this contract entirely.
Even if the other party didn’t intend to trouble him, Russell wouldn’t complicate matters either.
The rule was simple: you take your sunny path, I take my single-log bridge.
For people from Section 6 and a gray-area recycler like him, it was best they never intersected.