Cocolia Panicked!
Jiang Mo was twelve years old.
As the true power behind Wildfire, he naturally held the authority to distribute supplies in the Underworld.
The food, medicine, and clothing gathered through various channels all went wherever he decided.
His shelter was no longer a crude shack pieced together from broken wooden boards.
Now, it was a sturdy little house. Though not large, it was a rare luxury in the Underworld.
Seele still lived there.
She felt very safe in that little house.
She had asked Jiang Mo where the materials used to build the house had come from.
Jiang Mo merely said casually that they had been sponsored by the kind snack-stall owner.
"He seemed to think I was his dead son."
That was what he told Seele.
Seele accepted the explanation.
Jiang Mo really was close to that vendor. Recently, the Underworld had improved under Wildfire's governance, and the vendor's business had been booming.
Every day, Jiang Mo brought back a huge pile of delicious food from his stall, and the vendor never said anything about it.
Seele thought that was probably what a good person was like.
Jiang Mo was thirteen years old.
He watched Wildfire grow stronger by the day, its resources and weapons already quite abundant.
He knew the time had come.
He made a bold decision—cut off the supply of minerals, Marrowstone, to the Upper District.
He conveyed the order to Natasha.
When Natasha received the order, she froze completely.
Cut off the mineral supply?
The connection between the Underworld and the Upper District was almost entirely maintained by that single transport route.
The Underworld supplied minerals, while the Upper District transported supplies down.
Ever since the Silvermane Guards had withdrawn, this fragile balance had lasted for years. It was an important source of survival for the Underworld.
But Jiang Mo wanted to cut it off just like that?
What did this mean? What exactly was he trying to do?!
Natasha felt dizzy.
"Why? Do you know what this means? It's one of our major sources of supplies!"
Jiang Mo's expression remained unchanged.
"Do you want to see your brother again?"
Natasha's heart suddenly clenched.
She hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "...Yes."
"Then do as I say." Jiang Mo's voice was flat. "Don't question it."
Natasha fell silent.
The events of the past few years flashed through her mind.
Every one of Jiang Mo's orders had seemed surprising at first, but the results had always made the Underworld better.
Wildfire's reputation had risen steadily, and Boulder Town had gradually become stable.
She calmed down and began carefully considering Jiang Mo's objective.
Cutting off the minerals... Was he trying to challenge the Upper District?
What did he want to win from them?
Fine.
She took a deep breath.
For her brother's sake, she decided to trust this child once again.
Natasha conveyed Jiang Mo's order to Oleg.
She had already prepared her reasoning, framing the decision to cut off mineral supplies as "retaliation against the Upper District's long-term exploitation" and "a demand for the Upper District to provide more supplies," among other things.
She had thought Oleg would strongly oppose and reject such a dangerous proposal.
After all, Oleg had always been known for his steadiness, and he understood the importance of the mineral route connecting them to the Upper District.
Yet, to her surprise, Oleg did not object after hearing her proposal.
Instead, a trace of determination appeared on his weathered face.
"Natasha, you're right."
Oleg slammed his hand down on the table.
"It really is time we had a talk with those people in the Upper District!"
He recalled how the Upper District had ignored the Underworld over the years, turning a blind eye to the chaos caused after withdrawing the Guards.
How many sacrifices had Wildfire made to achieve the stability they had now?
Now, they controlled the Underworld's only resource—and one the Upper District desperately needed: Marrowstone.
It was time to make those high-and-mighty people face the Underworld's existence and demands.
The decision sparked some discussion within Wildfire, but Oleg's prestige, along with their hatred for the Upper District, brought everyone to an agreement.
The plan was put into action.
Wildfire severed the mineral transport route, and the supply stopped.
Not long after that.
The Upper District, the heart of Belobog and a symbol of prosperity.
Yet lately, something about the atmosphere had felt off.
The energy supply that kept the city running was dwindling at a rapid rate.
Marrowstone was the only energy lifeline of this frozen planet, and nearly all of it came from the forgotten Underworld.
When the mineral transport route from the Underworld came to a complete halt, tension in the Upper District reached its peak.
Industrial production slowed, power restrictions began in some areas, and even the Silvermane Guards' weapon manufacturing was affected.
The Great Guardian Cocolia's expression changed, and she flew into a rage!
