#2 a Little Knowledge 3

This special area might be as vast as the American continent, but compared to the other lands in the Underworld, it would seem like nothing more than a small city. 

Every other region in the Underworld, aside from this special domain, had been claimed by the demon race. Long ago, demons, humans, spirits, and gods all lived in the same world. However, a great war millions of years ago led the gods to cast a powerful spell that separated the worlds. As a result, each race was forced to inhabit its own realm. Among all the races, only humans were fragmented, spread across multiple worlds. 

There were about a hundred human-inhabited worlds. Yet, even if all of them were combined, their total landmass would still not match the vastness of Heaven. Each human world had its own civilization. Some, like Grim's world, had only just entered the modern era. Others remained in ancient times, where people waged war with swords and spears. There were also worlds where beings could wield magic. 

Then, there were those that had advanced far beyond, where humans had already begun exploring outer space. However, despite their progress, they still could not reach the worlds where other humans lived. That was because the gods had worked together with the spirits to create a boundary—one that no being, aside from gods and spirits, could cross. 

"Goddess Yee Ling, huh? Is she strong?"

"The goddess may not be the strongest, but one thing is certain: as long as she is in this world, she is the most powerful." 

Compared to Pandora and other high-ranking gods, Yee Ling might be slightly weaker. However, that changed when she was in the Underworld. This was her domain—here, she was all-knowing and all-powerful. No one in this realm, be it god, demon, spirit, or human, could surpass her. Anyone who dared to challenge her in the Underworld would stand no chance. 

"So, in other words, while in this world, she is stronger than Goddess Pandora?" 

"Yes, you could say that. But, by the way, did you know that Goddess Pandora is actually the younger sister of Goddess Yee Ling?" 

"I didn't. Are they really sisters?" 

"According to what I know, they are." 

Among the gods, lineage was a complex matter. They all considered one another as siblings, for the true gods were originally born from the same divine parents. However, due to their extremely low birth rate, it was rare for two gods to be born at the same time. The birth of Yee Ling and Pandora was an exceptionally rare event, even across a span of 100,000 years. 

The two goddesses looked vastly different—Pandora appeared like a young girl, while Yee Ling had the presence of a mature woman. But in truth, they were twin goddesses, born from the same divine mother. As the elder sister, Yee Ling deeply cherished Pandora, which was why she often fulfilled whatever requests Pandora made of her. 

"I see."

Thanks to the woman's explanation, Grim had gained even more knowledge about the gods and goddesses. For an ordinary human, such knowledge might not have much value, but for Grim, knowledge was precious. After all, curiosity was the only emotion he had possessed since childhood. 

"Hmm… What are they trying to do?" Grim asked, his gaze shifting toward a group of people. 

From where he stood, he could see seven individuals, their bodies partially decayed, beginning to draw a magic circle on the ground. Once they completed it, they stood in a formation, holding hands in a closed circle. 

"They are nothing more than fools attempting to use magic," the woman replied, staring at them with an empty gaze. 

"And what exactly are they trying to do with that magic?"

"Just by looking at their bodies, you should be able to tell that they belong to the Third Category. Those seven are among the many who have fallen into despair. They believe that magic can help them escape the Underworld. But deep down, I'm sure they already know the truth—aside from the two choices given to them, there is no way out." 

For those in the Third Category, there were only two ways to leave the Underworld: either they reincarnated as demons, or they endured the seven purifications and faced true death. No matter what else they tried, they would never escape this realm. 

That was why their actions were utterly meaningless. 

The magic circle they had drawn was a teleportation spell from one of the human worlds. In its original world, such a spell was extraordinary, capable of transporting a person across hundreds of thousands of kilometers. 

However, because of the laws governing the Underworld, the spell was useless here. The moment the magic circle activated, it vanished in an instant—erased as if it had never existed. 

All their effort, the long hours they had spent preparing the spell, the energy they had exhausted to gather mana—it was all for nothing. 

"Just as you said, they truly seem desperate."

Grim did not know exactly how long it took for a person's body to fully decay in this realm. But judging by the state of those seven, it was clear they had little time left. Even if they tried to undergo the seven purifications, they would likely not survive long enough to complete them. 

With looks of utter disappointment, the seven turned back toward the city. Grim simply watched them leave. He felt no pity for them. After all, he lacked the emotions necessary to feel sympathy. 

"They are fools who will never learn. In a few days, they will surely try again," the woman murmured. 

She had been standing in this place for a long time. Over that time, she had seen those same seven attempt the same thing over and over, always with the same result. 

Yet, even after witnessing their futile struggles, she—like Grim—felt not even a shred of pity for them. 

And if everything went as she expected, she intended to keep watching until the day they met their inevitable end.