Hell has a civilisation. The thought alone was absurd—yet here it stood, thriving in the abyss.
Fade dropped from the rooftop, landing with a sharp thud. His eyes glinted as he spoke.
"Down here, survival isn't about hunting or gathering. There's nothing to eat, nothing to scavenge. What keeps you alive is this."
A coin shimmered into existence between his fingers. He flicked it into the air, caught it, and held it upright.
"These are greed coins. Without them, you're already dead."
Jayden frowned. "Greed coins? Why call them that?"
Fade smirked. "Because they belong to the Supreme King of Greed. He controls every transaction, every price. Richest being in Hell—and the one who decides if you starve."
He clenched his fist around the coin. "I've got a hundred. Barely enough for a week. But I'll show you how to earn them."
Jayden tilted his head. "Through quests?"
"Correct. But not the way you think. We're humans here—illegal trespassers. That means we need disguises." Fade's voice dropped. "I'll buy you a cloak to hide your presence."
Hours later, Jayden spotted a figure approaching through the haze. He squinted. "Is that him? Took long enough for a cloak."
A tap on his shoulder made him flinch. Fade stood behind him, tossing a bundle into his face.
"Here. Wear it."
Jayden groaned, pulling the fabric off. "Could you be less violent?" He slipped it on.
Notice!
Your mana has been greatly suppressed to atom levels.
(Cloak of Ruined Pasts – Status: Unobtainable)
Jayden's eyes widened. "Where did you even get this?"
Fade smirked. "Connections. Be grateful."
"But didn't you say you'd buy it from the demon marketplace?"
"Never trust what's overheard. Now, let's go meet the civilisation."
Their trek northward was suffocating. Each step pressed down like a waterfall of demonic presence, crushing their lungs. After six hundred meters, the weight lifted, and Jayden gasped for air.
"Thought I was going to die again," Fade muttered. "Damn Iris."
Jayden's voice trembled. "So this is Hell?"
"Probably. And don't remove that cloak. We're here."
Before them loomed a colossal gate, guarded by two demons. Jayden's jaw dropped. "We were standing in front of this the whole time?"
Fade cursed. "Entrance fee. Minimum's two hundred coins, sometimes five hundred. Prices shift every hour."
Jayden shook his head. "That's brutal."
"Exactly. Staying here will only draw suspicion. Grab my hand."
Jayden hesitated. "Why?"
"Trust me." Fade's smirk widened as he pulled off his blindfold, revealing one eye.
NOTICE!
Vision reduced by 90% due to unknown error.
Jayden staggered. "I can't see!"
"Don't fight it. Just wait."
When his sight returned, they were crouched on a rooftop. Fade had already replaced the blindfold.
"What happened?" Jayden whispered.
"I distorted vision within a hundred meters. We slipped past by leaping the roofs."
Jayden's voice cracked. "We broke the rules, didn't we?"
Fade shrugged. "Rules? In a city of scammers? Nothing here is real."
Below them stretched a bustling demon city—vendors shouting, merchants trading, structures rising in eerie perfection. It was civilisation, twisted and thriving.
Fade pointed to a towering board in the square. "That's what we're here for. The quest board."
Jayden swallowed hard. "So this is where it begins."