Chapter 146: Idea

Although Zach and the others didn't know what to expect from the Underworld in regard to their methods of concealment and construction, they were confident in their abilities. Even if they had only found Locales by being abducted, making one themselves, or by receiving the coordinates, Zach, Dukiel, and Julius had no reason to suspect that the Underworld could hide from them.The Underworld had already gone to the lengths of hiding in the sewers. If they concealed themselves too well, it would be difficult for them to find their own base of operations.

As such, the group and their familiars were thorough as they inspected the sewer tunnels. But if they didn't find anything, it was because there was nothing to find there. So, they continued looking.

They had even brought torches this time. They didn't have to risk exposing themselves. If anything, it might make it easier to find what they were looking for. They just had to look for the ones running away from them or attacking them to try and cover up their tracks.

The light from the torches was unsteady and flickered in the weak underground draft of the sewers, but it was brighter than Yanael's halo.

After several hours but what felt like days due to the constant light and darkness around them, Zach was starting to feel bored of the treasure hunt. He wasn't giving up or anything. But looking all over the dirty sewers without finding so much as a trace was a little demoralizing.

"Guys, I have an idea." Zach broke the eerie quiet of nothing but boots smacking against wet stone.

Dukiel and Julius were reluctant to hear him out. Usually, when Zach said things like that with that tone of voice, it was the kind of idea that would have sounded better if the world was different. It also usually ended or began or both ended and began with trouble, if not for their surroundings, for them.

"Let's hear it." Unfortunately, Rabst, while he had grown a little closer to Zach during this adventure, had yet to learn of all of Zach's quirks.

"Dukiel, you said the sewers were still used to deal with rainwater, right?"

"Yeah…?" Dukiel did not like where this was going.

"The underworlders are hiding below the sewers. They have most likely made an entrance that leads downward somehow. If it's anything like the entrance to the second layer in the Giupusta Locale, it isn't equipped with airtight defense, even if it's concealed."

"Don't tell me…" Dukiel's eyes widened as he started to realize what Zach was getting at. Rabst and Julius also slowly turned to look at Zach with concerned expressions.

"Yes." Zach nodded confidently. "If we make the sewers flood, the water will flow down and drown the underworlders."

"'...'" The three stared at Zach with various expressions. Rabst was the one who was the calmest.

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"No," Rabst said without much of a change to his voice.

"Why not?" It was just an idea, so Zach didn't mind their rejection, but he at least wanted to know why.

"Setting aside whether we can make the sewers flood, did you forget that there are people down there?" Rabst said with slight reproach.

"No, not for a moment. I was just being realistic." Zach shook his head before continuing,

"It's unlikely they're still alive."

"...What?" Rabst's voice deepened as he looked at Zach, some kind of emotion swirling deep in his dark eyes.

Zach felt some pressure from Rabst's gaze, but it wasn't quite enough to scare him.

"The Underworld isn't exactly merciful. It took them a full fifteen minutes before they tried to kill us on our first encounter. They tried and succeeded partly to contaminate and take over our familiars. The only reason we are alive right now is because they tried to recruit me first. They don't have enough resources and barely treat the underworlders from higher layers like living beings.

"If the people they kidnapped have some kind of role to fill, they might be alive still if they haven't already fulfilled it. But I wouldn't bet on it. I have no idea why they're taking humans and from this city of all places. However, I know they don't treat life on the surface nicely.

"Assuming the worst is mercy to those who have been kidnapped."

Zach's words forced the other three into silence. He also forced them to realize that this wasn't a rescue mission. If they were lucky, it was a search and recovery to find the bodies of those who had family to grieve them. If they weren't, it was a mission to live up to the second part of the club name.

They were looking for the underworlders to exterminate them.

"Oh, right, considering many of those who disappeared seemed to be loners with grudges against society, it's likely they're still alive—"

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Zach looked at Dukiel, who interrupted him with a sharp gaze.

"...Living their best lives as underworlders–traitors to the surface and humanity."

"...Oh." Dukiel hadn't forgotten about that. He had just not wanted to think about how some people reacted positively to and adapted to underworld energy.

The others also understood what Zach was getting at.

Even if those who had disappeared were alive, if they had betrayed humanity for the sake of power, they could drown for all he cared.

"That leaves us with the problem of coming up with enough water." Julius pointed out the biggest flaw of Zach's plan.

"It was just an idea." Zach shrugged. If they could come up with a way to flood the sewers, great. If not, they just had to keep looking and do a manual extermination.

"...And the possibility that they might have prepared for a flood. An operation like this must have taken considerable planning and resources. They must have spent or prepared to spend years down here. It's not like it won't rain." Rabst pointed out another possible flaw to Zach's idea.

Zach shrugged again.

"They would have prepared for rain. Ordinary rain doesn't make the sewers overflow, not even during the rainy seasons. I checked. So…"

"So, we need a way to fill the sewers with more water than the rainy season to maybe succeed in flooding the underworlders hiding beneath the city?" Julius asked to confirm.

"Doesn't sound very realistic."