The immediate aftermath of the successful infiltration left Vicky Thorne with a full armory, a clean corporate ledger, and ten very frightened, very broken prisoners. The two-front war was proceeding perfectly. The "light" war—Mila's legal strangulation—had the Silent Dragon's executives panicking. The "dark" war—the physical elimination of their assets—was about to begin in earnest.
Vicky stood in the reinforced sub-level of The Vault. The ten Iron Tier Disciples captured by Elias and the Alpha Squad were secured to custom-made medical restraints, their Chi channels still agonizingly locked down by specialized clamps. They were shivering, defeated, and utterly terrified.
Mila Torres, though not present, was deeply concerned about this part of the plan. She had pleaded with him not to simply execute them. She understood consequence, but she still clung to the sanctity of life.
Vicky, however, was not here for execution. He was here for assimilation.
Vicky addressed his Lieutenants, Marcus Keller and Elias Vance, who stood flanking the holding cells.
"They are dangerous, Master," Marcus observed, his voice a low hum. "Even broken, a cornered Chi-user is unpredictable."
"Their discipline is shattered, Marcus," Vicky countered, his eyes cold. "They have nothing left but fear. This is not about risk. This is about power acquisition."
Vicky looked at the prisoners. They were all young men, hardened by years of brutal martial arts training, their bodies conditioned to be human weapons. Now, they were weeping in fear.
He checked his current reserves.
|| VICKY THORNE: STATUS ||
| Level: 13 |
| XP: 2,400 / 9,800 (To Lvl 14) |
| Stat Points Available: 0 |
| STR: 19 |
| SPD: 18 |
| END: 18 |
| Chi: 10 / 10 |
He walked up to the first Disciple, whose face was a mask of stark terror. Vicky didn't speak. He reached out and, with the clinical precision of a surgeon, placed his hand on the man's forehead, triggering Blood Sovereignty.
Clear the mind. Reveal the network. Release the Chi.
The knowledge flooded Vicky's mind: training locations, drug supply routes, the Bronze Adept's personal habits, and names of politicians bribed by the Silent Dragon. The man's entire life was laid bare, then discarded.
Vicky then lowered his head and bit down.
It was not a vicious feeding; it was a ritual. The blood flowing into Vicky's system was warm, but the Chi within it was a thrilling, potent energy. It was like drinking pure, liquid strength. He felt his own essence harmonize with the new energy. It was addictive. He drained the man completely. The Disciple's body remained, but his life force, his very spirit, was extinguished.
Iron Tier Disciple defeated. +300 XP.
Vicky moved to the next. And the next. One by one, the ten captured Chi-users yielded their power and their secrets. Each consumption was a terrifying demonstration of the Progenitor's ultimate authority. Elias and Marcus watched in silent awe, their loyalty absolute. They understood that the Master was not just killing them; he was absorbing their very essence.
This was the source of Vicky's hybrid power: Assimilation.
When the tenth body was lifeless, Vicky stepped back. The air in the room felt thick with energy. He felt an intense, burning vitality, far stronger than the buzz from a simple monster hunt.
The System tallied the final results:
XP Acquired: (10 x Iron Tier Disciple @ 300) = +3,000 XP.
XP Total: (2,400 + 3,000) = 5,400 / 9,800 (To Lvl 14).
Before he could process the full benefit of the Chi integration, a new message flashed. The assimilation had granted a permanent, systemic boost to his Chi reserves.
| PERMANENT STAT ACQUISITION |
| Chi Assimilated: 10 Points (1 per Disciple) |
| New Chi Capacity: 20 / 20 |
| Result: Hybrid energy potential unlocked. |
The intense rush of Chi-infused energy had subtly altered the fundamental structure of his being, fusing the vampiric energy with the martial essence.
Before he could process the full benefit of the Chi integration, the System screen exploded with a massive, vibrant crimson notification that dwarfed all others.
| SYSTEM ALERT: ASCENSION TRIAL TRIGGERED |
| CONDITION MET: Consecutive Assimilation of Chi Essence (Tier 1). |
| PURPOSE: Fusing Both Blood energy and Chi. |
| QUEST: THE FRAGMENTED Plane 1 |
| Objective: Survive 3 Full Days (72 Hours) in the Tier 2 Fragmented Dimension. |
| Difficulty: Hard (Enemies are Level 15-20) |
| Failure Condition: Death. |
| Reward: XP Multiplier (while inside the THE FRAGMENTED Plane 1), Tier Advancement Pass (can be used on a subordinate when the user is at higher tier than the subordinate), Race Evolution : Blood Dragon, Blood Dragon Chi. (Reward dependent on Completion Rate.) |
| Note: A one-time-use Orb of Retreat is granted. Activation means instant extraction but results in a 0% Completion Rate. |
Vicky stared at the screen, momentarily stunned. This was not a hunt he could choose. It was a compulsory evolutionary step. A trial by fire.
