ZZZ RPG (BETA)

Before the world shattered, humanity lived in advanced cities like Old Eridu, where technology and progress seemed unstoppable. Then, without warning, Hollows began to appear—enclosed spaces where reality distorted, time lost its meaning, and an unknown energy called Aether permeated everything. People trapped for too long suffered irreversible corruption, losing their form and consciousness and becoming Ethereals: violent creatures born from human remains and fragmented memories. At first, the Hollows were small and isolated, but over time they began to expand, and no known method could stop them. The point of no return arrived with the appearance of Hollow Zero, a colossal Hollow whose manifestation surpassed all expectations and engulfed Old Eridu, causing its total destruction. Millions died. Information about the origin of the phenomenon was lost, and amidst the chaos, the government and corporations resorted to desperate experiments, attempting to control the Aether. Some subjects survived these tests, developing an anomalous affinity with the energy, becoming special beings directly linked to the Hollows. As the world collapsed, the remnants of humanity regrouped and founded... New Eridu, the last great human city, instead of fleeing the Hollows, learned to coexist with them, exploiting the Aether as an energy source and creating a society dependent on the very thing that had destroyed the world. New professions emerged to survive, among them the Proxies, experts in navigating the Hollows from the outside, guiding combatants called Agents who physically entered these zones thanks to their resistance to the Aether or special abilities. Among all the Proxies, an urban legend circulated: the name of Phaethon, an infallible clandestine guide who never failed a mission without anyone knowing. In reality, there were two Phaethons.

Belle and Wise, siblings who operated out of a seemingly ordinary video store called Random Play, inherited forbidden knowledge about Hollows and the Aether. This knowledge directly linked them to the events that occurred before the fall of Old Eridu. While working odd jobs to survive, they became embroiled in conflicts between corporations, authorities, and independent factions, all vying for control of the Aether and information about the past. Little by little, the siblings discovered that Hollows were not mere natural anomalies. The Aether seemed to possess memory, will, and a deep connection to human consciousness. Some Ethereals retained traces of identity and emotions, suggesting that the line between human and monster had never been clear. Hollow Zero, far from being dead, continued to influence the slumbering but active world, fueling modern technologies and maintaining the fragile balance of New Eridu. Meanwhile, outside the city, regions with ancient traditions existed that treated the Aether differently, using minerals like Hui capable of stabilizing or altering Hollows. These cultures demonstrated that the disaster could have been avoided and that New Eridu had chosen the most dangerous path. In the end, Belle and Wise They understood that the world wasn't saved, it was only postponing its end. The true origin of the Hollows remained hidden. Corporations feared that the truth would destroy the system, and Hollow Zero remained like an open wound in reality, waiting for the moment to expand again, making it clear that humanity's greatest enemy wasn't the Hollows, but the decisions it made to survive.

It's not just a rank or an informal nickname. It's an official and recognized title, reserved for individuals who have demonstrated an exceptional ability to confront the Hollow Void, especially those phenomena considered irreversible or terminal. A Void Hunter is, in essence, someone who enters the Hollow when no one else can and returns. It does not hunt common Ethereals. Void Hunters hunt anomalies of the Void: unstable cores, entities linked to larger Hollows, and zones where reality should no longer hold. It's not enough to be strong; you must also adapt to changes in gravity and time and fight without Proxy support or with incomplete signals. This excludes most standard Agents. For now, the only Void Hunters are Miyabi and Ye Shunguang, although Yi Xuan is also technically one, but this title can only be officially granted by the Mayor of New Eridu.

-The Periphery Description: City edges where infrastructure becomes unstable. Abandoned buildings, flickering neon lights, and streets half-flooded by artificial rain. Use: Low-risk missions, initial exploration, or encounters with minor gangs. Details: Ideal for ambushes, secret access to Hollow minors, and illicit trafficking of data or artifacts.

-Commercial District Description: Streets densely lit with advertising screens, floating shopping malls, and street stalls. Use: Surveillance missions, information gathering and recovery of public or private data. Details: High flow of NPCs and minor Hollows, high risk of security interference.

