Half an hour later, inside Victoria Housekeeping Co., Venti sat leisurely on the sofa, one hand holding his harp and the other a wine glass. He strummed and sang a gentle ballad while savoring the fine wine from New Eridu.

Beside him, Lycaon, Rina, Ellen, and Corin all watched quietly.

Rina smiled faintly. "How did the commission for Miss Astra Yao go last time? No trouble, I hope?"

Venti immediately set down his glass. "Of course not! Miss Astra Yao is such a kind soul. When she heard I loved fine wine, she immediately brought out a vintage from the Old Era she'd been treasuring for years. The taste... was peculiar."

As he spoke, Venti wore an expression of lingering enjoyment.

Lycaon and Rina exchanged looks, speechless. Wines left over from the Old Era? That stuff must be at least a few hundred years old. Could it even be drinkable?

Ellen frowned slightly. "It's been sitting around that long? Of course it tastes strange."

Corin looked surprised. "Wouldn't that be bad for you?"

Venti waved his hand quickly. "Eh? Bad? No way! Though she called it Old Era wine, it actually tasted like it was only about ten years old. Still, it was a rare gem—comparable to Diluc's finest brews."

Another unfamiliar name surfaced. The staff of Victoria Housekeeping had long since grown used to such odd remarks.

At that moment, Venti smiled. "Miss Astra Yao is lovely. She even invited me to accompany her at her next concert."

Hearing this, Ellen asked earnestly, "Did you accept?"

Venti shook his head. "I intended to, but that concert might just... be postponed..."

With war looming, who would go to a concert?

As the group chatted animatedly, Venti suddenly turned his gaze toward the window.

Rina tilted her head. "What is it?"

Venti chuckled softly. "An old friend invited me for drinks. He hasn't reached out in so long—I thought he'd forgotten about me..."

With that, Venti set down his glass, pressed his harp gently, and rose from the sofa. Humming a soft tune, he walked out through Victoria Housekeeping's front door.

...

A few minutes later, in a high-end restaurant near Victoria Housekeeping, Venti stepped inside and immediately spotted Sam Li waiting at a table. His face brightened into a smile.

"Eh-heh, it's been so long since you last invited me for a drink. I thought you'd forgotten about me."

"Not for drinks," Sam Li said with a faint smile. "For tea."

As he spoke, he lightly waved his hand, and a cup of tea floated over to Venti's side.

Venti caught it gracefully, took a sip, and his expression softened with appreciation. "Fine tea. It bears a resemblance to the tea from your Chenyu Valley."

Sam Li nodded. "Indeed—it was brought from Chenyu Valley."

He then began recounting everything about the depths of Hollow Zero: the high-tier Ethereal, the Sun-Colored Starlight Giant, and his suspicions regarding its power.

After hearing Sam Li's explanation, Venti—rarely serious—nodded thoughtfully. "So you're saying those two Sun-Colored Starlight gems came from the stars themselves?"

Sam Li nodded. "Exactly. They never belonged to this world."

It was those two gems that had brought disaster upon the world—and ultimately destroyed it. The energy within them was too immense to shatter; they could only be sealed away.

Venti smiled faintly. "Since you already have a plan, I don't have to worry. Just let me know when the final battle begins. I'll bring the Victoria Housekeeping crew to cheer you on—your own personal support team!"

Sam Li smiled. "That would be wonderful."

As he spoke, he poured Venti another cup of tea.

Venti lifted his harp, sipping his tea while plucking a gentle melody. The soft, melodious notes filled the restaurant, drawing the attention of many nearby guests—some even stopped just to listen to his impromptu performance.

...

With Venti's support secured, the following days saw all of New Eridu spring into motion.

The Public Security Bureau, the Hollow Special Operations Department, the Hollow Investigation Association, the Defense Force, and various corporate groups—every major and minor faction across the city began preparations to suppress Hollow Zero.

But that wasn't all.

Keqing, together with New Eridu's leadership, drafted a new plan, dispatching envoys to the Outer Ring to contact its factions and invite them to join the campaign.

News of the Adepti's previous efforts to suppress Hollow Zero had already spread throughout the Outer Ring, gaining the support of countless citizens. The event had shocked nearly the entire region.

As a result, most Outer Ring factions agreed to join New Eridu's campaign—including the Sons of Calydon.

Of course, where there was support, there was also opposition.

Some groups began spreading rumors of New Eridu's so-called conspiracies, attempting to sabotage the operation. These agitators were often backed by members of the Exaltist Order.

For such destructive forces, Keqing showed no mercy. Within mere days, she dismantled several factions and captured multiple individuals claiming to be Exaltist Order liaisons.

As preparations continued with growing intensity, Sam Li remained far from idle.

Every three days, he ventured into the heart of Hollow Zero to hunt down Destruction-tier and Apocalypse-tier Ethereal, using them to boost his Role-Playing Progress and gather system points.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Successfully defeated Destruction-tier Ethereal - Three-Headed Hellhound. Earned System Points ×150,000——]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Gained Role-Playing Progress +0.005%——]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Successfully defeated Apocalypse-tier Ethereal - White Sky King. Earned System Points ×300,000——]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Gained Role-Playing Progress +0.01%——]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Successfully defeated Destruction-tier Ethereal - Death Reaper. Earned System Points ×150,000——]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Gained Role-Playing Progress +0.005%——]

...

Just as he had predicted, the Destruction-tier and Apocalypse-tier Ethereal he'd slain before had indeed been resurrected by the Sun-Colored Starlight Giant.

That was fine—it meant he could keep grinding endlessly.

Though the rewards for Role-Playing Progress grew smaller with each level gained, Sam Li could continue the cycle, clearing them every three days without pause.

He maintained this rhythm for over a month. Then, as yet another Apocalypse-tier Ethereal fell, a familiar chime echoed in his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Successfully defeated Apocalypse-tier Ethereal - White Sky King. Earned System Points ×300,000——]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Gained Role-Playing Progress +0.001%——]

[Ding! Congratulations, Host. Role-Playing Progress has successfully reached 100%——]