Nightfall gradually descended.
The moon in New Eridu differed from that of the real world—nearly half of it was tainted black by the Hollow, casting a sinister aura across the sky.
And tonight, the half that was normally pale white had turned an unprecedented blood-red.
Half black, half crimson—just looking at such a moon was enough to keep anyone awake.
Meanwhile, Hollow Zero was anything but calm. Countless powerful Ethereals roamed the landscape, and habitable zones were scarce.
What's more, this was a Hollow. Without specialized protective equipment, even if you found space to live, you wouldn't last long under the constant etheric erosion.
"Big Sis Jane, the operation starts tonight. Once we take down Razor, we'll finally be on the road to riches." In one of the few rooms within the Hollow, Jane and several elite guards were finalizing the plan.
The strategy was simple: wait for the dead of night and strike while Razor slept. That way, their chances of success would skyrocket.
Once Razor was eliminated, they'd proclaim Jane as the new leader of the Mountain Lion Gang, and the rest of them would receive high-ranking titles for their contributions.
Jane, on the surface, readily agreed—but in truth, she was simply waiting for the Public Security Bureau to arrive.
Not long ago, she had sent both a data chip and a letter to the operation's lead, Zhu Yuan. Once received, a strike from the Bureau would soon follow.
With a coordinated assault from both within and without, not a single one of these criminals would escape.
As for assassinating Razor—Jane fully intended to go through with it. Once he was dead, the Mountain Lion Gang would plunge into disarray, incapable of unity.
That kind of chaos would create a perfect opening for the Bureau—exactly what an undercover agent like her should be striving for.
Soon, as the clock struck midnight, the operation commenced.
Ordinary members were rarely permitted into headquarters. But Razor's elite guards could move freely throughout the entire facility.
Thanks to that, the group encountered no resistance along the way. Even in such tense moments, Jane's composure allowed her to greet any patrolling guards they passed.
Moments later, they reached Razor's chambers. Outside the door stood two capable Mountain Lion guards.
"Big Sis Jane? Gentlemen? What brings you here...?" The guards looked puzzled at their sudden arrival.
Jane had already prepared an answer: "We've identified the guy behind the slaughter of our people. The situation is urgent—we need to inform the boss immediately."
The guards exchanged glances, understanding the gravity of the situation. Without hesitation, they stepped aside and even opened the door for them.
The group entered the room and quietly shut the door behind them. The guards returned to their posts. All was calm once more.
But that calm didn't last long.
Boom!
A deafening crash erupted as a powerful force sent a figure hurtling into the iron door, shattering it completely and sending the guard flying out into the hall.
The impact startled the two guards outside. Once they registered the figure slumped against the now-ruined door, they realized—it was one of the elite guards who had entered with Jane.
The sudden shift in events left them stunned—but only for a moment.
Someone's trying to rebel!
Realizing something was wrong, they rushed inside the room. There, they found Razor, not sleeping but fully geared, standing in front of his bed. In one hand, he gripped another elite guard who had entered with Jane.
Of the three guards who had come with her, one was the man who had just been thrown out, another now hung limply in Razor's grasp, pleading for mercy.
The third?
He stood behind Razor... smirking with the smugness of a traitor who thought he'd won.
Jane's face was grim. She knew exactly what had happened.
"You leaked the plan?"
The moment they had entered the room, Razor had launched a sudden attack. Had they been any slower, they'd all be dead already.
And once the fighting began, one of the elite guards had immediately taken Razor's side—his betrayal laid bare.
This betrayal was his offering—his proof of loyalty to Razor.
"Lord Razor... please... have mercy..."
The man caught in Razor's grip whimpered pitifully. But Razor never spared traitors. With a single twist, he snapped the man's neck.
The lifeless body hit the floor like trash. Jane knew—this mission had just become a deathtrap.
After disposing of the traitor, Razor nodded approvingly at the lackey behind him. "Well done. From today, you're the Mountain Lion Gang's second-in-command."
Of course. These men had no resistance to temptation. All it took was one promise from Razor, and he'd sold them out—costing them the operation.
But Jane wasn't focused on revenge. Right now, she had to think of a way out.
The two guards were stationed at the door, and Razor, a monster in combat, stood between her and escape. No matter how she looked at it—it was a perfect death trap.
But this was Jane. She wasn't someone low-level thugs could ever match.
In the blink of an eye, her tail whipped forward—and from seemingly nowhere, a dagger burst forth at incredible speed, instantly taking down one of the guards.
Before the second could react, Jane was already upon him, another dagger in hand.
But this guard had sharp instincts. The moment she lunged, he raised his weapon to counter.
Just as he pulled the trigger, Jane's form blurred into a ghostly afterimage, sidestepping his attack in an inhuman motion.
Her eyes cold, she didn't even bother to glance his way—she simply slit his throat in one clean stroke, then strode past Razor and walked away.
Razor watched her disappearing figure and snorted coldly.
Moments later, he mobilized every member of the Mountain Lion Gang' headquarters, issuing a full-scale manhunt to exterminate the final traitor.
At the same time, on the other side of Hollow Zero—
Zhong Yan, now transformed into Tobi, had arrived near the Mountain Lion Gang' headquarters.
Seeing the distant glow—light that had no business existing within a Hollow—he knew he'd found the right place.
Once, he might've hesitated for fear of hurting innocent civilians. But now? Against scum like these?
He would show no mercy.
And so, the stage was set for a true Red Moon Night.
"Now... let the night begin."