At the same time, within the gargantuan city controlled by Kunlun Corp—Iron Grave.

  People said there was no sky in Iron Grave.

  Or rather, the sky was a luxury reserved for those on the upper levels.

  For Jay, who lived in the Undercity, the world above his head was forever a rust-stained steel dome, a chaotic web of crisscrossing sewage pipes and creaking transport cables.

  The few streaks of murky light leaking through the cracks in the dome were merely artificial runoff from the residential areas of the Mid-city. Mixed with the unceasing acid rain, they formed bubbling, multicolored puddles on the ground.

  The air was thick with the acrid, rot-like stench of rust, machine oil, and low-grade nutrient paste.

  Jay’s sister, Maya, already suffered from fibrotic lesions in her lungs.

  The doctor called it "Undercity Disease."

  Unless she received Kunlun Corp’s Gen-III Gene Repair Serum, she was destined to die in suffocating agony.

  The price of a single vial of that serum could buy an entire street in the Undercity.

  Today, Jay carried his entire net worth—a heavily worn silver coin from the Old Era—as he stepped onto the freight elevator leading to the upper levels.

  He was going to The Spire, to Kunlun Corp headquarters. He was going to beg for a vanishingly slim chance at a "Charity Relief" slot.

  "Stand firm, kid! If you fall off, no one’s picking up your corpse!"

  The crude foreman bellowed, pulling down the rusted gate.

  The massive elevator emitted a bone-grinding screech of metal friction as it began its slow ascent.

  The Undercity sank rapidly, blurring into a chaotic mosaic of neon signs, trash heaps, and cramped tin shacks.

  The elevator passed through a thick alloy partition. The Mid-city had arrived.

  The air here was no longer as pungent. Through the mesh guardrails, suspended streets and crowds of people in a constant hurry were visible.

  Mechanical sentries patrolled the air, their light beams scanning over people like they were inspecting livestock.

  The elevator did not stop. It continued upward.

  As it passed through another, even thicker dome layer, Jay’s ears buzzed from the change in pressure.

  Then, the light appeared.

  It wasn't the murky artificial light of the Mid-city. It was bright, warm light that seemed capable of piercing the soul.

  Jay subconsciously squinted.

  When he opened his eyes again, he saw the sky.

  A stretch of azure, crystal-clear sky without a single impurity.

  He took a greedy breath. A surge of air so fresh it made him dizzy rushed into his lungs, carrying the scent of vegetation.

  The air was too pure. It caused a sharp pang in his lungs, which were long accustomed to filth, and he began to cough violently.

  With every breath of foul air he coughed out, he felt as if he were polluting this holy land.

  This was The Spire.

  The elevator docked at a massive platform. Everything surrounding it was constructed of polished white alloy and transparent crystal glass.

  Several guards in silver-white uniforms approached. Their prosthetic eyes, glowing with a faint blue light, scanned every individual.

  Jay’s coughing drew their attention.

  One guard extended a hand covered in a metal exoskeleton and pointed at him. "You. Present your temporary pass."

  The voice came through a built-in speaker, devoid of emotion.

  Trembling, Jay pulled out the data card he had traded his silver coin for—a card valid for only three hours.

  The guard’s ocular implant flickered as it processed the data.

  "Destination: Kunlun Tower Block A, Visitor Reception. Purpose: Application for Charity Relief."

  The guard droned out the information, his gaze appraising Jay like a piece of cargo.

  Jay wore old clothes salvaged from a trash heap, looking utterly out of place in these pristine surroundings. He could feel the stares of the Spire residents—it wasn't even disgust, but a far more painful form of indifference. He was a cockroach that had crawled onto a dinner table.

  "Proceed straight through the decontamination corridor. Do not deviate from the route. You must depart within three hours, or you will be processed as an intruder."

  The guard finished speaking and ignored him.

  Jay clenched his fists, keeping his head down as he hurried onto the "decontamination corridor." Soft mists smelling of disinfectant sprayed from both sides of the passage, purging the "pollution" he had brought up from the bottom.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Kunlun Tower. A crystal spike piercing the heavens.

