NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 31: Faction
A full week passed.
For the first time in his twenty-four years of life, Yuan Lin felt the meaning of a disciplined routine.
It wasn't the routine of an office worker, but that of a warrior monk.
He would wake at dawn and spend hours in deep meditation, struggling to absorb and filter the remnants of the massive `[Chaos Orchid]` energy still raging inside his body.
The process was arduous and exhausting, but thanks to the `[Cosmic Mind-Calming Sutra]`, it had become a winnable battle.
The phantom echoes of Blackwood Asylum no longer haunted him; they were just distant whispers he coldly ignored.
With each session, he could feel his power solidifying and growing. He had reached the peak of the `[Qi Condensation Realm]` and felt he was on the verge of another breakthrough.
That evening, after a long cultivation session, he was sitting on his sofa, looking at the mental interface before him. He had managed to assimilate nearly 70% of the orchid's energy, but more importantly were the other rewards he had received from the "Blood Oath" crisis.
"System", he thought calmly. "My authority level is now 7. What exactly has changed? Has this unlocked any new features?"
The blue texts appeared clearly before him.
[Lord Authority Level 7 grants the following privileges:]
[1. Enhanced Leadership Aura (Passive): Psychic influence is now more potent. Can cause slight fear or reverence in beings with low willpower and increases the effectiveness of verbal commands.]
[2. Partial Unlocking of Second-Degree Faction Commands: Basic "Rally" and "Defend" commands can now be issued (requires an active faction).]
[3. New Store Section Unlocked: "Faction-Building Essentials".]
[4. A 5% discount on all low-grade purchases in the store.]
Yuan Lin felt a smile form on his face. "A 5% discount... so generous," he whispered sarcastically, but he was interested in the other points. A stronger aura, new commands, and a whole new section in the store.
With curiosity, he opened the `[Faction-Building Essentials]` section in the store. The goods on display were completely different from weapons and elixirs.
[Lineage Banner (First-Degree): When raised, increases the morale of loyal followers by 3%. Price: 1500 Chaos Points.]
[Lesser Communication Stone: Allows limited mental communication with one loyal subordinate within a 100-kilometer range. Price: 2500 Chaos Points.]
[Initial World Anchor Seed (Incomplete): The first step in building a stable bridge between dimensions. Requires a massive amount of energy to activate. Price: 10,000 Chaos Points.]
The prices were astronomical, but they gave him a glimpse into the future. A future where he could build his own organization and communicate with it.
He closed the store and moved to the tab that had been occupying his mind. `[Dimensional Gate]`.
His heart pounded with anticipation as he focused on it. He was expecting to see a distant goal, but what appeared on the screen made him freeze in place.
[Requirements to unlock the Dimensional Gate:]
[1. Lord Authority Level: 5]
[Status: Complete (Current Level: 7)]
[2. World Anchor: Not established.]
[Status: Incomplete]
He read the first line once, then again, then a third time, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Complete."
The word glowed before him. It wasn't 15. It was 5.
"Five..." he whispered, his voice trembling. "It was only five... and I'm already at level seven?"
A wave of dizziness washed over him, but it wasn't from fear; it was from pure euphoria.
It was a joyous shock, an incredible feeling of relief and victory. The highest, most terrifying mountain he thought he had to climb... he discovered he had already passed it without even knowing.
He jumped up from his spot and laughed out loud, a real, crazed laugh that echoed in his empty apartment. He spun in place, unable to contain the sudden energy that flooded him.
Everything had changed in an instant. The goal was no longer distant, but close. Dangerously close.
But the last two words still bothered him. "Faction" and "World Anchor." They were interconnected.
"System," he asked again. "You mention 'faction' a lot, but you previously said I have no faction in this world. Clarify."
The System's response was more detailed this time, as if his new authority level had granted him access to a deeper level of information.
[Clarification: A "Faction" is the physical extension of a Lord's authority. It is an organization of loyal followers who operate under your banner and derive a portion of their strength from their loyalty to you.]
[The "Eternal Chaos Lineage" in the "Gray Chaos World" is your primary faction, but you are currently isolated from them by a dimensional barrier.]
[This world (Primal C-73) currently lacks a "faction" subordinate to you. The local "martial artists," such as the `[Black Tiger Hall]` and the `[Azure Blade Sect]`, are independent factions with their own allegiances. They are not your followers.]
Yuan Lin felt a slight disappointment. Then came the last line, the line that changed everything.
[To utilize Faction Commands and build a "World Anchor," the host must either: (A) Access his primary faction via the Dimensional Gate, or (B) Establish a new "faction cell" in this world.]
[Establishing a faction cell requires recruiting at least one loyal subordinate who swears a "Blood Oath" to the Lord.]
Yuan Lin read the last line over and over again.
Recruit a loyal subordinate. Here. In his world.
The System was offering him an alternative solution. A side path. If you can't reach your army, build a new one.
Suddenly, his journey was no longer just a solitary cultivation journey. The System had given it a whole new dimension. A strategic and political dimension.
His mind began to race. Who could he recruit? The members of the "Black Tiger Hall"? No, they were just dumb thugs. The "Azure Blade Sect"? They were too mysterious and professional; they'd likely kill him if they discovered his secret.
Then, an image appeared in his mind. The image of an old man moving gracefully under a willow tree, a calm, sky-blue aura revolving around him.
Master Chen.
The man who knew he was different. The man who had offered him help. The man who was strong by this world's standards.
A bold and incredibly dangerous idea began to form in his mind. He had thought about going to Old Man Chen when he became stronger than him "to inquire." But the System was now offering him a different option.
"This old man... he's strong. He knows I'm not normal. And he kind of... owes me."
"What if... what if I don't wait until I'm stronger than him?"
"What if he... is the cornerstone? What if he becomes my first subordinate in this world?"
He was no longer thinking like a student looking for a teacher. He was thinking like a Lord looking for his first general. It was pure arrogance and icy ambition.
Yuan Lin stood up and walked to his window. He looked out at the sleepless city lights. It no longer looked like his home, but like a vast chessboard. And he was no longer just a pawn.
He was now planning his first real move.
It was no longer about cultivating in the shadows. It was time to build his own kingdom, here, in the heart of the human world.
And he felt a terrifying thrill as he realized that the first step in building his demonic empire might be to convince a righteous old hero to swear an oath of fealty to him.
This was the height of irony, and the height of danger.