The military surrounded this plaza like wolves, slamming their weapons to the ground, and looking at this funny little endeavor with disdain. Authority and order over weaklings were among the numerous principles for powerful beings. Gods were particularly responsible for that, though the history from other places acted as a good reminder that nothing was as simple as it seemed.
Everything had some beginning. Everything that could conceive the weight of the universe, at least. In power, the rule of the jungle felt ever so dominant. It was almost close to a rule of power of Gods, whereas, for mortal realms, their difficulties were very different. However, in regular cases, royalty, powerful sects, or schools full of powerful people would be close. It depended on the world or wisdom of the expressed world.
In the Battleworld, the military was almost everywhere, thanks to the existence of open Gods and their Divine Kingdoms. And thanks to commitment, gifts, and generalization of Boosts and similar authority, people and power have been striving since time immemorial.
There was no question about this Gate, let alone the mines that allowed power to thrive. Rataratan took many companies and problems personally, for they were places that his Lady loved. He preferred to look at it, giving it an attention fit of an Extreme closing to an Overlord.
Value in these mines held endless riches, and since the dawn of creation, they had no bounds. More Materium were discovered than mined, acting as keen points of interest that always increased all the other necessities. And problems, per Bagus's opinion and history. Slaves were always around those issues concerning power.
It was obvious in countless places, or was it because the scarcity created a higher price; hence the pressure increased and the world turned weird? In a way, Bagus always knew the reason. Extremes were prohibited from taking part in this mining directly, which was a weird choice that Levandis used to cause some boundaries, or it might be very expensive to get them in. Since she had many powerhouses under her step, it was a curious problem.
Considering the most prominent miners were those with some minor Law comprehensions, allowing them to mine much better, why not take Extremes who mastered at least one at full? Perhaps the cause was their pride and mining was complex because of this Gate's political and company structure. It was beneath for Extremes for the mere principle stemming from the Surface, where Ultra Gems were desired as great gifts, while Hells couldn't care less about that.
With Ultra Materium close and in great significance, it was a formidable treasure, yet tell it to stubborn fools who kept Chaos close to their hearts. It was what Levandis herself proclaimed a long time ago. No Extremes, she said. No one would refute that, lest the wrath of the owners return, or she make a move herself.
Hells were no Surface, where Gods of the Sky were watchful like overbearing suns. Hells had their ludicrous Gods, and they were as ruthless as one would imagine. Going against the world or doing what they desired was a much easier choice because of their nature and difference in status. Divine Spheres were why. Almost like the name of the Ultra Materium itself, which glowed in the dark, suffering through ages long passed, and scattered in the depths of the planet for an unknown time.
It was deep and valuable by the only course that was fundamentally changing the universe. Time and Chaos. Those unprecedented reality-warping Laws carried incredible potency, but true Divides governed the universe like water governing the rivers, or was it the time itself that was always the one which created the biggest disparities as consistently stable Law? The origin of the River of Manaflow came from the depths of the universe, washing and changing the heavens under many stories, legacies, and eras. It went through what one might call an endless space.
Everything else was just a misguided worm that was taking what was once free. True life took this for a certain flow that moved planets and materials, connecting everything until some Will moved, creating intelligence, see through that river, or the time itself.
Greed followed intellect like sunflowers watched the sun, or was it backward? People were greedy. The sun was shining on its own; it didn't care for others or scorched planets, so what about some backwater regions or places where one couldn't see everything?
Bagus often wondered how some races could be stupid, or utterly savage, before turning to warriors of pride and weird standards. He was almost the same, but he never judged others too much. He killed far too many to care for apathy or sympathy. Some fools, be it in this place or others, were just greedy pricks that weren't worth tossing to some doubtful standards.
Some of them deserved the worst of what one would think of their worst enemy. Perhaps even then, it wouldn't be enough to quench the thirst for revenge. Murai would reckon such thoughts with vividness and understanding, taking revenge and ideas for free thoughts as impervious to growth.
