Time flew by, and before anyone knew it, it was early the next morning.
Still half-asleep, Sam Li was stirred awake by the sound of cars constantly driving past outside.
After getting up, he stepped out onto the street and found that nothing major had happened—New Eridu was still calm and peaceful as always.
Just then, Nicole's voice rang out from inside Hare's House.
"What's going on? Why are there so many cars this early in the morning? Anby, Billy, did you guys hear that?"
Billy groaned, "Yeah, I heard it too. It's so noisy. Can't anyone get some sleep around here?"
Anby put down her phone and said slowly, "I just checked forum. Word is the Public Security Bureau and the Hollow Special Operations Department are running a joint exercise—that's probably why it's so noisy."
Nicole kept complaining, "Seriously? A drill this early in the morning? If they've got that much energy, why don't they just go and wipe out Hollow Zero?"
Anby responded calmly, "I don't think the info on forum is entirely accurate. I read a bunch of posts, and some of them say the so-called drill is fake. The real reason for all this is to deal with the Hollow disaster in the Federer District."
Nicole paused. "The Federer District? Didn't they already deal with that the day before yesterday?"
Anby hesitated, then said, "I think the retreat of the Hollow might've just been for show. Something bigger is going on, and the authorities are covering it up…"
As she spoke, her expression grew more and more serious.
It was clear she cared deeply about the situation.
Nicole, however, wasn't interested in any of that. What she cared about was when the next big commission would come in.
"They've dispatched so many people, even Hollow Special Operations Unit 6 is in action. No way they're still dealing with a newly erupted Hollow, right?"
Nekomata agreed. "Exactly. Instead of worrying about that, we should be thinking about what to eat."
Nicole glanced around. "Where's Sam Li?"
Nekomata replied, "He probably went to Lumina Square. He's been heading there every morning for breakfast lately. Anyway—what are we eating?"
Nicole responded seriously, "Obviously, Anby's favorite—burgers. Anby, you're on burger duty. Anby? Anby?"
She called a few times.
Anby seemed distracted.
After being called a few more times, she finally snapped out of it. "Yeah, I'll go get them."
Anby stepped out of Hare's House, glanced at Hollow Zero in the distance, then turned her gaze toward the Federer District.
Her heart was pounding—she couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen.
After a moment's hesitation, she changed course and headed toward the underground black market instead of the burger shop. That was where she could dig up more current intel.
...
Elsewhere, on the other side of New Eridu—Sixth Street.
Just like always, after finishing breakfast, Sam Li arrived at Master Tingman's café.
He ordered a New Eridu Special.
While enjoying his coffee, he began his usual routine.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed.
It was a message from Qingyi via KnockKnock chat.
Short and to the point.
She warned him that things in the Federer District were getting complicated and told him to make sure no one at Hare's House tried to go near the area.
After reading the message, Sam Li frowned.
It seemed the rumors on forum weren't baseless. The authorities were clearly hiding the truth about the Hollow disaster in the Federer District.
The disaster hadn't been resolved. It had gotten worse.
He opened the forum again and scrolled through trending posts—there were more and more leaks and speculations surfacing.
Some claimed the Hollow in the Federer District hadn't receded at all. In fact, it had more than doubled in size...
Others said this was the most extreme Hollow disaster yet, with a Notoriety Ethereal emerging right at the start...
There were even posts analyzing that this might be a plot by rebels colluding with Outer Ring forces—an attempt to overthrow the New Eridu government.
Of course, there were just as many posts trying to debunk the rumors.
But regardless, all the usual chatter from Hare's House had vanished from the hot topics. The forum was now flooded with posts about the Hollow disaster.
After skimming the rumors, Sam Li still couldn't determine the full truth.
But one thing was clear—the authorities were definitely hiding something.
He decided that once he finished his coffee, he'd go take a walk around the Federer District. See what was really going on.
If he actually ran into a Notoriety Ethereal, maybe he could even rack up some extra system points.
But...
Before he could finish his coffee, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
It was Soldier 11.
It had only been a few days, and she looked the same as ever—except now, there was a hint of sorrow in her expression.
As soon as they made eye contact, she greeted him in her usual way.
"Handsome Rock Warrior, interested in joining the Obol Squad?"
Sam Li gave the same answer he always did. "Sorry, I have no intention of breaking my contract with Hare's House."
In the past, whenever he said that, Soldier 11 would always sigh and show a look of disappointment, lamenting how much she wished to fight alongside him.
But this time, she didn't sigh, didn't press further.
Instead, she looked relieved.
As if she were content with that answer.
Sam Li noticed the shift and asked, "Is something going on?"
Uncharacteristically, Soldier 11 smiled. "Can't I come talk to you for no reason?"
Sam Li could tell it was a forced smile.
After a brief silence, she took a deep breath, let the smile fade, and said seriously, "I've been assigned a very difficult mission. Could you help me pass a message to Anby? Tell her the Defense Army won't come after her anymore—she's free."
Sam Li didn't respond immediately. "Why not tell her yourself?"
Soldier 11 looked up. "Because this mission is dangerous. I don't know if I'll make it back."
She knew the chances of returning were slim. If she didn't come back, the Defense Army might target Anby again.
So she used this mission as a bargaining chip, making a deal with the Defense Army's commander to ensure Anby's complete freedom.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she'd said too much. She quickly added, "Please don't tell Anby anything about the mission."
Sam Li nodded. "You have my word."
Relieved, Soldier 11 exhaled deeply. "As payment for the favor, here's a tip—don't go anywhere near the Federer District. The authorities are covering up the true extent of the disaster. It's more dangerous now than even Hollow Zero."
Sam Li nodded again. "Thanks for the warning."
He had already planned to go see it for himself.
Now, with Soldier 11's words, it was all but confirmed—something major was going down, and the government wasn't telling the public.
Sam Li figured that the mission Soldier 11 was risking her life for was probably connected to the Hollow disaster in the Federer District.
Which only made him more determined to check it out.