Those people she had abandoned in the icy abyss actually dared provoke the Upper District in this way!
Fighting the Silvermane Guards, the Advantage Was Mine
That lofty Great Guardian could no longer ignore the Underworld's situation and had no choice but to send someone down.
In truth, the Upper District had not been completely unaware of what was happening in the Underworld.
They naturally knew of Wildfire's rise, but as long as it did not affect the Upper District's stability, they preferred to let the Underworld fend for itself.
However, Wildfire's actions this time had touched the Upper District's core interests—energy.
Very soon, an envoy bearing the Great Guardian's will was sent to the Underworld.
He was a high-ranking officer of the Silvermane Guards. Carrying the Upper District's particular arrogance and disdain, he stepped into the Underworld.
The envoy met Oleg in the conference room at Wildfire's headquarters in Boulder Town.
The room was plain and shabby, a stark contrast to the splendor of the Upper District.
Oleg sat at the head of the table. His white hair looked somewhat aged beneath the weak lighting, but his gaze was incomparably sharp.
The envoy got straight to the point, his tone condescending.
"Oleg, immediately restore the mineral supply. The Great Guardian is extremely dissatisfied with your foolish actions. The Upper District will consider your demands, but only after normal order has been restored in the mining area."
Oleg was not overwhelmed by the envoy's imposing manner. He met the man's eyes and answered steadily.
"Order? The moment you withdrew the Guards and abandoned the Underworld, order ceased to exist. Now, order has been established by Wildfire."
"As for that Marrowstone..."
Oleg paused before continuing. "The people of the Underworld mined it with their blood and sweat. We have the right to decide where it goes."
Then, he presented his conditions.
Wildfire would continue governing the Underworld, and the Upper District would not need to send Guards down.
The Upper District had to provide the Underworld with twice as many supplies as before.
The most important condition was this: a small number of Underworld residents had to be permitted to enter the Upper District under certain conditions.
Upon hearing those demands, the envoy looked as though he had heard the greatest joke in the world.
"More supplies? Allowing lowborn vermin into the Upper District? Have you lost your minds?"
He abruptly rose to his feet. "Oleg, your demands are utterly absurd! The Great Guardian will never agree to such unreasonable nonsense! If you refuse to know what's good for you, the Upper District has plenty of ways to make you submit!"
Without another word, he turned and hurried out of the conference room.
After the man left, Oleg's face showed little expression.
Natasha seemed to have anticipated the envoy's reaction long ago and merely told Oleg not to reveal anything.
The envoy returned to the Upper District and reported the outcome of the negotiations to the Great Guardian.
Cocolia was enraged. She could not tolerate the Underworld daring to make such demands!
She decided to take harsher measures!
Soon afterward, she sent the same envoy once more.
The second negotiation was still held in the conference room at Wildfire's headquarters.
The moment the envoy entered, he brought an oppressive air with him.
He did not sit down. Instead, he stood before the conference table and looked down at Oleg.
"Oleg!" The envoy's attitude was even more overbearing than before. "The Great Guardian has spoken! Not one word of your demands will be accepted!"
He slammed his palm against the table. With a bang, even the teacups on the table jumped.
"You have three days! Restore mineral transport immediately!"
"If the mine route has not resumed operations after three days, the Silvermane Guards will reenter the Underworld and forcibly take control of the mining area!"
"This is your final ultimatum! Don't think that having gained a little influence means Wildfire can oppose the Upper District! You cannot bear the consequences!"
He gave Oleg no opportunity to respond. The moment he finished speaking, he turned and strode away, arriving quickly and leaving even faster.
After the envoy left, the calm on Oleg's face instantly collapsed.
He had never imagined that the Upper District would be so unyielding, even threatening to deploy the Silvermane Guards!
Wildfire might have grown powerful, but compared to the well-equipped and rigorously trained Silvermane Guards, there was still an enormous gap.
Oleg immediately rose and hurried toward Natasha's clinic.
"Natasha!" Oleg pushed open the clinic door. "Something's wrong! This is completely wrong!"
Natasha was bandaging a patient's wound. Hearing Oleg's voice, she looked up.
"What is it? Did the envoy come again?"
Having just finished the bandaging, she had the patient leave first before walking over to Oleg and asking him to explain.
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