Deep in the Living
Chapter 301 - 289: Composition of Hell

Chapter 301: Chapter 289: Composition of Hell

True Hell.

After two instances of World Compression, the world assumed a conical structure.

Just as the Earth can be divided into the Southern and Northern Hemispheres, True Hell is also divided into the Bright Side and the Dark Side, but the proportion is not equal; it’s 4:1.

The Bright Side has a larger share, with more wars, more new lives, more activities, and more diverse Hell Forces.

Here, the alternation of day and night is very distinct, and the gathering and absorption of ash can be clearly seen.

The two largest Hell Forces are also located on the Bright Side.

1. Rachion (or Evil Spine) based on the Spine

2. Primordis Pustum, based on the tumor-like people

Of course, as a significant unique force, the Sequence Group is also on the Bright Side.

The Bright Side is where most Hell Creatures are active, relatively safe, at least not dying inexplicably; most Demons develop and become stronger here.

The Dark Side, on the other hand, is a region without day and night, perpetually enveloped by ash.

The ’Hunger’, those responsible for absorbing Hell’s ash, mainly live here.

All the world’s ash swallowed by them swirls toward the Dark Side, such that no traveling celestial light can penetrate here.

Hunger belongs to a special force of the Dark Side—[Buffet],

Different from other forces, there is no direct way to become Hunger and join the Buffet.

Even the Buffet itself doesn’t have a clear leader; most of the time, they just wander aimlessly in the Dark Side, endlessly feeding, considered as an important part of the Hell’s ecological cycle.

The formation of Hunger is more a selection by Hell itself.

Those inherently weak and without any talents, who can never attract any Hell Force’s attention throughout their lives, even scorned in the most ordinary Hell Town and far less useful for even the most basic chores.

In a place like True Hell, where the survival of the fittest reigns, such weak, defective individuals should have long been eliminated.

Unable to subsist, even a tiny bit of food is unattainable.

A fraction of Demons, upon realizing their limitations, choose suicide; their bodies are absorbed by Hell and become fuel, contributing in their way.

Some Demons attempt to survive by stealing or scavenging others’ food, but their weakness destines that such acts cannot last long, eventually provoking others and getting killed.

Only an extremely small number of Demons,

Even after recognizing their own weakness, still want to survive and do not choose to steal, nor lower themselves to scavenge through trash.

They leave the towns, leave the settlements, and embark on a solitary journey of survival.

In a state of starvation, they choose to consume Hell itself.

Gnawing on thorns, swallowing sand, choking down stones... anything can be food, used to stave off the pangs of hunger.

Of course, their already frail bodies cannot support this way of eating for long, and they will inevitably die. If they reach some unknown standard before death, they will be selected by Hell.

Hell will devour their bodies for special transformation and eventually emerge from the Dark Side as Hunger.

Hunger generally does not leave the Dark Side,

Once they find a creature not from the Dark Side, the intense hunger is triggered, and they attack the outsider.

This is one of the dangers of the Dark Side.

Another main force deeply rooted in Hell’s Dark Side is [Evil Play], which makes many Demons have a headache, a force that is mysterious, cunning, and extremely selfish.

The members of Evil Play are called ’Insects’.

The number of constituents in Evil Play is more than the Sequence Group, but far fewer than Evil Spine and Primordis Pustum.

Unlike Hunger on the Dark Side,

There is a very clear way to become an Insect, and it is a very general, simple method.

You don’t need any suffering pilgrimage like the Monks,

Nor do you need war-related, physical trials like becoming a Spine.

Only a "test answer" is needed.

The so-called test answer is to cause trouble in True Hell,

Whether trivial matters or widely known major affairs, as long as it’s sufficiently malicious and entertaining, and truly done with the memory ingrained in one’s brain.

When the individual heads to Hell’s Dark Side, they only need to make contact with any Insect organization, and the Evil Play members will open their skull, checking within their brain for that answer stored in memory.

There is no fixed answer.

As long as the personnel of the Evil Play laugh, finding it amusing, it counts as a pass... Of course, one might be deceived, and thus completely vanish within Hell.

