Chapter 258: The New Arm, the Faction, and the Quota

Kai knew Xinyi needed more rest despite consuming the serum...

So after the operation, they returned to the Silver Rest Inn and rented a room for the two siblings.

They bought new clothes from a nearby stall, simple but clean, and let the children wash up. Mei carefully wiped Xinyi down, avoiding her left shoulder while Xian took a proper bath. Soon after, both of them collapsed onto the bed, sleeping like logs.

Later that night, Mei sat across from Kai...

"Are you really going to take care of them?"

Kai shook his head.

"No. I don’t have to take care of them. They should be strong enough to work for us. Shelter life isn’t about pity... it’s about survival. They’ll help clean, do chores, and earn their place."

As long as their Health Points return to their peak, then they should be just fine.

Mei frowned slightly, but Kai continued.

"Don’t forget Xian’s title. Scrap Survivor. That’s super valuable... He could become our scavenger unit leader. With that title, he’ll be able to find and repurpose junk better than anyone else."

He glanced at Xinyi, sleeping soundly with her new arm. "And her... that arm isn’t just a replacement. It’s adaptive, right? It can be used for combat...

They all knew that as she grew, the implant would also adjust and expand with her body. She’ would be an asset too.

***

The next morning, Kai didn’t give her time to rest. He pulled out the golden vial again... the Alpha Gene Enhancement Serum and measured another drop.

"Have another one..." he said simply.

Xinyi obeyed, and the moment the serum touched her tongue, strength surged through her body. She sat up and felt the energy that she thought she could never have. "Thank you... Sir Kai, everyone... thank you."

Then, her first question was hesitant. "Where... where’s my arm? The one you cut off?"

Claire, who had joined them, answered plainly.

"It was burnt. No trace left... Do you want to see it?"

Xinyi smiled faintly and shook her head... "No... It’s good. I don’t want to see it again."

Then, she flexed her new mechanical arm, testing its movement.

The fingers curled, the joints rotated smoothly, and the synthetic muscles responded to her...

She tried lifting a chair, then opening and closing her hand repeatedly. Kai and the others let her experiment freely, watching her adapt.

Well, they were also curious about this new arm after all...

They gave the siblings food once more, simple bread and stew, and told them to stay at the inn. "Rest here. We’ll be back," Kai instructed.

Then Kai, Mei, and Farrah left together.

Their destination was already planned last night... the Aries Faction.

Cornelio’s invitation token had to be tested.

***

When they arrived, Kai and the others were surprised to see a long line stretching outside the Aries Faction’s gates.

The crowd wasn’t ragged beggars or refugees... they looked determined, some even dressed in decent gear.

Kai frowned. "Strange. They’re not here for food or shelter, right?"

As they moved closer, snippets of conversation reached them.

"Six months of service, that’s all it takes," one man whispered to his companion.

"Work for the Aries Faction, and they’ll give you the Gene Skill Crystal for Strong Spirit for free."

Another group nearby spoke calmly... "Forget waiting six months. If you’ve got fifty B‑Grade Cores, you can buy one outright. But only forty are sold each month. That’s why everyone’s lining up."

Mei tilted her head, listening carefully. "So that’s what this is about... not food or protection. They’re here for skill crystals."

Farrah’s eyes narrowed. "Strong Spirit."

"I wonder what’s so special about that?"

A woman in line heard their conversation and muttered. "With Strong Spirit, you can attempt Skill Fusion with two other rare Gene Skills. If you succeed, you get Hardened Spirit. That’s the real prize... It boosts defense and Spirit endurance... and many others. Everyone wants it, it’s practically a ticket to survival."

Mei’s eyes widened. This was their first time learning about the possible recipe for a Skill Fusion.

"So Strong Spirit is one of the prerequisites... and Hardened Spirit is the fused skill."

Kai’s mind clicked instantly. He remembered Cornelio.

’Cornelio had a Hardened Spirit at Level 7. That explains it. No wonder this is sought after.’

"So that’s the deal. Six months of service, or fifty B‑Grade Cores. Either way, the Aries Faction controls access. And they’re limiting supply to forty crystals a month."

Mei glanced at him. "That explains the crowd..."

