Chapter 386: Heaven and Hell
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 386: Heaven and Hell
The most striking thing was the disconnect from the surface. Unlike the bright, clear world outside, this place was incredibly hot. The ground was damp and stifling, and the air itself felt sticky. We couldn't see the town yet, but the vast underground space felt as if the underworld from legends had been brought to life.
“You made this artificially? Fuck... Mister, this is insane.”
“Hehe. Thank you, Ms. Choi Seulgi.”
“It’s truly amazing...”
I couldn't help but agree with Choi Seulgi. Even though he'd had help from Isaac and other magicians, the scene before my eyes was undeniably alien.
Of course, it couldn't be called a perfect world. Perhaps because of the heat rising from the ground, the planted trees were withered and twisted, and the man-made river was also mostly dry.
Yet, all these elements only served to emphasize the harshness of this barren land.
“Where do we have to go to find the city?”
“It’s a little further from here. There was actually an elevator that went straight to the city, but using it would draw too much attention... As for routes that allow for a quiet entry, this is the closest one.”
“Hmm...”
“Then what is this place?”
“It would be correct to call it a hunting ground.”
“A hunting ground?”
“Hehe. Yes, that’s right.”
To think this was a hunting ground was absurd. The hunting grounds I imagined were much larger and more vast. A place teeming with monsters and constant danger was what suited the name ‘hunting ground.’ Here, I couldn't find any monsters, not even a monster's corpse.
“The magic beasts appear intermittently if you go further inside.”
“Hmm...”
“Actually, the hardest part is maintaining this ecosystem.”
We walked quietly, listening to Lee Wanyong's words. We started walking a little faster. I noticed Lee Wanyong was starting to pant, so I transferred some of my magic and stamina to him. His complexion quickly returned to normal.
“An ecosystem? I had imagined hordes of magic beasts swarming in and tormenting the humans every day... but it doesn't seem to be that kind of atmosphere.”
“No. It’s the complete opposite of that. In fact, there’s a shortage of magic beasts.”
“Hmm...”
“The humans here haven’t completely lost their combat abilities. They may have lost most of their magic, but they were originally people who wielded swords, so they still have basic fighting skills. It’s not that I didn’t consider releasing a large number of magic beasts, but if I did that, things would have gotten a little troublesome.”
“What do you mean?”
“What I wanted wasn’t for the Japanese to unite and fight against a great enemy. It was the opposite.”
At Lee Wanyong’s words, Choi Seulgi muttered.
“Damn... Mister, you’re a true devil.”
“Hehe... Thank you for the compliment.”
I couldn't help but agree with her.
“Magic beasts are extremely useful. You can make equipment from them, and it’s no exaggeration to say that all goods come from their bones and hides. The same goes for their meat. Moreover, their uses vary greatly depending on the species. That’s especially true here. At first, everyone worked together to fight the magic beasts. But those who were skilled in combat gradually began to form a hierarchy.”
“...”
“The powerful began to be selective about their party members and started struggling to climb above others by any means necessary. Like-minded people appeared everywhere, and a situation arose where they were like a pack of starving ghouls, tearing at each other over a single piece of meat. After all, you can’t sustain a life on the scraps of food dropped from above.”
“I see...”
“Next, I began to illegally bring in goods from the surface.”
“They did?”
“Of course, they were items I brought in myself with great care. Hehe.”
“I’m curious what kind of items.”
“For example, potions that can restore damaged bodies. Once I started smuggling in goods like that, a unit of currency soon began to emerge. It’s a bit ambiguous to call it currency, though. It’s nothing more than trading in the bones of magic beasts.”
“Does that include the cure for the potion you fed to the men?”
“Yes. The cure for that potion is also among the illegally imported goods. Let’s see... Right now, the value of that potion here is probably... if expressed in weight, it would be about the same as the skull of an eastern magic beast.”
‘Fuck...’
It was an absurdly high price. Even if they hunted magic beasts here for their entire lives, they would never be able to collect that many bones.
“It’s probably hard to save money, too. That’s because I occasionally sell items from the surface legally.”
“What do you sell?”
“Cheap rum. Fresh water, fresh meat, cheap equipment—that’s about it. But most of the humans here go wild for things that others wouldn't even bother with. They’ll spend a year’s earnings in a single day.”
“...”
“In the first place, it’s incredibly difficult to earn that much money. There are no banks or anything of the sort here. As long as you don’t kill anyone, public order isn’t an issue. Even if you manage to save up, someone will steal it, or you’ll be unable to resist and spend it yourself. Besides, the magic beasts are extremely limited to begin with.”
“...”
“Even if they do manage to save up diligently, everything vanishes into thin air when the Inquisitors suddenly raid them. They forcibly confiscate their assets, saying it will allow them to go to the surface. Of course, many want to go to the surface... but no one wants to go through that process.”
For some reason, I felt an urge to punch his slyly smiling face. This city was far more cruel and merciless than Choi Seulgi and I had imagined.
“Wow... I’m speechless. Kim Taesung... you’re the real devil. Even though you’re the man I love, this is giving me the creeps.”
“I wasn’t expecting it to go this far either... Of course, I’m not saying you did anything wrong, Lee Wanyong. You must have worked hard.”
