Orion was twelve years old. As the true power behind the Underworld, the distribution rights for resources in the Underworld were naturally in his hands. He decided the flow of food, medicine, and clothing collected through various channels. His shelter was no longer the crude shack cobbled together from broken wooden planks. Now, it was a sturdy small house; though not large, it was a rare sight in the Underworld.
Seele still lived there. She felt very secure in this small house. She had asked Orion where the materials for building the house came from. Orion had simply said lightly that it was sponsored by that kind-hearted snack stall owner. "He seems to have taken me for his deceased son," he told Seele. Seele accepted this explanation. Because Orion indeed had a very good relationship with that stall owner, and recently, because of the Underworld's successful governance, the stall owner's business in the Underworld was also booming. Every day, Orion could bring back a large pile of delicious food from him, and the stall owner never said anything. Seele thought, this was probably what a good person was like.
Orion was thirteen years old. He watched as the Underworld grew stronger day by day, with resources and weapons becoming quite abundant. He knew the time had come. He made a bold decision—to cut off the supply of minerals, Geode Ore, to the Overworld. He conveyed this order to Natasha.
When Natasha received the order, her whole body froze. Cut off the ore supply? The exchanges between the Underworld and the Overworld were almost entirely maintained by that single transportation channel. The Underworld transported minerals, and the Overworld transported supplies down. Since the Silvermane Guards withdrew, this fragile balance had continued for several years, serving as a vital source of livelihood for the Underworld. But Orion actually said to cut it off just like that? What did this mean? What exactly did he want to do?!
Natasha felt a wave of dizziness. "Why? Do you know what this means? This is our important source of supplies!"
Orion's expression remained unchanged: "Do you want to see your brother?"
Natasha's heart tightened abruptly. She hesitated for a moment and whispered, "...Yes."
"Then do as I say," Orion's voice was flat, "Don't question it."
Natasha fell silent. Everything that had happened in the past few years flashed through her mind. Every one of Orion's orders, though surprising at first, ultimately led to the Underworld becoming better. The Underworld's prestige grew daily, and Boulder Town became increasingly stable. She calmed down and began to carefully consider Orion's objective. Cut off minerals... Was he trying to challenge the Overworld? What did he want to gain from them?
Alright. She took a deep breath. For her brother, she decided to trust this child again.
Natasha conveyed Orion's order to Oleg. She had already prepared her explanation, attributing the reason for cutting off the mineral supply to "a counterattack against the Overworld's long-term exploitation" and "demanding more resource allocation from the Overworld," and so on. She thought Oleg would strongly object and reject this dangerous proposal. After all, Oleg had always been known for his prudence and deeply understood the importance of this mineral channel connecting to the Overworld.
However, to her surprise, Oleg did not object after hearing her proposal. Instead, a hint of determination appeared on his weathered face.
"Natasha, you're right." Oleg slammed his hand on the table. "It is indeed time to talk to those guys in the Overworld!" He recalled how the Overworld had ignored the Underworld over the years, turning a blind eye to the chaos caused after the Silvermane Guards withdrew. How much sacrifice had the Underworld made to achieve the current stability? Now, they controlled the Underworld's only, and the Overworld's necessary, resource—Geode Ore. It was time to make those high-and-mighty individuals acknowledge the existence and demands of the Underworld.
This decision sparked some discussion within the Underworld, but Oleg's prestige and the hatred for the Overworld unified everyone's opinion. The plan began to be executed. The Underworld cut off the mineral transportation channel, and the supply stopped.
Soon after. Overworld, the core urban area of Belobog, a symbol of prosperity. However, the atmosphere recently felt a bit off. The energy supply maintaining the city's operation was decreasing at an extremely rapid rate. Geode Ore, that was the only energy lifeline of this frozen planet, and almost all of it came from the forgotten Underworld. When the mineral transportation channel from the Underworld completely stopped operating, the tension in the Overworld reached its peak. Industrial production slowed, some areas began to experience power rationing, and even the manufacturing of weapons for the Silvermane Guards was affected.
Supreme Guardian Cocolia's expression changed, and she was furious! Those people she had abandoned in the cold abyss actually dared to provoke the Overworld in such a way!