The warehouse was a tomb of concrete and shadow. Lin Hao sat in the center of the vast, empty floor, a solitary, still figure in the darkness. The only light came from the moon, filtering through the high, filthy skylights, and the small, cracked screen of the phone lying on the dusty floor in front of him.
He was in his new lair, his "foundation." He was isolated from the world by three miles of derelict industrial park. He was safe. He was hidden.
He was also, he noted with a grimace, still covered in the drying, foul-smelling crust of his [Level 6: Marrow Cleansing]. He desperately needed a proper shower, new clothes, and about ten thousand calories of food.
But first, the ritual.
His eyes were fixed on the phone's clock. It was his new god, his new taskmaster.
11:59:57 PM 11:59:58 PM 11:59:59 PM
The moment the clock ticked over to 00:00, Lin Hao's will, already poised, lashed out. He didn't wait for his reward. He paid his tithe.
He had the [$World Upgrade$] tab open. The cost, as he'd expected, had scaled with his income.
[Daily Boost: Increase Global Reiki Density (0.01%)]? (Cost: 30 UP)
His total balance, leftover from his first night of upgrades and building his formation, was 80 UP.
"Confirm," he thought.
[Deducting 30 UP. 50 UP Remaining.] [Investment Confirmed. Global Reiki Density (0.01%) added to global queue.]
And the reward for his perfect, disciplined patience:
[Ascension Bonus: ACTIVE. Your next daily UP gain will be 800 UP.]
A second later, the daily delivery arrived, right on cue.
[Daily UP Generation: Active.] [Ascension Bonus: Applied (x2).] [You have received 400 UP.]
The numbers on his status screen rolled over. He had 50 UP left from his old balance, and he'd just received a new, lump sum of 400.
[Upgrade Points (UP): 450]
Lin Hao let out a slow, satisfied breath. This was real power. This was real wealth. The 15 million in his bank account was a joke, a mortal-world tool. This... this 450 UP was the currency of a god.
His hunger, his grime, the chaos of the outside world, it all faded. This was what mattered. The exponential loop. In 24 hours, he would have over 800 more. In two days, 1600.
Now, finally, it was time to invest in himself.
He mentally opened the [$Self Upgrade$] tab. He had 450 UP. He could finally, finally, get rid of the "Mortal Root" that had been mocking him since the beginning.
[Talent: Level 1: Mortal Root] [Upgrade: Level 2: Waste Root]? (Cost: 100 UP)
He had more than enough. He could also afford the next Houtian level.
[Cultivation: Level 6: Marrow Cleansing] [Upgrade: Level 7: Viscera Fortification (Internal Shield)]? (Cost: 60 UP)
He could buy both and still have a massive surplus. He was about to give the command, to finally take that next, critical step in building his flawless foundation.
BZZZT. BZZZT.
The phone, his last link to the mortal world, vibrated violently on the concrete floor, its harsh, buzzing sound an ugly intrusion into his silent, sacred space.
He frowned. He was annoyed.
He picked it up. The cracked screen glowed, illuminating his face.
It was a campus-wide security alert, a red, flashing banner at the top of his screen.
[!!! CAMPUS-WIDE SECURITY ALERT !!!] [VIOLENT ANIMAL ATTACK IN PROGRESS - VICINITY OF MAIN LIBRARY. ALL STUDENTS SHELTER IN PLACE. DO NOT GO OUTSIDE. A-TEAM DISPATCHED.]
Lin Hao's frown deepened. "A-Team." He snorted. The Level 1 and 2 BSA guards. They weren't a team; they were kibble. Those dogs were [Level 1], yes, but they were feral, mutated, and fighting as a coordinated pack. They would tear those guards apart.
BZZT.
Another notification. This time, from a class group chat he'd long since muted, a chat that was now exploding with panicked messages.
Classmate 1: OMG! GUYS! ARE YOU SEEING THIS??? Classmate 2: Holy s***! It's those F***ING STRAY DOGS! They're not dogs anymore! They're monsters! Classmate 3: A-Team is here! The dogs are... oh god... they're not even stopping... Classmate 4: My friend is in the library! He says they're surrounding someone! Classmate 1: OMG! It's Su Yun and Fatty Zhang! They're trapped outside the library! The dogs are trying to get them! They're trying to break the glass!
Lin Hao stared at the last message.
Su Yun.
He had warned her. He had just warned her, this very morning. "Stay away from them."
He looked at his 450 UP, the glowing blue invitation to more power, more perfection. He looked at the frantic, terrified, mortal messages on his phone.
He let out a long, slow, incredibly annoyed sigh.
He was a planner. He was a hidden boss. He was not a hero.
But he was also, he realized with a flash of irritation, the only one who could do anything about it. If he let her die, if he let those dogs kill students, the BSA would lock down the campus. There would be a real investigation. It would be... messy. Inefficient.
He couldn't have that. This was his city. His territory.
He stood up, his body cracking, the caked-on, black grime of his purification flaking off and falling to the floor.
"Mortals," he whispered to the echoing darkness, his voice cold. "So fragile. And so, so stupid."
His own upgrade would have to wait. He had to take out the trash.