Guards around Entrance Five looked like they hadn't done this job for the first time. However, this wasn't for their benefit, which was questionable as to why they were helping Bagus like that. Well, Bagus sneered inside, knowing that they wanted to take these materials from him after this was over. Or they simply wanted to appear strong for the sake of appearing strong. It was within Murai's calculations.
In most cases, Bagus wasn't sure what would happen, or what they would do. What should he do next? Had Murai planned so far? He hadn't told him about how to feel. That was for certain. He wouldn't go that far.
Bagus had to do what must be done.
Orcuns swallowed their anger after hearing those knights, calmed their bulking fatty muscles, and gave up attempting to appease these arrogant protectors. Against such authority—and Bagus—what choice was at these pushing times? Words that carried truths without being truthful were mere justifications for power.
In some way, Bagus was feeling bad for them. Especially when these Orcuns didn't fight back at all. They stood and cursed, but didn't attack Bagus because of his power and reputation. They weren't Lawful beings; perhaps they were closing on someone like Itrosh. If they were stronger or fought back at their maximum power as a team, perhaps he would feel better about it.
But some things were just the way they were. It wasn't worth altering what Murai had started. Bagus was in no shape a good beast after growing up in this sort of place and time. It was close to impossible. And in a place where no one was innocent, what morality was there in killings, thievery, or betraying the trust or one's heart?
Perhaps the word conscience was something invented to move the heart or convince something against the norm. It could be a lie, like many things that some fools spoke with conviction or excuses to move others.
Orcuns felt no obvious remorse, nor were they angry at this hierarchy system. They had their share of bullying those weaker than them and killed fodders because they could. They eyed Bagus with fearful hatred, took those knights for bastards, and they wouldn't forget no one.
They gave up on the payout that they mined for weeks. They didn't give up on everything, of course. Just a cut appeased these knights, who watched how Bagus took it with keen eyes. Watched by many surrounding miners, extortion, bullying, or looking for old or new debts were common sights, yet shameful for Orcuns.
No one wanted to be taken advantage of. Even if they cursed in their very souls, no one was here to help them. It didn't matter to other miners in the slightest, since these Orcuns were simple gangsters non-affiliated to no company. They came here like Bagus, so all they had to do was swallow the life of power.
If they hadn't given up their pride, feeling spears down their throats wasn't worth some value. However, many surrounding miners wondered if this show devolved into something better, or if Bagus aimed for something new. Many surroundings, or even those looking into the Hunt, wondered what was his deal.
True targets weren't present, so many beings—including the military—questioned Bagus walking into the mines alone. He was like an unhinged beast. He didn't care for what others thought, and thanks to his reputation, some thought he was asking for a beating. The Lost Brothers, used to have the ability to act like this. Not anymore. Their reputation tanked, and going against this place was silly. Many Challengers regarded it as a difficult assignment before the next Gate.
This wasn't a normal situation. His Hunted status was nigh like a sore spot in one's face or back, acting like a target in the middle of his forehead.
His Hell Points bounty was still pending. Anyone good could catch or kill. Unless something changed, of course. With Mindarch silent, and Will of the Battleworld gone, perhaps this was understandably silly and good. Everyone watched Bagus snort and take what Orcuns had before they steered away, leaving this plaza.
Then, Bagus wondered what was next; he forgot all the points that Murai said because he listed dozens of possibilities that might happen or not.
Should he thank those knights, or groan and crush them just because he could? What would that insane duck do? Bagus was no longer amused by such thoughts. He wasn't like that, but if he had to, he would go hard for himself, for it signified his mission and dream.
Killing them would be easy and killing these Orcuns was a possibility that Murai also listed. As for the military, killing was improbable, though no one here was some innocent fool. Most of those present were from fierce races, parts of many gangs, or served under powerful figures hiding in companies.
Knights pushed Orcuns further away, poking them with the dull edges of their weapons. Then, they dispersed the crown, clearing the path to the Entrance for Bagus. Since the payout was still ongoing, most of the miners weren't mining.
