Zenless Zone Zero: Proxy Eyes and Helios Academy Lore

In Zenless Zone Zero Version 3.3, the Season 3 Chapter 4 story quest "Journey to the Sky" reveals that Wise and Belle's visual abilities come from bio-neural ocular implants created at Helios Academy. Their former guardian, Miss Carole, stabilized these implants and helped the siblings escape before sacrificing herself during the facility's containment breach.

How to Unlock Journey to the Sky

To access these story revelations, you must progress through the Version 3.3 main storyline by completing the following sequence:

Clear all prerequisite Chapter 3 epilogue commissions.
Reach the designated Inter-Knot level requirement for the Version 3.3 campaign.
Access the video store terminal inside Random Play to view the new commission prompt.
Speak with your sibling protagonist to initiate the briefing on atmospheric Hollow anomalies.

Before entering the quest simulations, equip your squad with leveled Drive Discs and upgraded W-Engines. While much of the chapter involves story dialogue and investigation, several combat encounters feature heightened Ether corruption hazards and aggressive Ethereal swarms.

Phaethon's Ocular Implants and Bangboo Synchronization

Chapter 4 explains how the Proxy siblings can pilot their Bangboo companion, Eous, through deep Hollows without suffering mental collapse. Their sight does not rely on standard New Eridu cybernetics. Instead, it functions through specialized neural modifications developed during Helios Academy experiments.

Feature	Prior Understanding	Chapter 4 Revelation
Proxy Vision	Standard cybernetic HUD interface	Bio-neural ocular implants calibrated for Ether wave tracking
Bangboo Sync	Standard remote HDD control	Direct sensory relay that bypasses normal signal degradation
Ether Resistance	Natural genetic anomaly	Artificial stabilization developed through Helios trials

These implants filter raw Hollow radiation, allowing the sibling at the console to process visual telemetry without direct bodily exposure. However, the connection inflicts continuous psychological strain on the user, creating a persistent risk of physical and mental exhaustion during prolonged deep-dive commissions.

Miss Carole's Role and Helios Academy Research

Recovered memory archives show that Miss Carole was a senior researcher and protector to Wise and Belle at Helios Academy. Operating without oversight from the White Star Institute or New Eridu Public Security, the academy attempted to engineer human conduits who could navigate and control Hollow fissures.

Helios structured its project into three distinct phases:

Phase 1: Grafting artificial Ether receptors directly onto optic nerves (the Phaethon prototypes).
Phase 2: Establishing autonomous neural link stabilization using Bangboo relay units.
Phase 3: Conducting forced Void assimilation trials on human subjects.

Miss Carole opposed the academy's radical faction, focusing instead on non-destructive human-Hollow interfaces to prevent complete neural assimilation. When Phase 3 experiments triggered a catastrophic containment breach that destroyed the central campus, Carole stabilized the siblings' ocular implants and sealed the quarantine sector behind them to guarantee their escape.

This discovery clarifies Phaethon's primary goal at Random Play. Wise and Belle built their Proxy operation not for fame or Dennies, but as a cover to locate Carole's suppressed research archives and discover her ultimate fate. With their origins uncovered, factions such as the Void Hunters, Sunbringer, and Phoenix now view Phaethon's optical synchronization as a valuable tactical asset, drawing the siblings directly into New Eridu's broader power struggles.