Chapter 323: The Other Side of the Underground District
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 323: The Other Side of the Underground District
Knock, knock, knock—
As the sound of my knocking echoed, the room where Sister Bai stayed was, as I expected, empty.
Come to think of it, this Underground District isn't actually that large. Sister Bai has been heading out every day lately; I have no idea what she’s looking at.
But just as Sister Bai doesn't understand what I’m busy with, I don't understand what she’s up to either.
Perhaps… it has something to do with her Subject.
Aside from cramming Runology and spell-related knowledge, the most important thing for Sister Bai is naturally her Subject.
I let out a small sigh, but I didn't plan on giving up. With a wave of my hand, complex Ritual Runes began to flow, forming an exquisite casting ritual.
This was a spell I had learned while deconstructing the vast collection of spellbooks from Sister Bai—a spell used to locate a specific target within a certain range.
Although it was a non-offensive spell, the structure of the Magic Ritual was incredibly intricate. Because its effect was so convenient, the price was a ritual that had to be cast slowly and meticulously.
If this were a spellbook, casting would only take a few seconds. But since I was manually casting it—and couldn't even use a Mana Source for manual casting—it was significantly slower.
"Hmm… in that direction." I looked at the simple, clear directional arrow generated by the spell and understood where Sister Bai had gone.
Following the arrow, I stepped out onto the streets of the Underground District once more. Even though I had been staying here for many days, I hadn't really had the time to walk around and take in the sights. My routes were usually very fixed; the most "adventurous" I’d been was accompanying Fool's Dream home a few times.
Now, I found myself in a completely unfamiliar district. On the ceiling of the Underground District, the Ley Lines that connected the surface to the depths emitted a soft glow. These Ley Lines were the most natural light source for the Underground District. As for the artificial structures obscuring them… I had originally thought they were built to harness Ley Line energy, but I realized now they were meant to block the light to simulate nighttime.
Of course, I couldn't deny that the base in the Underground District was indeed excellent at utilizing Ley Line energy.
However, the further I walked in this direction, the more the surrounding environment shocked me. I had thought the path from my residence to the base was the most authentic portrayal of the Underground District—high-end technology paired with the lowest standard of living.
It reminded me of what Ninglan Qiuyue had told me: most of the people living here were the families of scholars and researchers who had once worked in the base.
I had assumed that with such highly educated ancestors, the descendants would be the same—or at least minor geniuses. It turned out to be a case of "genetic mutation" in the wrong direction.
The people here lowered the bar of my expectations even further. Once upon a time, I thought such scenes only existed in internet memes, but now they were right in front of me.
Even the thugs on the roadside were considered "well-off" here. Most were homeless; one look at the tattered tents lining the street told you that was the "home" of some nameless vagrant.
They wandered the area, treating trash cans as their primary source of income. The scrawnier homeless people didn't even have the strength to fight for the right to scavenge through the bins.
There were too many homeless people here. I began to understand why Fool's Dream—who was also an Outsider—having a house of her own would cause such controversy, even if it was just a tiny shack that might have to house a dozen or even dozens of other Fool's Dreams.
I didn't feel like I was in an Underground District where Beyonder technology had reached such heights; I felt like I was in a slum.
I could even see waste on the side of the road. They were willing to use Beyonder Arts to create public mechanical sweepers, yet they hadn't even built public toilets here.
"Strange… why does Sister Bai wander around here every day?" I ignored the gazes peering from the dark corners and scanned my surroundings.
I didn't see Sister Bai anywhere. I fiddled with the guidance spell, wondering if it had broken.
Just then, a slender finger tapped my shoulder. The sudden touch gave me a start, but when I turned around, I saw a familiar face.
"Sister… Sister Bai? Phew—you scared the life out of me."
"I scared you? Why? Is Xiao Han up to no good?" A sliver of a smile played on Sister Bai's lips, though whether it was because she had run into someone she missed or for some other reason, I couldn't tell.
