Chapter 2 – The City of Lowest Humans
Two officers dragged Ryhu down the hallway. His feet scraped the floor, and his head felt heavy, thoughts fogged like a dream.
One officer muttered, annoyed, "This guy's heavier than he looks."
The other grunted, "Yeah… and he's not even resisting."
Ryhu stayed silent, eyes half-open, still trying to figure out if he was awake or not.
They stopped at a metal door. One officer pulled out a key, unlocked it, and shoved the door open.
"Stay here, Lowest Human thief!" the officer barked.
The two of them tossed Ryhu inside. He hit the floor with a thud. The door slammed shut, the lock clicking into place.
Ryhu lay there, breathing slowly. "…This is a dream… right?" he whispered to himself.
Hours passed. He stayed on the floor, drifting in and out of his thoughts. No matter what happened, he kept telling himself it wasn't real.
A loud shout broke the silence. "Dinner's ready!" an officer yelled from the hallway.
Ryhu didn't react.
A heavy knock shook his cell door. Something slid in through a slot — a metal plate with food.
He stared at it, still lost in his head. Is this… a dream?
Then, suddenly, he slapped himself hard. "Ouch… tch… so this isn't a dream…"
He stood up, scanning the room. His eyes caught a cracked mirror on the wall. Slowly, he walked to it.
When his reflection appeared, he froze. The face looking back wasn't his. It was the man who stabbed him last night.
"Tch… why do I look like him!?" he muttered. His fist smashed into the mirror, shattering it into pieces.
Shards clinked to the ground. He stood there, breathing hard, making a face like he was ready to kill. "I'm gonna find that middle-aged man who stabbed me!" His hand clenched tight.
He sat cross-legged on the floor and closed his eyes. "Phew… I need to focus."
For three minutes, he stayed still, breathing slow. Then, his eyes snapped open.
"Tch… this body… can't even reach Low Human rank…" he said with frustration.
Memories from last night flashed in his mind — the cold dagger, the stabbing, the moment he pulled it out.
"That dagger! After I woke up… it was gone! Where is it?!"
His stomach growled. He felt dizzy. "Tch… why do I feel hungry!? So this is how Lowest Human rank feels…"
He dragged himself to the plate of food. "I haven't tasted this trash food in decades… but I need to eat to get my revenge!" He started eating quickly.
Halfway through, the door swung open.
Two guards stepped inside. "Who is this litt—" one started to say.
"I'm eating! Why are you dragging me!?" Ryhu snapped, but they grabbed him by the arms without a word.
As they pulled him through the station, Ryhu noticed something strange — every officer in the building was unconscious.
Did they figure out who I am? he thought.
They dragged him outside and shoved him into a van.
"Tch! Where are you taking me to!?" Ryhu demanded.
The guards climbed in as well. One of them said, "Move now!" and the driver sped off.
The two guards removed their masks, revealing themselves — the same officers who had thrown him in the cell earlier.
Ryhu stared. "Huh!? You're the ones who dragged me before!"
"Yes," one nodded. "We work there as our main job."
Ryhu narrowed his eyes. "So why are you taking me out of the police station?"
"Our second job," the other guard said, "is to protect innocent Lowest Humans."
Ryhu frowned. "What?"
"You should know — Lowest Humans like you get hunted if they show their face in society. Most hide away to survive."
Ryhu was silent. He knew this rule — but that was decades ago, before he became the Highest Human rank.
"So I'm fully aware of that. Where are you gonna take me!?"
"To a place safe from society," the guard replied. "You'll find out soon enough."
Ryhu leaned back, thinking. When I was a child, I was a Low Human rank… I struggled a lot. But Lowest Human rank… I never imagined that…
The van entered an abandoned tunnel. A homeless man pushed away the scrap blocking the entrance, letting them through.
This is new to me… Ryhu thought.
Through the van window, he saw a city appear — a hidden place filled with people.
"This city?" he asked.
"Yes," the guard nodded. "The city of Lowest Humans."
Ryhu's eyes followed the people outside. They were smiling, helping each other, living peacefully. These people… they're happy.
In the outside world, society was filled with selfishness, pride, and regrets. Here, it was different.
The van stopped in front of a tall building. "Here's the headquarters of the city," one guard said.
Another noticed Ryhu's cuffs. "Oh, sorry — let me take those off." With a quick slash, the cuffs fell.
Ryhu flexed his wrists, staring at them. "Alright… so what are we gonna do here?"
"Come with us. We'll register your ID."
They walked upstairs. At the top, one guard gestured toward a door. "You'll be safe here. Don't worry."
They entered. Ryhu froze — the place was beautiful, unlike anything he expected.
"This way, Mister," a guard said, leading him to another door.
Ryhu sensed something beyond it — a strong aura.
The guard knocked.
"Come in," a deep voice answered.
Inside, a man sat at a desk. The aura hit Ryhu harder now.
"Hello," the man said. "Are you the new resident of the city?"
"Yes, he is," the guard replied. "We saved him from the police station."
"That's good. Claim your reward at reception," the man said.
"Thank you, HQ Master," the guards bowed before leaving.
Ryhu stood stiff until the man waved him over. "Don't be stiff. Sit down."
"Alright," Ryhu said, sitting across from him.
"Before you become an official resident, let me tell you the rules. You can call me Kalo."
"Can I ask something first?" Ryhu interrupted.
"Go ahead."
"Why did you build this city? What's the purpose?"
Kalo raised an eyebrow. "You don't know? Where did you live in society?"
"I lived in the Deep Abyss District," Ryhu said, clenching his hands.
"Oh… that district. A place where Low Humans struggle to rise."
Memories flooded Ryhu's mind — his struggles, his mistakes. His face darkened.
Kalo felt a chill. What was that feeling?
Changing the subject, Kalo said, "This city has one purpose — to save as many Lowest Humans as possible."
"So you save them? Then you're breaking the cycle of the power system! How can a Lowest Human become strong!?" Ryhu slammed a fist on the table.
Kalo frowned. "Being a Lowest Human is suicide. You have no power to begin with."
"Well, I had no power when I started, but I still fought my way to the top!" Ryhu shot back.
"You had power?" Kalo asked, eyes narrowing.
"Yes! But it was stolen from me!" Ryhu shouted.
Kalo secretly scanned his aura — nothing unusual. But something in Ryhu's voice felt true.
"That's how the Higher ranked do" Kalo said calmly. "You seems tired right now, don't worry about it. We gonna solve you're problem tomorrow, and I'm going to tell you the rules of this town tomorrow, You should rest now."
He slid a paper across the table. "This is my number. You're officially a resident now. Go find what suits you here Mister."
Ryhu Sigh "Thank you for understanding," Ryhu said, standing up.
"See you around tomorrow," Kalo replied with a smile.
Ryhu left without a word to the guards at reception. I'm on my own now.
Outside, he sat on the floor, staring at the sky. "I can rise to the top again… I've done it before. I'll do it again."