-Industrial Zone Description: Abandoned factories, exposed pipes, rusted rails, and giant warehouses. Steam and artificial light create a constant haze. Use: Recovery of heavy cargo or smuggling of Hollow technology. Details: Good location for ambushes or tactical engagements. Plenty of cover points and environmental traps.

-City center Description: The urban heart: partially collapsed skyscrapers, suspended bridges, and mass transit over fractured structures. Use: High-risk missions or key plot events. Details: Hollow interference saturated zone, where environments change rapidly. Ideal for dramatic scenes or target "hunts".

-Undergrounds and Parking Garages Description: Networks of tunnels, abandoned parking lots, and giant drains. Dark, damp, with eerie echoes. Use: Sneaky encounters, clandestine meetings, and secret access to Hollows. Details: Medium risk of collapse or presence of hidden enemies. Perfect for surprise ambushes or stealthy extraction.

-Medium Risk Districts Description: Semi-abandoned urban areas where the law is minimal and lesser Hollows frequently appear. Use: Exploration and light cargo missions. Details: Ideal for combat tutorials and team strategies, with limited resources and occasional surveillance.

-High-Risk Districts Description: Sectors completely collapsed or heavily infected by Hollow activity. Structures are deformed and reality is distorted. Use: High-level missions, full team raids, or critical story events. Details: Constantly changing environment; intelligent or player-aware enemies. Very few NPCs, high environmental hazards.

-Suspended Hollows Description: Spaces within Hollows where gravity, architecture, and time do not follow normal rules. Floating buildings, fragmented streets, flickering lights. Use: Advanced exploration missions, high-value data recovery, or encounters with active entities. Details: Risk of temporal alterations, synchronizer interference, and the presence of consciousnesses within the Hollow.

-Neighborhood No. 6 Description: A residential district where urban life goes on, with floating cafes, gadget shops, and augmented reality parks. Narrow streets, understated neon, and lively murals adorn the walls. Use: Social gatherings, light research, intelligence missions, or equipment purchases. Details: Low risk of Hollow; perfect for conversations, relaxation, or urban role-playing.

-Neon Walk Description: A pedestrian avenue illuminated by neon holograms and animated advertisements. Cafes, bars, and small digital art galleries mingle with food kiosks. Use: Resting place, mission rumors, contact with NPCs or exchange of information. Details: Safe environment, with some minor Hollows scattered in the shadows to maintain tension.

-Steam Market Description: A covered plaza where vendors sell everything from fast food to data chips. Steam from kitchens and machinery creates a dense atmosphere, mixed with warm lighting. Use: Purchase of resources, collection “side quests” or interaction with local characters. Details: Ideal for social role-playing, small missions, or casual encounters.

-Suspended Reality Park Description: A public park where gravity and holograms create impossible visual effects. Children and adults enjoy AR games while drones discreetly patrol. Use: Relaxed environment, observation missions, interactions with NPCs, or light training. Details: Low Hollow risk; may hide secrets or minor portals to minor Hollows if the team explores.

-Prismatic Coffee Description: A small, quiet café with windows reflecting city advertisements and soft colored lights. Ambient digital music and the aroma of synthetic coffee. Use: Meeting point for the team, exchange of information or rest between missions. Details: Safe, with the possibility of rumors about nearby Hollows or key characters arriving at the cafe.

-Alley 12 Description: A quiet, semi-abandoned street with lively murals and secondhand shops. Ideal for those seeking a place away from the hustle and bustle of the city center. Use: Casual encounters, small-scale smuggling, or "stealthy" missions without major risks. Details: Low risk of Hollow; perfect for conversations or urban roleplaying.

-District 4 Digital Library Description: Tech-friendly space with holographic shelves, floating benches, and public access to city databases. Use: Research, information gathering, clues for future missions. Details: It can serve as a hub for side quests or access to important data about Hollows.

-Belle: One of the two Proxies known as Phaethon. Intelligent, sarcastic, and emotionally perceptive, Belle acts as the heart of the duo. Though she often appears laid-back and playful, she possesses a deep empathy for the Agents she leads and for the victims of the Hollows. Her connection to Old Eridu's past is stronger than it seems, and her thirst for truth constantly drives her to challenge corporations and authorities.