Thus, this plaza was almost impossible to clear, and those Guards only looked for more troubles. No one took this clear bait. Everyone realized what happened. They gave Bagus more weight so they would kill him in the mines. Such a move stirred the crowds, moved the knights, and essentially put thousands of eyes into this single plaza.
If anything was correct, mining would always be around and never stop. No matter if the world was working or burning, or if Levandis didn't like it, it would always work. Those Gems would never come out on their own.
“Well, have it that way,” one of the knights said, stepped to Bagus, inclined to take some cut, but withheld his words. “Be on your way. You can go and don't shit this up. See all the others? Don't mess with others like that, you big dog.” He waved his weapon around, pointing to others, and almost poking Bagus onwards.
Bagus smiled at him, clearly playing the game of arrogance and power. These knights were worth a fight, with some of them feeling the first layers of some Laws. It didn't matter too much. There were dozens of them. They would wound and bother him unless he would kill them first.
“A cheeky one, Hunted!” the knight said and erected some idea in his heart. “We say what you are doing is a terrible mistake, but when one goes around to look for trouble, one finds a pit.”
“Saw one. It ended badly. Mines are different pits. They hold some truths.”
“Graves too.”
“Wanna try it, or look at what is below?” Bagus asked, still arrogant. “I will consider anyone coming to that place as a fool. For anyone coming and seeing me, only deaths will come. In a limited place, will you overlook these graves?”
“Taunting officers is a serious offense.”
“Almost as snapping my neck against yours,” Bagus gave him honest words this time around, and while doing so, snapped his beak in crisp sound. “It would make a good crunch. Blood would flow and the spine would make a nice rupture. Do you know how it sounds when one tries to scream, yet can't utter a sound?”
The knights laughed, sounding forceful and kind of old. He forced his weapon aside and pointed to the entrance, indicating Bagus to continue to the mines because he couldn't hear those taunts anymore. It was a loss of face.
“We shall see what will happen with you. Where is the rest of your little group, we wonder. We watched with caution and expected a more sinister path, yet here you are all alone.”
Bagus departed without giving him a word or further glares, leaving these knights for good. Their words didn't seem to imply anything good, but Lisa said that this was inevitable, while Murai only laughed at those coming to mine for them. Every one of them should go down, and whatever happened later was secondary.
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Who was Bagus fooling? Nobody, or himself. He saw plenty of hostility and interest around the miners, but how many of them would go down, when they could wait for him, or slowly creep behind others to steal some kills or loot? There was no doubt there were greedy fools amongst them that would make groups and hunting difficult. For Hunted and Hunters, this meant terrible consequences, but only one was truly in a pinch.
Bagus almost laughed at them.
What a play. Bagus thought. Here I thought it would be harder. Murai has a knack for people guessing some outcomes, I suppose. He told me exactly what should come, including the best responses. What kind of performance would he do if he could speak the human tongue as an Anatidae? I would pay a big chunk to see that happen, frankly. Perhaps one day, I will see it with my own eyes, watching the wrath of the one that is Blessed Anatidae.
This little play had been quite some disturbance for this place and companies. Payout almost halted, especially when thousands of miners surrounded this wide-open perimeter. There were no streets or buildings to observe the views. A big plaza partially below the mountain shaded by the large ceiling of a mountain, wide dark walls at sides, with the light of the Ultra Gems on the ground alone, took Bagus's playful charm.
Each action that Bagus was important and stirred many eyes. Large Grifhart was perfect for such a cause, which was why Murai did what he did, let his Will free for a bit, and Lisa said her parts as well.
Murai had no clever plan if he was honest with himself. He merely stated his opinion, acting with two factors he considered were right. Itrosh's strength and Bagus's reputation were the main reasons for this play to work.
Lisa gave it a few ideas herself, improving this plan by a large margin. Especially, the part where Itrosh would make her move in this disturbance, going across the dark sides of the mountain and taking the shade of the darkness for a steep path. As for Bagus, most of his words came from Murai, which Lisa took for a job done well.
It was kind of silly. She thought about it for days, brainstorming how to get them inside the mines with the least amount of effort. She thought someone would object a lot, but didn't.
