Cocolia, tensions on the brink

Cocolia walked alone onto the large elevator that led to Belobog's Underworld.

The metal gate closed behind her with a scraping sound.

A damp, rusty air of decay and daily life washed over her.

At the sight before her, the Supreme Guardian's heart sank.

Dilapidated shacks huddled against the cold rock walls, and sewage ran across the floors of the narrow passageways.

Some of the residents had numbness and exhaustion in their eyes.

This was too draining.

It wore down a person's spirit.

To her surprise, Cocolia noticed that the people here wore relatively new clothes.

The styles were somewhat strange.

They didn't look like they had been made in Belobog.

Cocolia soon realized that the clothes were aid supplies provided by Lin Hai.

Cocolia's appearance was like cold water dripping into a pot of boiling oil, instantly igniting long-suppressed anger.

People gathered from every direction, taking a tremendous risk as they closed tightly around the ruler of the Upper District.

Shouts and angry accusations rose one after another:

"Get out of here! Get out! Get out!!"

"You're not welcome here! You're not one of us! Leave!"

"Why would a noble from the Upper District deign to visit a filthy place like ours?!"

Cocolia frowned deeply, feeling immense pressure from the people's fierce reaction.

Just then, the cold, eerie whisper that only she could hear sounded directly in her ear once more:

"Do you see? This is the... poisonous fruit, the poison... born from the soil of despair."

"Their very existence is the greatest threat and source of instability to Belobog."

"Eliminate them... Return everything to Order, to the way it was!"

"Build a true new world!"

"Do it!"

"Do it!"

The Stellaron's seduction burrowed into Cocolia's mind, trying to ignite the obsession and desire for destruction in her heart.

Cocolia's frown deepened, and her knuckles turned white from the force of her grip.

She took a deep breath and, drawing on the willpower she had left, struggled to suppress the impulse that had nearly spiraled out of control.

Ignoring the voice in her ear, she raised her own, instantly drowning out the surrounding clamor.

"I want to see Lin Hai!"

The name was like a fire thrown onto dry kindling, igniting even greater anger and protectiveness in the crowd.

"Don't even think about hurting Mr. Lin Hai!"

"That's right! We'll protect him with our lives! Don't even think about hurting him!"

"Get out of here! You're not welcome..."

In the simple understanding of the Underworld's people, Lin Hai, who had brought them food, medicine, and hope, was unquestionably a good person.

Cocolia, who had brought the lockdown and suffering, was the bad person on the opposing side.

More and more people gathered, growing increasingly agitated. The tense situation was ready to explode, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.

The roar of an engine approached from a distance.

An SUV utterly out of place in the Underworld drove through the crowd and came to a steady stop.

Lin Hai pushed open the driver's door and stepped out. His appearance immediately quieted the agitated crowd a little, and everyone's eyes focused on him.

He looked calmly at Cocolia, surrounded in the middle of the crowd, and said, "If you want to talk, get in."

Cocolia didn't hesitate for a moment. "No problem," she replied curtly.

Then, under the crowd's complex gazes, she opened the rear door and climbed in.

The vehicle drove slowly away from the angry crowd, its interior a space cut off from the outside world.

Sparkle and Seele had already put on their shoes and were silently looking ahead.

Cocolia's gaze swept over the vehicle's high-tech interior.

It was exceptionally refined.

Exceptionally exquisite.

It was almost a work of art, something that would have required vast amounts of labor, materials, and effort.

Belobog could never have had the capability or time to manufacture this.

The style was far too different!

She was certain that a vast power had to be hidden behind Lin Hai.

Cocolia looked at Lin Hai and asked, "Where exactly did you come from? What is your purpose in doing all this?"

With his hands on the steering wheel and his eyes on the winding mine tunnel ahead, Lin Hai replied calmly, "I just want to change things here, where people don't know if they'll survive from one day to the next. I want everyone living here to have a good life with hope for the future."

"Then..." Cocolia pressed, "what price do we have to pay for that?"

A faint, helpless smile appeared on Lin Hai's face.

He understood Cocolia's suspicion.

As he saw it, Belobog's bleak situation made it hard for the city to give him anything in return directly.

After a brief silence, he made up a reason.

"If I have to give a reason... I suppose I want to win Bronya and Seele's hearts."

The unexpected answer plunged the car into silence.

Seele turned sharply to look at Lin Hai, an irrepressible flash of delight in her eyes.

She quickly lowered her head and pretended to be calm, but the slight redness at the tips of her ears quietly betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

Cocolia fell silent for a long time, studying Lin Hai as though she could see through his outward appearance to his true intentions.

She rapidly thought over what Lin Hai had just said.

How much credence could she give his explanation that he wanted to win their hearts?

Could it be true?

Cocolia suppressed the thought as soon as it appeared.

It was probably a lie!

As a ruler, she knew the rules of exchanging benefits all too well.

Perhaps it wasn't entirely a lie, but more of a half-truth.

After all, the spies Cocolia had planted had indeed reported back.

Lin Hai and Bronya interacted quite intimately, and their feelings seemed to be growing.

That made it impossible for Cocolia to rule out the emotional motive that might lie in Lin Hai's words.

"That may be what you personally think," Cocolia finally said. "But what about the power behind you... what do they think? Are your actions truly free from any constraints?"

"When it comes to matters concerning Belobog, I have full authority to make decisions."

Lin Hai's answer was direct.

"Full authority? Can you really represent the power behind you and make decisions without interference?"

"I'm not surprised you have doubts about that."

"Yes," Cocolia admitted. "I can't believe that aid on such a vast scale comes without a deeper price, nor can I believe that someone who can mobilize such resources has completely independent decision-making authority!"

"In that case," Lin Hai said, meeting her scrutinizing gaze steadily, "I'll dispel your doubts through my actions."

"What do you intend to do?"

"Tomorrow..." Lin Hai pointed upward. "You only need to wait outside Kliperburg, and you'll see my sincerity and ability for yourself."

"All right. I'll be there on time."

By the time the conversation reached this point, the vehicle had slowly returned to the vicinity of the elevator.

Cocolia pushed the door open and got out. Before leaving, she took one last look back at the brand-new vehicle.

Then she turned and entered the elevator, her figure disappearing behind the closing metal doors.

Lin Hai closed the car window, shutting out the noise outside.

A subtle silence settled over the car.

"Hmph!" Sparkle was the first to break the silence, her displeasure evident. "You've done so much for her and for Belobog, yet this Supreme Guardian isn't grateful at all. Instead, she interrogates and doubts you. How... insolent!"

Beside her, Seele's gaze turned icy. She clenched her hand into a fist and said decisively, "I say we should just rebel! The people of the Underworld will definitely support us!"

Lin Hai's gaze passed over his two companions. There was no impulsiveness on his face, only absolute calm.

"We'll most likely have to rebel," he stated calmly. "But we can't fight an unprepared battle. We have to start making thorough preparations for battle now!"

Lin Hai was not naive.

Once they decided to act, their objective had to be clear.

They had to eliminate the central threat that was Cocolia completely, without giving her any chance to catch her breath or strike back!

A flash of excitement appeared in Sparkle's eyes. "If nothing else works, I can personally step in when the time comes... I guarantee it'll be quick and clean."

But Lin Hai shook his head. "If we act, we have to resolve it completely. We can't accept even the slightest mishap. I've already decided to ask The Herta to help us when the time comes! With her taking action, we can reduce the risk to a minimum."

Hearing The Herta's name, Sparkle nodded as well. "If it's her... then nothing can possibly go wrong."