#2 a little knowledge 2

The Underworld did not have rain, so it was unlikely that the woman would appear dirty from being constantly exposed to it. Even so, at the very least, there should have been some dust clinging to her body. Yet, for some reason, not a single speck of dust was on her. Her clothes still looked brand new, and her golden hair gleamed brilliantly as if untouched by the filth of this world. 

"So, can you tell me about the trial grounds you mentioned earlier?" 

"I can, but before that, may I ask you something?" 

"That depends on what you ask. I might answer, or I might not." 

"Did you, by any chance, meet a woman there?" 

The woman then raised her hand and pointed toward a massive palace. That palace was the very place where Grim had emerged from the black hole Pandora had created back then. It was also the place where he had first met someone in the Underworld—the very woman the mysterious girl was now asking about. 

"I did meet her. What happens if I have?" 

"Did she offer you a choice?" 

"Yes, she did." 

Grim clearly remembered the choices given to him by the woman. The first option was to stay in Heaven, while the second was to be reincarnated without knowing when or where he would be reborn. 

"I see… It seems you are quite fortunate. Among all those who come to the Underworld, you belong to the First Category." 

"The First Category?" 

Grim did not understand what the woman meant. He had just learned that there were different classifications for those who arrived in the Underworld. 

"Yes. Those who enter the Underworld are divided into three categories…" 

Although the Underworld was a place filled with people who had committed great sins, their sins varied in severity. Because of this, they were separated into different categories—distinguishing between those who were fortunate and those who were not. 

The First Category consisted of people who had committed grave sins, but ones that could still be erased easily. Grim belonged to this group. Although he had once issued commands that led to the deaths of many, those same actions had also saved countless lives. Because of that, the sin he bore could be absolved without much difficulty. 

The Second Category was not too different from the First. The sins of those in this group were slightly heavier, but they, too, could be cleansed with ease. The key difference between the First and Second Categories lay in the timing of their choices. 

Those in the First Category were granted a choice the moment they arrived in the Underworld. Meanwhile, those in the Second Category were not given an immediate choice. They had to remain in the Underworld until their moment came, whether that was after one year, ten years, or even a hundred. 

Finally, there was the Third Category. This was the most unfortunate group, as they were not given a choice at all. They were forced to remain in the Underworld until their bodies completely decayed. 

During his time in the Underworld, Grim had seen many from the Third Category. Most of them had already begun to rot, their bodies slowly falling apart. Humans were not meant to stay in the Underworld for long. The longer they remained, the more their bodies withered away. 

For those in the Third Category, there were only two paths. Though these were not official choices given by the Goddess of this world, they were paths known to all. 

The first was to suffer in the Underworld until their bodies completely disintegrated, after which they would be reincarnated as demons. The second was to achieve true death—ceasing to exist altogether. 

Naturally, most of them sought true death. However, considering the weight of their sins, such a fate was not so easily granted. They had to undergo seven trials of purification—trials that took place in what was known as the "Trial Grounds." 

Those in the First and Second Categories also had to pass through the Trial Grounds if they wished to enter Heaven. The difference was that those in the Third Category experienced pain a hundred times worse during their purification. That was the cruel distinction between the three categories of sinners who entered the Underworld. 

"You certainly know a lot about this." 

Grim spoke truthfully. Though this knowledge might have been common for those living in the Underworld, for him, it was a helpful insight. 

"Since you seem to know quite a bit about the Underworld, can you tell me the name of the woman who resides in that palace?" 

Grim did not know how much the woman truly understood about this world, but with her vast knowledge, she surely knew the name of the one who lived within that grand palace. 

"Her name is Yee Ling. She is the Goddess who rules over the Underworld. In other words, she is the Goddess of Demons." 

"Demons? Do they really exist?" 

"If gods and humans exist, why wouldn't demons? Of course, they exist. Like the gods, they simply prefer to reside in the Underworld." 

Though the Underworld was much smaller than Heaven, it was still vast—equivalent to a hundred times the size of Earth. The place where Grim currently stood was a special domain created by the Goddess of the Underworld, Yee Ling. In this domain, only sinners existed. Even if there were demons here, their numbers would likely be fewer than a hundred.