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As the energy conduits lit up, power from the jump pack flowed into the disintegration field generator mounted on the Thunder Hammer. Blue electrical arcs crackled across the hammerhead, forged from high-strength ether alloy.
"OH YEAH!"
Ignis shouted the strange chant and swung the hammer down with full force onto the ether alloy wall before him. The disintegration field detonated in a burst of sparks upon contact, and the alloy—having resisted ether corrosion inside the Hollow for over a decade—was torn open with a single massive hole.
"It actually broke through in one hit? As expected of the Cunning Hares!"
Hearing the whispered praise, Ignis felt a quiet sense of satisfaction. He swung the hammer a few more times, widening the breach until even he could pass through.
The giant turned around. A spiked tower shield nearly as tall as himself slammed heavily into the ground. The tremendous force sent a tremor through the earth. Only the strength granted by Khorne, combined with a trace of psychic power bestowed by The Emperor, allowed the Salamander to perform such a display—enough to intimidate the increasingly restless crowd.
"Silence!"
The amplified voice boomed through his vox array. He deliberately lowered his tone, making it sound ominous. "Now, the Boss of the Cunning Hares, Nicole Demara, will announce the specific terms."
"What do you mean 'Boss' of the Cunning Hares?" Nicole muttered as she passed by him.
The giant took half a step back, knowingly positioning himself behind his boss.
"You, see? I didn't lie on the Inter-Knot," Nicole said, facing the crowd. "I said I had a way to let you in early—and here it is. There are fewer than a hundred people here right now. Trust the Cunning Hares, and you'll gain the first-mover advantage."
"Of course, this advantage isn't free. If you want to be faster than those idiots waiting for hacker groups to crack the main gate, you'll have to pay a fee."
Nicole swept her gaze across the crowd. Most were young people. There weren't many professional Hollow Raiders—most were ordinary folks hoping to strike it rich. The veterans were harder to lure in; they preferred finding their own way inside. But the Midsummer Group's warehouse had strict security. Fully enclosed storage zones, alloy outer walls seven or eight meters high. Ladders could work—but hauling such equipment into a Hollow was a challenge in itself.
"Ten thousand dennies per person," Nicole Demara announced the pre-set price. "One entry."
"What?! That's outrageous!"
The crowd erupted instantly.
"It's just a hole! You want ten thousand dennies for that? And only one entry? Why don't you just rob us?"
"Damn it, let's just rush in! I want to see how these few can stop us!"
"Yeah! Everyone rush together—they can't stop all of us!"
Hollow Raiders hidden among the crowd seized the moment, stirring unrest and urging people to charge the Cunning Hares' line. Their modified Combat Bangboo units received commands, preparing to make trouble.
"Amillion! Time to work!"
Seeing the crowd verge on chaos, Nicole issued the order immediately.
The Cunning Hares' Combat Bangboo—Amillion—stepped briskly to Nicole's side and pulled out a twin-barrel rotary machine-gun turret from its body. Before anyone could figure out what it was, the turret spat out twin tongues of flame. A barrage of bullets swept across the edge of the crowd, forcing several restless Bangboo units to recoil.
"Ah… I really didn't want to do this."
Billy raised his automatic cannon and fired two shots diagonally into the sky. The Dragon's Breath Canister shells were spectacular—pillars of fire soared upward, enormous shockwaves thundered, massive shell casings ejected from the breach, and a cluster of fresh craters appeared in the distance. The crowd was completely cowed.
"Listen carefully," Nicole said as silence fell. "We opened this hole. If you want in, you pay."
"Ten thousand dennies—what's expensive about that? Think about it. This is a Midsummer Group warehouse. They once competed with Three Gates Corp. Look at this alloy wall. What kind of treasure would justify a corporation spending this much on protection?"
"Use your heads. If it weren't valuable, how would they recoup the construction cost? Storage costs alone are this high—do you really think what's inside is cheap? Ten thousand dennies now, and one trip could set you up for life."
"Argue over ten thousand dennies all you want. In a moment, this big guy here will go in and start searching. With his build, he'll haul out the biggest, most valuable stuff first. You have ten minutes to decide. If you don't want to pay, you can wait for the hackers to break the security system."
Nicole's speech painted the contents as priceless—life-changing for ordinary people. Under her persuasion, some were clearly tempted, though hesitation remained. They looked around, scratching their heads—itching with desire, but held back by doubt.
And at moments like this, pre-arranged shills always appeared.
Vesmir pushed through the crowd with a few subordinates. Billy and Amillion's earlier display had frightened people badly, making the crowd packed tight.
"I'll do it. It's just ten thousand dennies," Vesmir said, pulling out cash and handing it to Nicole. "First come, first served. I'm going in to pick carefully."
"You look young. Got student IDs? Student discount—twenty percent off," Nicole said while counting the money.
"Nope. Doesn't matter. We've paid—let us in," Vesmir replied. His subordinates even had portable carts, their weapons strapped to the frames.
"Go ahead." Nicole waved her hand. "Ignis, let them through."
Hearing the order, the Salamander stepped aside, revealing the breach. Vesmir winked at him and led his people inside.
