"Lushi-chan, will this help the economy of the entire slum?" Lize asked.
"Absolutely," Lushi said with total confidence. "The sudden influx of high-level hunters will bring gold. The government will build paved roads just to access the shrine entrance safely. It will improve everyone's life out here."
"Hey," Krai called out again. His voice cracked. "I am stuck. I cannot see."
He took a cautious step forward. His boot snagged on an uneven rock protruding from the floor. He stumbled and fell hard to his knees in the wet dirt.
"Ouch."
He waited for someone to help him up. No one came. A few meters away, the two girls continued their intense planning session in the dark.
"We need to be extremely smart about this," Lushi warned. She paced back and forth in the narrow tunnel. "If we just walk into the Association and declare we found a shrine, they might try to cheat us. We are just slum orphans to them. They might steal the discovery rights in a heartbeat."
Lize tilted her head. "So we kill them?"
"No," Lushi snapped. She slapped her own forehead in frustration. "We do not kill the association officials. That invites the imperial knights to raid the slums. We need leverage. We have to map the first floor ourselves. We bring back a distinct relics as undeniable proof. Then we demand a strict contract."
"That sounds complicated," Lize complained.
"It is necessary." Lushi stopped pacing. She looked back up the dark slope toward the ruined mansion above them. "Think about the timing of the attack. The Gray-scaled Hounds swarmed our yard tonight. Monsters are naturally drawn to high concentrations of mana material. The underground shrine must have just activated. That explains why the beasts left the deep woods and came straight to our broken door."
"Because the mana material leaked out," Lize said.
"Yes. The sinkhole opened. The heavy mana material spilled into the cold air. The monsters simply followed the scent." Lushi clamped a hand over her mouth. Her dark eyes widened. "Wait. The sinkhole."
The realization hit them like a falling rock.
A heavy silence descended over the dark tunnel. The faint dripping of condensation seemed completely deafening now.
Lize turned her head slowly. She stared through the gloom at the small boy sitting pathetically in the mud.
Lushi followed her gaze and looked directly at Krai.
They stared at him in perfect unison.
"The sinkhole did not just open by itself," Lushi whispered.
"He found it," Lize said softly.
Krai rubbed his bruised knee. He squinted into the absolute darkness and try to locate the source of their voices. "Did you guys leave without me?"
He heard the heavy, deliberate crunch of Lushi's boots marching back toward him. She did not stop until the hard tips of her boots almost touched his muddy knees.
Lushi squatted down in the dirt. She brought her face incredibly close to his. Her dark eyes bored straight into his skull.
"Newbie," Lushi asked. Her voice was terrifyingly calm. "How did you know?"
"Ehh...?" Krai squeaked.
Lize walked up quietly behind Lushi and crouched down as well. She tilted her head, her long pink hair brushing lightly against the muddy floor.
"I think it is because he is the sky-man," Lize stated. She nodded as if this explained the fundamental laws of the universe. "He fell directly from the clouds. He naturally knows where the treasure is buried beneath the earth."
"I just fell," Krai pleaded. He held his small, shivering hands up in defense. "I tripped on a rock. That is it."
"Don't lie to me," Lushi said. She reached out and grabbed him firmly by the collar of his scratchy linen shirt. She pulled him closer.