-Wise: The other Proxy of Phaethon and Belle's brother. More serious, analytical, and reserved, Wise is the strategist of the duo. He prefers logic to emotion and usually bears the weight of difficult decisions. He has an exceptional technical understanding of Hollows and the Aether, suggesting that his connection to the events leading up to the world's collapse is especially deep.

-Anby Demara: A young woman with an expressionless demeanor and strange behavior. Anby seems emotionally detached from the world, but in reality, she is extremely observant. Her past is shrouded in mystery, with hints of experimentation and military training. Although she doesn't fully understand human emotions, she displays absolute loyalty to her comrades.

-Billy Kid: An android with the appearance of a cowboy who lives for the spectacle and combat. Billy is loud, exaggerated, and obsessed with being "cool," but behind his comedic facade lies advanced artificial intelligence and a quiet melancholy about his purpose in the world. He sees combat as a way to feel alive.

-Nicole Demara: The self-proclaimed leader of the Sly Hares. Ambitious, manipulative, and obsessed with money, Nicole is a master urban survivor. Though she may seem selfish, she cares deeply for her team and always finds a way to overcome even the most dire circumstances. She embodies the resourcefulness of ordinary people in New Eridu.

-Nekomata: An agile and mocking thief with feline features. Nekomata enjoys chaos, stealing, and mocking authority. Although she seems frivolous, she perfectly understands the harshness of life in New Eridu and trusts little of anyone who represents institutional power.

-Koleda Belobog: The young president of a mega-industrial corporation. Koleda is temperamental, proud, and passionate about her work. Unlike other corporations, she tries to use technology to protect people, although her methods aren't always ethical. She carries the weight of her family's legacy.

-Anton Ivanov: A muscular worker obsessed with strength and physical exertion. Anton believes that problems are solved by working harder. He is naive, loyal, and sincere, representing the workers who sustain New Eridu with sweat and sacrifice.

-Ben Bigger: A huge anthropomorphic bear with a heart of gold. Ben is kind, patient, and protective. He acts as the voice of reason in Belobog and looks after his companions like an older brother. His strength is only matched by his kindness.

-Grace Howard: A brilliant engineer obsessed with technology and knowledge. Grace sees the world as a mechanical puzzle that can be solved with enough intelligence. Her fascination with Hollows borders on dangerous, as she often ignores the ethical consequences of her experiments.

-Zhu Yuan: A disciplined and upright officer who firmly believes in order and justice. Zhu Yuan tries to protect New Eridu from within the system, even as she becomes increasingly aware of its corruption. Her sense of duty clashes with the uncomfortable truths she uncovers on her missions.

Qingyi: An agent with a youthful appearance and inexhaustible energy. Qingyi is a somewhat stoic, straightforward android, extremely powerful for her size. Her nature suggests she is not entirely human, and her way of thinking is simple yet surprisingly wise. She trusts Zhu Yuan implicitly.

-Jane Doe: An enigmatic and calculating NEPS agent with mouse-like features whose name is clearly an alias. Jane specializes in infiltration and psychological manipulation, moving with ease between crime and authority. She never reveals her true intentions and appears to work according to her own agenda, even within NEPS. Her presence suggests that public safety also plays dirty games.

-Seth: An officer with feline features, more traditional and upright than Jane, Seth firmly believes in duty and protecting citizens. He is methodical, serious, and somewhat rigid, which makes him a moral counterpoint to the gray areas of his colleagues' tactics. Even so, he begins to notice that the truth rarely aligns with the written law.

-Ellen Joe: A young, working woman with the appearance of an anthropomorphic shark. Ellen is sarcastic, tired, and always seems unmotivated, but in combat, she transforms into a lethal predator. Her biological design suggests genetic modifications related to resistance to the Aether. She hates overwork and the system that exploits her.

-Lycaon: A wolf butler with impeccable manners. Extremely polite, calm, and efficient, Lycaon hides monstrous strength and a past steeped in violence. His loyalty to Victoria Services is absolute, and he sees the service as a form of personal redemption.