  Standing beneath it, Jay was less than a speck of dust.

  The lobby floor was polished to a mirror sheen, reflecting a simulated river of stars swirling across the ceiling. Men and women in expensive fabrics strolled past him, trailing scents of perfumes he had never even dreamed of.

  Following the automated guidance, he found the Visitor Reception desk tucked in a corner.

  A holographic projection of a beautiful woman received him. Her smile was a perfect, standard template; her voice held no warmth.

  "Visitor B-734, your application requires initial review and a signature from Department Supervisor Lucius Vane. Supervisor Vane is currently at the Level 79 Sky Garden. You may use the visitor elevator to proceed."

  Level 79!

  Jay’s heart hammered against his ribs. He practically sprinted into the transparent sightseeing elevator.

  As the lift ascended, the entire structure of Iron Grave unfolded before his eyes: hovering flyers, shuttling maglev trains, luxury penthouses with rooftop pools, and real green plants enshrined within glass conservatories.

  The Sky Garden on Level 79 was a level of decadence beyond his imagination.

  It simulated an Old Era tropical rainforest—warm, humid, filled with birdsong and the fragrance of flowers. Beneath his feet was soft, real grass.

  A middle-aged man in silk loungewear sat in a wicker chair, sipping a drink that gave off an exotic aroma. A petite maid knelt on the floor, trimming his toenails. Beside them, a massive mechanical hound with sleek, polished plating lay napping.

  That man had to be Lucius Vane.

  Jay summoned every ounce of his courage and walked over, his voice trembling with nerves.

  "M-Mr. Vane? Hello. I’m Jay, from the Undercity. My sister’s illness... I’m here to apply for the company's Charity Relief..."

  Lucius didn't even lift his eyelids. He waved a hand dismissively.

  "Can't you see I’m busy? Go to the reception desk."

  "But... the reception said I need your signature..."

  Only then did Lucius slowly raise his head. His gaze swept over Jay like he was looking at a pile of rotting garbage.

  A playful, mocking expression flickered across his face.

  "Oh? From the Undercity? Quite the rare guest."

  He took a sip of his drink and turned to the maid. "Look. This is what a sewer rat looks like. They’ll crawl all the way onto a human’s dinner table just for a few scraps."

  The maid’s body trembled slightly. She didn't dare respond.

  Jay’s face flushed a deep crimson. A wave of humiliation crashed over him.

  But he thought of his sister on her sickbed, struggling for every breath. He could only grit his teeth, grinding the last of his dignity underfoot.

  "Please, Mr. Vane. Just one slot... I’ll do anything!"

  "Anything?" Lucius Vane laughed. The sound was pure mockery.

  He pointed to the food bowl of the mechanical hound. Inside lay a slab of pink, high-grade synthetic steak.

  "See that meat? That’s 'Warhowl’s' lunch. Gen-A nutrient paste infused with Snaggle-Tooth Mammoth gene segments. A small piece is enough for your kind to live on for a year in the Undercity."

  He paused, savoring the shifting expressions on Jay’s face.

  "How about this," he said slowly. "Get on your knees. Bark like a dog. If I’m entertained, I’ll consider it."

  Time froze.

  Jay could hear nothing but the frantic thumping of his heart and the roar of blood rushing to his brain.

  His knees shook.

  One voice screamed: Kneel, for Maya!

  Another roared: Shatter his face with a single punch!

  Lucius watched him with keen interest, as if observing a gladiator match.

  "Unwilling?" His tone grew cold. "It seems your sister’s life isn't worth as much as your pathetic pride. Get out. Stop polluting the air."

  He snapped his fingers.

  Two landscaping robots immediately switched modes. High-voltage stunners extended from their mechanical arms, hissing with electricity as they closed in.

  "Wait!"

  Jay finally broke.

  With a desperate shout, his knees gave way. He collapsed heavily onto the grass.

  He closed his eyes. Tears of humiliation mingled with sweat and fell.

  He pictured his sister’s pale, small face.