“Of course. As you know, Ms. Choi Seulgi, since they’re Japanese bastards, I felt less burdened. Given my name [Lee Wanyong, a notorious pro-Japanese collaborator in Korean history], I’ve had a lot of resentment built up against those bastards for a long time... Besides, weren’t these the same bastards who enslaved the elves? They deserve to die. They should be grateful they’re even alive. Hehe.”
It seemed I’d discovered his unexpected patriotism. As I let out a small smile, the city slowly began to reveal itself.
“We’ve almost arrived.”
“I can see it.”
It looked more like a city than I expected. I was expecting something like a shantytown, but it didn't seem that bad. As we reached the entrance, I could see guards, so it seemed they had some semblance of order.
“Halt.”
As Choi Seulgi and I remained silent, Lee Wanyong spoke first.
“We came from another city. Hehe... We heard a rumor that the Inquisitors were coming...”
“Hmm... Do you have anything on you?”
“We left in a hurry so we couldn’t bring much, but we found the carcass of a small magic beast on the way.”
Lee Wanyong took out the hide of a very small magic beast. At the sight of it, the guards’ eyes widened. He casually tore off a piece of the hide and gave it to them, and the guards quietly nodded and let us pass.
Once inside the city, I turned to Lee Wanyong and asked, “Is that the end of the inspection?”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s meaningless, really... but it seems they’re trying to maintain a minimal semblance of order. It’s very convenient, since they’ll open the gate if you give them anything useful.”
“Hmm... I see.”
Once inside, a more wretched scene came into view. Their condition was about twenty times worse than Choi Seulgi and I. I could see that the city was inhabited by a gathering of beggars and vagrants. Some were draped in the hides of magic beasts, but I also spotted some who were wearing nothing at all.
Surprisingly, I saw some with lively eyes, while others with completely dead eyes also came into view.
“Mister, is there an inn here?”
“Of course. It’s not in the best condition... but it’s good enough to spend a night. Let’s head to the inn for now.”
Overall, the city was very dark. That was to be expected in a place where the sun doesn't shine, but seeing how faint the artificial lights were, it seemed this atmosphere was created intentionally. As we walked slowly, I sensed several groups gathering around us.
“Fuck. It’s the same shit no matter where you go.”
“Right?”
As I was talking with Choi Seulgi, I felt the sensation of a dagger being pressed against my back. A gruff man’s voice followed. I was about to smash his head in with my tail, but after a sigh, I decided to play along with whatever they wanted.
“Walk quietly. If you don’t want to get stabbed...”
“...”
Since Choi Seulgi and I kept our mouths shut, Lee Wanyong also quietly followed us, reading the situation. Tearing them to pieces would be easy, but causing a commotion in the middle of the city wasn’t what we wanted.
There were about ten of them. They were likely robbers who specialized in targeting those returning to the city.
“The clothes you’re wearing are pretty good quality.”
“...”
I never imagined I’d hear something like that, even though I had deliberately worn cheap clothes.
“Which city are you from?”
“Hehe... We’re from Masao, the city right next door.”
“I wasn’t asking you. Shut up.”
He spoke with quite a bit of bravado, but in truth, Lee Wanyong could probably handle these guys by himself. The place they led us to was, of course, a deserted area. I was starting to get a rough idea of what ‘maintaining basic public order’ meant.
“We’re not bad people. Just share what you have, and we’ll let you go quietly. Huh? There’s no point in making enemies here, right?”
“...”
Seeing the men slowly reveal themselves, I could only sigh. Watching them, Choi Seulgi slowly opened her mouth.
“Kill them all?”
“What are you talking...”
Just as he was about to swing his hand, a voice came from somewhere.
“You motherfuckers still haven’t learned your lesson. If these newbies die here and the Inquisitors show up, are you going to take responsibility, you pig bastard? You saw them drag a few people away last time and you still haven’t come to your senses.”
It was a very familiar voice. The man holding the dagger to my back slowly turned his head toward the voice.
“That crazy bitch is at it again... You’re not trying to start something with us here, are you? Just mind your own business and leave, you crazy bitch.”
“Cut the fucking bullshit, you pig bastard. Take that dagger away from the dumb-looking bastard and get out of my sight. Before I kill you.”
“Hah...”
“Go ahead and try me. I’ll be sure to take a few of you with me.”
The men surrounding us slowly began to back away. They felt threatened by the woman in front of them. In the end, it was the big guy who backed down.
“Watch your back.”
“I told you to shut your stinking mouth and get lost.”
The situation was resolved quite smoothly.
After the thugs retreated, the woman walked slowly toward us and stared at me, Choi Seulgi, and Lee Wanyong before speaking.
“First time here?”
“Hehe. Yes, that’s right.”
“Were you trying to find an inn?”
“Yes... f-for now.”
Hearing Lee Wanyong, the woman let out a slow sigh and spoke again.
“Follow me quietly, a few paces behind... I’ll let you stay for a night. Those bastards from before will be holed up at the inn. I’ll expect payment. So don’t get any funny ideas...”
I didn’t know what was going on, but Choi Seulgi and I nodded. The situation was taking a strange turn.
No, more than that, I had completely forgotten.
I never imagined I would meet her so quickly in a place like this, and I certainly never thought I’d be saved by her.
‘Ha Yuri.’
The one who had rescued us from what could be called a crisis was none other than the Sword Saint, Ha Yuri.