The deep well completely swallowed up Red's voice as if it was a gluttonous spirit that devoured everything, including light.
There were a total of seven levels in the Lower District, and the deeper one went, the closer they were to the source of pollution. This well was one of the passages leading to the lower levels, and there were many stories of people who recklessly went down to mine for more ore and never ever returned.
It was because of how dangerous it was that few people even ventured near it. This was also one of the reasons why Lin Jie couldn't figure out Red.
Though she was too young to properly compete with adults for ore, it wasn't too difficult to get some, albeit lesser than she hoped for. Perhaps to the extent of just having enough for one meal a day, or every two days.
Can't you survive like that? It's just eating a few less meals a day... Haa, Red's totally a little fatty.
The stench from the hole leading to the lower depths made Red feel like throwing up. The darkness of the opening made it impossible to see the depth, and from afar, it looked like a black lake, enticing one to jump in and enjoy an eternal descent.
The chubby girl stared at the abyss-like well for a long time... then turned around and started running.
Lin Jie frowned, amused at her reaction. Red sprang home like a little fawn running from a predator, and Lin Jie followed after. Then, upon reaching home, she fished out a cheap-looking chain from beneath her stone bed.
"What's this?" Lin Jie asked as he tilted his head slightly to survey the necklace.
"Have you never seen this before, even in the Upper District?" Red asked in surprise.
Lin Jie shook his head.
"Well, then it seems like this thing is indeed a treasure," Red said, clasping the necklace carefully.
While Lin Jie had never seen this sort of necklace before, it looked really cheap no matter how he looked at it. There was a faint trace of magic attached to it, so he could tell that it was a transcendent tool that was mass-produced.
This was the sort of item people wouldn't bother looking for if they lose it.
Red said softly, "Grandma gave it to me. She said that this thing is a treasure."
"So, this is where your confidence comes from?" Lin Jie hesitated, then asked, "Your grandmother is a member of the Church of Pestilence, I guess?"
Red's hand clutching the necklace suddenly tightened. The Church of Pestilence was a forbidden entity in the Lower District, but such prohibition was meaningless.
Upper District authorities were aware of the Church of Pestilence's existence, which could be considered a byproduct of the previous revolt in the Lower District.
"Where's the Church of Pestilence headquarters?" Lin Jie continued to ask.
Red glanced up at Lin Jie. She had been with this stranger for two days already, and her instinct told her that Lin Jie wasn't a bad person, but a real adult.
From her impression, besides her grandmother, all others weren't good people.
Her grandmother had said that in the Upper District, people were only considered adults at the age of twenty, and Red ought to be the same.
Because we are people from above ground too and will one day return back to where we belong... That had been what her grandmother said.
Thus, Red's grandmother always had her own stance and principles regarding Red—Red was merely a child; a child that wouldn't scheme against others and wouldn't turn bad.
Red agreed. She didn't want to grow up, she didn't want to become an adult, and she didn't want to become a member of the Church of Pestilence or any other party in the Upper District.
She was clearly just a child.
"Grandma often went to the third level." Red sniffled.
Regardless, her grandmother was already dead. It didn't matter even if her identity was exposed now.
"So you want to go to the third floor too?"
"Mhm, the Church of Pestilence's headquarters is on the third level. Grandma was very old, so the people of the Church of Pestilence would give her some food, just that recently, the church encountered some unavoidable circumstances..."
"What circumstances?" Lin Jie frowned.
"The god that the Church of Pestilence worshiped suddenly spoke. It's just a matter of time before 'He' awakens. 'He' also bestowed the church with a book called Dream of Chaos. Grandma didn't agree with the religious leader's interpretation of the book and thus left the church."
"Ahem..." Lin Jie quickly coughed several times when hearing this in a bid to hide his own embarrassment.
"The Church of Pestilence's dream is to leave the Lower District and counterattack the Upper District… That was also my grandma's wish, but she didn't want to attack the Upper District, she merely wanted to return home."
Red was unbothered by Lin Jie's awkwardness and continued softly, "Even if the people in the Upper District know about the Church of Pestilence's purpose, they can't stop it because they don't dare to go deeper down.
"Even the Witch of Tree's reaches can't extend beyond the fourth level." Red slowly stood up from the ground, clasping the necklace tightly in her hand and continued with a hint of trepidation, "Because the depths of the Lower District is where that god sleeps."
Lin Jie fell silent for a bit, then asked, "So, the Church of Pestilence can be considered the leaders for the Lower District's people's revolt, right?"
Red pursed her lips and shook her head resolutely. "They aren't! They are the evil god's lackeys!
"They believe that the changes brought by the gray fog are a gift from the evil god. They don't want to return to their homes, but instead wish to seek revenge on the people of the Upper District.
"In their eyes, everything will be destroyed once the evil god awakens, regardless of whether it is the Lower District or the Upper District. But they are not afraid, and even consider the destruction by the evil god as a gift.
"That's why I don't want to grow up and become an adult. Adults, whether in the Lower or Upper District, are bad people." Red lowered her head as beads of tears rolled down her cheeks. "The people in the Lower District have no way out."
Lin Jie gazed at Little Red and said, "So that's how it is. When that evil god is asleep, he will have all sorts of strange dreams. Those dreams are the source of the gray fog, and the closer you are to him, the more you will be assimilated, both in thought and appearance."
"And all of this was just 'His' unconscious actions," Lin Jie continued. "'He' didn't have any intention to hurt anyone. When 'He' wakes up, it will be when his will returns..."
"When 'His' will returns, I will die." Red crouched down in fear, hugging her knees.
Lin Jie sighed. "Do you think I'm a bad person?"
Red didn't know why Lin Jie asked this question all of a sudden. She cautiously gazed up at Lin Jie's gentle smile, which reminded her of the legend about the sun that her grandmother had told her before. She sniffled and shook her head firmly.
Lin Jie didn't know why, but he felt relieved for some reason and said, "Come on, let's go mine some ore."
No matter what, life still had to go on. With the dream of one day returning home, Red picked up her shovel.
Clutching the slightly jade necklace tightly, Red returned to the well that led to the lower levels. Then, along with Lin Jie, they slowly started down the stairs from the well entrance.
On the fifth level, even the two hours of street light per day couldn't be seen. The people here had evolved stronger night vision ability, with golden vertical pupils and distorted features that almost made Red feel sick.
In theory, Red shouldn't be able to see anything here, but it seemed like she had also evolved a stronger night vision ability.
Unfortunately, there weren't much more mineral deposits compared to the sixth level where Red lived.
Lin Jie pointed to the well that seemed to be darker than the surrounding area and said, "Let's continue on down for a look."
Red tightened her grip on her enchanted necklace and nodded.
Lin Jie glanced at the cheap and ordinary item in Red's hand and did a silent snap of his fingers, causing the necklace to emit a green light that illuminated Red's eyes.