  "Woof... woof woof..."

  A dry, raspy, pathetic sound squeezed out of his throat.

  Every syllable was a knife, carving into his heart.

  Lucius Vane erupted into a delighted fit of laughter. He clapped his eyes and looked at the maid. "Listen to that! How entertaining! Give our 'guest' a reward."

  The maid’s hands shook as she picked up the steak. She walked over to Jay, hesitated for a moment, and then tossed it onto the grass in front of him.

  The steak was coated in blades of grass and dirt.

  Jay stared intensely at the meat, his body shaking like a leaf in the wind.

  He didn't reach for it.

  He slowly raised his head. Within his bloodshot eyes burned something Lucius Vane didn't recognize.

  It wasn't submission. It wasn't despair. It was a harder, colder hatred—something crushed that had begun to solidify into something else.

  "No appetite?" Lucius’s smile vanished. The play was becoming dull.

  Just as the robots were about to move in, the image of Maya’s pale, hopeful face flashed through Jay’s mind.

  His entire body convulsed. The final remnants of his dignity crumbled into dust.

  "I’ll eat it."

  The words were a hoarse rasp, squeezed from the depths of his throat.

  Lucius Vane’s smile returned. He waved a hand at the robots, signaling them to stand down. He watched Jay with predatory interest, like an audience member savoring a twisted play.

  Jay crawled forward, trembling. Like a literal dog, he knelt before the slab of meat that still held its warmth.

  He didn't dare use his hands.

  He lowered his head and tore into the meat with his teeth, devouring it ravenously. Greasy sauce smeared across his mouth and cheeks. Tears of humiliation mingled with the food as it slid down his throat, searing his esophagus.

  "Heh... Hahaha!" Lucius leaned back, laughing until he shook. "What a spectacular performance. Far more entertaining than a circus monkey."

  Jay froze.

  He lifted his grease-stained face, the last flickering spark of hope in his eyes wavering on the brink of extinction.

  Lucius wiped away a tear of laughter and leisurely picked up his communicator. He dialed a number right in front of Jay.

  "Oh, by the way," he said in a casual, offhand tone. "Cross that name off the Charity Relief list. The one called 'Maya.'"

  Jay’s pupils contracted violently.

  Lucius continued, "I’ve suddenly decided that helping the kin of a dog soils my list. I despise anything associated with dogs."

  "NO—!!!"

  The final thread of Jay's sanity snapped.

  He let out a subhuman roar and lunged at Lucius Vane like a madman. His hopes, his dignity—everything had been reduced to nothing. Only a suicidal frenzy remained.

  But he didn't even make it within three meters of Lucius.

  The two robots activated instantly. One metal arm clamped around his throat like a vice, hoisting him off the ground, while the other brutally pinned his arms behind his back.

  The agony of dislocating bone flared through him, but it paled in comparison to the despair in his heart.

  "Disobedient creature." Lucius frowned in disgust. "Dispose of him."

  The robots received the command. They dragged Jay, who was now limp as a ragdoll, toward the waste disposal chute leading to the lower levels.

  A moment before he was hurled down, a new conversation drifted from the office.

  A subordinate hurried in, reporting respectfully, "Supervisor Vane, news from Blackrock Town. One of our Gen-I Energy Cores has been hijacked."

  Lucius picked up a cup of honey tea from his desk, acting as if the farce from moments ago had never happened.

  He interrupted with irritation. "You’re bothering me with such a triviality? It’s just a Gen-I core."

  He took a sip of the tea, but his ruined mood hadn't quite recovered.

  His gaze turned cold as he added, "However, I’m not in a good mood today. Send men to investigate. I don't care who took it. Once they're found, don't bother reporting back. Execute them on the spot."

  "Remind those bottom-dwelling scum that our company’s prestige is not to be provoked."

  "Yes, Supervisor."

  The subordinate withdrew.

  Only then did Lucius Vane lean back in his chair with satisfaction. He closed his eyes as the warm sunlight filtered through the pristine floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing his face while he slowly savored the sweet honey tea.

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