In 2026, New Eridu still hums with the same restless energy, but some chapters of its story are already sealed in the archive. On a rainy night, Kai, a Proxy who spends more time in Hollows than in daylight, opened an old Inter-Knot notice. The page was dated 2024/11/11 10:00:00 (server time) to 2024/11/25 03:59:59 (server time). The event was long over, yet the details still glowed like a neon sign in the dark. It described a VR challenge that had once turned the HIA club into a battlefield of data and nerve.

To enter, Proxies needed to reach Inter-Knot Lv. 15 and complete Agent Story “Mole in the Hole (I).” That requirement alone made Kai chuckle. You know how it is—one moment you are chasing a lead through a Hollow, and the next you are doing homework for a story mission. Still, the path was clear. During the event, Proxies could talk to Snap at the video store and then talk to Lyla at the HIA club to participate in an all-new VR challenge. Snap, as always, had the air of someone who knew more than he let on, while Lyla greeted every challenger like a coach who had already bet on their victory.

The structure was tidy, almost military. Five Alliance stages, five Frontline stages, and three Special Offensive stages waited inside the simulation. A new themed stage unlocked each day. Completing each themed Alliance stage unlocked the corresponding Frontline stage. Special Offensive stages also became available over time. It was a drip-feed of tension, a daily appointment with danger that never left the couch.

Stage Type	Count	Access Rule	Agent Limit
Alliance	5	New themed stage unlocked daily	Trial Agents and Bangboo
Frontline	5	Unlocked by clearing the matching Alliance stage	Trial Agents and Bangboo
Special Offensive	3	Became available over time	Agent Tsukishiro Yanagi only

Kai imagined the first day: a Proxy logging in, seeing the Alliance stage glow, and feeling that familiar mix of excitement and dread. Each event stage had a corresponding Tactical Buff mechanic. The game did not want players to brute-force their way through. It wanted them to read the room, to use the combat buffs, to let the Tactical Buffs do some of the heavy lifting. Honestly, that was the part that separated a smooth clear from a messy wipe.

In Alliance and Frontline stages, Proxies could select the trial Agents and Bangboo provided in each stage to take on the challenge. That meant even a fresh roster could step into the VR arena and contribute. The trial Agents were not just placeholders; they were invitations to experiment. The Bangboo, those loyal little chaos engines, added their own brand of mayhem. But in Special Offensive stages, the rules tightened. Proxies could only use Agent Tsukishiro Yanagi to participate. The corresponding trial Agent was available for selection, so no one was locked out, but the spotlight belonged to her alone. Yanagi’s presence turned those stages into a solo performance—precise, electric, and unflinching.

The rewards gave the event its heartbeat. Complete the event challenges to obtain Tuning Calibrator, Polychromes, and more rewards. For collectors, the Tuning Calibrator was a quiet treasure. For pullers, the Polychromes were fuel for future dreams. For everyone else, the rewards were proof that the VR challenge had been more than a distraction. It had been a test.

No kidding, the event was not just about clearing stages. It was about rhythm. Log in, check the new themed stage, clear the Alliance fight, unlock the Frontline fight, then wait for the Special Offensive to appear. The daily unlock system gave the whole thing a serialized feel, like a show that released one episode at a time. Proxies who rushed too hard hit a wall; Proxies who paced themselves found a steady groove.

By 2026, that specific VR challenge is no longer live. The dates have passed, the servers have moved on, and the HIA club has hosted newer simulations. But the design still matters. It shows how Zenless Zone Zero likes to mix story, trial characters, tactical buffs, and time-gated stages into a single limited-time package. It also shows why Agent Tsukishiro Yanagi remains a memorable pick for special challenges—calm under pressure, sharp as a blade, and completely unwilling to let a Hollow’s noise drown out her focus.

Kai closed the archive and leaned back. The rain tapped the window. Some events end, but their patterns echo forward. If a similar VR challenge returns in 2026 or beyond, the lesson will still hold: reach the required Inter-Knot level, finish the Agent Story, talk to Snap, find Lyla, and then respect the Tactical Buff. The rest is timing, teamwork, and a little bit of nerve.

The screen went dark. Outside, New Eridu kept humming, waiting for the next challenge to boot up.