Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Chapter 76: Chapter 39 Underworld

The evening breeze was somewhat chilly, the wind sweeping into the hover car, ruffling Hexia's hair as she sat alone in the back, propping her head up with her hand, her mind replaying the recent events.

For social outcasts like Qiao Long, Hexia had never had much fondness, and had it not been for his special Talent, which assured her he wasn't lying, she would have never agreed to meet.

Accepting an invitation from a stranger, let alone an enemy, to venture into dangerous territory was never a wise decision.

But, possessing the Talent of a Songstress and under the perception of Soul Resonance, the feelings of anxiety and regret emanating from Qiao Long had caused her some hesitancy—could she really decline and then just watch a life pass, especially when that life was one she recognized?

She stood in the hallway for a minute, pondering. If she were to refuse, though it wouldn't be her fault, she felt she would regret the decision and grieve over it.

How soft-hearted she was, chiding herself like a fool, thought Hexia.

But if everyone were to live so shrewdly for their own interests, that too would be exhausting. She was simply following her instincts, doing what she felt was right; if she were to distort that, then what was the point of all her efforts?

After experiencing many life changes, Hexia had long realized the truth about life; many things that outsiders cared about no longer held the same weight for her.

"I cannot escape this sense of rightness," she murmured to herself.

Despite her dislike for Qiao Long, in the matter of saving lives, she didn't wish to go against her conscience.

Once she had sorted out her thoughts, the young girl felt a mysterious sense of lightness in her heart, as if she had broken through some kind of mental barrier.

"What situation did you come across tonight?" she suddenly asked.

"I apologize, miss. I didn't explain things clearly earlier," Qiao Long responded promptly from the front seat.

"It wasn't the usual gang fights and brawls of the lower level—we wouldn't dare trouble your life with such matters. This time we encountered a special situation. The attackers weren't normal humans; like your master before, they have lost their sanity and are out of control like wild beasts."

"Are such occurrences common?" Hexia had thought that only a few people had experienced situations similar to hers, but according to Qiao Long's description, the reality seemed quite different.

"While it's true that the Underground World is chaotic with many people taking extremes in pursuit of strength, generally, they do so out of desire or ambition and aren't foolish enough to become madmen. That's no different from being dead."

"But this time, it has affected a wide area; it's as if suddenly, the Underground World had this influx of people, attacking like rabid dogs, creating chaos."

"Doesn't the Federation do anything about such situations?" the girl asked, perplexed.

"The Federal Government manages the residential areas above the 70th floor, while some of my companions live below the 70th floor in a world untouched by the Star Network—a rather harsh and chaotic place."

"Why are they there?"

"Because most of them lack proper identities, just as you imagined. Many there are the refuse of society, living without legal documentation, fugitives. But there are also historical reasons, people stranded in the underground."

"In the hallways of the residential area where you live, you might have seen some banners from past protests," Qiao Long abruptly mentioned.

"I'm aware. Those are?" Hexia had a sudden insight.

"Yes, you're right. In the past, there were serious protests in Payin City, or rather, throughout the northern districts. The conflict between residents and the government became acute, and the Federal Government even had to summon troops from the south to suppress it."

"The decline of the Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain led to many social issues. Welfare benefits were continuously reduced, life at the bottom got harder, while a small portion of the upper class was unaffected. This caused resentment to deepen and eventually erupt."

"People smashed government facilities, destroyed surveillance, looted supermarkets, etc. In the chaos, social order began to collapse."

"My master was embroiled in these events and ended up being expelled from school, with a severe record in his file, which precluded him from further studies or finding decent employment. From a bright Talent admired by all, he fell to the status of an unemployed drifter in the lower residential areas."

"With threats and pacification tactics from the government's troops, the turmoil gradually subsided. Many were pardoned, but some key participants in the conflicts were either expelled or marked with severe records in their files, becoming displaced and forced to flee to the Underground World for survival."

"They too had children. But these kids, without Federal identification, are doomed to live there their whole lives."

"My subordinate, Blu, the one you found quite stout and tall—that's him. He comes from such a background."

"He has been with me for many years now, from the age of 15 to the present, transforming from a skinny kid to the plump man he is now. I eventually spent a sum at the police station to secure an identity for him, so he can now legitimately access some of the Federation's facilities."