It was much easier when one knew the hearts of beings and disregarded politics for greed and facts. Itrosh was far from being eye-catching, so she became like a dark horse in this play. With a darker hood and cloak over herself, she was like a shadow that moved in the darkness, becoming one with it.
She ascended the dark walls with ease, using her hands, feet, and high Dexterity that was in multiple hundreds of points. The cloak did the rest. She was nimble and flexible, and her control over her limbs was far from what someone like Bagus would do.
In her case, Lisa had a clever idea. She thought of going by the ground, yet when Murai noted the darkness in the sides and ceiling, she ended up persuading Itrosh to this plan instead.
She couldn't see a thing. If it weren't for Murai's Night Vision and his head poking under her cloak, she wouldn't move quickly or well in her climb and leaps high above the plaza. Even a little light would cause a failure, so she moved stealthily, in minutes, rather than in quick and large leaps.
Thankfully, her highest point was her substantial Dexterity, which granted her pin-point reflexes and a very keen sense of her limbs, speed, and mind. She was near perfect in actual efficiency when touching things, although the weapon part was different. Mastering the outer tool rather than the flesh was different than having clarity over one's hands.
Under Murai's vision, Itrosh moved along faster than the average assassins at a similar level. Climbing and leaping without knowing where wasn't something she was good at, so without eyes, yet with pokes to guide her, she wouldn't reach the dark-looking hole that looked like an entrance to the Abyss. It was tiny in comparison.
Murai was barely looking ahead, but managing to take this high altitude, darkness, and slower speed, he did his job enough. As for Lisa, she went back to where she belonged: into Murai's soul space for the temporal solution against her light so she wouldn't stand out like a sore light in the darkness. It worked splendidly, and no matter how Bagus looked up, he couldn't see her no matter how he tried.
Just like that, the whole group reached the Ip'ur Mountain's underground through Entrance Five. All fifteen entrances were connected at some points, letting shafts, mines, and various natural caves branch out into thousands of paths. Some were different from others, going deeper, or they were part of some private, or business marks. They went for many kilometers around like a labyrinth.
And they were shady, full of intensity, death, wealth, and places where nothing simple remained. At least at the start anyway. The deeper one went, the more Ultra Materium hadn't been mined yet, so there was brightness or so much light that the heat and flames were unbearable. Because of that, certain locations were off the chart for any mining, deemed dangerous, unstable, or too valuable.
These locations Lisa thought should give some opinions and choices in their upcoming journey.
Entrance Five was known for its unnatural steepness and deepness to the ground right from the start. It looked almost like a staircase without stairs, going through the ground like a big slide of rough surfaces. Many shafts were constructed at an angle aside, acting like a tree with branches that grew deep into the stone or soil grounds.
That went on until the tree was near vertical, creating a wide hole with staircases and bridges, constructs of all kinds, or many ladders. There was also a large elevator aside from a hundred-meter-wide hole, but that one was strictly under the confidence of those who could afford to use it.
It wasn't up to Lisa, let alone her usage and needs. What if someone would play with it, trapping them inside? It would be like a sore idea that would annoy her mind and plans. They didn't need further doubts or troubles.
With Bagus being the only known person out of their group to enter this place, it was questionable whether more or less troubles would reach them.
Allegedly, it was better. It was a false hope that Murai judged as funny. Lisa agreed with him until she realized the truth. It wasn't good. With Bagus going down alone was an easy way to see miners and military turn into Hunters. It could be much worse since only those willing to bear his reputation would go down. That was threatening to their whole team because Bagus was the strongest.
It could go south like everything because most Hunters would see Bagus as a target and competitive prize amongst other Hunters. perhaps they would storm him and split the Hell Points afterward, but that was rare and unlikely to happen.
If he went mining alone, taking Itrosh and Murai with him, they would've crashed them like a tidal force, taking them as disdainful targets.