"No, how could I be up to no good?" I instinctively reviewed my recent memories. Once I was sure I hadn't done anything wrong, my confidence returned.
"By the way, Sister Bai, why are you here? There’s nothing good to see in this place," I said, leaning in to walk side-by-side with her, my voice full of curiosity.
"How can there be nothing to see? Observing the many faces of humanity is also a part of cultivation."
"Cultivation? What are you cultivating, Sister Bai? Your State of Mind?"
"Something like that. You could also call it broadening one's horizons. There are many things you can only understand by seeing and experiencing them for yourself; only then do you have wonderful experiences that differ from your own imagination. Perhaps that’s one of the joys of life."
"Even so, there’s no need to be here, right? Aren't you afraid of getting dirty?" I asked, glancing around the area.
"Whether it's dirty or not doesn't matter. But Xiao Han, did you come looking for me for a specific reason?"
"Hehe, well, it’s been a few days since we’ve just hung out and chatted. I didn't have much to do today, so I wanted to come talk to you."
"Oh? You’ve finished the work you had on hand? I happen to know you went out of your way to capture a Nightmare."
"Sigh… you know about that too? I didn't even say anything…"
"Just because you didn't say anything doesn't mean I don't know. News like that travels fast in the Underground District. Even if they didn't mention a name, I could guess who did it."
"Oh~ so that’s why."
"Of course. But… you look like you have something on your mind. You should just say it, or I’ll end up leading the conversation astray."
"You can even see through that? Haha, Sister Bai really knows me well," I said, scratching my head with an embarrassed smile. When it came to conversation, I really was still too green.
"Naturally. Xiao Han, you really do need to interact with others more. Eloquence is a very important trait for a person."
"I’m trying my best! Back at the base, when I’m chatting and debating academic issues with those scholars, it’s… very… harmonious…"
"Xiao Han, are you sure it’s 'harmonious' and not you taking on the whole crowd by yourself?"
"Ah, well..." I recalled the group of scholars I had rendered speechless in the laboratory earlier… Surely it wasn't that bad?
"Alright, let’s get back to the main topic. Did Xiao Han plan on sharing something interesting with me?"
"Oh… right, I almost got sidetracked again." I quickly straightened up and turned serious. "Um… that Ninglan Qiuyue came down to find me again today."
"Oh? Ninglan Qiuyue? Why was she looking for you?" Bai Yu nodded, remembering the girl who had brought them down here.
"She told me about some recent events happening in Ninglan New City on the surface. It was quite interesting."
"Quite interesting? If it earned that kind of evaluation from you, then I definitely want to hear it. To be honest, I’m also curious about what Ninglan New City looks like now."
"The current Ninglan New City is probably in total chaos. I heard that the City Lord—the one who met us in the meeting room—actually chose to side with the Dream Demons at the most critical moment. He’s using the power of the Dream Demons to deal with the Nightmares and has already issued a Wanted Order for us Outsiders," I explained briefly to Sister Bai with a smile.
"What?" Upon hearing this outcome, Bai Yu was momentarily speechless. This was all a bit too dramatic, wasn't it? However, she also had many questions; this development felt very counter-intuitive.
"How did it turn into this? Doesn't that mean…"
"Doesn't that mean what? That we, as Outsiders, will be at a disadvantage?"
"Yes," Bai Yu said with a nod.
"But what can be done? We can only blame the fact that the students from the various Transcendent Academies can't get along and present a united front. After all, the humiliation of the previous Dream Exchange Competition hasn't faded, and those Dream Demons likely came prepared. This isn't a situation one or two people can turn around."
"So, Xiao Han, are you just going to watch? Or do you actually have a plan? Or… do you just not care?"
"Plans change as the situation changes. But as for not caring—it’s true, I really don't. If they don't suffer a little, they won't realize they’re attending a Transcendent Academy; they’ll keep thinking it’s a kindergarten."
"True. But Xiao Han, your tone… you sound like a teacher lecturing them. You’re in the same year as them, aren't you?"
