DEMON GROUPI ACCIDENTALLY ENTERED THE EVIL CHAT!

In a dimly lit basement that smelled of sweat and herbal oils, Hu, the man with the tiger tattoo, was kneeling on one knee.

In front of him, on a raised platform, sat a middle-aged man, only his back visible. His body looked ordinary, but the aura emanating from him was heavy and dense, like a mountain about to collapse. This was the Master of the Black Tiger Hall.

The young man Yuan Lin had knocked unconscious in the park was lying on a nearby bed, breathing with difficulty.

"So," the Master said in a quiet voice that nonetheless carried a suppressed power. "You failed. Not only that, but you were humiliated by a single person."

Hu bowed his head lower. "My apologies, Master. His power was... strange. It wasn't pure internal force. It was chaotic, explosive."

"And Old Man Chen from the Willow Park was there?"

"Yes, Master. But this person was not with him. He appeared suddenly."

Then, Hu recounted what happened at the Blackwood Asylum.

About the "Chaos Orchid" born from the womb of death energy, about the mysterious blue-robed group that moved with precision, and about the third shadow that stole the treasure from under all their noses.

The Master was silent for a moment. "The blue-robed group are from the 'Azure Blade Sect.'

They are suicidal and organized. They have always been our rivals for resources in this city." He then sighed. "But this third party... he is the problem. Someone who works alone, has the courage to steal from two factions at the same time, and has the power to survive. This is no ordinary expert."

The Master finally stood up and turned slightly, revealing a side of his face filled with scars. "Hu, I want you to find this shadow. Do not attack him. Just observe him. The world is changing, and new players are appearing. I want to know who he is before he becomes a threat that cannot be controlled."

"As you command, Master."

----------------------

The next morning, Yuan Lin woke up in his apartment. There was no pain. Just a feeling of power and vitality flowing through his veins. The remnants of the orchid's energy were still a storm inside him, but his body, after reaching the `[Qi Condensation Realm]`, was handling it much better.

He looked at the clock. It was 7:30 AM. This was the time he usually started getting ready to go to his daily hell, to his job at "Bright Technology."

But today, something was different.

The idea of putting on his formal shirt, dealing with Mr. Zhao's anger, and fixing trivial employee problems suddenly seemed unbearably ridiculous. He had fought phantoms and practitioners, faced down demon kings (virtually), and stolen a celestial treasure. How could he go back to being just a worker in an office hive?

"Why should I go back?" he wondered, looking at his reflection in the window. *"Why should a dragon pretend to be an ant?"*

He now had nearly 600 Chaos Points, a sum that seemed astronomical just days ago. He had some meager savings in the bank. Most importantly, he had a clear path to power. Work had become just an obstacle.

He made his decision. A sly, confident smile spread across his face. He picked up his landline phone and dialed his office number.

After several rings, Mr. Zhao's sharp voice came through. "IT Support, Zhao speaking!"

"Mr. Zhao, good morning. It's Yuan Lin," Yuan Lin said, his voice calm and completely different from his usual submissive tone.

"Lin! You'd better have a good excuse for your absence yesterday! The servers almost exploded..."

Yuan Lin cut him off calmly. "I'm calling to tender my resignation. Consider it effective immediately."

There was a dead silence on the other end of the line. Then came Mr. Zhao's stunned and choked voice. "Resignation? What do you mean, resignation?! You can't do that! You have projects! Responsibilities!"

Yuan Lin leaned back in his chair, feeling a pure sense of pleasure. "I apologize, Mr. Zhao, but I've received an offer I can't refuse. A senior management position at... an old, multinational corporation. The growth opportunities, let's just say they're... cosmic. I wish you the best of luck with the printers."

He hung up before Mr. Zhao could reply, leaving his former boss screaming into a dead phone.

Yuan Lin felt a wonderful sense of freedom. He had cut the last thread tying him to his old life. Now, he could focus completely on what was important.

He spent the next two hours planning. His first goal was to assimilate all the remaining energy from the Chaos Orchid. But the process was dangerous, and the psychic echo of the memories was unsettling. He needed protection.

He opened the mental `[Store]` interface. With his balance of over 600 points, he was no longer just a window-shopper. He was a serious customer.

He looked for a better cultivation technique, but found that the `[Gray Chaos Scripture]` he owned was the most suitable for his energy type. A note from the System appeared, saying, [Changing a foundation technique is risky and may lead to Qi deviation].

"So, not replacement, but enhancement," he thought.

He focused his search on skills and tools that aid in safe cultivation. He found what he was looking for.

[Mind Fortress - Level 1]

[Description: Creates a basic psychic shield to resist mental intrusion and stabilize the mind during deep meditation.]

[Price: 200 Chaos Points.]

"This is exactly what I need to deal with those annoying memories," he said to himself and bought the skill immediately.

Then he searched the tools section.

[Lesser Soul-Soothing Incense (3 sticks)]

[Description: When lit, releases a smoke that calms chaotic energy in the immediate vicinity, making cultivation safer and slightly more efficient.]

[Price: 75 Chaos Points (25 per stick).]

He bought that too. He felt the weight of three thin, dark incense sticks materialize in his jacket pocket.

He thought about opening the chat group to show off a bit or get more information, but he stopped himself. "No. They're a source of information, but they're also a liability. The less they know about my real progress, the better." He was starting to think like a real player, not a lucky clown.

After getting everything ready, he felt satisfied.

He sat in the middle of his room. He lit one of the incense sticks. A soothing scent of sandalwood and damp earth spread through the air, and he felt the turbulent energy in his body calm down slightly.

He changed into comfortable clothes and sat cross-legged. He had quit his job, prepared his tools, and now, the whole world was ahead of him. This was the real beginning.

"The era of Yuan Lin, the IT support guy, is over," he thought, a confident smile on his face. "And the era of the Lord of Chaos... has just begun."

He closed his eyes and dove once more into the purple storm of energy within his soul. But this time, he wasn't afraid. He was prepared, armed, and hungry for more.