Chapter 2
178.
Yesterday is a lesson for today, but what if tomorrow offers the same situation as yesterday? Is it reasonable to take the same gamble and potentially repeat the same mistake? Despite the countless doubts in their minds, the group teamed up with Ovae to uncover the truth behind Hideo's endless schemes. Kita, Hana, Yuna, Raven, FeLinE, Rubi, and Celeste voyage with Ovae this time, Eve will try to catch up as soon as possible.
Just like Ovae promised, she told the group everything about Cerono. At first, they all thought Cerono was truly from the Underworld, but Ovae and Hideo had doubts. Her name randomly popped out of nowhere more than a decade ago. Ovae began telling the story.
Normally, Ovae can trace anyone's history including their family background in the Underworld, but it was the first time she found nothing about Cerono. The higher-ranked Kemis named Cerono the Centurial Genius, and everyone was fighting to gain her alliance. Cerono rejected everyone except for Ovae, she immediately agreed upon hearing the plan to cross to the UniPaws. Cerono's identity was proven when she shut down in their last encounter on the island in the UniPaws, giving them the information that her appearance was only a clone, and most probably had tons of copies.
The group spent their whole voyage deciphering the true nature of Cerono and creating plans toward the Underworld. Surprisingly, Ovae helped them brainstorm and was always active during the discussions. She also gave them a list of Kemis to avoid in the Underworld, valuable data that will come in handy even if Ovae leaves their group.
Eventually, the team reached the island connecting to the Underworld. It was the same island where Ovae's team built a camp and created the Evil Mimis before. The place was cleaned up now, but it still holds memorable scenes for all of them. The group sets up the camp as they prepare themselves for the last and possibly the most hostile realm in their journey. Kita, Hana, Yuna, Raven, FeLinE, and Ovae will enter the realm. On the other hand, Rubi and Celeste will handle the camp while waiting for Eve to arrive.
Setting foot in the Underworld, the Ruin is placed near the cliff where the group can view the whole city from afar. They can enter from UniPaws to the Underworld through Ruins, but they must use Cerono's Realm Hopper to get back. Cerono only bypassed the gates at that time since their realm was locked, which is why the entrance from UniPaws to Underworld and Underworld to UniPaws are two different methods.
A place where everything is in the shade of red, Underworld fits the name. The soil itself is reddish, with blood stains all over the place. Rain rarely occurs but when it does, it heavily pours, it's the reason why it takes a while to wash down all the stains and destruction. Most of the trees are either burned or barely surviving. There are tons of reconstructed caves in the city, maintaining the cave-like entrances but adding tall structures on top. Every cave has some form of a maze, loaded with traps, making it impossible for intruders to invade the base.
It is a no man's land, every establishment is surrounded by guards. The streets are empty, everyone is hiding, and the bloodbath usually happens in the Outskirts. This has been the case in the Underworld throughout the decades, but something is off according to Ovae.
"This isn't how I remember the place…" Ovae said.
"What do nyu mean? Nyu said the place is chaotic, everything here looks destroyed and out of sorts." Kita replied.
"Yes… But the atmosphere feels heavy... If the place is too quiet, then it's much more dangerous…" Ovae explained.
FeLinE started to scan the area, and after a short while, she detected two Mystical Runekeys by the far edge of the Relic's radar. "It looks like VesTris already claimed the 7th Mystical Runekey, the 6th and 7th are in the same place," FeLinE:1000X reported.
"That's great! That means we won't stay here that long!" Kita happily said.
"That might not be the case, VesTris is on the far north, barely on the radar's range," FeLinE:1000X responded.
"Far north? She's probably in the Outskirts. Let's head down to my facility first, I'm certain that something is different." Ovae suggested.
The Catgirls' appearance has been the center of attention among the Horn-type Kemis as they enter the city. No Kemis near them, but the group can see the eyes glaring at them from the shadows. But with Ovae leading the way, the safety of the group is guaranteed.
"I feel like I'll faint any moment now," Hana nervously said. The Catgirls are evidently wary of the situation.
"The fact that we don't have horns automatically made us the oddball for them," Yuna mentioned.