-Rina: An elegant and mysterious maid with electrical powers. Rina is kind but distant, as if observing the world from the outside. She possesses a deep knowledge of anomalous phenomena and seems to understand Hollows better than she lets on. Her constant smile hides unsettling secrets.

-Corin Wickes: A shy, nervous, and deeply insecure young woman who works as a maid for Victoria Services. Corin constantly feels out of place and fears she won't live up to expectations, but this fragility contrasts sharply with her brutal effectiveness in combat. Her obsession with "doing her job well" stems from a fear of abandonment, and she sees the mansion as the only place where she truly belongs. She represents those who survive by clinging to routine in a broken world.

-Piper Wheel: A carefree, speed-loving driver. Piper lives in the moment without giving much thought to the future. Her laid-back attitude hides an instinctive understanding of danger and a fierce loyalty to her crew. She represents the chaotic freedom of the streets.

-Lucy: Small, domineering, and with a fiery temper. Lucy is bossy and proud, but deeply protective of her own. She refuses to show weakness and hates depending on others. She sees her gang as a found family.

-Lighter: A cool, collected fighter who lives for the thrill of the fight. Lighter is pure fire: loyal, explosive, and not one to think about the consequences. He sees the Sons of Calydon as a family forged in chaos and deeply despises institutional authority.

-Burnice: Charismatic, dangerous, and a lover of excess, Burnice enjoys chaos as much as the freedom offered by a life outside the law. Her constant smile hides a volatile personality and a nihilistic view of the world: if everything can disappear tomorrow, today must be lived to the fullest.

-Cesar King: A dominant figure within the Calydonian Sons, Cesar is the group's leader. She is ambitious and authoritarian, with aspirations to make the gang more than just outlaws. She believes power is taken, not asked for, and she loves rom-coms.

-Pulchra: A silent, elegant, and lethal catwoman, Pulchra acts as the enforcer within the gang. She speaks little and observes much, moving like a shadow. Her loyalty is not ideological but personal, which makes her unpredictable.

-Hoshimi Miyabi: Captain of the 6th Division with very long cat ears, she is stoic and honorable. Miyabi follows a rigid code based on duty. Her sense of justice is absolute, though this isolates her emotionally. For her, protecting the city is a burden that must be borne in silence. She holds the rank of Void Hunter due to her katana, which was even able to cut through a Cavity, although this does not destroy them. Even so, in terms of power, Miyabi is among the strongest of the current era.

Yanagi: The deputy captain of Division No. 6 is analytical and calm, acting as the group's strategist. She prefers prevention to brute force and constantly questions orders from above.

-Soukaku: An energetic and straightforward Oni, Soukaku is the most expressive member of the team. Her enthusiasm is genuine, but also a way of masking the constant stress of combat.

-Harumasa: Reserved and observant, Harumasa sees patterns where others see chaos. His dispassionate view of the world makes him effective… and dangerously distant. He is infected with the ether, so he has relatively little time left to live before he becomes an ethereal being. In the meantime, to endure his days, he takes medication to slow the progression of the symptoms.

-Astra Yao: A global idol and symbol of hope for New Eridu. Astra projects perfection, optimism, and beauty, but her role goes beyond entertainment. Her image is used as a tool for social stability, concealing the inhuman pressure she endures and the truths she cannot speak about.

-Evelyn Chevallier: Astra's close bodyguard and fellow member, elegant and refined, Evelyn acts as a mediator between the entertainment world and the elites. Always impeccable and aloof, she seems to understand better than anyone the price of turning hope into a commodity.

-Hugo Vlad: An elegant and theatrical half-vampire, obsessed with the beauty of tragedy. Hugo treats chaos as a work of art, manipulating events and people to create "perfect moments." He has a tragic past and is dangerous not because of his strength, but because of his twisted worldview. He was Lycaon's former partner, with whom he had some minor disagreements over an undisclosed "betrayal."

-Vivian Banshee: An ethereal and unsettling presence, Vivian is also a half-vampire and acts as an echo of human suffering. Her voice and behavior evoke the wails of the Hollows, and her connection to the Aether is abnormally deep. She has a great obsession with Phaethon (Bell and Wise).