"That just means I’m more mature than them. At least in this regard."
"Fine, fine, Xiao Han is the most mature. However, I’m still curious. Even if Ninglan New City joins forces with the Dream Demons, they shouldn't be able to threaten or put a bounty on the entire student body, right? You have to remember that this Sleep Curse affected many Transcendent Academies. Even if we can't interfere with reality, it would be easy for the students to cause trouble for Ninglan New City."
"Exactly. I had the same reaction as you, Sister Bai. But… before I explain, I want to ask you something. Do you know what happens if we die in the dream right now?"
"We would die, of course… Wait, we’re in a dream…"
Bai Yu spoke instinctively but quickly realized something was wrong.
"Yes. We are in a dream, so we won't die. After dying, we will simply respawn. This effectively means we are trapped in the dream indefinitely."
"But what does that have to do with Ninglan New City having the confidence to fight to the end against students who wield Transcendent power?"
"Hehe~ there is a connection. I heard that the City Lord used the power of the Dream Demons to send a portion of the City Guard's consciousness into the dream as well. That is the basis of their confidence. They can also respawn infinitely and cannot be killed. They outnumber us, they follow orders, and they can crush us with sheer numbers."
"This… they can do that too?"
"Of course. We’re human, and they’re human too. You know that well, don't you, Sister Bai?"
"I do…" Bai Yu nodded. "But the fact that they are just ordinary people hasn't changed, has it? They have to face students who master Transcendent power. Have they also mastered something like your Rewriting Spell? Can they change their strength at will?"
"How could that be? They don't have a cheat-like Talent like mine. But…"
"But?"
"But they have mastered a method even more terrifying than my dream rewriting," I said in a low voice.
"What method?"
"Ninglan Qiuyue didn't describe it in great detail, but the general manifestation is the ability to obliterate Soul Essence. In other words, they have a way to completely kill those of us who are supposed to be invincible in the dream."
"What?!"
"Aiya~ Sister Bai, your expression right now is exactly like mine when I first found out~"
"Alright, Xiao Han, this isn't something to joke about."
"I know, Sister Bai. I’m not joking. But… it’s only a possibility that they can kill us. Don't we face the same risk of death in reality?"
"That… that’s different."
"It’s the same. It’s actually quite fair. Sister Bai, remember those two Dream Demons we killed? They died in the truest sense. We can kill them, and they can kill us. This is a fair contest; it’s just that the current momentum has shifted in favor of the Dream Demons."
Listening to my explanation, Bai Yu still couldn't put her mind at ease. Before, she had known nothing, but now that she did, a strange sense of urgency and unease began to bubble up within her.
"Don't worry, don't worry~ Why do you look so concerned, Sister Bai? This kind of method is only good for scaring people who don't know any better. Why are you scared?"
"I’m afraid of you getting hurt. After all, Soul Essence is the core of one's existence. Even if it’s just damaged, it’s a major problem."
"You don't need to worry about that. I’m strong—at least, I’m very strong here. That’s not arrogance; it’s absolute confidence. Sister Bai… are you tired of the environment here?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because… I’m thinking of doing something big in Ninglan New City on the surface."
"Something big? Xiao Han, are you about to do something earth-shattering again?"
"Aiya~ no, no. It’s just, don't you think our side—the Transcendent Academy side—is at too much of a disadvantage right now? Perhaps they need a little bit of help. And… I also want you to cooperate with me to try something new."
"Try something new? What?"
"Well~ don't you think it’s too passive for us to only be able to stay in the dream? That City Lord could find a way to enter the dream and backstab me… so why can't we… do the same? The reason that City Lord can sleep so soundly while treating us Outsiders this way is because he’s certain we can't hurt him, while they have the means to mess with us."
"You… Xiao Han, do you mean?!"
"Yes. I have a general idea, so I want to borrow one of your spellbooks~"
"Which one?"
"Hmm… the Teleportation Spell Anchoring Space Nodes."