While the Sons of Calydon launched their investigation, far from New Eridu's inner districts, at a temporary camp in the outskirts, a different group was also stirring.
A band of recently arrived bikers—wanderers who had drifted to the outer ring from New Eridu—were gathered to discuss their next move.
Because of their limited abilities, they hadn't been able to join any of the established factions. As a result, they had no stable income, surviving on petty theft and small-time crimes just to get by.
Over time, these drifters banded together and formed a new faction.
More importantly, behind this group stood a terrifying figure—one whose presence alone kept them unified.
And now, they were waiting for that very figure to arrive.
"Where do you think that person even comes from? A human who can wield Ethereal powers... it's terrifying. Could they be some kind of lab experiment?" one of the members asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
Another quickly nodded in agreement. "It's possible. They say the fall of the Old Capital was triggered by a researcher from the Helios Academy. Maybe that person is one of their creations."
Helios Academy—that name still haunted the people of New Eridu. It was blamed for the fall of the Old City, a chapter most preferred to leave buried.
Even the Phaeton siblings had deep, tangled ties to the Helios Academy, though no one in New Eridu knew that now.
And no one knew that the Phaeton had become Proxies with a singular goal—to return to the depths of Hollow Zero, to the place they once called home, and uncover a hidden truth.
Only then could they answer the one question that had haunted them for years—
Why did their teacher they revered commit such unforgivable acts?
Back in the present, after a long wait, a subtle shift in the wind signaled the arrival of the one they were waiting for.
A dark-robed figure appeared atop a jagged rock overlooking the camp.
"I hear you've been discussing where I come from?" the figure said coldly. Beneath the robe, eyes like black holes glowed faintly.
That dead, demonic gaze instantly silenced the crowd.
They had seen it firsthand—this man had obliterated a high-level Ethereal in a single strike, something even elite Investigators struggled to do.
To survive—and to earn more of the rewards he offered—no one dared show him the slightest disrespect.
"M-My lord, we were just curious. We want to be strong like you!" one of the braver members finally spoke up, forcing the words out.
The figure narrowed his eyes and responded icily, "That's not something you're worthy to know. And you—you aren't worthy of this power. A bunch of ether-incompatible weaklings... you should be more worried about surviving out here."
The scorn in his words stirred fury in the camp—but no one dared to show it. Because he was right.
In a place like the outer ring, survival trumped dignity.
Rejected by all other factions, he was the only one they had left to rely on.
"My lord, we've followed your instructions and gathered intel on almost every faction in the outer ring. What should we do next?" asked one of the group's earliest members, stepping forward cautiously.
Hearing that his task had been completed, the figure wasted no time giving the next order.
"Give me the names of every ether-compatible person among them. After that, your job is done. Just wait—I'll deliver what I promised."
Excitement rippled through the crowd.
He had promised them a massive shipment of supplies—enough to last years, maybe even longer. If they proved strong enough, they could even become one of the dominant powers in the outer ring.
...
After dismissing the camp members, the robed man took the list and headed straight to a secluded cliffside.
Not long after, a woman dressed identically to him appeared.
"So, the mission's done. Those vermin work fast, huh? I didn't think they'd get what we needed this quickly," she said, glancing at the list and smirking.
Only she could smile at times like this. The man, in contrast, scowled.
"Save it. I can barely breathe out here. The pressure in the air... New Eridu's pulling out all the stops to keep us out."
Ever since the three-thousand-bomb crisis, New Eridu's upper brass had deployed a secret weapon.
It rendered the Exaltists unable to operate within the city—and even in the outer ring, it significantly weakened their influence.
If not for that, they wouldn't have had to rely on those "vermin" for help.
"So what? Word is, our god is working on a serum to let Ethereals survive outside Hollow zones. And the research is going great. Five years, max—we'll have results. Then New Eridu will be ours."
She spoke confidently, brushing aside his concerns.
But the truth was, if Ethereals ever could move freely outside Hollows, it might not be the win they imagined.
Some Ethereals were terrifyingly powerful—creatures that could topple the whole of New Eridu if not for the Hollow-bound limitation that kept them dormant.
For years, Ethereals had been trying to evolve.
But evolution was a slow process—hundreds, maybe even thousands of years without external interference.
By then, human technology would likely have progressed to a point where wiping them out would be entirely possible.
However, the Exaltists represented exactly that kind of external interference.
With their help, the evolution of the Ethereals could accelerate dramatically.
And five years?
The truth was, it might happen even sooner.