Mary woke up to the familiar dim glow of the Underground City from the window.
Stepping outside, he barely acknowledged the vast expanse before him. The sky-walls stretched high, their iron surface lined with tiny, flickering lights. They almost looked like stars — not that he'd ever seen real ones before. It was just a guess.
Suddenly, his stomach grumbled, snapping him from his thoughts. He placed a hand over his belly, sighing.
"The Food Stall should be open by now… right? It has to be."
Silently hoping it wasn't closed for some random reason, he scratched his arms and legs and changed into something more comfortable — a light brown shirt, dark pants, and his worn-out shoes. He grabbed his wallet, stuffing it deep into his pocket and gripping it tightly. And finally taking a still-functioned watch and placed it around his wrist.
Once ready, he headed downstairs and stepped onto the bustling streets.
The city was already alive with movement.
People flooded the streets — kids playing games, groups of teenagers laughing together, and elders strolling or sitting on benches. A band of street musicians strummed instruments, filling the air with a pleasant melody.
Further ahead, construction workers hammered away at a new building, their voices mixing with the hustle of the marketplace.
Stalls lined the roads, overflowing with freshly baked bread, vegetables, fish, and snacks. Vendors shouted out their prices — 2 gellies and 60 cents, or 5 gellies and 99 cents for the best cuts.
The scent of rare coffees drifted from a small shop, blending with the rich aroma of soups and sizzling cheap meals from nearby small restaurants.
In the distance, the main streets were packed, and the warm air buzzed with life.
The was the ordinary life in Underground City: Brand York.
The City without a Sky. But full of its own light.
Mary didn't know much about history, but he knew the basics of how this place came to be.
"Brand York — the Underground City. Back in the 1200s, once named — Old York City, was a thriving sunny city, known for its abundant crops, rich culture, and its proximity to the ocean. It was once home to a population of 15 million.
Everything was fine... Untill they were met with a catastrophes — Giant Abominations walked around the Lucia that were still alive during the Fall of Darkness Era, destroying whatever they saw, and kiling milions of people around the world.
In 03.25.1204. A powerful Abomination — a being that could control the weather — arrived in Old York, covering the land in endless snow and ice. Crops withered, food supplies dwindled, and thousands of people froze to death.
The few remaining citizens, desperate for survival, attempted to send messages to neighboring lands, pleading for help. But their cries never reached anyone.
The storms were too strong. The oceans were too deadly. And back then, Teleportation Transport Or Train hadn't been invented yet.
Their only option was to wait.
Days turned into months. People huddled in their broken homes, rationing what little food they had. Death came slowly and painfully.
They started to believe that no help was coming. That they would all die in this frozen wasteland.
Until a hero arrived.
A legendary figure — one of the members of Legendary Heroes group and one of famous historical figures.
The Saint of Arcane Brilliance: Ban Bruce.
The highest Ranker of the Creator–Archetype and the greatest Artificer in history.
Ban Bruce built them shelter, keeping them alive for a few more days. Then, in just three days, he tracked down the Abomination and killed it. All by himself.
But by then, the damage was already done.
Old York City was gone. The land was ruined. Over five million people had died.
Yet, Ban Bruce refused to let the survivors perish. He made a promise — to build them a new home.
A city where they would never feel the cold again.
And so, beneath the snow-covered ruins of Old York, he began his greatest project:
The Underground City of Brand York.
It took him more than a year to complete, but when it was done, Brand York stood as a marvel of engineering and magic.
The city was entirely made of iron, reinforced with powerful enchantments and glowing Aether Crystals.
It was built in a circular design, divided into four massive districts, each separated by towering iron walls.
Zone A & B housed the lower and lower-middle class.
Zone C & D were for the middle and upper-middle class.
And at the very center stood the colossal Iron Pillar.
The Pillar was a monolithic tower, stretching from the lowest depths of the city to the sky-walls above. Its thick iron frame was covered in thousands of glowing windows, casting artificial light across the city.
It was the heart of Brand York City.
And the wealthiest citizens — the elites — lived inside it.
This was Brand York. the coldless city.
And since then, it had been Mary's home for as long as he could remember. Yet, he never felt any joy living there — nor did others like him.
Living in A-Zone wasn't a great life of living. People still starved, and some buildings weren't well-constructed, the coffee beans were sadly expired and the food source came from the Seas — eating only fish.
And when someone wanted to eat something else, like real high quality meat, they need to get the Permit-Card to go the other zones. Which is also a bit expensive by 100 Gellies per one person.
But why was it like this? Why did they have everything while we had nothing?
Mary had asked himself that question countless times as a child — until he finally found the answer.
The answer was the Hero.
Before the Underground City was built, the Hero Ban told the former mayor of Old York that he had no intention of ruling Brand York. The announcement left both the mayor and the citizens distraught. They pleaded with him, desperate for the protection only a great hero could provide.
After relentless begging, Hero Ban finally made an offer: his son, Leo Bruce, would rule and govern. Strong like his father, Leo's leadership would ensure their safety. The people of Old York were relieved, believing they had secured a worthy leader.
Not knowing that he was a greedy piece of shit.
