Endless Debt

In the dark vertical passage, Boluogo felt the breeze. The wind carried the pungent smoke and the faint smell of engine oil. The faint sound of mechanical operation and metal roaring collisions could also be heard.

"You should realize, right? There is much more to the Hidden Land than what you see from the ground."

Yolanda led the way. She was very familiar with this area and could accurately distinguish the road in the darkness even without any lighting.

"Um."

Boluogo nodded, and then expressed his conjecture, "According to the pyramid structure, since there are so many sublimation people here, correspondingly, the number of disabled people should be dozens of times as many as them, but there is no such thing as the wasteland city." It’s not that big, and there aren’t as many disabled people as I expected.”

The dark vision gradually became brighter, and Boluogo walked out of the dark passage and stood on a high-hanging aerial corridor.

"There must be a place in the Hidden Land that I cannot see, and all the disabled people live there," Bologg looked down at the scene that was gradually getting brighter below, and he murmured, "You are all here."

At the end of the dense darkness, the huge underground world came into Bolog's eyes, and air currents carrying rust and residual heat from fireworks came towards him, like the deep breath bursting from the crater of a volcano.

The dark dome is covered with giant lighting lamps. They are like artificial stars, casting rays of light downwards, and what is illuminated below is a huge pit that is constantly collapsing and sinking inwards.

Giant pillars extended from the dark dome and inserted into the deep pit. This was not some strange creation. At the first sight, Boluogo recognized that these were tall pillars on the surface of the earth. The foundations of the tower, they penetrate the ground and insert themselves into this underground world.

Among the giant pillars standing in the forest, the strongest and most magnificent pillar occupies the center of the sunken pit, and that is the foundation and extension of the Holy Hub.

"I said that when I just destroyed the tower, it always felt so difficult. It turns out that what I saw was only part of it."

As he spoke, Boluogo followed himself and looked at the battle zone. In the corner of the dark dome, Boluogo saw a corner of the darkness cracked, and the sunlight on the surface fell unimpeded.

"Where is this?"

Palmer couldn't help but ask. In addition to these giant pillars, there are many factories between the giant pillars. To be precise, the entire underground world is a huge factory, with countless air corridors, pipes, and cables. Like a spider web, it was covered heavily.

"The bottom of the forging pit."

Yolanda explained to the two of them, "You can think of this as the Logistics Department of the Bureau of Order."

Walking down the wide passage, you will see groups of huge machines working tirelessly. These machines are composed of various complex pipes, wires and lights, like neurons in a huge sophisticated brain, interconnected and coordinated with each other.

"There are abundant mineral resources in the underground of the Hidden Land. We hollowed out the place. While obtaining the resources, we also made the bottom of the pit bigger and bigger. In order to facilitate control, we simply built the factory directly here, working day and night. for processing.”

Yolanda looked at the lights below, telling the story of the place like a tour guide.

First, a huge underground cavity was dug out, and then it continued to extend downward until the bottom of this huge underground pit was created. This looks like the great rift in Oath City Opos, except that the great rift was created by the battle of the Fall of the Holy City.

"The sublimation masters also spent a long time distorting the geology here little by little, leading several underground water veins here, so that this place has the same sufficient water resources."

Looking up and looking carefully, the dark dome is actually covered with various pipes, and the sound of rushing water can be heard from inside, providing water for the tall tower buildings on the surface.

After trying hard to listen, Boluoge also heard the patter of rain. It was not rain, but the infusion pipe that was twisted and broken after Boluogo destroyed the terrain.

A large amount of water gushes out from the pipes, some of which are pure water sources, some of which are industrial wastewater, or domestic sewage. They are mixed together and pour over the underground world, forming a regional rain curtain, emerging from the darkness, and then Disappear into darkness.

"That's also the core of the underground world." Yolanda pointed to the giant pillar in the center, which is the foundation of the Holy Hub.

"It seems that we can sneak in from there." Bologg asked again, "Is this also where you disabled people really live?"