As they entered, they loudly mocked the others.
"Bunch of broke losers. It's only ten thousand dennies. Everything inside is free pickings right now! Let's go, brothers—find the most valuable stuff!"
"Boss really knows his stuff. Ten thousand dennies—just two hundred buns. Trade that for a lifetime of wealth? Totally worth it!"
"Yeah, Boss. Let's head straight for the core area—leave nothing for the others!"
As their voices faded, the rest of the crowd grew visibly restless. They could see clearly now—the Cunning Hares weren't scamming anyone. Pay up, and you get in. And those guys weren't wrong—this was untouched territory, when treasures were at their peak. Go in late, and everything might be gone.
Watching the crowd whisper among themselves, Nicole was delighted. The more anxious they became, the more likely they were to pay. And this was only the first day. Once the news spread, even more people would come. To Nicole, the current scene already looked like stacks of bills talking to each other.
Money, money… monopoly really was the easiest business.
"Does the student discount really apply?"
A college-aged youth stepped forward. "Here's my student ID."
Nicole checked it—it was from a nearby Hollow-specialized academy.
"Of course. How many of you?" she asked, handing it back.
"That's great!" the student cheered. "My fieldwork report is saved! No need to wait for HIA approval anymore! Hold on—I'll call my classmates right now! Please wait for us!"
Checking his Carrot data, he bolted off.
"You hired more actors?" Ignis asked quietly.
"Nope. Just Vesmir," Nicole replied, glancing at the murmuring crowd. "Looks like the effect's even better now."
She was right. After the two performances, the crowd was boiling. This time, no one was arguing about price—the only question was go or not go.
"Jackpot! Absolute jackpot!"
In just minutes, Vesmir returned, pushing carts loaded with supply crates. Five people, three portable carts—each piled high. The other two carried crates by hand.
"Boss! We've struck gold!"
The excitement in his subordinate's voice was genuine.
"Yeah! It's stacked with crates inside! Let's go again!"
"Again? People will think we can't afford it," Vesmir waved grandly. "Unload these, bring more people—ten runs per person! Haul it all out!"
"Boss is brilliant!"
The newly minted catering company owner strutted past the crowd, basking in flattery. Though the crates were locked, the Midsummer Group logo was unmistakable. That corporation had collapsed over a decade ago; counterfeiters focused on popular goods, not these. Even the strain on the cart wheels showed the weight was real. Combined with Inter-Knot rumors, it was clear—these crates weren't empty.
Not empty meant profit. And if there was profit, ten thousand dennies was nothing.
What mattered now was getting in before others—every second earlier meant better choices. Not like those fools hauling out everything indiscriminately. The real value lay in lighter electronic equipment—military-grade stuff. Even if it was over a decade old, it was far from obsolete.
Once they figured that out, enthusiasm exploded. New Eridu lacked nothing—especially not people dreaming of riches. Otherwise, why would so many buy lottery tickets?
They surged forward, waving cash, shouting to be first.
Nicole nearly burst into tears at the sight. The Cunning Hares had never seen business like this—people practically begging to hand over money, afraid of being too late. The scene grew chaotic, countless hands reaching toward her, nearly knocking her over.
"Line up! One at a time!"
Ignis roared. Amplified, the sound almost deafened the crowd.
Under the looming presence of Billy's automatic cannon and Anby's whirring chainsword, order finally formed. One by one, they paid and entered the storage area. Those inside were elated; those waiting were frantic. The Hollow Raiders slipped quietly out of line.
They were tempted by the treasure, but paying for entry felt beneath them. Criminals, following rules inside a Hollow?Unacceptable.
Their movements didn't escape Ignis. He'd anticipated this. Nekomata silently tailed them—her stealth advantage unmatched. He only hoped she wouldn't suddenly develop an interest in their wallets mid-mission.
Watching the growing stack of cash, Nicole's smile widened. This giant was a genius—leveraging his unique strengths to open new revenue streams for the Cunning Hares. Inviting him to join had been a masterstroke.
"Are you that happy?" Ignis asked, noting her expression. "You look like you're about to cry."
"You know what? I've only seen this in dreams. Even in my wildest dreams, I wasn't this bold," Nicole said while collecting money. "So many people, rushing, begging me to take their cash—and telling me to count faster. And this is just the beginning. Your three-step plan hasn't even gone past step one. I can't imagine how much we'll make later."
"This already enough to overwhelm you?" Ignis chuckled. Few could break this wall without heavy machinery—except him. Monopoly business was always lucrative. Selling priority access before Golden Week beat digging for gold yourself any day.
"That truck of supplies you brought hasn't even started selling yet. Security services haven't started either," Ignis said, his voice almost tempting. "And this is only the first storage zone. Once this dries up, there are three more."
Nicole no longer saw the crowd—only endless bills waving at her.
"I feel like I'm dreaming," she said. "Ignis, slap me. I need to know if this is real."
"One slap from me could send Ethereals flying dozens of meters. Are you serious, boss?"
"Good. Then I'm not dreaming."
Nicole nodded firmly. "Long live Golden Week!"
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