On the other side of the First Heaven, far from its center, in the northern region, a small blue planet orbited within its local star system.

The region of stars here contained a low density of heaven and earth energy, resulting in a populace far weaker than those in other regions. Worse still, this world was dominated by the human race, a race considered much weaker compared to others in the cultivation world.

Even so, like any other world, this small planet held many nations. Despite its size and overall weakness, its people were still divided among their own nations.

Although the populace lacked strength, they did not simply resign themselves to helplessness. Instead, they relied on their knowledge, what they called science, to enhance their strength and advance their civilization.

It served as a way to compensate for their lack of individual power compared to other races.

This planet possessed a form of advancement vastly different from the worlds Aldrian had visited in the past.

For example, the people of this world had constructed massive ring structures surrounding their planet to support their civilization.

Tall buildings, with styles unlike any of the worlds Aldrian had visited, adorned many regions of the planet. The people here had their own means of transportation to move from one place to another, akin to cruisers. This world depended heavily on the use of machinery.

There were also many things that would make Aldrian find this place interesting.

This was a world where Aldrian and Sylphia had spent part of their past lives.

The planet called Earth.

Within one of the most powerful nations on this world, China, in the city of Shanghai, skyscrapers rising over a kilometer into the sky could be commonly seen.

Screens of various sizes, displaying different things such as advertisements for products or invitations to join certain organizations, were spread across many places so people could easily see them.

People walked back and forth, occupied with their own activities, each with their own style of attire. Some wore robes similar to those Aldrian often saw in his daily life, while others wore unique clothing, what the people of this world called modern attire.

These were considered stylish clothes by the people of this world.

There were also some who wore plain clothes, making them appear unremarkable. They did not attract attention, and others simply did not bother to look at them.

One of those wearing plain clothes was a young man with short brown hair. His appearance could be considered slightly above average by the standards of this world.

He walked through the busy streets of the city. His expression showed fatigue, as if something weighed heavily on his mind.

’Big sis’s treatment fee is increasing this month. I already struggle to pay the usual amount, and with this increase, it will become even more difficult in the future. Do I have to take on more work than before?’ he thought as he sighed.

As he continued walking, the screens nearby suddenly changed, displaying a beautiful lady with a captivating smile seated behind a table.

"We are delivering breaking news. We have received reports that the Golden Dragon Squad, led by Lord Wei Zhenhai, has successfully cleared an SSS-class gate, the Earth Dragon’s Lair, at the northern border. With this confirmation, we can say that the threat in the northern border has been greatly reduced. We can finally breathe a sigh of relief, as one of the most dangerous gates in the world has been cleared by the pride of our country," she said.

Beside her, an image of a handsome young man with long black hair was displayed for everyone to see. He looked gallant in his armor.

The moment she finished her report, the people who heard it showed admiration. Pride could also be seen on their faces as they spoke among themselves.

"As expected of the youngest SS-rank hunter, he is truly the pride of our country. To clear the nearly impossible SSS-class gate, the Earth Dragon’s Lair, Lord Wei Zhenhai must have grown even stronger," one passerby said.

A young woman nodded, her eyes glimmering as she looked at Wei Zhenhai’s image on the giant screen.

"He is truly a perfect man. I don’t think there is anyone like him in this country. A descendant of a noble family, the successor of the Red Moon Group, handsome and still young, yet already an SS-rank hunter. He is the hero of our generation," she said, her tone filled with admiration.

"I agree. We are lucky to have Lord Wei Zhenhai. With his presence, our country is guaranteed a brighter future. We have a successor to our strongest hunter, Master Gao," another man commented.

The others continued discussing Wei Zhenhai’s achievements, while the young man stood still, looking at the screen, his gaze fixed on Wei Zhenhai.

’If only I had awakened a potential above B rank, not just F, I could hunt in higher-rank gates on my own. I wouldn’t have to worry about money, and I could easily earn enough for my older sister so we could live a better life.’ He showed a bitter smile and shook his head.

’What if... what if... it’s all just what ifs. This is the reality I live in.’

He then continued walking toward one of the large buildings owned by the China Hunter Association. It was a major organization established to gather all hunters across the country who were not affiliated with any guild.

Once inside, he met a group of seven people. Six of them carried a strong aura. The difference between them and him was like heaven and earth. They were truly strong. The other one had E-rank potential.

When they saw him arrive, one of the men clicked his tongue, showing clear displeasure.

"Yuheng, you finally arrived. How dare you make us wait? Don’t you know that time is important? If you don’t want this job, just say it. We can easily find another cleaner. There are many people willing to replace you," he said angrily.

The others also showed their displeasure as they looked at the young man, some even with mocking gazes, except for the one with E-rank potential.

Yuheng immediately bowed to the man and the rest of the group.

"My apologies, Young Master Pei. I just came from the hospital where my older sister is being treated. I just received a call from them—"

"I don’t care about your problems or your sister. If I tell you to come, then you come at the agreed time. What if we missed everything because you were too slow? Tsk. Useless. This is why I don’t like using F-rank cleaners," the man said without any regard for Yuheng’s feelings.

"Do you think you are still a member of a noble family? Wake up to reality. Your family has already fallen. There is no one left to support you. You have nothing to rely on, only that sickly sister of yours."

Yuheng, who was being berated like this, did not argue. He simply bit his lip and continued bowing.

"My apologies. I will never repeat this mistake again, so please give me another chance to make up for it this time. Please don’t remove me from this expedition. I really need the money," he said in an imploring tone.

There was nothing else he could do. He truly needed the money from this job, and the man in front of him was a C-rank hunter, someone far beyond him. Even if he fought with all his strength, the man would not be affected at all.

Instead, he could be slapped to death with ease.

The young man’s displeased expression then turned into a smirk. His eyes carried a mocking glint as he looked at Yuheng.

"I see that you seem sincere. Fine. But as compensation for your lateness, we will reduce your payment by half."

Hearing that, Yuheng instantly lifted his head and looked at the man with a wronged expression.

"Young Master, please don’t reduce my payment by half. It is already difficult for me to live day to day and support my sister. Please, I hope for your generosity to forgive me this once. I truly need the money for my needs," he said.

Young Master Pei’s expression turned furious.

"Letting you join my team and still paying you is already my generosity, and you expect more? Know your place, weakling. If you don’t want this job, then get lost. There are plenty of others who would take it."

"However, don’t blame me later if no team is willing to accept you again. The competition here is quite fierce."

Yuheng bowed once more, gritting his teeth.

"I will follow Young Master’s arrangement. If you pay me only half, then so be it. I am truly grateful for Young Master’s magnanimity," he said, which made the young master of the Pei family smile.

"Good. Now let’s depart for the newly discovered gate at the southern city border. There are already some groups that entered before us, but we might still obtain some treasures if we arrive quickly."

They then started walking toward the building’s entrance.

Yuheng took a deep breath to calm his heart, which at this moment was raging with the fury of humiliation, as well as from the young man touching on a topic that was deeply sensitive to him.

After calming himself, he followed them. He could only sigh, lamenting his fate of being trampled by the strong. It was the natural law, the truth everywhere, and he did not know how long he would have to continue living like this.

Would he remain like this until the day he died?

He did not know.

He could only keep moving forward for the sake of his family’s legacy and his sister.