The moment the bald man placed the marking rod on my back, an incredibly painful burning sensation erupted through my body.

"Alert!!! A foreign object is attempting to place a restraint on the host's body!

The self-defense system has automatically activated!

Eliminating the restraints..."

As Vivi began the process, it felt as though my entire body had been set ablaze. I could've easily held back my screams thanks to Pain Intolerance, but I didn't. Instead, I deliberately screamed at the top of my lungs nearly making the bald men bleed from their ears.

"Elimination successful!"

"Huff... huff..." I took deep breaths as the pain finally subsided.

"Tsk, what a weakling," the bald man scoffed, shoving me toward the gate.

"Wait a second," I gasped inwardly. "Vivi just said it removed the restraints. Will I still be able to enter?"

I was worried, but before I knew it, I was already inside.

There was a whole different world beyond the gate. I was standing before a gigantic underground cave village filled with thousands of barely standing stone houses.

Numerous glowing stones were embedded in the ceiling, which was as high as the trees in the Forest of Gumiho.

Ding...

You have triggered the Main Quest Series: Secrets of the Abandoned Land!

Secrets of the Abandoned Land:

For over a thousand years, the Abandoned Land has concealed an ancient secret. Uncover its mysteries by completing each act of this quest series.

Act I: Seize control of the Forlorn City Mines.

Reward on Completion: Evolution of the All-Devouring Breathing Technique

Penalty on Failure: Termination of the entire series.

"Th-that's one hell of a quest," I gasped inwardly. "The reward is quite tempting, but the condition to complete it is equally challenging."

Taking a deep breath, I murmured, "Let's see how things unfold."

I moved forward, where Vyaghra, along with the others who had entered before me, had gathered.

In front of them, a man carrying a double-edged axe stood on a raised stone platform.

"All of you who were brought here failed to make a living in the city. You are nothing but filth that stained the city with your presence. As punishment, all your rights are revoked, and you will now work as mining slaves for eternity.

There are only four things you need to do here:

First, complete the daily mining tasks assigned to you. Fail to do so? Death!

Second, avoid serious injuries. We don't need dead weight that can't work, so fail to do that? Death!

Third, follow every order given to you without question, or die.

Fourth and last, don't do anything besides the first three things, or it will also lead to your death.

Ah, one more thing, if any woman becomes pregnant and can't work, then her husband must complete her share of the work. If he fails, both of them will be killed.

That's all. Choose any house you like to stay in and come to the other end of the village within five minutes."

"Wh-what kind of hellish life is this?" one of the male slaves exclaimed. "I..I'm not staying here!"

He turned and bolted toward the gate from where we had entered.

The moment he touched it, a blue flame erupted from the slave mark on his back, and in the blink of an eye, he turned to ashes.

"As I told you, do anything besides the first three things, you will die," the watchman laughed.

As the reality of their ruined lives sank in, some slaves began to sob while others trembled uncontrollably.

Yet there was also a person who took a breath of relief.

"You don't need to go to the mine, Alisha," the young man murmured, touching his wife's cheeks. "I will complete your tasks."

"I'm sorry, husband... sniff... for being a burden."

"You are not a burden, dear wife. You are carrying my everything with you," the young man replied, placing a hand on her stomach.

We walked toward the village and began looking for empty houses. Strangely, the whole village was desolate except for the kids running around the streets in threadbare clothes.

"Hey look, new slaves have come," a small girl with two braids exclaimed. "Let's see how long they last."

"Look, this one has golden eyes," a boy gasped, pointing at Vyaghra.

"And this one has red eyes!" another boy shouted, running toward me.

"Oy, red-head, what's your name?" the girl with two braids demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

"It's Raj," I replied with a warm smile before asking, "How may I address you, little lady?"

"I'm not little!!" she shouted. "My name is Scar!"

I was completely taken aback by her statement. What kind of parents name their child Scar?

Without waiting for my reply, she turned to Vyaghra and asked, "Golden-eye, you're very tall. I like tall people. Tell me your name."

"Vyaghra, she's just a kid," I whispered into his ear. "Don't get offended by her words."

"What kind of man do you think I am? Children are straightforward and truthful. They don't betray you behind your back," Vyaghra said before bending down toward Scar.

"You may call me Night," he replied softly.

"My name is also Night," the boy beside Scar announced. "Will my eyes also turn golden like yours when I grow up?"

"You might not have golden eyes like me," Vyaghra replied, touching the boy's head, "but you shall have a golden future."

"What's a golden future?" Night asked innocently. "Can I use it to fill my stomach to the brim?"

"Yes, you will."

"I also want a golden future," another boy beside Night shouted. "It's my dream to eat until my stomach is full."

His eyes dropped, and his voice turned low as he continued, "But my name is not Night. It's Stone."

"Your name doesn't matter," Vyaghra declared. "All of you will have a golden future where you can eat as much as you wish."

These words weren't just empty promises—they were the blessing of an Ancient God who had returned to Vyoman after a slumber of millennia.

"I like your words, even if you're lying," Scar laughed. "I'll show you the vacant houses you're looking for."

She showed us two houses at the corner of the street before saying nonchalantly, "These were the houses used by my parents. Since they're dead, you can have them."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.