As the group stepped into the Hollows, the surroundings changed abruptly.

The once sunny wilderness was now shrouded in a gray haze, as if even the mountains and roads had been corroded by Ether.

And in truth, that was exactly the case.

Under the erosion of Ether, even massive boulders on the mountains would decay and crumble into dust.

After entering the Hollows, Piper asked, "Where's that building materials warehouse you mentioned?"

Caesar replied, "It's just up ahead. Follow this road straight into the depths of the Hollows, then turn left..."

Guided by Caesar, they quickly reached the deepest part of the Hollows.

Along the way, they ran into several groups of Ethereals, but they were all ordinary ones, posing no real threat.

However, once they reached the depths, Caesar immediately sensed something unusual.

"Compared to a few days ago, the Ether concentration and activity here have both increased."

She didn't have any equipment to measure the Hollows—this was purely based on her instincts.

The dense, active Ether made it harder to breathe; staying here too long would eventually affect even her.

Billy nodded. "Yeah, the air intake on my head is super sensitive. As soon as the Ether concentration and activity spike, my airflow slows right down..."

He made a show of struggling to breathe.

But it was obviously over the top— they had barely entered the Hollows, so it couldn't be affecting him that badly yet.

Then Billy glanced at Venti. "The pressure's so high. Don't you feel uncomfortable?"

Venti blinked. "Uncomfortable?"

He quickly caught on, copying Billy's act and pulling a pained face.

"It's awful... I can't breathe... The Ether's corroding me... I'm gonna turn into a monster... Sam Li, save me... Traveler, Paimon, save me..."

"Venti, you're acting way too fake."

"Yeah, way too fake—about as bad as Anby..."

Billy was speechless.

Covering his face, he couldn't bear to watch Venti's ridiculous performance.

Still, apart from Sam Li, Venti, and Xiao, everyone else was feeling the effects of the Ether to some degree.

Keqing frowned. "This place feels just like the A37 Hollows. Could there be a large number of high-level Ethereals inside?"

Caesar shook her head. "Probably not. I've been here several times and never seen a high-level Ethereal—"

Before she could finish, a huge boulder came hurtling toward them.

Kazuha shouted, "Watch out—something's coming!"

The boulder flew toward the truck, and at its speed, there was no way to dodge.

Kazuha drew his sword, ready to intercept it—

—but someone beat him to it.

It was Xiao.

Moving faster, he grabbed his spear and leapt from the truck bed, soaring through the air and striking at the boulder.

With a resounding boom, the spear met the rock, shattering it instantly. Dust and debris engulfed Xiao.

Billy jumped. "Is he okay?"

Paimon said confidently, "Of course. It's just a boulder."

Caesar added, "The real danger is the high-level Ethereals hiding in the shadows. Stay sharp—they could rush out from the ruins at any moment."

With Sam Li here, Caesar wasn't too worried. If a high-level Ethereal showed up, their group could handle it even without him stepping in.

Just as everyone scanned the surroundings, Caesar heard something. She turned toward the sound—and saw it.

A towering Ethereal, seven or eight meters tall, shoved aside the remains of an abandoned building and charged through the rubble.

Its massive frame looked heavy, but its speed was frightening.

"Over there—!"

"I'll be right back. Wait here."

Xiao said no more. Spear in hand, he sprinted toward the monster—he would not allow any creature to insult His Majesty.

Before it could reach them, Xiao struck first.

The first thrust knocked it back.

The second sent it into the air.

The third pierced its body clean through.

Caesar and the others were stunned.

Three simple strikes—and a high-level Ethereal was dead?

Such terrifying power...

In Caesar's eyes, Xiao was now in the same league as Sam Li.

But she didn't realize—Sam Li was even stronger than she imagined.

In no time, Xiao caught up to the moving truck and vaulted back onto it.

Caesar exhaled deeply. "Thank you... Mr. Xiao, for taking care of the Ethereal."

Xiao replied calmly, "It was my duty."

He stowed his spear and silently took his place beside Sam Li.

Guided by Caesar, they soon arrived at the building materials warehouse she had mentioned.

But before they could even get out of the truck, three or four massive high-level Ethereals appeared.

Paimon yelped, "So many big monsters—are they holding a banquet here too?"

Caesar glanced ahead and spotted a massive spatial rift. In an instant, she understood.

No wonder the Hollows had expanded so much in just a few days.

No wonder the Ether concentration and activity were so high.

A rift this large could only mean one thing—

—the other side led to Hollow Zero.

Otherwise, there was no way so many high-level Ethereals would be here.

Raising her shield in one hand and gripping her sword in the other, Caesar called out, "Prepare for battle!"

Xiao, Keqing, Hu Tao, the Traveler, Billy, Arataki Itto, Kazuha, Kuki Shinobu, and Anby all moved into action.

Only Sam Li and Venti stayed back.

Sam Li didn't need to fight—Xiao, Keqing, and the others could easily handle these monsters.

Besides, with his role-play progress already high, killing ordinary Notoriety Ethereals no longer advanced it.

To increase it further, he'd have to rely on daily tasks or take on tougher foes in Hollow Zero.

Meanwhile, Venti didn't join the fray.

Sitting atop the truck's cab, he began to play his harp.

The melodious notes drifted through the Hollows, and suddenly, everyone felt the oppressive pressure around them lighten.