A year passed since Bronya left. Jiang Mo was now eight years old. He had fortified his shelter and, with a steady supply of food, his body had grown much stronger than other vagrant children.
He checked his stats.
[Name: Jiang Mo]
[Physique: 10]
[Strength: 12]
[Agility: 12]
[Charisma: 16]
[Loaded Permanent Traits: Trait Devourer (Gold), Silver-Tongued (Blue), Berserk (Blue)]
[Remaining Villain Points: 660]
His Strength and Agility were now comparable to a young adult's. His Charisma was ridiculously high. Well, a handsome face can't be helped.
Just as he thought his life was stabilizing, a month later, everything changed. The Silvermane Guards had withdrawn from the Underworld. The rumor had been circulating for a while, but no one had taken it seriously. Now, the guard posts were empty.
Panic spread like a plague. People rushed to the empty watchtowers, their shock turning to anger.
"They abandoned us!"
"It must be the Supreme Guardian! She abandoned us!"
Cries and curses filled the streets. The entire town seemed to collapse. Jiang Mo watched calmly. He knew this day would come; in the game's plot, the Overworld and Underworld were eventually completely sealed off from each other. He just hadn't expected it to be so soon. The only connection, a large pipe for transporting ore, was now severed. The path to the Overworld was completely cut off.
The food stall owner sat glumly, his stall nearly empty. "Little Mo… nothing good left today, only this," he said, handing over a hard piece of bread.
Jiang Mo sighed. With the crisis, his [Silver-Tongued] Trait was much less effective. Fear and hunger had taken hold, and mere words could no longer pry open people's wallets.
Seele's life became even harder. Without the Silvermane Guards, the Underworld descended into chaos. Gangs formed, fighting over scarce resources. He would see her with new cuts and bruises, her eyes sharper than ever.
Natasha, the director, was also filled with worry. The authorities were powerless. She began organizing the older children at the orphanage, teaching them self-defense and setting up night watches. The sentiment "The Supreme Guardian has abandoned us" spread like a virus, eroding the last vestiges of hope.
Jiang Mo returned to his shelter. The lockdown meant the Underworld was entering a darker, more chaotic era. [Silver-Tongued] was no longer reliable. Relying on Bronya was a long shot; she was just getting her footing in the Overworld. He had to find a new way to survive.
He reviewed the Belobog plot in his mind. Underworld… Wildfire… Fragmentum… Svarog… Trailblazer… The Trailblazer would eventually arrive and break the stalemate. But he couldn't just wait. That was at least ten years away. He had to survive until then.
What could he use now?
Suddenly, a name came to mind.
Wildfire. The militia led by Natasha and Oleg. After the guards left, they were responsible for the Underworld's security. Maybe I should join Wildfire? At least I won't starve. But Natasha hadn't come to Boulder Town yet, so Wildfire hadn't been organized…
What to do?
He ate the hard bread, the cold food clearing his mind. Oh, I've got it… A chilling smile spread across his face. It's actually quite simple.
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