Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 091
Chapter Title: Eyes of Insight
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The prisoners in the Gulag exchanged glances.
"Well..."
"Even so, the idea that Walter's from the lower layers is a bit..."
"Right?"
"Hey, you idiots."
Walter spoke in disbelief.
"You think the lower layers are just full of strong guys? Strength only works because there are rugs to wipe your feet on, got it?"
"Oh..."
"So Walter, you were one of those rugs in the lower layers?"
"Yeah, now you get it, you punks..."
But then he tilted his head.
"...Shit, saying it out loud makes it sound off."
"You just figuring that out now?"
Kyle looked at him with pity.
"You really think I ended up as one of the few veterans in this godforsaken penal unit by accident?"
Walter thumped his chest proudly.
"It's all~ because I scraped by in the lower layers~ that's what made it possible."
"Fair enough..."
No one could deny his cockroach-like vitality, at least.
"So why'd you leave the lower layers?"
"...? You call that a question?"
Walter's eyebrows narrowed.
"Obviously, 'cause it was a shithole, so I bounced."
"...So you left one shithole just to come back to another?"
At that untimely fact-bomb, Walter rubbed his face like he desperately needed a smoke.
"Life's a bitch..."
In the end, whether before or now, he was stuck in dogshit places.
"Kinda curious. Where'd you live down there? Neutral zone?"
"Eh, mostly the neutral zone."
The neutral zone referred to the lower layer's 20th District, closest to the inter-layer checkpoints.
"The 20th's got its own vibe, kinda like the 8th Special District. Most active exchange with the outside world down there, so mercenaries or businessmen with business usually pass through it."
In other words, decent-paying gigs were plentiful.
"What kinda work did you do?"
"Eh, freelancer stuff like mercs do. Not much different in the lowers."
Walter gazed at the ceiling, reminiscing.
"Pay-wise, lantern guiding was the most lucrative."
"Lantern guiding?"
He shrugged.
"As you know, lowers are underground. Pitch black once you leave the city limits."
Outsiders or companies unfamiliar with the terrain wandering blindly often got lost or hit trouble.
"So they usually hire locals who know the way."
And those guides roamed the lower darkness with cheap infrared lanterns.
That's why folks started calling them lantern bearers or lantern guys.
"Basically just guides, huh."
Walter nodded.
"Yeah. But not a long-term gig. Pay's fat, but the risk's insane."
The lowers crawled with worse threats than the surface.
And in areas without city lights? Danger went without saying.
The Gulag prisoners chimed in after his tale.
"Whoa, you know it in detail."
"You really from the lowers, bro?"
"I said yes! What were you even listening to?!"
'Guides, huh...'
Perfect timing—they'd need a way to 23rd District once in the neutral zone.
A good idea sparked in Kyle's mind as he eyed Walter.
"Hey, old man."
"Hm?"
Kyle smirked.
"Getting cabin fever stuck in the cell block?"
"...?"
A vague chill hit Walter, making him shudder.
*
"Damn it!"
BAM! Austin Marshall slammed the desk in fury.
His glare fixed on a deep web video blowing up online.
[Demonic Knight VS Butcher: The Hype Battle Footage Revealed!]
Brown pampas fields framed two men locked in fierce combat, captured vividly.
But it ended in the Demonic Knight's pathetic defeat.
Austin gnashed his teeth watching him crumble like dust.
"Even the Demonic Knight I had high hopes for...!"
How the hell?
"This makes no sense!"
Austin glared at the screen with bloodshot eyes.
'Butcher...!!'
The most annoying pest imaginable.
He'd rarely seen his plans fail before.
But since the Mage Tower incident, the Butcher kept exceeding expectations.
'...No wonder Reberk struggled!'
His brow furrowed.
'How'd he kill a Demonic Knight?'
Not a summoner, just a human—no way he had soul-killing powers.
'Some special magic artifact cutting mana flow? Ancient relic maybe?'
That seemed most likely.
Demonic Knights couldn't die without severing their Demon King link.
"Goddamn it!"
Honestly, details didn't matter now.
The key was the Butcher surviving again.
'If he reaches the lowers like this...!'
