317 316: We Have Company
'A lot of things about the Underworld don't add up.'
This was Corey's main thought as he listened to Rosa speaking about their situation and the ugly truth of the Underworld.
Although Corey was slightly stunned by the fact that the Underworld was used as a training ground for the young masters and ladies of the top factions of the outside world, Corey was still baffled by one question:
Why was the Underworld truly created?
Corey knew the Underworld was not a structure that was created after the apocalypse started.
There were so many reasons as to why Corey knew this, and the main reason was that there were people who had lived in the Underworld for more than 5 years.
In fact, there were children who were born in the Underworld and had never seen the outside world. An example was Kiefer, who was fourteen years of age.
If Corey's guess was correct, the Underworld had been in New Earth for at least 10 years before the apocalypse started. since that was when foreign forces like the Temple of Flames, the Temple of Water, and so on came to New Earth and integrated with it.
Although Corey knew all of this, he was still baffled as to what the main goal of the Underworld was.
The Underworld was a prison, but it was not like most prisons where one is tortured or constantly suffers at the hands of the prison guards.
The more time Corey spent in the Underworld, the more confused he got whenever he thought about the true purpose of the Underworld and how terrifying and cunning the mind of whoever created the Underworld was.
The conclusion Corey came to after spending so long in the Underworld was that the Underworld was a land of nightmares and sufferings to the weak, but a land of paradise to the strong.
It was eerily similar to how the outside world worked before and after the apocalypse.
Before the apocalypse, those who were poor, physically weak, and had no power suffered, while those who were rich, physically strong, and had power enjoyed most of their lives.
The same principle applied even after the apocalypse, and it was even more pronounced.
The Underworld worked in the same way. And the scary fact was that as one got stronger or gained more value points in the Underworld, the more comfortable one got in the Underworld.
The Underworld was not a place where one would be confined to a small room with nothing to do.
One could go out, and if they had enough value points, live as they want. The Underworld Emporium was an extremely large place with so many activities.
It was the place where one could be in a perpetual state of happiness and fun. In fact, some people forgot that they actually lived in a place like the Underworld after spending a very long time in the Emporium.
Some even chose to live there. If they had enough value points, that is.
Aside from the Emporium, there was the central area of the City of Sin. The central area of the City of Sin was the most beautiful and, surprisingly, the most peaceful area of the City of Sin.
From certain books and information from Divine and Rosa, Corey knew that the central area was so peaceful, that it seemed like it was heaven.
One could start a new life. Marry, have as many children, have as many women, and have as much fun as they want in the central area. Their children, women, people, and possessions would all be protected in the central area of the city of sin by the security system in the central area.
Divine once said that the central area was sort of a reward to people who had gotten enough value points to live there.
'The central area is literally heaven for the Underworld residents. It's a place of rest and enjoyment for those who live there. It screams out: THIS IS A RESTING PLACE FOR ALL YOU'VE GONE THROUGH! REST AND ENJOY! FOR YOU HAVE DONE WELL!.'
'And this is why I refuse to stay in the central area all the time… One can forget that the Underworld is actually a prison and that there is a real world out there.'
These were Divine's words after he asked him about the central area.
The solemnness on Divine's face at that time was something Corey rarely saw, and Corey knew from his expression that the Underworld was extremely dangerous and terrifying.
'One enters the Underworld as a weak person, then he or she suffers while being weak. After suffering, the person desires to be stronger, and if the person becomes stronger, the person will gain more value points.'
'More value points means an easier life in the Underworld. The person would not want to suffer, so he or she would keep on getting stronger and gaining value points. When he or she has enough value points, the person would be able to live in the central area, and there's a high chance the person would get comfortable and lose his desire to escape the Underworld.'
As Corey had this thought, he realized that his life after he met Divine was much, much, much easier than the lives of newcomers in the Underworld.
He didn't have to fight tooth and nail for value points. Nor did he have to worry about minor matters like food, attacks from random people, and so on.
09:36
Him being a member of Divine's group had made his life much easier than the lives of others. Though, with it came a cost.
The cost which was attention from powerful figures like Calista, the manager of the Underworld Emporium.
'Who knows how my life would have turned out if Divine didn't come to me.'
Corey thought with a soft chuckle, then he continued his previous train of thought.
'Unless the person has so much hatred towards the Underworld. Then, the person might not forget. But…'
Corey looked to his left, and then he stood, causing Rosa and the rest to be confused.
'Even if somebody has that much hate? Can one defeat all the tier 6s in the Underworld? Can one escape without multiple tier 6s noticing?'
Corey thought, then his eyes moved to his U-Watch on his left hand.
'Probably not… Even if one escapes from the tier 6s in the Underworld, there is still the U-Watch.'
Corey furrowed his brows as he kept on looking at a certain part of the abandoned warehouse.
'I was planning on escaping the Underworld on my own. But, with my plan, it could take two years or more before I'm able to implement it.'
Corey released a soft sigh, and then he placed his left hand on top of Rosa's head, baffling her and everybody else to the core.
"I'm going to need Divine's help to escape. I know he has been making plans towards escaping the Underworld."
Corey mumbled with a calculating glint in his eyes.
"Uhmm? What's wrong with you Smile Reaper?"
Rosa asked, but Corey gave no reply.
His mind was currently on something else.
A guess.
A terrible guess that he had made after listening to Rosa's words about the chosen ones of the top factions.
Rosa did not need to tell him, but Corey could infer one thing from her words.
The Temple of Flames was in the Underworld.
BANG!
BOOM!
An extremely loud bang shook every single individual to the core, except Corey that is, resounded in the abandoned warehouse like thunder released by raging clouds.
Old Man Poison, Selene, and Dave quickly regained their balance, and their gazes immediately landed on Corey and Rosa, who was frozen due to extreme shock and fear.
"We have company."
Corey said as he stroked Rosa's head, which was placed by his waist. All eyes moved to the eastern part of the abandoned warehouse, where five people appeared with their auras unfurled.
Tier 4s!
Five Tier 4s!
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