"So strong… are you even human?"

With all the Ethereals wiped out, Eous rushed over, staring at Sol Mercer like he was some kind of monster.

While Sol Mercer and Anby had been fighting, Eous had rubbed its lens multiple times in disbelief at what the high-definition camera was capturing.

Earlier, Sol Mercer's gunplay—while absurdly good—could still be explained away as godlike aim.

But now? That raw power to slice Ethereals clean in half… was that really something a human could do?

To Belle, watching Sol Mercer carve through a horde of Ethereals with a melee weapon, he no longer felt like a normal person at all.

"Of course I'm human. A very good human," Sol Mercer replied cheerfully, giving Eous a light pat on the head. "Come on, let's go clear out two more Ethereal clusters."

"Mm!"

Belle no longer had any snarky comments—she just led the way.

After witnessing Sol Mercer's sheer, brutal strength, she was certain that small-time Ethereal swarms couldn't slow him down.

The only real threat to Sol Mercer in a Hollow might be the corrosive effects of Ether energy.

That, right there, proved the importance of a Proxy. Without her, Sol Mercer wouldn't be able to go on these wild rampages inside the Hollow.

Heh, the three of us are kinda amazing!

In the blink of an eye, thirty minutes passed.

Guided by Eous, Sol Mercer and Anby cleared out three more waves of Ethereals.

With the initial two waves, they'd now exterminated nearly a thousand Ethereals total.

"Mr. Ethereal-Slaughter-Machine, heading to the next cluster or calling it a day?"

Eous glanced up at Sol Mercer, teasing him.

This whole journey had left her completely dumbfounded.

Slice after slice, Sol Mercer made killing Ethereals look as effortless as slicing fruit in a ninja-themed mobile game.

Creatures everyone else avoided like the plague crumbled like paper before him.

So strong. Unbelievably strong. This was the first time I've ever worked with a Proxy like this.

Charging through a Hollow like a lawnmower—it was thrilling.

"'Ethereal-Slaughter-Machine'? What kind of trash nickname is that?" Sol Mercer couldn't help but ruffle Eous's head. "If I'm getting a title, it should be something like Invincible Tyrannosaurus Warlord. Much cooler."

'Ethereal-Slaughter-Machine' wasn't badass or fun—it had no flavor. He didn't like it.

"No, Ethereal-Slaughter-Machine is better."

Anby corrected him seriously.

In her view, Belle had nailed it. Over a thousand Ethereals in one hour? The name completely fit.

"Alright, whatever you two say."

Sol Mercer shrugged in defeat.

"Sol Mercer, so what's the call—are we heading to the next cluster or not?"

Belle continued pressing.

Sol Mercer glanced at the slightly winded Anby and replied, "No, let's head out."

An hour of high-intensity combat had drained Anby considerably. Pushing any further would be unwise.

And besides, he wasn't particularly keen on continuing either.

Anby checked her body and said earnestly, "I'm fine. I can keep going."

"No need. One hour a day is good enough. We're not clocking in for work, after all."

Sol Mercer refused without hesitation.

Spending all day in the Hollow slaughtering Ethereals? That was boring. He didn't come to New Eridu to be a wage slave.

One hour, a thousand kills—that was just good daily exercise.

"You're right. A thousand a day is more than enough."

Belle nodded in agreement.

That kind of daily kill count would noticeably reduce Hollow density.

By the time they got out, the Hollow should've visibly shrunk.

Suddenly, Sol Mercer remembered something. "Hey, Proxy—did you get enough footage? If not, I can bash out a few more fights."

"No need. More than enough." Belle replied dramatically, "What I've got could practically be a feature film!"

A full hour of Hollow exploration, complete with gunfights and blade duels against a thousand Ethereals.

She'd bet her whole shop—no film studio in New Eridu had ever shot something this outrageous.

And no action movie came close to matching this level of real, pulse-pounding tension.

She was certain the old man who commissioned the footage would be more than satisfied.

"Just make sure to send us a copy once the video's edited," Sol Mercer reminded her.

He still remembered—Nicole had said she'd use it as a promo video.

"Don't worry, of course."

Eous patted its tiny chest in assurance.

She was definitely sending Sol Mercer a copy—and saving one for herself, too.

Eous added, "If it's okay with you, I'd like to rent it out at the video store. That alright?"

"I don't mind," Sol Mercer chuckled. "But you'll have to talk to Nicole about that. If you're willing to give her a cut, I'm sure she won't say no."

"Ugh, fine…"

Belle pouted.

If she had to negotiate with Nicole, there was no doubt she'd get swindled. Wait… maybe she could just offer to offset it with debt. Nicole never paid off her debts anyway.

Thinking that way cheered her up again.

As they chatted, the group exited the Hollow. Belle detached from Eous.

Compared to when they'd entered, the Hollow had visibly receded by several meters—proof that the effect was real and immediate.

Sol Mercer carried Eous in his arms and turned to Anby. "Anby, great work today. Want to grab a burger and catch a movie after this?"

"You worked harder."

Anby responded calmly.

In her eyes, she'd only assisted. Sol Mercer had done the heavy lifting.

"…"

Sol Mercer sighed.

His point was the burger and movie, but this girl had gotten hung up on the work.

"So… burger and movie?"

"Yes!"

Anby touched her stomach and gave a firm nod.

…

When Sol Mercer and Anby returned to the video store with Eous, they saw Belle and Wise waiting inside.

Sol Mercer casually draped an arm over Wise's shoulder, grinning. "See? Told you it wasn't dangerous."

"Not dangerous at all. Honestly… maybe a bit too easy."

With the evidence in hand, Wise could only nod in agreement.

He'd watched the footage Eous had sent back. It wasn't just safe—it had been a slaughterfest from beginning to end.

Sol Mercer smiled. "So? Interested in a long-term partnership?"

"If you're paying, I'm in. Whatever kind of partnership you want." Wise thought for a moment and added seriously, "I'll even give you a twenty percent discount."

After seeing Sol Mercer's combat power, even the idea of accepting the Hollow-clearing commission was back on the table.

And that discount? That was his way of showing respect.

Having a strong ally like this would go a long way toward fulfilling their mentor's dream.

"Thanks. If I need you, I'll be in touch." Sol Mercer turned to both of them and said, "By the way, Anby and I are grabbing food and catching a movie. Want to join?"

It was just a polite offer—like saying stay for dinner when you don't really mean it.

"No thanks. We've still got tapes to sort,"

Wise understood and declined with the same polite tone.

"I'm interested! Food and movies—count me in!"

Belle ran over to Sol Mercer and Anby, sticking her tongue out at Wise.

Let him do the tape organizing. No way she was spending her evening like that!

"Alright then, let's go."

Sol Mercer didn't mind adding one more. He set off with Belle and Anby in tow.

"…That girl's impossible."

Wise sighed, watching Belle's figure disappear into the distance.

***

T/N: Due to popular demand (me being peer pressured), The MC's name is now "Sol Mercer"