"S-should we wear horn costumes too?" Kita worriedly asked.
"Having a horn and looking weak is way worse than being completely different. Others will view you as a free collection." Ovae answered.
"Are nyu saying that we are weak?" Raven questioned.
"I am aware that your group is someone to not mess with, but the Kemis here didn't. Everyone here bases strength on someone's aura, and right now, your group is not threatening at all. Constant shivering won't do you guys a favor." Ovae explained.
"Ovae has a point, nyu all look pale," FeLinE:1000X added.
"It's easy for nyu to say, nyu are emotionless!" Kita complained.
Eventually, they reach the city's biggest cave entrance, none other than, Ovae's dungeon. The guards were thrilled to see their leader again after a long time. They were about to capture the Catgirls, thinking they were prisoners, but Ovae halted them. "Treat them well, they are allies for now… I want a warm welcome, inform everyone I'm back~" Ovae ordered.
At that moment, the group saw how influential Ovae was. Every Kemi in the facility is on their feet, moving as if they are against a ticking time bomb. A loud siren uproared, indicating that the long wait was over, stating that the Supreme Ruler had returned. There are a lot of spies in the Underworld, and sounding the siren is a way to instill fear in everyone against Ovae.
The servants then lined up in front of them, carrying a throne. "This is what power looks like," Ovae said as she sat on the chair, and the servants carried her to the dungeon.
179.
The way Ovae mandates her servants is the exact opposite of how Queen Grace governs her citizens in terms of principles. They both protect the Kemis under their jurisdiction, but it's clear that one of them steps on Kemis, literally. Despite the cruel measures that Ovae does, the group cannot simply complain about it since the Underworld works entirely differently than the UniPaws itself. That is also the reason why it's the only realm that doesn't use its real name. At this point, no one knows if there are still Horn-type Kemis calling the realm KeraValley, they might not even be aware that the so-called Underworld is not the original name.
Later on, Ovae and the Catgirls reach the laboratory. Ovae then summoned her intel to gain updates on the current state of the Underworld. Around 5 feet tall, slightly tanned skin, and has two black horns. Wearing a robe-style stealthy outfit, his name is Antil, a Pronghornman, the fastest servant of Ovae.
"For the last couple of years while you were away, Your Highness, the Underworld changed tremendously. Kemis were somewhat unlocked random extraordinary feats that they didn't possess before. Until now, there's no clear info about who can possess it and what they will unlock, but there are strong speculations that a violet crystal will help you obtain it. The violet veins on their body are a clear sign that a Kemi unlocked a random feat." Antil reported.
By the details alone, even if it's incomplete, Ovae and the group immediately knew what was happening. It all fits Hideo's narrative, and it looks like the Underworld is no exception to corruption.
"When does it all start?" Ovae asked.
"After a week when your team entered the UniPaws, Cerono also came back here that time. From my observation, there's a potential that she was the one who scattered those violet crystals due to numerous sighting reports of her all over the Underworld, Your Highness." Antil answered.
"That's intriguing… Zela watched Cerono create the Evil Mimis the whole time. Even Hideo claimed he spotted Cerono there, they even had a conversation on the island…" Ovae confusedly responded.
"So… There are two Ceronos?" Kita asked.
"Judging from her actions, Cerono can effortlessly clone herself. There could even be more than two Ceronos," Ovae replied.
"Wait, if there were multiple copies of her, and she was the one scattering the Forbidden Runes in this realm, then she could also be the one doing it to the other realms." Yuna hypothesized.
"Possible. There are hundreds of realms out there. Spreading the Forbidden Runes by herself explains the long interval of corruption cases among realms." FeLinE:1000X added.
"Even if that's the case, I still couldn't understand how the Forbidden Runes could suddenly be invasive. Remember when the scholars said the forbidden Rune was rare in Blizshore initially, but it became rampant out of nowhere? And then there are realms like Noctambulist Land with zero corruption cases." Kita questioned.
"Aside from zero cases, the Forbidden Runes were also almost out of sight there, unlike the other realms that we saw," Hana mentioned.