"Master, what is it?" Elias asked, sensing the profound change in the room's energy.
"A test," Vicky replied, his voice a low growl of anticipation. "The System is giving me an upgrade. A fast track." He pointed to the Chi-user bodies. "This blood wasn't just XP. It was a key."
Vicky looked at Marcus. "Marcus, you are in absolute command of The Vault and The Crimson Pact. Continue the corporate war. Do not stop until the Silent Dragon is bankrupt. Do not reveal this to Mila. Tell her I have left the city on urgent, confidential business."
"Understood, Master. I will hold the line," Marcus affirmed, his loyalty overriding his confusion.
Before Vicky could say another word, the air around him shattered. It wasn't an explosion of sound, but an implosion of reality. The metal walls of The Vault shimmered, twisted, and dissolved into a swirling vortex of cold, electric blue light.
Elias and Marcus tried to move, but a massive, invisible wave of energy pushed them back ten feet, slamming them against the containment walls.
Vicky felt a crushing pressure, a gravitational force trying to tear him apart. He instinctively raised his hands. The blue vortex engulfed him.
QUEST COMMENCING...
The Fragmented Wastes (The First Hour)
Vicky landed hard on cracked, unnatural ground. The sensation was violently disorienting. He stood up, blinking rapidly, trying to make sense of the new reality.
He was in a dimension that defied physics. The sky was a dizzying swirl of electric purple and black, with no sun or moon, only a strange, pulsating, silver light that cast long, unnatural shadows. The ground was composed of razor-sharp, fragmented hexagonal Plane that shifted constantly, creating vertigo. Entire buildings—skyscrapers and temples—were visible, but they were sliced in half, floating hundreds of feet up in the air, disconnected from the ground like broken pieces of a vast, failed jigsaw puzzle. The air was cold, metallic, and utterly silent, save for a low, crystalline hum that vibrated in his bones.
Vicky immediately accessed his inventory.
| INVENTORY |
| Orb of Retreat (One-Time Use) |
| Quest Timer: 71:59:00 |
He grasped the small, crimson orb in his hand, feeling the cold weight of his only guaranteed escape. He put it inside his suit jacket.
"Level 15-20 enemies," Vicky murmured, his heart rate accelerating to a focused 110 BPM. He was severely under-leveled. His STR (19) and END (18) were robust, but a coordinated attack from Lvl 20 creatures could overwhelm him. He needed intelligence.
He activated Blood Sense. The entire dimension was eerily quiet, but the air was saturated with a thick, hostile energy he hadn't felt before—raw, ambient power that seemed to fuel the creatures here.
Then, the first threats emerged.
Not from the ground, but from the impossible angles of the floating towers. Four creatures, easily eight feet tall, dropped silently onto the fragmented Plane. They weren't Ghouls or Stalkers. They were humanoid, but their skin was an obsidian-black carapace, and their heads were massive, silent domes with no discernible features. They moved with terrifying speed and unnatural grace.
| FRAGMENT WANDERER |
| Level: 15 |
| Tier: 2 (Dimension Hostile) |
| HP: 600 |
| Special: Stealth, Silent movement. |
Four Level 15 enemies. Two levels above him. He was outgunned, out-tiered, and isolated.
They didn't charge. They fluidly glided into a perfect circle around him, surrounding him in a silent, lethal formation. They were patient. They were intelligent. They were here to kill.
Vicky drew upon his power, his eyes glowing a deep, intense crimson. He activated Blood Claws and Blood Shield. The crimson energy hummed to life, a small island of order in the chaos of the Fragmented Wastes.
"Come on," Vicky whispered, lowering his stance, his fear replaced by a cold, thrilling calculation. "Let's see what four levels of difference actually means."
STATUS UPDATE
| VICKY THORNE: STATUS |
| Level: 13 |
| XP: 5,400 / 9,800 (To Lvl 14) |
| Stat Points Available: 0 |
| STR: 19 |
| SPD: 18 |
| END: 18 |
| Chi: 20 / 20 |