HSR: Miss Herta Want To Be Pursued Too - Chapter 2.1: Under and Over

However, in these difficult times, more despair arrived.

The Silvermane Guards stationed in the Underworld to hold off the Fragmentum were suddenly withdrawn, leaving more towns completely invaded by the Fragmentum, forcing everyone to huddle in the only safe haven—Boulder Town.

The Qlipoth Fort directly ordered the sealing of passages between the Upper and Underworlds, completely isolating them into two regions, cutting off all supplies.

Living in this barren underground, the living standards here could be imagined.

Clothing, food, medicine, and daily necessities—all were scarce. Regarding food, the only vegetables were some special plants that grew underground or fern-like mosses. The only meat came from creatures like salamanders and rock-dwelling crabs, which were unpalatable without heavy seasoning.

Life was filled with despair and numbness, and the chaos bred by this despair.

So, the people of the Underworld harbored resentment towards those in the Overworld who isolated them and enjoyed the good life.

Luo Yu’s first visit only met with hostility.

But soon the residents changed their minds, for the feast was too tempting.

From initial hostility, they now enthusiastically welcomed and revered Luo Yu.

A sumptuous feast every fortnight became the most anticipated day, a warm haven in their numb despair, changing their lives and bringing color back to their grey existence.

Loved and revered, they knew this was a kind-hearted lord from the Overworld.

But charity always has an end, and they knew in their hearts that no matter how kind a lord might be, it was impossible to keep spending so much money on them indefinitely. After all, they offered no real benefit to him, and these good times would inevitably come to an end.

Despite understanding this deep down, everyone instinctively avoided mentioning it, evading the confrontation with this harsh reality.

Now, this single uneasy question ruthlessly shattered everyone’s dreams.

Luo Yu followed the voice and saw a young man hanging his head in shame, his clothes patched up like those of most people in the Underworld.

He scanned the crowd, seeing many pairs of dull eyes, and finally, under their bleak gaze, he spoke.

“There will be.”

Luo Yu’s warm smile remained unchanged as he looked at the people around him who had raised their heads in surprise. His words were filled with certainty: “The most frightening part of a long night isn’t the hidden dangers, but losing hope, losing the meaning of life. Since coming here, I’ve seen too many numb eyes, chaos born from despair.”

“But everyone, no matter how long the night, dawn will eventually come.”

“The night before dawn is always the hardest to endure, but I will do my best to guard that expectation in your hearts for tomorrow.”

“As long as there is a warm expectation in our hearts, a glimmer of hope, and a longing for tomorrow, the night is no longer terrifying. This is the significance of what I’ve been doing all these days.” His gentle yet firm words clearly reached everyone present.

Despite the large crowd, it was so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Some looked down at their half-eaten food, tears welling up in their eyes. Others chewed and swallowed, but the delicious feast now felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Slowly, the sound of soft sobs and crying began to emerge, quickly spreading, expanding, and increasing.

This tenderness made everyone unable to hold back their suppressed grievances, pain, and sadness, tears flowing uncontrollably, sobbing even the miners who usually kept their inner suffering hidden lowered their heads, covering their reddened eyes, their bodies trembling.

Luo Yu did not interrupt, waiting quietly for two minutes.

“Sorry, I got carried away and said something heavy. Today is supposed to be a happy day.” Luo Yu’s voice drew everyone’s attention again. Under the gaze of hundreds of people, he spread his arms and smiled.

“Everyone, please feel free to look forward to it. I’m always here. After all, since I’ve claimed to be this beacon of hope, I must bear that responsibility.”

For a moment, there was silence, then an overwhelming wave of cheers and tearful shouts. Some people loudly called Luo Yu’s name, while others wiped their tears, shouting something.

“Mr. Luo Yu! Mr. Luo Yu!”

“So dazzling, wooo~”

“I have nothing to repay you with, but if you ever need anything, Lord Luo Yu, we will go through fire and water for you!”

“I’m so damned, Mr. Luo Yu, I even spoke ill of you in my heart before, wooo.”

At the same time.

The sound of notifications constantly rang in Luo Yu’s ears, and the prompts flashed continuously.