Skill Creation in the Fantasy World

Chapter 54: The Underworld.

Felix could swear that he had never seen such a deserted place before.

On all sides, the buildings appeared weathered and decrepit, their walls marred by time and neglect, while a motley crew of rats and other creatures skittered about.

Sunlight struggled to pierce through the narrow alley, rendering it a forsaken place that hardly seemed fit for human presence.

A slight hot wind blew away picking up sand and dust in the area, with absolutely no human in sight.

Glancing around the place, Felix scratched his head and questioned the only person that was present there.

"Umm Steve, did you really not forget the way?"

The boy only smirked and walked ahead toward a sewer manhole that was laid just in front of them.

He bent down and rotated the manhole cover in a specific manner, then a 'pop' like sound came from it before he pulled out the cover and kept it to the side.

Turning around, he pointed to the hole that revealed itself and grinned at the confused boy.

"Look! We can enter the underworld from here."

Felix nodded awkwardly as he thought they were literally going into the underworld right now.

"Come on, follow me", he said and went into the hole by holding and climbing down on the steel bars on the side of the manhole.

Staring at the dark hole, Felix took a deep breath and slowly stepped down following Steve.

"Also, be sure to close the cover after you get in.", his voice came from below.

Felix reached out and firmly gripped the cover, sliding it above him and sealing the entrance once his entire body was safely inside.

Although their vision turned dark, it didn't stop them from climbing down the steel bars.

"Cling~ Cling~"

Steve descended to the ground level, and Felix followed suit, finding themselves in a long and narrow corridor.

They walked ahead for a few minutes before a door appeared in front of them.

Steve pushed the door open, leading Felix into a square-shaped and closely sealed room where they were greeted by the sight of two men in brown robes seated around a table.

"Stop right there!"

One of them stood up and strode forward with a guarded expression on his face.

"What do you think about art in the form of blood?"

Felix got confused, meanwhile, Steve flashed a knowing smile at his question and winked before answering.

"It makes me want to choke you to death."

The man nodded and relaxed before going back to his seat and signaling to his partner.

Nodding, the other man stood up, walked toward one of the walls, and whispered a chant at it.

Suddenly, the wall on the opposite side of the door from where they had entered started to glow slightly. The red-bricked walls started to morph and change before taking the form of another door.

The man gripped the door's handle and swung it open with a grand gesture, inviting them inside.

"Welcome to the Underworld; we trust you'll have an unforgettable stay," he said with a sinister grin, gesturing for them to step forward.

Steve grinned and elbowed Felix.

"Having second thoughts, are you?" he inquired, a mischievous tone to his voice.

Felix drew a deep breath, dispelling his nervousness, and confidently shook his head.

"No. I'm alright."

"Then let's go.", he replied and boldly strode forward into the door.

Felix glanced around at the room one last time before he chased after him and walked past the door.

Once they were both inside, the man closed the door behind them and began to chant incantations once more.

The door began to morph and shift until it seamlessly blended back into the red-bricked walls as if the door had never existed in the first place.

*****

Felix and Steve found themselves in a wide hallway with many doors like the one they just come from.

Occasionally, the doors would swing open, allowing other people to enter the space. These people moved in silently, treading softly as they continued on their way.

"We've finally made it into the underworld. This location serves as the main entry and exit point, connecting to the numerous doors leading to the network of sewers that converge here."

He gestured towards the surroundings, then continued to stride forward, following the flow of people who were gradually dispersing from the area.

As they exited the wide hallway, they found themselves in a vast, dimly lit area buzzing with chatter. The ceiling soared high, about 10 meters up, and there were some cool artifacts hanging up there, providing bits of light. The whole place had this mysterious, dark vibe going on.

"And this....is the black market..."

Felix widened his eyes at the strange scene and wondered.

'Wow...so this is how the black market looks...'

The place had vendors, cloaked in shadow, peddling their wares with hushed voices and discreet gestures. Stalls and more stalls of rare and illicit merchandise stretch into obscurity.

Colorful and mysterious trinkets hang from makeshift canopies, casting eerie, dancing shadows on the cobblestone pathways. Mysterious potions simmer in ornate vials, each promising unattainable powers.

Haggling customers and elusive patrons negotiate beneath hooded cloaks and behind masks, their identities shielded by the shroud of secrecy.

In this thriving den of iniquity, anything can be bought or sold—forgotten artifacts, cursed relics, forbidden scrolls, and even secrets that could topple kingdoms.

Felis looked around in awe as he could not see an end to the market as many people walked about.

Remembering something, Steve pulled him to a short distance and stopped in front of a quirky stall with many strange objects on display.

"Felix, we should buy some masks to hide our identities for safety purposes.", he said in a serious voice.

Felix liked that idea and nodded before looking around the stall for some masks. The stall had an old and ugly man who was reading through some notes without glancing at his customers.

There was no need to be scared of someone robbing the shops as the rules of the underworld were very strict making anyone hardly escape from there after stealing.

Both boys cast curious glances around the assortment of objects, their eyes drawn to an array of masks. After a moment of contemplation, each of them made their selection, choosing a mask of their liking.

Steve had chosen a full-face green mask with two small horns atop it to go well with his same-colored hair. On the other hand, Felix pondered a lot and chose a black mask with red designs, that covered the upper part of his face including his hair.

There was no need to mention that his silver hair was already striking in attention, so he had chosen a mask to hide it as anyone could easily tell it was him from his hair alone.

They paid for their purchase which wasn't much and walked into the crowd looking around at the various stalls and people.

"Should we look around more in the black market or head straight to the arena?", Steve asked as they were just looking at all the items around them and wasting their time.

Felix glanced around at the amazing and strange pieces of stuff being sold at the stall and thought for a second before agreeing.

"We should head to the arena. While these items are cool, my wallet's feeling a bit light," he said with an empty tone, observing the generally high prices and unusual nature of the merchandise on display.

Nodding at him, Steve walked ahead and turned toward a different path where numerous people were going. Felix followed him not losing his way in the crowd and walked for a few minutes before stopping.

A strange and massive entrance could be seen at the end of the path where everyone was entering with bated breaths.

Up above the entrance, bold and menacing letters spelled out "ARENA," exuding an aura of bloodthirstiness and cruelty that sent shivers down the spines of those who gazed upon them.

Steve turned towards him, his usual lighthearted behavior replaced by an uncharacteristic seriousness.

"Remember Felix, after entering make sure to not get into fights with anybody unless you're in the arena. Because most of the people who come here are wicked and cruel who may not even care about the rules and attack if they get angry."

Felix thought of what he said and glanced around. There were many figures wearing masks and hoods compared to others who were showing their faces.

And even among the people who were showing faces, some of their faces looked strange with additional objects and makeup to conceal their identities.

Everyone including them had dark colored clothes and moved silently without causing any trouble but their eyes revealed slight caution and alertness as they kept a distance from the surroundings.

Seeing the boy nod getting the gist of the situation, Steve did not delay any longer and pulled him slowly into the giant entrance of the arena where they were going to take part in the underworld duels.

As they crossed into the entrance, the thunderous roar of cheers assaulted their ears, causing their hearts to race in response.

The pungent odor of blood permeated the air, creating an atmosphere so oppressive that it threatened to overwhelm the faint-hearted.

Felix drew in a deep breath, his gaze fixated on the crazy spectacle before him.

"Holy fuc*! I'm going to fight there?!!"