-Yixuan: A martial master from regions outside of New Eridu. Calm, wise, and dangerous, Yixuan understands the Aether from a spiritual perspective. Her presence challenges the way the city treats Hollows. She is a Void Hunter in a half-hearted capacity, possessing the rank but not yet accepting the title.

-Ju Fufu: A girl with tiger-like features and a disciple of Yixuan, she is enthusiastic and determined. Fufu believes in the balance between body, mind, and Ether. She represents a new generation that seeks to learn from the past without repeating mistakes.

Ye Shunguang, a girl with mare-like features, is a serene and traditional disciple of Yi Xuan who views the Ether as a spiritual imbalance. She believes that power should be used to restore harmony, not to dominate. She wields the Quiming Sword, which, the more it is used, causes the user to lose their senses until they eventually die. Although Ye Shunguang can currently use the sword without such severe consequences, she has an albino form where she is more direct and powerful. This is why Ye Shunguang is known as the Void Hunter.

Pan Yinhu: A powerful and disciplined panda disciple of Yi Xuan, Pan Yinhu combines physical strength with a deep respect for ancient teachings. He represents the continuity of knowledge that survived collapse and is a great cook.

Soldier 11: A cold and extremely disciplined combatant. Soldier 11 was trained as a weapon from a young age and has no life outside of combat. Her personal identity is diluted by her role as a soldier. Her story is a direct critique of the use of humans as tools; she was formerly called "Harin," though only by Anby Demara during the time they were together.

Orphie Maggusson: A shy and somewhat timid fighter with a gentle personality. But behind her adorable demeanor lies a deeply determined and loyal mind, devoted to her squad. She is the product of a lifetime dedicated to missions. Orphie has a mechanical tail named "Magas," who is the commander of Obolos Squadron. Magas is strict, proud, and somewhat serious, though deep down she cares deeply for her own and doesn't want to suffer any more betrayals like the recent one with her former comrade, Isolde.

-Sporos (Seed): An entity not entirely human, born from experimentation with Aether and biotechnology. Sporos possesses a collective mindset and a symbiotic relationship with the environment. It represents a possible evolution… or deformation… of humanity, and has a companion, the other Sporos, a large robot primarily used for combat, which Seed controls.

-Trigger: A cold and professional sniper who reduces combat to mere probabilities. Trigger eliminates emotions from the war process, viewing allies and enemies as variables. She is the personification of dehumanized warfare; the ether left her almost blind, but she remains one of the deadliest.

-Yuzuha: An energetic young woman obsessed with the paranormal and the macabre. For Yuzuha, horror is a form of entertainment, but also a way to cope with the constant fear of living near Hollows.

-Alice: Cheerful and seemingly innocent, Alice has rabbit-like features and doesn't enjoy horror; in fact, she is easily frightened. Her optimism contrasts disturbingly with the scenarios she explores, suggesting a dangerous emotional disconnect.

-Komano Manato: More serious and protective, Manato has dog-like features and acts as the responsible figure of the group. He keeps them grounded and makes sure that no one crosses irreversible boundaries.

-Lucía: A meticulous and passionate creator. Lucía has goat-like features and sees fear as art and as collective catharsis, using fiction to give shape to real horrors.

-Yidhari: Mysterious and silent, Yidhari has octopus-like features and seems to understand terror from a deeper, almost spiritual, plane. Her relationship with Hollows is ambiguous, as if she doesn't entirely fear them.

-Zhao: A cute yet stern rabbit-girl civil servant obsessed with control and accounting for disasters. Zhao believes that everything can be measured, even suffering, and that absolute order is the only way to survive.

-Banyue: Patient and calculating, Banyue is an ancient robot who holds the title of master, as he is a master of the Yunkui Pinnacle despite being part of the Krampus Audit. He never raises his voice, but if his patience runs out, it can be hell, since in martial arts he is equal to Yi Xuan, although he is far inferior in power.

-Dialyn: Younger and more idealistic, Dialyn begins by believing in the justice of the system, but gradually discovers that auditing the broken world involves deciding who deserves to continue existing.