It was a lesser evil. Lisa didn't like to try her chances, so she kept herself in Murai and Itrosh was enough to get them into the Entrance without any company or miner noticing. But she swore some might get noticed anyway, for they were still hunted no matter the Mindarch or some rules. This place had a lot of masters. It needed some consideration.
A beast such as Bagus should be able to mine large amounts of Ultra Gems. Killing him, getting his badge and those Gems would elevate one's status overnight. It wasn't even about greed. In their eyes, Bagus was asking for it.
There were no protection, scions, or military establishments under the ground. It was lawless, with only one rule being that nothing mined underground would be left in one's hands. Which left things like possessions, equipment, or very rare instances of Dungeons, different. Thievery was like a secondary occupation for many miners. One could kill, so the underground teams and policies of most mining companies were quite ferocious.
Even Bagus's achieved VIP status wasn't important. It was mostly a laughable idea that they gave away because it was a proper mark for his status. It would allow him to go to many mines, simply because those of Laws could go deeper. To be frank, there was no point in refusing him even if he was Hunted or not.
Entering one of the mines via a large set of stairs that went into the darkness—apart from little particles aside that glowed a little—Bagus noticed no one was tracking him from behind. Not yet, of course. Later on, some Hunters will track him by smell for sure. There were many groups set for that sort of task, hiding and eyeing others from afar until some would come closer and deal the decisive blow.
A lucrative prey locked underground was much easier to catch than in wide spaces of the Hellscape. Bagus was free to move in most perimeters. Restricted mines were dangerous or privately owned by some companies. For that, his VIP badge wouldn't done much, but a force was a great key.
Not as if Bagus cared for face or others because Lisa and Murai had less than one single reason to take those mines for treasures. One could enter anything as long as one was brave enough to face the consequences. It was that simple.
Bagus wasn't here for mining, but he would try it anyway because he didn't mind them. His history might be screwed, yet these Gems were too great to pass as a terrible omen.
Lisa long decided on their long-term plan. They would probably spend a day or two inside the mines before even coming close to their questionable goal. The hundred-meter range of their Token was far too small.
Food wasn't an issue, and so did some mining sessions from Bagus as long as he wouldn't fall behind, while some inevitable battles were fine as well. Lisa was fine with everything as long as Murai would continue doing what she wanted. They had enough ability to keep looking for their target for dozens of days.
Bagus chose the loneliest and darkest path he had seen. That was the one that Lisa told him to choose, and under some shade and corner, they would regroup in their success.
It was dark in most of these mines and shafts. Usually, the miners carried their light when no Ultra Materium was around. That depicted a substantial amount of already mined mines because of easier routes to the ground level.
No torches were in this place, obviously. No one wanted any smoke in semi-closed spaces. Because of that, these dark corridors were perfect for ambushes and perfect for stealthy action. They were simple in appeal. Most mines were at least a dozen meters wide, and three to five meters tall. That was enough for most tough races to walk and mine.
Not many would step without light ahead. And with Rataratan's orders and set examples, death went for those crazy enough to smuggle something out. Because of that, one could come here with relative ease, but leaving was a different story.
“All good in your head?” Itrosh asked Bagus, stepping from the shadows and startling him. “You are looking like a horse who lost its owner. Was that play so bewitching to your past?”
She was still hiding behind her hood, looking menacing. Her glistering sharp teeth glowed in her face as she held a light, coming from a little Gem in her palm. Murai hid in the other hand below her cloak, with only his head poking through. The light made both of them sinister, even though Itrosh didn't mean it. There was so much a little bit of lighting could do. However, a deadly-looking Itrosh mixed with Murai's poking head was a substantial jump-scare.
“Sure enough, but I fear you will need to be careful,” Bagus said to her, pretending he wasn't scared.
“No worries,” Itrosh flickered her hand, and a much bigger Gem appeared from her sleeve, bathing the cave in a bright light. “Murai didn't include this, but I sure did. Love the light. That dark path from before was hideous. I don't want to repeat leaping to my death ever again. It was dreadful. A single step and I would fall.” She lightly chuckled, as if in contempt of some dangers, or by sheer confidence.
