Landin City is one of the many cities in the Grand Magic Empire. In the Hyumbi Star System, the Grand Magic Empire ranks first due to its massive production of minerals.

Planet Gorn is the largest planet in the Hyumbi Star System and also the home of the Magic Emperor, a being said to have his hands in the pockets of Immortals and Gods.

Despite only being a Supreme High World, his wealth and connections had made him untouchable.

Landin City is a low-level city, so the number of crooks and delinquents there is staggering. They do not care what time of day it is. As long as they desired it, they would rob, beat or even kill.

Aside from robbing people of their hard-earned money, most delinquents went as far as capturing orphans and selling them into slavery. It was said that one of the major sources of income on Planet Gorn, and by extension the entire Hyumbi Star System, was the slave trade.

Bandits ambush and capture people to be sold into slavery every single day.

Most orphans hid from such people since, in Landin City, an orphan was merely a few Spirit Stones waiting to be claimed.

A 15-year-old boy clad in dirty and tattered clothes took a sharp turn and bolted forward, his speed matching that of someone who had already started cultivating, when in fact he was not even of age to begin.

But even if he were a genius, since most geniuses started cultivating at the early age of 14, looking at his clothes and the skin clinging tightly to his bones, it was clear he barely had enough to eat, much less purchase resources to cultivate.

His speed was an unnatural gift, something he had developed after spending years running from thousands of delinquents.

Today, he had caught the attention of a local crime boss who wanted him to become one of the many children he planned to ship to a slave mine within a few days.

Origin had no plans of becoming one of the unfortunate ones, not when his entire family had been sold into slavery after being ambushed on their way from a neighbouring city.

"Hey brat, stop running and be grateful I am not firing arrows at you!" a Spirit Ascension Stage cultivator shouted as he leaped from one building to another.

On the ground, Origin moved like the wind, his speed surging higher. Behind him, three others closed in rapidly.

"Leave me alone, you scums! Haven’t you taken enough from me already?" Origin cursed as he took another sharp turn, using his memory of the terrain to his advantage.

"Ungrateful brat. By becoming a slave, you would at least get to eat two meals a day and perhaps put on a few pounds."

"Relax, boss. He will not be getting away from us today."

Just as the men took a turn, they came to a sudden halt, their feet skidding across the ground for several meters. Up ahead, Origin stood trembling as a figure with purple-and-golden hair with streaks of red here and there, standing before him, arms crossed over his chest.

The one chasing from the rooftops also stopped the moment he arrived at the scene.

Origin, being the one closest to the figure, tried to force himself to run, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not move.

The purple-haired man looked down and asked, "Are you the one named Origin?"

The trembling boy nodded, and in a shaky voice, he pleaded, "P-Please... please do not hand me over to them. I beg you... please."

Kent crouched down and used his hand to brush through Origin’s hair. "Do not worry. I am not here to hurt you or hand you over to anyone. I actually need your help to find someone very close to me."

One could tell from hearing Kent’s words that Origin relaxed, almost as if he sensed the sincerity in Kent’s tone.

"I-I will do my best to help you find who you are looking for."

"Wonderful." Kent stood up and turned toward the four men chasing Origin. "You have until the count of three to vanish from my sight, or not even your bodies will remain to be found."

"Bold words from a nobody," one of the men chasing on foot said, pointing a finger at Kent.

"One." Kent began counting, unbothered by the insults and threats being hurled at him. He had sealed his aura, so to people like them, he was indeed a nobody wearing fancy clothes.

"Two."

The four advanced forward, knowing it would be four against one. However, just as they were a meter away, Kent reached the third count. He covered Origin’s eyes with one hand and briefly activated the Faceless Shadow Realm.

When he deactivated it, not even their bones were left behind to bury.

"Huh? Where are they?" Origin asked the moment he regained his sight.

Kent smiled and scoffed. "They ran away with their tails tucked between their legs. Lucky for them, if you ask me."

Origin believed his lie, which made Kent smile.

"Let’s get you cleaned up and fed before we discuss my reason for seeking you out."

Food always won, so Origin began following Kent. Of course, Kent knew there was a small chance the boy would run, so he baited him with a few Spirit Fruits.

Kent had arrived in Elina’s galaxy a month ago. The moment he arrived, he received a rather unexpected quest, one he had been following for the past month across many worlds and cities, all to find this mundane child.

---

[You have received a quest: Empire in Ruins.]

[Quest Level: Hell]

– Objective: [Travel to a planet called Gorn, to a city called Landin, and find a human child called Origin. Once you find him, ask for his help in locating your loved one and offer to help save his family. Whatever decision you make afterward depends entirely on you. Good luck.]

– Reward: [Nine Tribulation Dragon Blood Essence]

---

Kent had no idea what the quest truly wanted him to do aside from finding Origin and asking for help in locating his family. The rest would depend entirely on him.

Deep down, he knew things would not end well. This made him wonder if all of this had something to do with Elina. With no answers in sight, he continued following the destiny map, and after an entire month, he had finally located Origin.

Kent first took him to a boutique for a change of clothes, then to a high-end restaurant for a meal. After they had eaten their fill, Kent took Origin to a hotel, where he let him sleep for two full days.

He might have been in a hurry, but he was not about to work the poor kid without first letting him rest.

Thankfully, two days later, Origin woke up, and that was when Kent finally asked him the question.

"Origin, right?" The boy nodded.

"I am Kent Madson. I come from a very distant place in search of someone very dear to me. I was led to you and instructed to offer my help. So tell me, Origin, do you want me to help you get your family back?"

"What?" Origin stood up and gave Kent a suspicious look.

"You are joking, right?"

"I do not joke around, kid. I am indeed here to help you."

"You can forget it. The Abyss Slave Mine is not a place anyone returns from alive, much less a place where someone can save a family of five."

Kent frowned the moment he heard where Origin’s family had been taken.

"A slave mine, huh..." His gaze turned cold.