Chapter 5: Devil’s Shelters

Chapter 5: Chapter 5: Devil’s Shelters

"What’s wrong? Is it that bad?" El asked, grinning as if their shocked expressions were a personal victory.

"Well..." Morgan hesitated. "We at least expected... more."

"How could you not? After all, you’re from a prestigious family." El’s tone was teasing despite the harsh words. Judah rarely spoke, but El carried the conversation with an ease that made him seem almost too human to be a Calamity.

He stepped forward into the cramped cave entrance, barely wide enough for three people. The rough stone pressed close, cold and damp against their skin, the mountain looming overhead like a silent guardian. El placed his palm against the wall, fingers tracing an invisible pattern. With a deep rumble that vibrated through the ground, the rock face shifted and split open.

A hidden world unfolded before them.

"Welcome to the Devil’s Shelter," El announced with a theatrical flourish.

Morgan and Mrs. Liue stepped through in stunned silence. Inside the mountain lay an entire city—alive, breathing, and bustling. Worn wooden buildings and stone structures crowded narrow streets lit by glowing crystals and flickering lanterns. The air carried the mingled scents of sizzling street food, damp earth, smoke, and unwashed bodies. Voices echoed off the cavern walls: merchants shouting, children laughing, arguments rising and falling. Calamities moved together—working, trading, surviving.

People on rooftops turned to stare at the newcomers. Whispers rippled through the crowd.

"I always thought you guys were savages..." Morgan murmured, eyes wide.

"Yeah, that’s what everyone says," El replied. "Now, you two need to clean up. You look ragged."

"But we don’t have any money," Mrs. Liue said.

El chuckled. "Money doesn’t work here. Points do. Morgan, check yours."

"How am I supposed to—"

"Just think about it. The System will show you."

Morgan focused. A translucent blue panel materialized in his vision:

"l..." Morgan said quietly.

El then flicked his wrist. A notification flashed before Morgan’s eyes:

**[Points Received from Electric Calamity: Primitive Points × 10]**

"Don’t tell anyone I gave you those," El whispered with a wink. "It should be enough to get you cleaned up. After that, head to the post office and register with the Devil. We’ve got to go."

Before Morgan could thank him, both El and Judah vanished into the crowd like shadows.

"Let’s go, honey," Mrs. Liue said, taking his hand. They moved into the market, the uneven stone streets cold beneath their feet, lanterns casting long, dancing shadows.

High above on a rooftop overlooking the market, a scarred man named Grok watched them intently. His companion, a slim figure with a sly grin, took a slow sip of liquor from a dented metal cup.

"Whatever you’re thinking, Grok, it won’t work. Not in the Devil’s Shelter," the slim man warned.

"I know," Grok replied, eyes never leaving the mother and son. "I’m not planning anything here. But how is that boy marked by the System? Son of a prestigious hero... now a Calamity. Karma’s got a twisted sense of humor. I wonder what the Devil will say about this."

The slim man shrugged. "That’s what baffles me too. I’ve got a feeling something big is coming."

After purchasing simple clothes and supplies with their new points, Mrs. Liue walked beside Morgan through the crowded street. The fabric of her fresh tunic felt rough but dry against her skin, a small mercy after the storm.

Without warning, a hand seized her by the hair and yanked her backward. She cried out as she slammed onto the cold stone ground. A circle of onlookers formed instantly.

Mrs. Liue looked up. A girl stood over her—filthy, scarred, with patches of burned hair and a crooked, psychotic smile twisting her features. Pure hatred burned in her eyes.

"I bet you don’t remember me, bitch," the girl snarled, stepping closer with murder in her gaze.