Once the answer sheet is accepted, the individual will head to the main city of Evil Play, where they’ll receive the Hell Item—"Game Brain," and officially obtain the Hell System.

Such brains often enable them to manipulate illusions or disrupt thinking.

Using deceptive and shameful yet effective methods such as influencing others, deceiving, setting up, and so on, are called "Plays."

What Luo Di experienced at the Rat Inn was a manifestation of Play at the level of illusory space.

Insects within the Evil Play tend not to engage in direct combat,

their every action is fundamentally aimed at killing their opponents with despicable, sinister means, devoid of any honor, yet they enjoy it tremendously.

Due to the nature of Evil Play,

it even sparked a nationwide frenzy of mischief at a certain historical stage, and Hell was thrown into turmoil, with the shadow of Insects omnipresent, even infiltrating into several other powers.

Eventually, balance was disrupted,

Spine no longer indulged in world invasion and internal attrition; the Seven Demon Kings led their armies straight towards the Dark Side. Along their journey, anyone with even a whiff of Insect’s scent would be turned into cannon fodder for their troops.

Since then, Evil Play has ensured it no longer causes widespread trouble, primarily acting only within the Dark Side. Individuals wishing to join Evil Play now do so sneakily, taking care to avoid Spine as much as possible.

Furthermore,

reaching Hell’s Dark Side is not easy, not something that can be achieved by ordinary travel.

Between the surface and the Dark Side lies the *Dead Ash Sea*, a great ocean raised through World Compression,

a vast sea filled with ashes, piled with Hell’s waste, and overflowing with miasma.

Due to trade demands, recruitment for Evil Play, and exploration of the Dark Side, port cities of various sizes have been established along the coast, most of which are linked to powers and offer mature transoceanic travel services.

...

Clip-clop! Clip-clop! Clip-clop!

The iron hooves of the black pig heavily trod the Burning Earth Plain, causing beasts within a range of a hundred meters to automatically give way.

By contrast, the Crow Colt is silent and tranquil, making no noise regardless of speed.

According to Agatha’s introduction, the Crow Colt is a creature of Hell’s Dark Side and is also classified as [Rare] in the Hell Beast Atlas of the Great Monastery Library, where its image is specially highlighted with a thorny metal frame.

Rare and difficult to tame, even Insects living in Hell’s Dark Side seldom manage to use them as mounts, requiring special brain manipulation techniques to have a chance of control.

After six days of travel,

Stopping briefly in some Hell Towns along the way, rumors about the Crow Colt messenger grew stronger.

Across the Burning Earth,

a moist and filthy breath of air seeps into their mouths.

The ground trodden by the hooves is no longer dry and hard but a sticky and muddy surface. Even the light steps of the Crow Colt ooze out pus-like filth with every hoof to the ground.

Agatha’s driven black pig splashes the juices, needing at least a ten-meter berth.

They have reached the coastal zone.

Luo Di finally saw non-thorny vegetation, which made him feel even more uncomfortable, even wanting to keep his distance.

’Festerquama’

A type of plant unique to the coastal regions of the Dead Ash Sea, its surface is covered in scales in various shapes, the whole body swollen and twisted, with tumor-like fruits on top that burst out copious rotting ashes on mere touch.

The closer to the sea, the denser these trees become, even forming thick forests.

There are also dangerous swamp areas nearby, unsuitable for heavy mounts to pass through, and both travelers try to avoid them as much as possible.

As they were about to pass through the forested area, a powerful beam of light suddenly shot through.

A huge lighthouse, hundreds of meters high, rises along the coastline,

and below it, there’s a sizable city built, nearly comparable to Moon City where Luo Di had stayed, but the style of the city made him feel uneasy.

"A city of tumor-people?"

Agatha nodded, "That’s right, this is the largest port city of the Dead Ash Sea—Navel Port, belonging to the Primordial Slime, and it is also the most reliable port for traveling to Hell’s Dark Side.

This city can also be considered a large-scale wastewater treatment plant.

If not for this city’s existence, if not for the tumor-people digesting filth day and night, the sea would have long turned into a mountain of trash.

The living environment here might be a bit harsh; Luo Di, you should be able to adapt, right?"

"Hmm."