Ren furrowed his brow, struggling to wrap his head around the situation. "So, you mean to say you've managed to survive on minimal food for a century?"
Nori nodded, her mouth full as she chewed on another piece of meat. "Yep, that's the gist of it."
Elena couldn't hide her confusion. "Hold on a minute. If you can survive for a hundred years with so little food, why is there even a food crisis here?"
Nori took a large bite, choking slightly on the meat. Without missing a beat, Princess Lorelai smacked her firmly on the back, causing Nori to cough up the chunk of meat.
Unfazed, Nori continued eating, her voice muffled by the food in her mouth. "Surviving isn't the same as living. Yes, we can scrape by, but it doesn't mean we won't die. Our village has been dwindling away. Children and leaders are dying every day. We're running out of food, and water has become a rare commodity."
Evie and Ren shared a quick glance, both surprised at the unexpected information.
"They seemed more human, except for the lifespan," Evie mused, voicing her thoughts.
Ren nodded in agreement, his expression a mask.
Then after a few moment, Nori's eyes widened in realization. "That's right! We need to leave now!"
She hastily wiped her mouth and sprang to her feet, devouring the last piece of meat in her hand. "If the soldiers catch us here, we're as good as dead. They'll report us to Voraxa for sure!"
Princess Lorelai let out an exasperated sigh and placed her hand on her tilted hip. "Who exactly is this Voraxa anyway?"
"No time for explanations," Nori said urgently, already moving ahead as fast as her nimble legs could carry her. "I'll fill you in once we're back safe in the village!"
Ren frowned, questioning, "How far is this village of yours, exactly?"
"Not far!" Nori called back over her shoulder. "Just a day's run if we're quick!"
Ren and the others exchanged a weary sigh.
If that wasn't far, then they didn't know what far was.
"A day's run? That's quite a distance," Elena protested, summoning her giant lizard companion, Tiki.
"Woah, a giant lizard," Evie marvelled at the impressive creature.
Ren and Princess Lorelai had already seen Elena's pets, so they weren't as surprised.
"There's no way I'm running that far. Let's go," Elena declared, hopping onto Tiki's back, followed by the rest of the group.
They chased after Nori, who was sprinting nonstop. When she glanced back and spotted the enormous lizard closing in, her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Before she could scream, Tiki's tongue snaked out, coiling around Nori and then casually tossed her onto its back.
"AaAaarRgH!"
Nori landed with a thud, dazed and trembling in fear. It felt as if her soul had momentarily deserted her body due to the shock.
"Are you okay?" Elena asked concern etched on her face, while Evie poked Nori to check if she was still breathing.
Nori shook her head, her eyes sparkling with realization. "Is this your pet?"
"That's right," Elena replied.
"Whoa, having pets in these lands is incredibly rare. They're either strong demons or owned by nobles," Nori explained. Then, a thought struck her. "Come to think of it, you killed the Giant Purple Worm with just one shot."
"You're only noticing that now?" Ren said, barely suppressing a sigh.
"I was so shocked that the Giant Purple Worm died, but . . ." Nori's eyes widened with realization, her eyes sparkling at Ren and the others. "You guys are strong. Who are you?"
Ren and the others exchanged glances before Ren answered, "We're just adventurers with a mission here."
Nori tilted her head. "What kind of mission?"
"It's a secret," Elena teased, winking and putting her fore finger in front of her lips.
"Look, what's that?" Evie interjected, pointing at a strange, large tunnel stretching across the horizon in the distance that seemed like a hole towards the surface, with a beam of light passing through it.
"Ah, that's an Air Passage," Nori explained.
"An Air Passage?" the group inquired.
"To be precise, it's a Purple Worm Tunnel," she clarified.
Princess Lorelai pondered for a moment. "The name sounds familiar."
"It's the same worm that you killed," Nori deadpan.
"Why is it called that?" Ren asked, intrigued.
"To explain that, I have to give you a bit of background about this place," Nori cleared her throat and began, "Air is a fundamental necessity wherever you go. It's not a foreign concept, even here. Since this is the underworld, communities here can only survive with constant access to enough breathable air.
"It's not just a resource to be consumed; it must also be replenished. The intricacies of air cycles might not concern passing adventurers like yourselves since it's abundant in the surface, but it's crucial to a city's organization and essential infrastructure here.
"Aeration techniques vary, each with its own set of challenges and potential risks. These methods include relying on the ventilation of purple worm tunnels, constructing dedicated shafts, settling near maelossas and adjoining oases, building water-breaking plants using the abyssal duergar's sciencraft, creating complex magical structures, managing a cankerous nest that must be kept under control, and establishing an ecosystem between the plant life of Blackwater and the fiery exhalations of the ocean floor."
Ren and the others exchanged puzzled glances.
"You lost me at the 'Aeration' part, or whatever it is," Princess Lorelai admitted, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"Let me get this straight," Elena said, crossing her arms. "Are you saying that these worms produce air?"
Nori shook her head. "Historically, purple worm tunnels were the first source of air in the Netherworld. According to legends, these colossal beasts laid their eggs in the dune regions of the Sand Kingdoms before burrowing into the earth and rocks. The worms left behind new tunnels with remarkably stable walls, which became one of the sources of air in the Netherworld."
"So, you're telling us that the worm is originally from the surface? It just stumbled down here?" Evie asked incredulously.
Nori nodded in affirmation. "That's right. There are plenty of surface dwellers who fell through that tunnel and ended up right here in the Netherworld because of that."