Austin recalled his father glaring murderously at him recently.
'Shit!'
"Gotta act fast...!"
That's when it happened.
"Just let him go."
"!!"
A breeze made the white curtains dance at the window.
A familiar yet eerie voice slithered into his ear.
Startled, Austin turned to see a pale-faced man in a tuxedo and bowtie, like a head butler, standing there.
Austin swallowed his shock.
"Herald...! When did you...!"
"Not important right now, is it?"
The pale man bowed courteously.
"Listen. A message from our ally."
"Ally? This late?"
"Yes."
The man straightened.
"Austin, honorable second son of the Marshall Family."
"!!"
"Don't panic. Just let him head to the lowers."
Austin scowled.
"You're serious? Let the Butcher go to the lowers?"
"Yes."
"What the—? Father? He'd never...!"
"The Marshall patriarch has already agreed."
"What? Father did?"
He wavered hard.
Simon Marshall wouldn't cave easily.
'How...'
The "Herald" spoke.
"I know your concerns, but rest easy, Austin Marshall."
His serpentine eyes gleamed.
"The Butcher won't break the pact."
No matter how tough, a finite being evading death forever? Impossible.
"The lower darkness will swallow him soon enough."
Like the betrayer Demon King Tevesa.
"!!"
Austin shivered at the Herald's creepy smile.
"So just let him be, Austin."
A feast awaits him.
The man smirked.
"Let the foolish Butcher walk to his death."
"......"
His chilling laugh echoed through the room.
*
Next day.
On the road to Porta, an outskirts village in 19th District by the inter-layer boundary.
"This can't be real."
Walter, practically drafted last night, stared blankly.
"Telling me to go back to the lowers... what the hell."
He rubbed his face dryly.
"It's just swapping one shithole for the old shithole..."
He personally saw the lowers as worse hell.
Kyle clicked his tongue.
"If you hate it, just say no."
"Man, you think I had a choice?!"
Walter recalled Joseph smirking ominously, mimicking a throat-slit.
"Even rolling in shit's better than the afterlife!"
True enough.
"At least no bomb collar cramping your style after ages, right?"
Special mission meant Walter was collar-free too.
"Big deal! Might as well shove the bomb in my collarbone!"
"Haha."
The trigger was with fellow prisoner Kyle.
Joseph's old terminal showed Walter's implant location live.
Blow him up if he got ideas.
'Usually only tactical teams get that access.'
Kyle smirked awkwardly.
Any other prisoner trusted like this by cops?
Walter muttered wearily.
"Gimme back the collar. Let's head home?"
"Come on, I'm going too. What's to worry?"
After all his begging to join Kyle's squad.
"Plus, sentence reduction promised?"
Reduction or not, Walter rubbed his face again.
"Lowers are a whole different beast, kid!"
"That scary?"
"......"
Walter glanced at Kyle.
"Eh, you might be fine."
"?"
He sighed in resignation.
"Anyway. Meeting the contact soon, right?"
Walter peered out the autonomous vehicle's window.
"Porta's coming up."
Sure enough, multi-lane highway fed into a massive underpass.
Looked like crawling into a giant beast's maw.
Kyle clocked it as the lower-layer entrance.
Shhh. Darkness swallowed the scene.
No more sunlight pounding asphalt.
Just headlights and faint roadside lamps lit the way.
[Welcome to Porta]
A sign whizzed overhead.
Vast underground vista unfolded ahead.
"Whoa."
Like a city built in a colossal cave—unreal.
Through the window, Porta's night view shimmered in thin fog.
As Kyle marveled at the sight,
Walter pointed at a long white wall lining the village.
"That's the inter-layer boundary. Famous checkpoint's there too."
Beyond it: lowers proper.
Descending the road, Kyle glimpsed past the wall briefly.
Pitch black except one multi-lane road from the checkpoint.
Walter eyed it.
"That's why no lantern guys needed from Porta to neutral zone."
Sporadic lamps connected it straight to nearby 20th District.
"Just follow that road."
"Ah."
"We're the exception, though."
Off-road darkness: still lawless wilds.
"Sneaking layers means crossing that dark."
