The Fall of Gods (A Welcome to the Underworld Novel, Book 2) by Con Template Read Free Book Online

observation. Another thought invaded her mind.
    “Tae Hyun,” she launched excitedly, her eager eyes focused on the majestic streaks of color ornamenting the once blue sky. 
    “Hmm?”  
    “If you weren’t a gang leader , what would you be doing right now?” 
    He paused to mull over the answer. It threw Yoori off when he said, “What do you mean?”  
    His slightly bewildered voice said it all: he had never been asked that question before. And based on the tightening of the muscles in his arms, Yoori was sure that he was very uncomfortable with the question. 
    “Well…you weren’t first in line for the Serpents throne,” she began carefully. She was reticent with bringing up his older brother, but she was eager to know his answer since he hadn’t dismissed her question yet. “Before you found yourself as the King of Serpents, what were you planning to do with your life?”  
    When Tae Hyun fell silent, Yoori assumed that he dismissed her question. Just as the silence was about to eat away at them, his voice permeated the fresh, cool air.  
    “The 1 st layer is where I’m supposed to be right now if everything went according to the original plan,” Tae Hyun shared unsteadily, his voice more delicate than she had ever heard it. 
    Yoori nodded, pleased that Tae Hyun contributed to the conversation. It may have been because he felt nostalgic in the lake they were in—the solitude they found themselves in as the only thing keeping them company were the distant ducks, the dancing water, and the glorious sunset. Or it could even be because of her company. Whatever the case, Tae Hyun seemed more at ease when he spoke to her. 
    “I was raised to take over the 1 st layer. The original plan was to have my brother in the 3 rd  layer, myself in the 1 st  layer and Hae Jin could choose whichever layer she wanted to be in. I never once thought that I’d spend any real time in the 3 rd  layer—let alone rule it.” He smiled dryly. “I remember being so excited to take over the 1 st  layer. Going away to business school was one of the best times of my life.”
    His smiling eyes relived the glory of his college days.  
    “The world was my oyster and I was excited for the life to come. I wanted to make a name for myself in the corporate world. I wanted to build my own empire and I wanted to bask in the freedom of living the life I created for myself. There's a certain independence you get from the 1st layer. It is different than the 3 rd  layer in a sense that a lot of your power comes from knowing the right people. It worked to my benefit that I had endless businessmen/politicians who wanted to be my mentors and endless friends who were the soon to be heirs of their own respective empires. 
    “That’s why I had so much power and support when I took the Serpents throne 3 years ago. It is unheard of for the younger brother to kill the older brother for the leadership position, even under the confines of the Underworld. There’s still a particular code of honor that you should abide by—loyalty being the highest one. But I was ‘pardoned’ because of my close relations to the Corporate Crime Lords and the mentorship I received from Shin Dong Min. That’s how the Underworld works. The 1 st and 2 nd  layers don’t have as much power as the 3 rd  layer, but their influences—especially in large quantities—help to sway the pendulum of power.”
    He laughed bitterly to himself. “Being crowned the King of Serpents without an uproar was inevitable after that.”  He turned to Yoori. He smiled when he added, “You would like it in the 1 st  layer, Yoori. Life is much more carefree in that layer. There’s still the struggle for power that involves Underworld business but the majority of the time, you’re allowed to get lost in your own world.” 
    “Do you regret becoming the King of Serpents?” she blurted without filter.
    The pause was a short one that felt like an eternity for Yoori. Tae Hyun