Chapter 36: You There! Serve Me!

"Look ahead, there's a camp," Gu Tang said, pointing forward.

They had been walking through the dim underground for a while and soon came across a camp. 

The camp was sizable, appearing to house around a hundred people. Dust-covered tents were haphazardly pitched on the ground, with a bonfire burning in the center of an open space, and mining tools piled up in wooden crates.

Dusty and weary residents moved about in the camp, each looking exhausted and malnourished. 

Bronya frowned. 

"Are all the residents in the lower district living in such poor conditions? I hope this is an exception..."

"Alright, let's have them help us," Gu Tang stepped forward.

Bronya looked at him and reminded him, "Have you thought about how to negotiate? My Iron Guard identity is actually a liability here."

"Don't worry, Bronya, my negotiation skills are so good I can make a crab fall in love with a rock."

"It's Bronya!"

---

Under Sambo's guidance, March 7th and her group reached a town in the lower district.

"So this is… the lower district of Belobog." March 7th was astonished by her surroundings.

It was completely different from the upper district, which was bathed in golden sunlight. Here, there was no daylight, only heavy rock layers overhead.

The architecture in the upper district was luxurious, while the buildings here were clearly more about durability, with no excessive decoration, and were mostly low houses. 

Nearly all the residents worked in mining; miners carrying pickaxes and wearing safety helmets were seen everywhere, along with crates of extracted geocores. 

Dust seemed to always linger in the air, mixed with the acrid smell of machinery.

"It's completely different from the upper district, huh? Just don't mention that in front of the folks here—they hate people from the upper district," Sambo explained while leading the way.

Dan Heng nodded, "Understandable. After all, to the residents of the lower district, they were abandoned by the upper district and the Silvermane Guards."

"Aye, brother Dan Heng, you're quite understanding," Sambo chuckled while rubbing his hands.

Stelle looked at Sambo, "It sounds chaotic here. Any ideas on how to find clues about Gu Tang?"

"Absolutely, that's the priority!" March 7th exclaimed, "Gu Tang is alone with that Iron Guard girl now. You know what that means!"

"Uh… Gu Tang might get captured by her?" Stelle tilted her head.

March 7th shook her head, "It's more than that! Look how handsome Gu Tang is… he might end up as her love slave!"

"Huh?" Stelle was stunned.

"Who knows, maybe she's already stripped down to her black tights and standing in front of Gu Tang," March 7th continued with her speculation.

Dan Heng looked at her in surprise, "March, you seem to know a lot."

"I've been indulging in the internet lately… but don't change the subject! Gu Tang is definitely in danger now!" March 7th insisted.

Stelle frowned in thought. 

She initially wanted to dismiss March 7th's conjecture as nonsense, but then she tried putting herself in Bronya's shoes.

…You know what, you never know.

"Ahem, don't worry, my ladies. I, Sambo, have a perfect solution," Sambo coughed and brought the topic back to avoid March 7th continuing her tangent.

"Oh? You have a plan?" Stelle looked at Sambo.

Sambo smiled, "Hehe, although the lower district doesn't have Silvermane Guards, we have the Moles."

Dan Heng, "The Moles? Sounds like an organization."

"Exactly. In my words, they're a bunch of fools, straight-shooters, and single-minded folks," Sambo shrugged, "To introduce them properly, they're a group of doers who maintain underground order voluntarily. After the Iron Guards retreated from the underground, all the order here has relied on the Moles."

"Why not call themselves Skyfire? Sounds cooler," Stelle asked Sambo.

Sambo, "Because they're an underground organization (literally)."

Stelle, "...Makes sense in a way."

"What part of that makes sense?" March 7th retorted, then looked at Sambo, "The Moles are capable, I get that. But why would they help us?"

"Oh, come on, with your skills, how could you lack leverage? The Moles always have trouble that needs solving. If you lend a hand, wouldn't that give you a reason to get their help?" Sambo said earnestly.

"Yeah, trouble never ends, including you, Sambo." A female voice sounded behind Sambo.

A large scythe was placed against Sambo's neck, inches from his carotid artery.

Sambo didn't dare move, immediately raising his hands in surrender, saying, "Seele… Seele, ma'am, what a coincidence! I was just bringing these people to see you."

"Humph, you're always causing trouble for us," Seele retracted the scythe and kicked Sambo in the butt.

She was a girl with long blue-purple hair, her sharp gaze seemingly able to pierce through others.

She wore practical purple-blue clothing, appearing both capable and beautiful, making her look more formidable. 

Her left arm was wrapped in a long red scarf, resembling dancing flames.

She herself was like a sharp scythe, able to kill enemies in an instant.

"She doesn't look very easy to get along with," March 7th whispered to Stelle.

"We need to touch her soul with genuine sincerity, March 7th," Stelle replied.

She quietly gripped her bat behind her back.

Seele looked at Sambo and frowned, "Strange… you seem even more effeminate after a few days."

Dan Heng and Stelle both glanced at March 7th.

March 7th scratched her head awkwardly.

Sambo wanted to explain, but Seele lost interest in the next second and turned her head, "Forget it, none of my business. The point is, who are these people?"

Her gaze swept over March 7th's group like knives.

Dan Heng didn't beat around the bush, "We want to cooperate with the Moles to find our lost companion."

"Oh, straightforward. Much better than that blue-haired guy," Seele nodded.

Sambo showed a tearful expression on the side.

"Seems like… anyone can bully Sambo," Stelle said to March 7th.

March 7th straightforwardly replied, "Honestly, isn't this all his own doing?"

"Looking for someone… it's quite troublesome. The lower district has been developed for many years and is ten times the size of the upper district," Seele frowned, "Moreover, if your companion meets miners, it's fine. If they meet wanderers, that's trouble."

"I believe my buddy's negotiation skills won't lead to conflicts easily," Dan Heng said confidently.

---

"Hey! You there, peasant. Get over here, the gentleman next to me has some questions for you!" Gu Tang shouted, pointing at a wanderer.

"????"

Bronya was shocked, watching his so-called negotiation skills.