Ruby tilted her head and blinked, quietly slipping her phone out of sight. Before the woman could react, she stepped forward, took her hand, and flashed a bright, sweet smile.
"Hello, Miss! We're here to take part in the investigation of Hollow Zero. I heard we need to pass a qualification assessment first—could you help us out?"
The woman froze for a moment, caught off guard by Ruby's disarmingly friendly demeanor after years of military discipline. She nodded stiffly, still looking a little dazed. "Yes. Please follow me."
With that, she led Phaga and the others deeper into Scott Outpost.
On the way, she introduced herself. "My name is Clover. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll be your examiner for the qualification test."
"Now, I'll take you to meet the person in charge of this investigation—Ray, a researcher from the Wise Association. She'll be the one arranging the details of your assessment."
Whoosh!
As soon as she finished speaking, Clover lifted a curtain aside, then stepped politely to the side and gestured toward the entrance. "Please, go in."
Ruby blinked and stepped through first.
Ellen followed, her eyes scanning the room cautiously. The massive scissors slung over her shoulder lowered instinctively as she tightened her grip on the handle, positioning herself near Ruby like a silent guard.
Phaga deliberately stayed a step behind. In front of Clover, he folded up his parasol, bowed slightly, and said courteously, "Thank you."
In truth, it was a calculated move—he wanted to keep watch from the rear.
Ever since they stepped off the truck, both Ellen and Phaga had automatically slipped into work mode, treating Ruby's safety as their top priority.
Clover didn't notice. She only thought the boy who lingered at the back was unusually polite. Without thinking much of it, she continued inside with the group.
The room they entered was cramped but packed with intricate instruments. Surveillance screens covered the walls, displaying the movement paths of numerous Ethereals—some even more powerful than the Dead End Butcher.
Only three staff members worked there, each absorbed in their own tasks, barely sparing a glance upward. Even when the curtain lifted and light spilled into the dim room, no one turned around. Their hands paused only for an instant before resuming their focused rhythm.
Clover said nothing, striding straight to the front of the group. She stopped before a tall woman wearing glasses, her sharp gaze fixed on an electronic display, and tapped lightly on the table.
The sudden noise snapped the woman out of her thoughts. She blinked, lifted her head, and upon seeing several newcomers, immediately grasped the situation. After clearing her throat, her expression shifted into one of calm authority.
"Hello. I'm Ray. No need for lengthy introductions. If Clover brought you here, then you're here for the Hollow Zero investigation."
"I'm not interested in whether you've entered a Hollow before or fought Ethereals. What matters to me is your performance during the qualification assessment."
"Just moments ago, one of our data stations on the outskirts of Hollow Zero was overrun by Ethereals. I need you to retrieve the data from it."
She paused, pressing her lips together before taking a sip from a nearby cup to soothe her dry throat. Then she cast a brief glance at Clover and continued,
"During the assessment, everything you do will be recorded by Clover. Assuming nothing unexpected happens, you'll be informed whether you've passed once the mission is complete."
"Now then—good luck."
...
Before long, Clover handed Ruby the basic data for the Hollow Zero perimeter and informed the team that they would be entering in twenty minutes.
Phaga glanced at Ruby and asked in a low voice, "Well? Think you can craft the carrot?"
Of course, basic information alone wasn't enough. A Proxy or Investigator had to process it into a usable route—what they called a "carrot."
Naturally, the results varied depending on the skill of the Proxy or Investigator.
It was like solving a math problem: a thousand people could come up with a thousand answers.
Some people would scratch their heads endlessly, no matter how many times they looked at it—better off praying for divine inspiration than trusting their own reasoning.
Others could take one look at the problem and start writing entire pages of solutions. The true experts might even boast, "I've discovered a brilliant proof, but alas, the space here is too small to write it down."
Then there were those who were knowledgeable but sloppy—solid logic, but missing a digit here, miscalculating a sum there.
In the end, their answers veered completely off course. If the result was absurdly wrong, at least they'd notice. But if it seemed reasonable? That was the real danger—because they'd never realize their mistake.
Likewise, when it came to Proxies and Investigators, raiders rarely worried about the ones who were truly bad—because the utterly unskilled wouldn't even dare step into a Hollow.
It was like a shiny ship advertising itself, eager to sell its "perfect sea route" to every would-be explorer dreaming of conquering the ocean.
But if one of those explorers showed up and said, "Forget your maps—come sail with me," then that ship would probably end up at the bottom of the sea after a pleasant conversation.
Now, if the ship actually did dare to set sail, the explorer had better pray that it truly knew the route—because one wrong turn could be fatal.
That was why, even though Ruby confidently announced she could finish the carrot in ten minutes, Ellen still couldn't relax. She leaned in to inspect it closely. When she found no issues, her stomach still twisted with unease.
She remembered vividly what had happened the last time Ruby led a team—waves of Ethereals hemming them in, and a Dead End Butcher guarding the exit.
Now, watching Ruby stand proudly with her hands on her hips, grinning and fishing for praise, Ellen swallowed hard and muttered, "Ruby, you really don't want to double-check it?"
"No need. Don't worry!"
Ruby gave a playful thumbs-up, stuck out her tongue, and chirped, "If I take us the wrong way this time and we bump into an Ethereal none of us can handle, then..."
"Then we'll just throw you at it to buy us time while Phaga and I run for it?"
Ellen raised an eyebrow, suddenly intrigued.
Ruby's mouth dropped open, and she started lightly pounding Ellen's shoulder with her fists. Ellen barely reacted, eyes half-lidded, as Ruby squealed,
"How could you?!"
"Even if I mess up, couldn't you at least save me first and yell at me later?"
Phaga chuckled, covering his mouth with his fist and glancing aside. "Alright then. If you lead us astray, you'll have to dress up as Shark Girl."
"Deal! It's a deal!"
Ruby's eyes lit up immediately, as if dressing as Shark Girl were no punishment at all.
Ellen's expression darkened. "Wait, is dressing as Shark Girl supposed to be some kind of serious punishment?"
Phaga only smiled and shook his head. Checking his phone, he turned toward the exit. "Enough fooling around. It's almost time. Get ready to meet Clover—we're heading into Hollow Zero."
But Ellen wasn't done with him yet. While Ruby was distracted, she pounced, closing the distance in three quick steps and biting down on Phaga's shoulder.
She didn't break the skin, but Phaga still winced, baring his teeth and shooting her an indignant look.
Ellen gave a cold snort and turned her head away.