"Put away that pitying look. It's disgusting. Thanks to the Queen's generosity, we have a place to survive. If we were on the surface, we'd already be among those monsters." Lisa spoke coldly, her face like ice.
"Let's go down. There are climbing ropes near the platform. We'll descend first." Lisa instructed the others.
Each person grabbed a rope secured to the protrusions near the platform and swiftly slid down.
"Let's move." Rosen jumped directly down. As he neared the ground, he used a Moon Step to cushion his landing.
The place they landed was near one of the city gates. Numerous barricades had been set up—some made of wood and metal, others constructed from sharp bones.
Behind these barricades stood many patrol guards, along with a few lost zombies collapsed in front of the barriers. As soon as Rosen landed, a group of people surrounded him.
"Relax. We've reached a temporary agreement with them. They won't stay long and will leave soon." Lisa spoke at the right moment.
"But they are outsiders. If the Queen finds out, it could be a big problem." The man leading the patrol frowned. He looked slightly different from a normal human, his exposed arms covered in a layer of bony armor.
"The Queen will understand," Lisa said, leaving it at that. Some things were best left ambiguous.
"Let's hope so. You all aren't allowed to linger for too long." The patrol leader stared at Rosen and his companion, his expression grim.
"Did you find any food?" he then asked Lisa in a low voice
Hearing this, her face darkened with disappointment as she shook her head. "The demon lands are getting more chaotic. We lost several comrades but still couldn't get close. All we could do was hand over the minerals and see if we could trade with the Queen for food."
"Food is scarce, and productivity is dropping. This month's mineral yield is low. Even if we manage to exchange for food, it might not be enough..." The middle-aged man trailed off, but Lisa understood his meaning all too well.
If these monster uprisings continued, starvation would soon hit the city, dragging them back to the darkest days of five years ago.
"I'll organize a few more teams to enter the demon lands tomorrow morning." Lisa's eyes were resolute, though a hint of sorrow lay beneath.
The larger the group, the greater the casualties.
"Take me with you tomorrow." The middle-aged man said in a deep voice.
"Be ready." Lisa did not refuse.
She then led Rosen and the others into the city. Upon first glance, Rosen noticed that the population wasn't particularly large—only around three to four thousand people—but there were many armed individuals.
It seemed that nearly everyone was a soldier. The city's buildings were crude, barely serving as shelter. However, near the center stood rows of metal structures. Lisa led Rosen and his group into one of them.
The walls were solid metal, and the room itself was small, containing only a bed, a table, and a few chairs—nothing more.
"Sister Lisa will be here later. She went to report to the city lord. Please have some water." Natalie carried an old tray with two cups of clear water on it.
"This isn't a prison, is it?" Pittas questioned. The buildings here were completely different from the crude structures they had seen near the city walls.
"Of course not! This is a safe house. Sister Lisa said it was left behind by outsiders who used to dig here. Uncle, what was that ability you used earlier? Was it a Devil Fruit power? I've always wanted to eat one of those! They say if you eat one, you become super strong—like Sister Lisa!"
Natalie, a lively girl, seemed like a chatterbox and was surprisingly friendly. Now that she had confirmed they weren't enemies, her wariness faded, and she spoke non-stop.
Rosen didn't mind. In her rambling, she revealed quite a bit of useful information.
For instance, the underground city's highest point was located near an extinct volcano. They had tunnels leading to it, allowing light and air to filter in.
He also learned that the people living here were divided into two groups—normal humans and mutated humans.
As for why some had mutated, Natalie explained that some infected individuals had a chance of not turning into monsters, but they would still undergo unique changes.
In a simple wooden house, Lisa reported the situation on the surface to an elderly man.
"City Lord, the Marines have begun a large-scale landing on Lantis Island, causing the undead monsters to become more active. Many Marines have died in the demon lands. The entire island is in chaos, making it difficult to reach the demon lands' inner regions to gather food."
"The Marines have come ashore again? Have we organized forces to assist the Queen?" Though old, Hodman's voice carried a chilling, murderous intent.
"Alice led the [Blade Vanguard] to support the Ninth Garden. It shouldn't take long to drive them off Lantis Island," Lisa nodded.
"Good. But our priority remains food. The Queen's suppliers seem to have encountered issues. Their food transport ships were attacked at sea, meaning we may not receive our share in time. We must find a way to seize as much food as possible from the demon lands ourselves." Hodman sighed.
Since the catastrophe five years ago, only one place on the island still had natural growth and living animals. But that place was dominated by mutated plants—venturing in meant almost certain death.
Unfortunately, they had no other choice.
"City Lord, I have a few outsiders with me. Maybe we can try trading with them." Lisa hesitated before speaking.
"Outsiders?! Why weren't they killed on sight? Why did you bring them here?" Hodman's face darkened.
"He saved my life. Also, during our fight, he took no hostages. I don't believe he poses a high threat. I think we need to start finding solutions on our own instead of relying on the Queen. The demon lands are becoming more dangerous…"
"Lisa, it's not that I doubt your judgment—you are the warrior chief of Bright City. But we cannot trust outsiders. Never forget why our home became like this." Hodman's expression finally softened slightly.
"I will never forget. I don't fully trust them either, but if there's a chance for trade, we should at least try." Lisa insisted.
"Be cautious. If they become a threat, let the warrior clan handle them—eliminate them completely." Hodman's tone was ruthless.
"Understood."
Suddenly, a furious voice roared outside Rosen's room.
"Outsiders! Come out and face me! I, Bronc, will take your heads!"
Through the doorway, they saw a towering man covered in green spots, wielding two iron hammers. His green-tinged face twisted with menace as he scanned the area.
(End of Chapter)
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