Chapter 43 - Run

Entering the UnderWorldLand, Ness didn't restrain herself at all and just blown abused the VIP pass.

"Excuse us, VIP here!"

She flaunted her card as she walked by the road. This attracted attention and other emotions. Joren looked around and saw the bitter frown either from anger or from jealousy on other people's faces.

However, for Joren, this was a bit refreshing. There are other monsters and demons whose faces are scarier than him. It was weird to admit it but he felt like he belongs in Hades.

What he doesn't know is that other people are making a path to them not just because Ness flaunts her card but also because of him. Not as prominent as in the surface but other beings are wary of him too.

"Ness, I don't think that's necessary."

"Joren, I thought you would be the number one person who would be on board with this?"

Ness asked which made Joren question.

"What made you think that?"

"It's because you're so thick-skinned, you're actually freeloading in the Principal's Office?"

"Well, if you don't want me there, you could have said so." Joren complained.

"Hm, nobody said we hate you there. I'm just saying you're freeloading. Say one thing that you did for us in return?"

"..."

Joren had to accept Ness' argument and his defeat. After that, he took Ness' card and raised it up high.

"Make way for Princess Vanessa! VIP of UnderWorldLand!"

"That's it!"

Ness said but she was actually worried that coupled with Joren's scary face, he might attract hostility. Fortunately, it seemed that no one went up to him.

The two acted like a crazy pair as they abused the VIP card. Joren learned that having that pass really gave them a lot of benefits and privileges. Skipping the long lines, receiving the best customer services, and most of all, free rides!

"GAHHH!!"

Joren shrieked upon riding the attraction ride called "Death Coaster" while Ness had already fainted. After climbing down, Joren woke her up.

"It's finished already?"

"Yeah, let's not-"

"What!? But I just slept through it, let's go again!"

"Didn't you faint?"

"... this time, I will not!"

Ness fainted again after the first fall. After their second ride, she woke up and before she speaks, Joren covered her mouth.

"Let's go to other rides."

"Oh, Joren, you're such a wimp."

"Whatever..."

They went to others rides to which Joren found delightful for the fact that all of them were actually safe. This is definitely like a Halloween-themed D*sneyland.

When night came, the two of them were laughing as if they were drunks. They have face paints on them, cotton candies in one hand, and demonic toys on the other which were rather cute. They are just teddies with sharp teeth and horns. Joren was glad they are not alive.

The Hades was pretty fun, he thought.

But while they were having fun, Joren was looking for clues on where to find the Furies, especially Allecto and Megaera. He found that their places were actually far from where the lesser demons usually are.

That should've been obvious. It's like how the rich are separated from the poor back on Earth. Also, from what he learned, they are Greek Goddesses who are much older than most Olympian Gods.

For his soul to be taken by one of them, he must be the unluckiest person right now.

Arriving at the hotel room, Ness still have a lot of energy, thus, she requested for a speaker with mics to be brought into their room. Also, some beer.

"You want to sing and drink again?"

Joren asked, thinking that she will drop dead later again.

"Why not? We only have one more day left tomorrow."

After the setup, Joren joined Ness and they didn't sleep until Ness had dropped from being drunk.

He waited for a 'lucky' situation but it didn't arrive that night, making him disappointed. Although the bed was much smaller than that within the cruise ship, about ten more people can fit there.

However, Joren didn't sleep that night.

"Best scenario, I get my soul tonight and return to the academy with Ness."

He optimistically said but the chance of that happening is near zero, therefore, he didn't hope much. Joren's plan involves him spending months within the UnderWorld before going out. After all, returning with the cruise ship was not the only way out, he believes.

Walking out of the hotel, Joren found that there were few beings out there even though the concept of night and day didn't exist. However, it's not completely empty, though most of the rides were closed.

"So they follow the same time pattern now? Maybe to accommodate humans who have a sleep cycle."

Joren assumed. He heard that the Underworld was treating humans equally now. However, he doesn't exactly know why though. He's not complaining, after all, it's good that he can walk alone without being harassed by other beings.

Opening the rulebook that he bought from a gift shop under the pretense that he wanted to learn more about the UnderWorld, Joren looked for rules that he might break. Is there a curfew? Do humans have the privilege to be out at 'night'?

Although that second question has already been answered when none stopped him.

"But how far can I go? There must be territories out here that I can't go into."

The rulebook was not the only thing he bought but a cheap map as well. Surprisingly, they could only be found in gift shops since the place was already common knowledge there. There was not much to remember.

Besides the River Styx where Charon's Ferry travels through, there is the wall of Erebus. It only has one gate which the Cerberus lies in wait. After entering, there's the Judgement Pavillion before many more places including the UnderWorldLand.

From what he can expect, since the Furies are serving Hades, they must be inside his palace. Joren didn't know the exact distance but he knows where it is located.

"If that's where we entered, the Erebus in the west, then on the southeast si the palace. I have eight hours before six o'clock when Ness is still sleeping. I'll travel for four hours and if I still can't find anything, I'll just return for another four hours."

Joren stretched his body to ready himself.

Facing one direction, he ran. Faster than a jog but slower than a sprint. This speed will not exhaust him while, at the same time, fast enough to cover a long distance within four hours. Fortunately, no one stopped him either.

Only when he's sure that there are no obstructions on his path would he open the rulebook.

He found that ghouls are the frequent guards there in Hades. They obey Cerberus as the commander while serving Hades the ultimate ruler of the UnderWorld.

'So, Cerberus can talk as well?'

Considering that there's Mister Jack, a talking Unicorn, Joren expected the Cerberus to actually be intelligent.

After an hour or so, he found no specific rules stopping him from getting there. Although he didn't know there are chariots that can take him there.

"But I'm already far from the UnderWorldLand...." Joren looked far and saw that it's just dark yellow and red sand everywhere. It's not hot, it's just their color. On the contrary, it's actually quite cold there.

After some running, he finally found find a field of tall yellow grass. It's eerie since it's the Asphodel Fields which most souls wander for all eternity.

When he reached the fields of tall yellow grass, he slowed down. There was no going around that.

"It would be scary if I get lost here..."

At that moment, Joren saw a shadow on the edge of his vision. However, he ignored it even though it made him shiver in fright.

That must probably be a soul.

"If souls are here then what is the UnderWorldLand?"

He asked himself, but after going through a few tall grass, he found himself before a neighborhood where souls live. No, they literally have houses there, a road...

"Are those electric poles?"

Joren felt like if he have a phone right now, he would be able to find public WiFi there.

It was quiet just like how a night in a normal neighborhood would be. He then runs as this place still gives him the creeps. Although he is thankful for the road.

"Isn't this place a little too familiar?"

Joren thought.

At that moment, a voice entered his mind.

<That's because this is where you live, Joren.>

The fish came out of nowhere and said, making him stop.

"System..." Joren was going to say that it's been a long while since he saw the fish but he was more concerned about what it said.

<If you don't want to believe me, you can find your house.>

"But shouldn't there be a 'sun' here? I mean, I know it's night but earlier, I should've seen it here, right?"

<You can see it, but consider how far you have traveled. Your House is numbered 12. We are actually in the thousands.>

Joren looked to the side and saw that there is certainly numbers plastered in the front doors of the houses.

<Do you know what this means?>