"Speaking of Noctambulist Land, there was a time I needed to step on a stone plate to open the dirt wall… In that sense, maybe there's also a trigger for the Forbidden Runes to scatter?" Raven theorized.
"As far as we know, the number of Forbidden Runes is congruent to the number of corrupted Kemis. The events in BijouTerra, Nesuto, and Blizshore support this claim. In comparison, Hactile and Noctambulist Land both have zero corruption problems, therefore fewer Forbidden Runes. Though I'm sure we are still far from the truth, we need strong evidence aside from observations." Yuna summarized.
"You guys are surprisingly insightful on this matter. I'm intrigued, but it also feels like I was behind Hideo and Cerono all this time…" Ovae said as she stood up from her throne, "Escort them to the VIP room, I'll come back once I clarify something." She then ordered her servants.
"And what exactly will nyu do?" Raven questioned.
Ovae laughed and answered, "I'll catch up to them, this will be fun~" She then proceeded elsewhere while the Catgirls headed to the VIP room.
The situation is entirely different now, the Catgirls cannot act hastily despite knowing the location of VesTris. Countless corrupted Kemis driven to attack someone, and the group doesn't want to be entangled in that conflict. They must wait for Ovae's investigation first before moving forward.
Settling in the red-theme window side VIP room, the place is truly luxurious, with 2 large beds, a sofa, and a long table beside the wall, the group started their conversation.
"It's so sad to see the state of this place. I want to heal them but they might harm us even after helping them…" Hana said as she watched the Horn-type Kemis fighting from afar.
"If nyu really want to help them, locating VesTris is our best shot. She healed everyone in Euchambersia using only the resources available around her. However, this could be a different case since the Underworld is an open area, unlike the Euchambersia where there's an enclosed central area." FeLinE:1000X replied.
While on standby, the servants dished out tons of exceptional meals for the group, treating them like valued guests. Ovae needed more time in her investigation, which is why the group spent the rest of the day waiting for any update. Timely for the group, VesTris is still in the same spot the whole time. This opens both positive and negative situations: on the positive side, VesTris could be hiding and taking shelter. On the flip side, the worst scenario could be VesTris is being held by someone, explaining the lack of movement on the Relic's radar.
As soon as the next day rises, Ovae knocked on the group's room, waking everyone up. Kita immediately opened the door, "What's up?" She asked while yawning.
"Can you guys solve the corruption problem?" Ovae replied. The question surprised the Catgirls, fully waking them up at that moment.
"VesTris is the Sentient Kemi that can pull that off," FeLinE:1000X answered.
"I'll give you 10 minutes to prepare everything that you need. Meet me at the lobby and we'll locate VesTris in this instant," Ovae instructed, then left the premises without further explanation. The group believes that it's impossible for Ovae to suddenly have a change of heart. This leads them to speculate that Ovae must have discovered something disadvantageous to her.
180.
Moving as swiftly as they could, the Catgirls brought their adventure bags and left the room. They will still go back to Ovae's dungeon since it's the only way back to the UniPaws, but the group still prefers bringing all of their equipment instead of sorting them out. Upon reaching the lobby, an open top-down 4-wheel jeep, modified by the servants, is waiting in front of them. Aside from toughing the defenses, every lair also creates their own heavy-duty vehicle that can last long on the dangerous streets. Without wasting any second, the group hops in and Ovae drives the vehicle, following FeLinE's direction to reach VesTris.
The modified Jeep is doing pretty well on rocky and broken paths. Also, props to Ovae's driving skills for dodging the obstacles without a sweat, and avoiding the corrupted Kemis fighting on the streets. While they all held tightly on the bars of the jeep, Kita started to clarify the situation, "I know nyu are concentrating on your not-so-safe-but-insanely-good-reckless driving, but can I ask some questions?"
"Yeah, sure," Ovae answered as she looked straight at Kita, not minding the road at all.
"PLEASE LOOK AT THE ROAD!" Hana shouted.
"Yeah, sure…" Ovae repeated her answer but with a different tone, returning her eyes to the road.