Then, wings forced an opening underneath her cloak, falling to the ground alongside the rest of the duck.
Murai scowled, quacking as he got to his feet. He successfully got free from her hands as well. At last! His plans were good, but being carried wasn't his forte. Especially by Itrosh, who wasn't that full in her chest. A bit? Sure.
Giving Lisa her affirmative reappearance, the group was whole once again. Lisa appeared a bit different than usual as if fearing her light or she wanted something else. She made herself smaller, less dim than usual, and her fluttering waves and wings were almost absent.
She used some of her control skills to not stick out like a sun in the darkness. However, it didn't help much against the palm-sized Gem that Itrosh had. That one was was looking big yet it wasn't very expensive because of its use. It was a light source alone, without much of a heat or Laws within. Its light would go for centuries if it was recharged from time to time.
Lisa's azure light dimmed to a near whiteness, so one wondered what prevailed. Her mana, or soul? Sona was wonderful, so one way or another, she was still noticeable. The height of Murai's beak made her like a little spark, or close to the palm-sized Gem.
The best thing she could do was make herself smaller to work around this place, and since her body wasn't tangled with regular physicality, she could do whatever she wanted as long as her Body Shaping worked under her trials and skill. The size was the easiest to change, though when turning to a more denser and real appearance, it always stressed her a lot.
Making herself big and sharp was difficult. Being small and sharp wasn't, but what could she do with such a small body? She felt sad about it for a long time. Shaping her body was another story altogether. She could try to copy other lifeforms, though it wasn't her finest forte because her timing wasn't great like most of Murai's life.
In this small appearance, she could keep being physical for half an hour at a time. And she was tiny, so she couldn't do much with it anyway. Becoming bigger would decrease her time to a few minutes at best.
For the rest of the group, a palm-sized succubus was a sight to behold, making Murai chuckle and almost burst into laughter. Neither Itrosh nor Bagus found her funny. Their time was nigh and these mines were finally under her eyes.
For a long time, this had been their goal.
“Murai... Hisagi,” Lisa said, shaking her thumb-sized head. “I may be small like this, looking like a pebble, but I am still myself. Do you hear me?”
She pointed her little finger at him, floating in the same way as before. She was zipping around like a Sparkling, a tiny creature of Laws of Light or Flame that would appear or grow in unique spaces.
She was quick in her flight, hard to notice, but her strength was rough unless...well, she was no Sparkling, so Murai wondered what strength she possessed in this form.
“Sure,” Murai quacked, wheezing in inaudible chuckles. “You sure hadn't wanted to look like this, right?”
“Never mind,” Lisa said firmly. “Talk is rightfully important in the present situation. Luckily, we had some luck with Foolisch.”
“Those are called plans,” Murai added.
“And plans could fail like your various attempts at making us workable.” Lisa barked at him, giving him a long look.
“Us?” Murai wasn't sure where she was taking this.
“Don't pretend as if you are innocent. We work and you listen. That is good. Don't make it worse than it is,” she turned to Itrosh, zipping close to her face, “I am sorry to make you our Guide. I can't do that with my body or that King under my eyes,”
“Oh, no problem at all. I know maps fairly well because I've mined here before, or took care of some teams as a bodyguard and so on,” Itrosh smiled and finally released her hood. Then, she took a ring from her pocket. Lisa gave it to her before this whole plan commenced.
Lisa opened her ring, took out a previous book, including some maps, and gave it to Itrosh as she struggled to hold these physical objects in her tiny arms. Itrosh took care of it, holding the Gem in one hand, and the rest with another.
“Is that Gem necessary?” Lisa asked, pointing at herself. She was bright like a small sun, though smaller by a small margin. “Could be brighter if you want. It would just make my life shorter.”
“Life?” Itrosh piqued her brows. “How are you living anyway?”
“Breathing mana and resting in his soul space is enough,” Lisa pointed to Murai on the ground, who was no longer there. He walked ahead, oblivious to the darkness that didn't concern him, or Lisa and others who were chatting.