Yolanda was silent for a while, then broke the silence with a long sigh.

"The Incomplete One is a failure in the Holy Trial. However, although we cannot implant the alchemical matrix, we still have a certain amount of ether perception. For this reason, we can operate equipment that requires ether to debug."

Boluogo whispered, "This is a factory that maintains the prosperity of the Hidden Land, and all the disabled people are workers living in the darkness."

During the conversation, the three of them took a few more steps forward. Boluogo saw the dots of light rising from the darkness below, as well as the sound of metal and rock clashing in the darkness.

Boluogo couldn't see it, but he knew that there were several miners working hard with their pickaxes to break the thick rocks.

"You are right," Yolanda admitted helplessly, "This is the meaning of the existence of the disabled in the hidden land, and the bottom of the forging pit is our true home."

"As for the wasteland city area, you can think of it as the upper city area. Only many wealthy disabled people can have a place there, and it is also the only place where the disabled can relax and have fun."

Yolanda continued, "There is a shift system here, and most workers only have the opportunity to go to the surface for a few days every other month. But even then, the surface is not the real surface."

Borogo thought of the cliffs that surrounded the Hidden Lands, their huge umbrella-shaped towers blocking the sky.

"Besides, even so, many workers will not be able to grab the opportunity. They may have to wait months or years before they return to the surface."

As Yolanda told, Bologo gradually saw the whole bottom of the forging pit.

Factories are stacked together like dominoes. From mining to ironmaking, from casting to finished products, every link is interlocked, like a giant dragon meandering.

Large underground excavators work on the ore veins to excavate the iron ore and send it to the refining area through a conveyor belt. During the refining process, the iron ore is roughed into pig iron and then sent to the casting area.

The casting area is the most critical part of the assembly line operation. The pig iron is heated and melted in a large smelting furnace, and then poured into molds to form steel products of various shapes.

The entire assembly line looks like a constantly running river, never stopping, with smooth connections between various links. And there are many such rivers at the bottom of the forging pit. They are densely packed, and they seem to extend above the Holy Hub. The rhizome comes out.

"Most of the workers live there. The edge surrounding the bottom of the forging pit corresponds to the wasteland city on the surface."

Yolanda pointed to the edge of the darkness again, and could vaguely see many low houses, with weak lights hanging on the narrow paths.

Palmer said quietly, "Compared to workers, you are more like a group of slaves."

"Absolutely... I have read many books. Although I have never left the hidden land in this life, I also have a certain understanding of the outside world." Yolanda smiled and said despairing words, "In my opinion , the whole world is a factory, and most people are slaves. As for the hidden land where I live, it is more like a miniature version of the human world, highlighting everything more sharply."

Palmer wanted to say something else, but Yolanda raised her hand to stop him, "Don't say anything to resist. The disabled person has no room for counterattack against the condensed person."

She murmured, "My parents died in a riot. They robbed the armory, thinking that they could control those deadly alchemical weapons with their incomplete etheric induction. However, the Council of Sages only sent one Those in power easily suppressed the riots.”

Yolanda did not tell the ending of the rioters, but based on Bologo's understanding of the concept of the supremacy of the Sublime Ones, death may actually be a slightly better ending for those people.

The team fell silent again, advancing slowly in the silent darkness.

Borlogo also saw many huge boreholes drilling deep into the earth's crust, creating a spectacular underground world backed by rich mineral deposits and busy transportation networks.

After gradually approaching the core area, even on the high-altitude air corridor, Boluogo was still surrounded by the atmosphere of heat waves and flying iron filings. The air was filled with the smell of moist earth and burning steel, and his ears were filled with The roar of machines, the roar of flames and the shouts of workers.

The first thing that comes into view are the tall smelting furnaces. They are like giant beasts in hell, devouring the lives around them. The molten iron in the smelting furnace is melted into liquid at high temperatures, and then poured into molds to form steel products of various shapes.

Countless figures rose and fell in the firelight.

"Bologo, stop for a moment."

