The Shuttle began its landing. Finally giving my wildly beating heart some rest.

Schhhh! Crackle!

The door leading to the outside opened sliding upwards. Soon after the miners started leaving the vehicle.

Once outside we were being welcomed by a small outpost and a sole railway. It was single story building made of pristine panels, no doors and a single big glass pane with a hole in the middle.

Behind this sort of window there was a metallic humanoid figure, I personally have never seen it moving nor heard it speaking once.

Its only remarkable action is when an [inspector] goes near the window, the eyes of the metallic being will sparkle with intense light until the [inspector] turns around and makes some distance from it. Maybe that's a form of communication I'm not aware of yet.

Since I've not been accepted by the [System] there is only so much I can understand.

As a matter of fact I'm not such special case, only a minority of the population in the empire is able to use the powerful being created by the [Union].

Wielding the power of the [System] is the hidden hope of all miserable experiences that still work in the slums. Even if the possibility is almost inexistent, just the thought of one day waking up with its power drives our little bodies to endure another day of torture.

Coming out of my internal monologue, I notice a grey cylindrical object moving at high speed over the railway.

Looking more carefully...

The colour of the metallic bars that composed the track was alternating rhythmically from a translucent bright blue to a more deep shade of blue. With the tram getting closer and closer the rhythm started to increase.

This phenomenon never cease to amaze. Really.

"Stop staring, the tram will be here soon, let's go" said Inea just before marching towards the start of the railway.

"Sure thing" I told him, approaching one of the queue of miners waiting to get on the tram.

Clank! Clang! Clink!

Arrived at our destination we could already hear the sounds of the miners hitting against the rocks in search for the precious ores that could be found deep underground.

"The captains that will lead the teams have already been decided. Check your ID cards and move towards the Zone assigned for your team!"

Prompted the [Inspector]. Having seemingly ended his speech, the miners started to murmur among themselves.

"Attention! My location will be on outpost #43 of the first underground floor of the mines.

All the captains are obliged come there to receive the emergency device. Use it in case of danger and I will come for you."

Neither me or Inea was a captain of a team. But that was to be expected, since only veterans could be entitled with this role.

This, obviously, wasn't an official rank recognized by the [System]. But instead it has been associated to it by a powerful [ranker].

This has created the possibility to attach to it some of the functionalities of the [System].

For example captains are capable of utilize a [space holder], a special item of technology too advanced for the scholars of the empire.

Such a thing has been given to measly miners? Well that's the point, since it's a special item given to their rank its capabilities are restricted.

Visibly it's a simple cube one can hold within his hand. But the space inside it is extremely large.

Going back to the restrictions topic, the cube can only be use by a captain. Since captain ranks are assigned just before beginning their work and revoked before leaving the mines, you can't cheat by taking away the [tool].

Nonetheless it's said that finding loopholes and cheating the [System] is impossible.

Anyway, in the cube you can't stuff random things. It accepts only ores extracted from this precise site, and with a certain limit of purity too. Putting random rocks inside it won't work.

This has been explained to me by one of the captains I have been working with.

I admit to have been quite fortunate, since these veterans usually aren't talkative at all. They only care about the profits and gains from the ores inside the little cubes.

Captains don't like the [Inspectors] one bit. The cause is the most common among many, the [coins].

These little shiny metallic disks, are the currency of the [System], with them you can buy almost anything from the [System's shop] only that to sole being to have access to it are [ranker]s.

The point is that those who can use it can exchange [coins] freely, between themselves and with those who haven't a [rank].

Stated so, the [Inspector]s receive the ores from the captains, exchange them for [coins] from the [shop] and give back a part of the value acquired to the captains.

These veterans won't be fooled easily, but either way they can't say anything if the sum given isn't excessively low.

Why is that? Purely because they can pass the hot potato to someone else. For a matter of fact once gotten the [coins], the captain holds a part for himself and divides equally the remains for the rest of the team.

I heard some veterans call it a dog-eat-dog environment, if I recall right.

Well, back on track. It's time to check my ID card to check where I've be assigned to.

[Name: Xeno] [Surname:] - Revoked -

[Occupation: Miner]

[Residence: Elkatra, slum district, quarter #1321, shack number: 122]

[Temporary status: Assigned to team P-15, zone #231 of the fifth underground floor]

Looking multiple times at the temporary status of the badge to confirm the hateful sight, I couldn't hold back a well deserved "Fuck!".

Indeed it's a well known fact that the deeper in the mines you go the higher is the possibility of encountering dangerous creatures. Generally the condition are slightly better than on the higher floors, only the risk of being killed, eaten or smashed is greater.

At the same time I could see Inea frantically looking at his ID card, probably due to him getting a similar unfortunate location. "How is yours?" I urged him, hoping to share the same fate.

"F-Fifth, zone… #231" responded him with a trembling voice.

"I see, apparently we are together in this one" trying to console him.

"Come on, we just need to be careful and follow the captain orders, he surely had been at least that deep" I continued.

"You know that's a lie"

Saying so the youth started walking towards the huge gate ahead of us, signal of the entrance of the underground complex we will work in.

The gate, or more precisely a big U-shaped hole which frame was heavily reinforced with a special alloy.

All the main tunnels were reinforced with the same strange material capable of nullifying the possibilities of collapse.

The clear despair seen in the eyes of my best friend wasn't without a reason. Because the farther you move, horizontally, from the main tunnel the higher was the chance of collapse.

Indeed the number of monstrosities lurking around will increase, and as a matter of fact just the movements of the beasts could endanger the integrity of the small tunnels.

The ones that usually mined here weren't fools at all, only the most seasoned miners adventured deep down looking for more precious ores. They all had been captains multiple times and had accumulated [tools] over time. These items sold by the [shop] were essential and real life savers.

Very rarely would happen for newbies to be assigned on these locations. Casualties only lessened the amount of [coins] the [Inspector]s will get.

Anyway I'm not sad, neither feeling fear. The only friend remained for me to care for is Inea. I would have felt sorrow if we couldn't stick together in dangerous moment like this.