Under Leo's rule, the Underground City thrived — for the wealthy. Meanwhile, the lower-class citizens suffered, and over the years, many wished the Hero himself had taken the charge — or even the former mayor.
Now, After Six-Hundred years, the current mayor named: Timothy Bruce, a descendant of the Hero ban, all he did was hoard wealth, redirecting funds and resources to Zones C and D while completely ignoring Zones A and B. No one from higher up bothered to fix anything in A and B, as they were considered nothing more than "dangerous criminals and living vermins."
With a high crime rate, constant threats from dungeon beasts, and problems that seemed endless and unsolvable, it was only natural that they focused on Zones C and D —where the factories, funds, businesses, and real economy thrived — while ignoring the 'failures' of Zones A and B.
Mary let out a sigh as he continued walking through th streets
"How fair."
Shaking his head, Mary pushed the thoughts aside and kept walking. There was no point dwelling on it.
This was his life. A cycle of barely scraping by. And he had already accepted that it would stay this way — until the day he died.
Still...
He couldn't help but wish for something more. A better place. A life that was exciting, fulfilling... happy.
But he knew that would never happen.
With a sigh, Mary snapped out of his thoughts, realizing he had already arrived at the food stall. The smell of grilled fish, garlic soup, and cheap bacon noodle soup filled the air, instantly pushing away his worries.
His stomach growled. Right now, food was all that mattered.
Forgetting everything else, Mary stepped inside and took a seat. With a confident grin, he called out:
"Hey, Toby! I would like to order some Four grilled fish and if possible, bowl of noodles — extra bacon."
He pulled out two 10-gellies notes with extra 5 note gelly and slid them across the table.
"And make it snappy!"
The middle-aged man behind the counter — Toby — turned to him with a smirk. He was a broad-shouldered man with messy silver hair and a red bandana tied around his forehead. Still cooking, he let out a short laugh before grabbing the money.
"Well, well, looks like Mr. Van Hallen finally got his pay." Toby chuckled. "And judging by that look in your eyes, a good one too."
"You bet." Mary grinned. "The moment I got the pay, I thought of you. I was starving for a decent meal."
He leaned in slightly, putting on his best innocent expression.
"As your loyal customer, don't you think I deserve a little discount?"
Toby scoffed, shaking his head.
"You wish, kid."
Mary sighed dramatically.
"Cold-hearted as always."
Toby sinply laughes as he continues to cook the grilled fish
"Anyway just sit tight, the food will be ready soon enough"
Mary sighed but nodded and leaned back in his seat, getting comfortable. At the corner of his eye, he noticed a newspaper. and realized it was a new one too!
mary turned to Toby and asked." Hey can I borrow it for a minute?"
"sure, I already read it anyway" Toby voiced out from his shoulder.
Mary took it and muttered a quick,
"i see, Thanks."
Unfolding the paper, Mary skimmed through the latest headlines.
A lot was happening in the outside world.
Something about a new invention called an 'airplane.'
A machine that flies through the sky — like a bus, but carrying over 400 people.
Mary blinked.
"H-Holy shit... is this real?"
He read it again, still not fully believing it.
"What's next? A giant floating balloon that carries people to the next continent?" He let out a short chuckle. "Yeah, right. Impossible."
Flipping the page, he saw something about the prince of Balash Kingdom was getting married to a princess from Palpadin Kingdom.
"Huh... congrats, I guess."
Mary never cared much for politics or royalty, so he turned to the next page.
And then — something caught his attention.
The Hunter Association Announces Three Hunters from the legendary Hero Family Have Ranked Up to Rank 4!
The article went on about how three newly ranked Silver-Grade Hunters had achieved an incredible feat, earning recognition from both the Association and society.
Mary whistled, impressed.
"Damn."
Hunter-related stuff always fascinated him.
He respected them. And also feared them.
They were a crazy bunch — people willing to fight off terrifying beasts and abominations, risking their lives for wealth, power, and fame.
"If I were a hunter..." Mary muttered, imagining himself in their shoes.
Then he snorted.
"Yeah, right. I'd probably die on my first mission with my rotten luck."
He let out a short laugh and went back to reading.
Suddenly, Mary's smile froze.
A chill ran down his spine. His hands trembled as he gripped the newspaper, eyes locked onto a bounty poster printed on the page.
The face staring back at him was painfully familiar.
A handsome man with sharp features, piercing Red eyes, and an eerie sense of calm confidence.
The headline sent a jolt through his chest.
「The most dangerous criminal, Lucian Hellvin, still on a lose!
'After five years of searching, Lucian Hellvin, a formerHunter. An infamous murderer of a high Ranker of Caregiver: Bashir Nemis. And lastly, a treacherous thief of a historical Artifect, remains unfound. Some speculate he perished during the White Plague Era, but many believe he is still alive — lurking in the shadows. Some say he was seen in Leondia Kingdom. Others say he was seen in Land of Ruins.
The Guild Association continues its relentless pursuit, determined to locate and execute him.」
Mary's breath quickened.
His fingers clenched around the paper, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
Lucian Hellvin…
That name belonged to the man who left behind the rusted black sword. The man who walked away with a 6th-Grade Devourer.
Luca Berinsky!
Wha... What the hell?!