Olivia's voice lingered in his ears. Without much hesitation, Bologna stopped where he was. Palmer, who had been following Bologg closely, bumped into Bologg's back. He looked confused, as did Yolanda and Yannis who turned back in front of them.

"What's wrong?" Yolanda asked.

Yannis remained silent. He silently took out his gun and looked warily at the darkness around him.

Bologg stood there, with the creeping shadow clinging to his back. Bologg felt that someone was scratching his spine with the tip of a sharp fingernail.

The shadow under his feet began to squirm, and Olivia emerged directly from Boluogo's shadow as if she were diving and rising.

This was not the first time they met, and Palmer looked like he was used to it, but after Yolanda saw Olivia's scarlet eyes, her whole body tensed up instantly. Yannis's reaction was better than hers. He raised his hand and pointed the gun at Olivia's head. If Boluogo hadn't raised his hand to block it, he might have pulled the trigger instinctively.

"Bologo..."

Yolanda looked at Boluogo with complicated eyes. Even though she was a disabled person who had never left the Hidden Land, the unique symbol of the Night Clan allowed her to recognize Olivia's identity at a glance.

"Calm down, this is Olivia, she is on our side," Bologg glanced at Olivia, "At least for now."

Olivia ignored the reactions of others. She lay on the railing and looked at the endless darkness below. Then she sniffed the air vigorously like a hound.

"Brogo, I smell it," Olivia's expression was particularly serious, "the blood of my own people."

"So, is the situation still slipping to the worst?" Bologg murmured to himself, knowing exactly what this meant.

Reminiscent of his secret conversation with Osana at this time, Bologo asked Yolanda, "When did the cripples start disappearing on a large scale? Did they all disappear at the bottom of this forging pit?"

Seeing Boluogo's dedicated and serious attitude, Yolanda was frightened. No matter how vigilant she was, she still cooperated and said, "Yes, start from the bottom of the forging pit.

At first, this did not arouse our vigilance. After all, accidental death and disappearance of our disabled people are all too common in this dark place. But as more and more people are missing, we can only ask the Duke of Madness Asking for help, she is one of the rare condensers who can help us. "

Boluogo nodded slightly and said, "Continue."

"Duke Rhapsody failed to bring back good news, and the relevant condensers refused to answer our questions. Even if Duke Rhapsody personally pressed us, they only answered some ambiguous questions in the end."

Such a result was expected by Boluogo. The Rhapsody family has a special status within the group of secrets. Their status is lofty, but they do not have strong power. Instead, they were coerced by the other three families and became another kind of family. Slave in form.

Coupled with Osana's insistence on the truth sect, it is expected that she will not have much real power.

"What did they answer?" asked Borogo.

"Some people say that these workers were transferred into some secret projects, secret projects led by the Council of Sages personally, and no one can leave until the project is completed," Yolanda said.

"They're just looking for excuses to delay."

Suddenly, Yannis, who had been silent all this time, spoke, with anger in his rich voice, "Projects are measured in years. Who knows when this secret project will end and how many people will survive by then."

Yannis's eyes were red and he continued, "What's more, in their eyes, the disabled are not people, but just a resource."

"Calm down, Yannis," Bologo soothed the other person and guessed, "Are your friends or family members missing too?"

Yannis tried to calm his breathing and nodded with difficulty.

Boluogo asked Yolanda again, "You should have some clues about the disappearance, right?"

"Yes," Yolanda paused and looked at the huge foundation of the Holy Hub in the distance, "Why, you don't plan to raid the Holy Hub?"

"It's just that the priorities have changed." Bologg moved his shoulders. "I believe that the deputy director and Holt will not fall so easily. What's more, if the Night Clan is really involved, the nature of the whole situation will change. ."

"What has it become?"

"Before this, this was just an internal rebellion of the Rhine Alliance, but if it is discovered that the Secret Group has an affair with the Night Clan, it will become the public enemy of mankind."

Burlogo urged impatiently, "Tell me what you know."