Evan had never been more grateful for his paranoid streak.

After the assassination attempt on his life, which happened a few months after the death of his mother, he had begged his father to create a secret passage for him, something that could lead him to a safe place and only be accessed by him.

Unable to ignore Evan's plea, Magnus had secretly funded the construction of this passageway, hidden from the prying eyes of the Frost Clan.

No one in the minor families knew of the passage's existence, and Evan intended to keep it that way!

As Evan stepped into the tunnel, he couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine. The secret passage was his only lifeline in case of danger, but it also served as a stark reminder of the danger that loomed over him because of the treacherous and powerful minor families of the clan.

'I will do something about them after I return. They all are in need of a heavy lesson.' he thought.

He made his way through the winding tunnel, his rapid footsteps echoing against the stone walls.

It seemed to stretch on for miles

It took Evan half an hour of sprinting to traverse the winding secret passage.

By the time he reached its end, he was sweating, beads of droplets rolling down his forehead, and his breaths were shallow and ragged, the silence surrounding him making it feel like he was in a different world entirely.

He wiped the sweat off his face with the back of his hand and raised his head.

A ladder leading upwards came into his sight.

When he saw it, a wave of relief washed over him.

'I will reach the secret hideout after I climb it.'

He began to climb the rungs of the ladder with renewed vigor.

The ladder was connected to a well, which was sealed by an iron tin. It was there to stop anyone except for Evan from accessing what lay beyond the well.

After Evan reached the top of the ladder, he pressed his hands against the iron tin, and it moved out of his way as if recognizing its owner.

With the tin removed, Evan was able to emerge from the well with ease.

He appeared in what seemed to be an abandoned warehouse.

The air in this place was musty, and the silence of the warehouse was broken only by the sound of his own breathing.

Instead of feeling that he was in a place below his station, Evan felt as if he had returned home.

He had spent most of his childhood in this place with his best friend and mother, who he could barely remember.

It was also the rendezvous point where he had promised to meet Lirian.

The door to the warehouse opened, and in came a striking young man holding a small bag in his hand. It took him a few moments to adjust to the darkness of the dimly lit warehouse, but he soon spotted Evan, who was taking the covers off of the transfer array.

The Transfer Array was a remarkable piece of technology, capable of transporting individuals to different worlds in the blink of an eye.

However, there was a catch.

In order to make it work, one needed to know the exact coordinates of their desired destination.

"Hey, Frostbite, I'm here," Lirian said as he made his way towards his friend.

Evan stood up and turned to him, "I have been waiting for you." He pointed at the bag Lirian was holding and asked, "What's that?"

"It's a bag with a mini-subspace that contains our weapons and provisions."

"Don't you have something better to hold stuff? You look ridiculous holding that." Evan chuckled

"I do, but it helps me avoid trouble. It's a charm that blocks gold diggers for me. Whenever I am wearing something better, I am swarmed by them, but I haven't had any unwanted attention from people who are only interested in a person with wealth since I started carrying it. That's why I like to carry it around." Lirian said with a smug smile.

Evan chuckled again. "Well, I guess that's one way to keep the gold diggers at bay."

"So, what's the big plan?" Lirian asked with a tinge of excitement in his voice.

Evan took a deep breath and said, "I'm going to Planet Avalon with the help of the transfer array in this warehouse."

Lirian's eyes widened to the size of saucers, "Planet Avalon? Are you crazy? It's full of Cosmic Crusaders who hate the Sun Moon Empire. If they find out that you, the son of their sworn enemy, is in their homeland, they will do whatever it takes to kill you."

The Cosmic Crusaders were notorious intergalactic criminals, feared and reviled across the galaxy.

Their nefarious activities had brought them into conflict with countless empires and organizations, but it was the Sun Moon Empire that felt their wrath the most.

These miscreants were like a plague upon the Sun Moon Empire, constantly appearing when least expected to foil their plans and cause chaos. It was as if they had a sixth sense for trouble, and reveled in causing havoc wherever they went.

Their methods were as varied as they were unpredictable. They were masters of deception, capable of infiltrating even the most secure installations undetected. They were also skilled in combat. Even the weakest of them could take on an entire armed battalion of the empire with ease.

Despite their notoriety, very little was known about the Cosmic Crusaders. They operated in secrecy, their true identities and motives shrouded in mystery.

Some believed they were driven by greed and a lust for power, while others saw them as freedom fighters, rebelling against oppressive empires and dictatorships.

For the Sun Moon Empire, however, they were simply a pain in the ass.

Every time they thought they had neutralized the threat, the Cosmic Crusaders would pop up again like cockroaches.

Just a few weeks ago, there was news that the Cosmic Crusaders had descended on Avalon to protect its resources from being extracted by the Sun Moon Empire. But they were just using it as a means to justify their villanoius actions, which resulted in the death of a million Avalonians.

"I understand how risky it is, but I have no choice. There's an opportunity that I must seize in Avalon. Besides, sometimes the most dangerous place is the safest. The Cosmic Crusaders wouldn't even dream of seeing me in Avalon, and even if they did, they wouldn't recognize me. I will be going there in disguise." Evan explained.

Lirian looked at him with concern

"But it's too dangerous. It could get you killed."

Evan met Lirian's gaze with a determined expression. "I know, but it's a risk I have to take. And I won't blame you if you don't want to follow me," he said unwaveringly.

"Don't even think about it. We promised to tackle all hardships together, remember? Together, we're invincible," Lirian smirked.