Kyle tilted his head.
"Can't we just follow those lamps? Visible from afar."
"Lower dark's weirdly thick."
Walter tsked.
"Light doesn't carry far."
Even slight distance hid the glow.
"Why?"
"Dunno."
He shrugged.
"Folks say ancients made it to hide the city."
Made sense, fearing some disaster.
But soon,
They arrived at the rendezvous and stepped out.
"...This the spot?"
Porta outskirts.
Nothing but blackness beyond village lights; halted construction buildings loomed overhead.
"Yeah... coordinates check out."
Kyle confirmed on the old terminal.
Thud! Boom!
"Urk!"
A weird yelp and heavy crash from the dark rang out.
"...?"
"Ow ow..."
Terminal light revealed thick hazmat suit beyond a fallen drum.
Pathetic flailing, like ill-fitting clothes forced on.
"...What the hell is that?"
Walter's deadpan stare met Kyle's awkward reply.
"Beats me...?"
"H-Hey! Sorry!"
The suit waved frantically.
"C-Could you help me up?"
"......"
"......"
Walter and Kyle eyed each other.
*
"Hoo...! N-Nearly died..."
Rescued Miki yanked off the bulky helmet, gulping air.
She swept sweaty rose-pink hair behind her ear, flashing sheepish grins at the poking stares.
"Haha... Th-Thanks..."
"...So this is the contact?"
Walter gawked like he'd never seen such a ditz.
"Looks useless. We're heading lowers now, right?"
"...Mm."
"Hey! Useless? Thanks for the help, but rude from the start."
Miki glared, bristling.
"I've got five years in this biz, y'know?"
"Pfft, five years looking like that? Brag much."
"Wh-What's wrong with this?!"
"How you gonna pierce lower dark in that heavy junk?"
"Gotta wear it for the lowers!"
"That flimsy thing's as good as naked down there, lady."
"Hey, old man. Heard of psychological comfort?"
"My comfort seeing that crap all trip long?"
"Screw that?"
"What a punk."
Kyle beamed at the bickering pair.
"You two hit it off already. Cute."
"Where?"
"Where?!"
Miki stepped back, annoyed.
"Why copy me?"
"Bull. You're the copycat."
"Hah, whatever."
"......"
Totally getting along.
"Anyway. Time to move, Rose."
Miki jumped in.
"Ah, just Miki's fine."
"Then call me Kyle casual-like."
"Yup. Hehe."
"......"
Walter's face soured at her sudden girly act.
"Miki. When's the info guy?"
"Ah, sec."
She hefted her thick left arm, checking time.
"Soon. Should be here any minute."
Kyle sighed softly watching her.
'Kinda uneasy, honestly.'
Biggest issue: Miki Rose was a knockout.
'No choice.'
Needed her vouch for George's 20th District contacts.
Had to deal.
'Stay extra vigilant.'
Then, a presence nearby.
A ragged-robed man emerged from construction shadows.
Miki jammed helmet back on quick.
"...That's him. The info guy."
"Why helmet again?"
Walter asked; she mumbled low.
"Personally... creeps me out a bit."
"Hm?"
"N-Nothing."
She waved at him.
"Scott! Here!"
"......"
He lowered his hood.
"Hey. Heard two, not three."
Revealed: huge hooked nose, twisted features.
"One or two, same diff, right?"
Miki flashed a cash card; Scott eyed Kyle and Walter, snatched it.
"Fine. Sneak-in, yeah?"
"George's request?"
He tossed a tiny USB; Miki barely caught, stashed it.
"Let's go. Long way ahead."
"Yeah. Follow. This way."
Scott led, smirking back.
'Extra one crawls in. Lucky.'
Hood up, he thought.
'Heh, stupid humans.'
His snaky eyes glinted in dark as he chuckled.
'Ah, devouring that Scott guy was smart.'
Side gig smuggling layers fed him easy pickings lately.
'Two guys, one girl today.'
One guy iffy-rotten, but other two fresh.
'Satisfying meal...'
A species that devoured and mimicked victims' forms and memories perfectly.
The doppelganger gulped inwardly.
"......"