The rain fell like needles—acidic, cold, and unforgiving—sizzling as it touched the rusted skeletons of fallen skyscrapers. This was Dusktide District, one of the countless ruins choking the outer provinces of the Dragon Empire.
Here, the strong ruled without mercy. And the weak… were just practice dummies.
A bruised and bleeding boy curled behind a collapsed air duct, his fingers clutching a chipped lunchbox filled with nothing but stale nutrient crumbs. His name? Ling Feng—a forgotten orphan in a city that forgot everyone without a name.
"You think you're special, rat?" a heavy boot slammed into his ribs. Crack.
Ling spat blood, his body spasming as a sharp pain pierced his side. Above him stood three teenage cultivators clad in Iron Grade faction jackets—the Bladespine Syndicate. They weren't elites, just small-time brats from a third-grade faction, but even they looked down on trash like him.
Hu Shuang, their leader, was the worst—spiky red hair, arrogant sneer, and a spirit badge dangling from his neck like a trophy.
"Your father was a traitor." He knelt beside Ling, digging his knee into the boy's chest. "You should've died with him when Heaven's Might burned your slum."
Ling didn't scream. He never did.
His hands trembled. Not from fear—from fury.
That name. Heaven's Might—the so-called Celestial Grade faction that ruled the central capital. Years ago, they razed Ling's entire community, calling it "necessary purification." His parents died shielding him from their righteous flames.
But the real pain wasn't the past. It was now—being spat on by third-rate dogs like Hu.
"What's that look?" Hu grinned. "Still dreaming of becoming a cultivator? Trash like you doesn't deserve Qi, much less a spirit root."
He reached for Ling's lunchbox.
Snap.
Ling's fingers latched around Hu's wrist.
"Touch it, and I'll break it."
Hu's smirk vanished. For a moment, even the other two Bladespine lackeys paused.
Ling's eyes burned—not with spirit power, not yet—but with something far more dangerous: will.
"You got guts, orphan." Hu chuckled darkly. "Let's see how far guts get you in a body bag."
He raised his foot, ready to stomp Ling's face in.
And that's when it happened.
A sudden pulse.
From below the rusted floor grid, a faint light flared—then burst upward in a blinding cascade of golden data streams and ancient cultivation runes. It was like the world itself hiccupped.
A broken core, long buried under war-torn debris, hummed to life—shards rearranging, fragments fusing into one interface.
A voice echoed in Ling's mind.
> [SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Host: LING FENG identified.
Initializing: Sovereign's Silent System…
Objective: Build the Ultimate Faction in Silence.
Rule unseen. Command the unseen. Rise unknown.
Failing to remain hidden will result in: TERMINATION.
Ling gasped as circuits of digital-golden energy carved themselves across his palm like tattoos—glowing lines forming a lion's head.
> Mission 1: Recruit 3 Loyal Members (Minimum Loyalty: 30%)
Reward: Shadow Recruitment Function + Veil of Anonymity (Faction Leader ID Hidden)
He blinked.
"...A system?" he whispered.
Hu froze. "What did you say?"
The next moment, Ling's body moved automatically—enhanced by the system's awakening protocol. He shot to his feet, dodging Hu's strike with unnatural grace, and slammed two fingers into Hu's wrist.
Crack.
Hu screamed as bones snapped and Qi veins tore.
Ling twisted, pivoted, and kicked the second lackey in the throat. He collapsed like a puppet with cut strings.
The third tried to run, but Ling was faster. He grabbed the back of his collar and drove him into a wall.
> Target subdued. Scanning loyalty levels…
— Hu Shuang: Loyalty 18% [Unreliable]
— Ying Wei: Loyalty 24% [Fear-Based]
— Bo Kai: Loyalty 31% [Submission Possible]
> Recruit Eligible: Bo Kai
> Initiate Shadow Branding?
[YES] [NO]
Ling smirked, pressing his fingers to Bo Kai's neck.
> [YES]
A flash of golden light seared a lion emblem onto the boy's back—invisible to the naked eye, but glowing in the system's vision.
> Recruitment Complete. Member 1 Added. Rank: Shadow Pawn (Faint Grade) Faction Level: 0 (Unranked) Next Mission: Secure Safe Zone | Time Limit: 48 Hours
Hu groaned on the ground, eyes wide with fear. "W-What are you…?"
Ling walked past him, never looking back.
"I'm no one," he said quietly. "Just a shadow. But someday, you'll wish you'd kneeled today."
The rain intensified, pouring like judgment.
---
2 Hours Later – Edge of Dusktide District
Ling sat atop a broken skyscraper, breathing heavily. His clothes were soaked, but the pain was distant now—drowned out by the system's glowing interface floating in front of his eyes.
A new tab had opened:
> Faction Creation: "Silent Sovereigns" Tagline: "Loyalty Over Blood. Justice Over Arrogance." Status: Hidden | Grade: Unranked (Faint Grade Seed)
Base: Not Established
He tapped the interface.
> Name Confirmed: SILENT SOVEREIGNS
System Notification: Faction Headquarters must be hidden. Any exposure will result in forced relocation.
Next Reward: Shadow Network Access (1st Level Spy Grid)
Ling's jaw tightened.
He'd start from scratch. No family. No resources. No allies.
But he had one thing the world feared:
Purpose.
He'd find the broken. The betrayed. The forgotten.
And together, they'd rise so high that even Heaven's Might would kneel to them.
---
> SYSTEM REMINDER:
You have 47 hours left to secure your first base.
Warning: Two Iron Grade scouts are approaching Dusktide.
Auto-Suggestion: Seek shelter in Old Archives Ruins (Potential ally detected).
> Side Mission Unlocked:
Investigate Spirit Collar Hacker: Codename (Qin Mei)
Rumor: Held captive by rogue slavers. Tech affinity: 89%.
Loyalty Potential: 52%.
---
Ling looked up as thunder cracked the skies.
"Qin Mei…" he murmured. "Looks like you're first."
And just like that, the shadow moved again—fading into the ruins, one step closer to building an empire no one would see coming… until it was too late.
---