"Let's just ask her once we are out of the city," Yuna suggested, and the rest agreed. For the next couple of hours, the group exerted all their strength in holding onto the bars, while Ovae enjoyed the thrill that she genuinely missed. It's a big city after all, and there's no clear path.
As they finally reach the Outskirts, the ride is much more stable, and that's when Kita continues her queries, "Back to my question, I thought nyu were going to find Hideo? Why are nyu helping us instead?"
Ovae then started to explain her side, "About that, I think I finally connected the dots. Right from the start, it's clear that Hideo, Cerono, and I aim to enter UniPaws but we all have different reasons behind it. Hideo wants to gain more information that is only accessible in that realm, Cerono wants to bypass the gates like a true curious scientist, and I want to gain access to the Realm Sanctuary through the UniPaws. I thought I was the ambitious one among the three of us, but it turns out I was the narrow-minded one…"
"What do nyu mean?" Hana asked.
"Both of them were playing for the long run. Hideo wanted to follow King Luke, and he already knew what was happening by the moment he saw FeLinE. On the other hand, Cerono is not only targeting the UniPaws, she's been bypassing all the other realms as well. There's a possibility that they are already in the Realm Sanctuary." Ovae answered.
"Do nyu have any evidence of that?" Raven responded.
"To be honest, I don't. Hideo said that King Luke was already there, therefore that was also his destination. I am still not sure why Cerono has been spreading the Forbidden Runes, but bypassing the gates can be her escape route once she acquires what she wants in the Realm Sanctuary. It's hard to decipher the mind of a Centurial Genius, you can only imagine the worst that is to come." Ovae thoroughly explained her analysis.
"She could be aiming for the Sacred Runes," FeLinE:1000X suddenly said. "Now that every Sentient Kemis are scattered in different realms, no one's guarding the ones that we, Sentient Kemis, swore to protect." She added.
"If that's the case, what does VesTris have to do with your realization?" Raven questioned.
"I still have this looming theory at the back of my head. I doubt that Cerono is just spreading Forbidden Runes for fun or merely creating random chaos. I want to know her response if we interfere with her plans and eradicate the corruption. They could have just teamed up with me since we all wanted to control the Realm Sanctuary but they didn't. I think tampering with their plan might give me some answers and force a reaction from them." Ovae said.
"VesTris could also notice something after she healed the Kemis in Euchambersia, we can compare the results once we also solve the corruption in this realm," FeLinE:1000X mentioned.
"I guess it all makes sense now?" Kita confusedly replied as the conversation ended.
It was almost an hour of discussion that filled their vacant time as they traced the location. Eventually, Ovae parked the vehicle inside a cave, a few miles away from their target. Red sand, cacti, and caves surround the group, they are currently in the middle of nowhere. It also means it's an open area where anyone can attack from multiple angles, making it the most dangerous place in the Underworld.
"Why are we stopping here?" Yuna asked.
"We have to walk from here, traps are hard to spot when riding a vehicle. Plus the noise draws more attention, making us a big moving target." Ovae answered.
"Wouldn't they steal our ride if we leave it here?" Kita also raised a question.
"For horn sake, these questions are endless… I have a camouflage cloak for the vehicle plus the jeep is modified, they cannot just hijack it without getting electrocuted. Now can you just follow me and watch your back in silence?" Ovae responded, tired of explaining everything.
As soon as the group started walking, a Ramman charged at them, aiming at Ovae's horn. The angry Ramman has violet veins from his left hand to his neck, and he showcases his feats by turning his hands into sharp blades. The Ramman looks like a formidable foe, but direct attacks like this won't be effective against Ovae. When the attacker closed the gap between them, the Ramman instantly fell asleep, rolling through the sand and completely unconscious on the ground. Ovae used her dagger to cut the Ramman's right horn.
The group was shell-shocked, not knowing how to react to the sudden sequence of events. "You guys saw that? Things are way more complicated since the attackers have tricks under their sleeves now. If you all won't keep your mouths shut, you are free to join the corpse in the Outskirts." Ovae said, she then threw the horn to the ground, not joining the horn-collecting honor in the Underworld.
End of Chapter 2