"Such a record, though not particularly strong and unable to withstand deep scrutiny, is already far better than those of his brothers and sisters from the underground. He can even receive a free relief meal every month."

"Relief meal..." Hexia fell into thought.

She had tried that stuff too—it tasted awful. It was nothing more than starch injected with artificial protein powder and other nutritional substances, then mixed evenly and compressed. One had to use hot water to soften it, otherwise, it was hard to swallow.

Unless they're beggars or truly can't go on living, nobody would go to get such stuff to eat.

However, even so, such food is a rare hard currency in the Underground World.

Because there's no Star Web or various facility terminals, Electronic Federal Currency can't be used in the Underground World; bartering is mostly relied upon.

"What do people in the Underground World usually eat then?" the girl continued to inquire.

"They eat trash," Qiao Long answered.

Payin City is an industrial city, with quite a few food production factories. Among them, a lot of substandard products and wasted raw materials are left over from the production of T5/T6 grade food. Although normal people wouldn't want this trash, it is vital for sustaining the Underground World.

Every year, there's fierce fighting and killing among the gangs to claim these 'scraps.' A large number of deaths amongst normal Federation residents would attract the attention of the management AI, but life in the Underworld is worthless—three servings of a T6 standard meal could make a street thug kill for you.

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"Do the government and police know about this?"

"They definitely know, but perhaps they don't understand in detail," Qiao Long shook his head slightly.

"As long as we maintain a certain level of compliance and order, not disturbing the lives of residents above the 70th floor, they are too lazy to bother with us sewer rats."

"Sometimes we even help the police handle some inconvenient matters, such as finding people or lost items, or putting pressure on certain companies or businesses."

"Some companies have formidable legal teams and will, within 'reasonable' bounds, seek massive profits for themselves, then withdraw and leave the remaining problems to the government. When it is inconvenient for the government or police to act, they need us."

"Sigh..."

The girl sighed softly, not wishing to comment on such a grim and real world.

"Let's talk about tonight's situation instead," she then asked about the specifics of tonight's affairs.

"All right, the incident tonight mainly relates to the sealed-off D390 industrial area, where there's a milk factory—one that we often receive 'trash' from..." Qiao Long began to explain the chaos that started from the milk factory and then spread.

...

"So, you mean, those who drank their milk all underwent a mutation tonight?" the girl sorted out her thoughts.

"That's right, as the milk was either about to expire or had already expired, it couldn't be kept longer. After being shipped to the Underground World, it would be quickly used up," he replied.

"Didn't you check it? Oh, I misspoke," the girl shook her head. Struggling to survive on trash and expired food, how could one even consider checking for taste and safety?

"We didn't check, because it was always like this in the past," Qiao Long answered and continued.

"At first, when people drank it, someone said they felt full of strength, a strange sense of excitement, and then many others responded saying they felt the same, so even more people tried it."

"Everyone thought that today they had encountered a batch of superior substandard goods, the ones eliminated from the T4 grade food production. T4 grade food has some Transcendent effects. Even if expired or damaged, it would still produce such effects. Feeling strong was quite normal," he explained.

"Like that, amid the scramble, the situation gradually changed. Some people's moods became increasingly agitated, fights broke out, the impact widened, until eventually, it became unmanageable. Those who had drunk the milk also became like madmen, turning into uncontrolled entities..."

"That's all the information I know. I hope it can be of some help to you, Miss," he finished.

"Uh, you don't really have to call me 'Miss'."

Hexia suddenly realized that Qiao Long's address was incorrect; it was the umpteenth time he had referred to her that way tonight, but she had been too deep in thought earlier to notice.

"I'm just a normal student, and you probably know about my family's circumstances," Hexia denied.

"It's not related to family wealth. You were willing to risk coming to the Underground World to save my companion. Out of respect and gratitude for your character, I willingly call you 'Miss,'" he clarified.

"I'm very sorry about the previous incident; it was my mistake. I'm willing to accept any punishment you have for me, and if you need my assistance, you can use me as you see fit," he added.

"To 'use' is too demeaning," the girl shook her head.

"But perhaps, indeed, there are some things I need your help with investigating..." she remembered her father, who had been missing for nearly a year.

She didn't know what had happened to him, why he had suddenly left their home.

The secrets hidden in the past awaited her to unveil step by step.