Chapter 37: Eyes on the Prize, Part 1

I strained my eyes as a bluish gleam washed over me. It was a lot more powerful in comparison to what I'd seen thus far. I grew accustomed to the change gradually, but it was the world unraveling around my field of vision that took my breath away.

Aside from what bits of information the elder had told me, I had no prior knowledge of the area. The environment as a whole became cleaner. Strolling down the wide streets this side of the Underworld has to offer, I became more convinced of that.

There were no alcoholics passed out in the alley with a bottle in hand, and no was dressed in the obnoxious robes I'd seen some of the merchants wear. There were also no stalls nearby. Everyone had their own, proper store. If it weren't for the constant tint of cerulean enveloping the place, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to compare it to the city above.

A man passed by without bothering to cover his figure. His entire arm was bare and encased in metal. An augmented limb, obviously. I couldn't help but wonder if revealing those parts had any significance, or if our augmented pal was an outlier. Perhaps showing what you had was considered a symbol of status around these parts.

The only person I saw with a modified body part was the slave trader I met a while ago, but as I delved deeper into this side Underworld, I've seen a lot more of them.

I should have been relieved this place didn't appear to be as dangerous, but that wasn't the case. I couldn't approach others like I used to. I felt out of place, as though I didn't belong among them.

Someone coughed, which caused me to turn around, realizing I'd been standing still for far too long. Without a doubt, I resembled a country bumpkin. No, I had no choice but to refer to myself as such. After all, this was my first visit to the Underworld.

My heart shook as I met his eyes. He wore a loose apron wrapped around his shirt, which wasn't really surprising in and of itself. What caught me off guard was something different altogether. It wasn't the hideous hat on top of his head, but the entirety of his eyeballs, which stood out among all of his other features. They projected the same cerulean color I had been surrounded by for a while now, giving off the appearance he was completely blind.

I've seen augmentations used to replace missing limbs or simply used to enhance one's strength, but I had no idea it was possible to replace your eyes as well.

"Would you like to buy something?" asked the chief, analyzing me.

"No," I replied, still freaked out by his presence.

The aroma of roasting meat then teased my nostrils. My stomach grumbled, and I had to gulp down the saliva that gathered within my mouth as a result of that irresistible scent.

"Then you should get moving," he said, cutting some meat from the roaster with a serrated knife before stuffing it into bread. "Here, try this."

I didn't say anything as I stared at him, indifferent to my hunger. This is the Underworld, and I knew better than to accept candy from a stranger.

"It's good to know your guard is up," the chief muttered as he bit into his sandwich. Then he added more salt to it, most likely because he wasn't satisfied with the flavor. "Remember to check your pockets often."

He was odd, and that wasn't only because of his eyes. Still, the chief didn't seem to have any malice towards me, so I decided to ask, "Do you have any idea where Jacob's might be?"

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Levander said I should be able to find it if I asked around, and since he was the first to open the conversation, I saw no reason not to take advantage of the opportunity he had provided.

He gulped. "I do, but nothing comes for free. There's a lot of competition in these parts, you know?"

"In that case, I'm not interested in what you have to say," I told him as I stepped away. "Enjoy your meal.

In the depths of my heart, I hoped he'd choke on it. It shouldn't be too hard to tell me where it was.

The chief chuckled as though he found me amusing and said, "Just walk ahead for a while, then turn left."

He burped, clearly unconcerned about how that gesture might appear to potential customers, or how it might change my perception of him as he continued, "You'll recognize it right away."

"Alright, thanks for the heads up," I said, still maintaining eye contact. Ethan suggested I throw in a curse or two to avoid being as polite as I am, but I doubted he meant that in a literal sense, which is why I added: "But you're not getting anything out of this, so why are you helping me? Isn't there an abundance of competition for you to worry about, Chief?"

That way, he won't be taking me for granted.

"It's just a whim," he responded, seemingly unperturbed by my barrage of questions. "Nothing personal."

"You're just avoiding the question," I pursued the matter further.

"Do you realize how much of a pain you are? It's my fault I got involved with you," said the chief, "I had no idea you could be this salty..."

As I turned my back, I whispered, just loud enough for myself to hear, "I could say the same to you..."

After that, the chief didn't try to mess with me. Fortunately, it didn't appear he heard my complaint. It would've driven me insane if he had augmented ears as well.

There was no way around it; the people around here might be even more difficult to deal with than the rest.

I needed to be even more cautious than I had been up to this point.

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