Kai smirked. "Cornelio’s invitation token might be worth more than we thought..."

The three of them stood quietly for a moment, listening to the chatter ripple through the crowd.

Soon, they found one of the guards and approached him while showing the invitation.

***

The Aries Faction guard eyed them as they approached.

"We’re here to enter." Kai said as he handed the token to the guard.

The guard’s brows furrowed. He took the token, inspected it closely, and then his expression shifted... He recognized this token and this wasn’t just a normal one. It must’ve been provided by one of the elders or even higher.

"This is genuine." He muttered, and the nearby people turned their heads.

The crowd stirred immediately.

"An invitation token?

"Who are they?"

"Wait... they’re not waiting in line?"

The guard straightened, and his tone changed to a respectful one. "You don’t need to wait in line. Follow me."

Gasps and whispers broke out behind them. Some people protested.

"Hey! We’ve been waiting for hours!"

"Why do they get to skip?"

"Unfair!"

But others lowered their voices and shook their heads at the ignorant ones.

"That’s how these factions work... Only those with tokens can bypass the line."

"They must have connections inside."

"Maybe they’re recruits already."

Mei glanced at Kai, smirking faintly. Farrah kept her eyes forward, ignoring the noise.

The guard raised his hand, silencing the crowd. "Quiet! The Aries Faction has its rules. Tokens are proof of recognition. If you don’t have one, you wait."

Reluctantly, the line settled, though resentment lingered in their eyes.

Kai and his companions followed the guard past the gates. The heavy doors opened, revealing the inner courtyard of the Aries Faction.

The atmosphere inside was different... It looked organized, disciplined, and filled with members...

As they stepped through, Kai caught the whispers trailing behind them.

"Whoever they are, they must be important."

"Aries doesn’t hand out invitations lightly."

"Ha... I think they’re just workers... I heard that they’ve recently recruited people to work inside the Perfect World..."

"Oh! That makes sense... They look weak, so maybe they’re VR World Players as you said."

Kai smirked to himself as he ignored the crowd...

The token had worked exactly as he hoped. Not only did it grant them entry, it had marked them as people worth noticing.

Inside, the guard handed the token back to Kai. "You’ll be escorted to the reception hall. There, you can speak with the faction’s representatives. You can tell them the person you wish to meet inside the Faction."

Kai nodded, pocketing the token. "Good."

Behind them, the crowd still buzzed with speculation, but the gates closed, cutting off the noise...

***

Maya, the receptionist of the Aries Faction, rubbed her temples as she glanced at the growing stack of reports on her desk.

The mining teams inside Perfect World had been falling behind schedule.

Their collection rate of mystic iron ore had slowed drastically, and without that ore, the faction’s production of the Strong Spirit Skill Crystal would stall.

The process was long and complicated... transferring resources from the virtual domain into reality, but it all began with that specific ore.

She had been told that five new workers would be arriving soon to help fill the gap. At least three of them were supposed to be assigned directly to the mines. The thought gave her some relief, though she still felt the pressure of the elders breathing down her neck.

Just then, one of the ushers appeared, guiding three people toward her desk.

"Yes!"

Their clothes looked cheap, and they seemed weak compared to the usual recruits.

Still, Maya’s eyes lit up. "You’re right on time! I need you all to head to the VR Hall. Wait—let me guide you and help you get connected."

Kai immediately realized the mistake. He stepped forward, and stopped her... "No. We’re not here for the VR World. We’re looking for Cornelio." He produced the invitation token, holding it out for her to see.

Maya blinked, her enthusiasm immediately faltered as she recognized the token.

"Ah... I see. Sorry about that. I thought you were the new recruits."

She cleared her throat, adjusting her posture. "Cornelio isn’t here right now. He’s gone on a mission and will be back in about eight hours."

Mei exchanged a glance with Farrah. They could do a lot of things during those hours.

Then, Maya had an idea...

"Perfect timing, actually. While you wait, why not enter Perfect World yourselves? Ahem... Just four hours would be enough... I’m sure you’re curious about it... You haven’t entered one yet, right?"

"Is it that obvious?" Kai asked.

"Hehe... I can just tell... Anyway, entry will be free. To be honest, the mines within the restricted territory of the Faction are short-handed, and the elders would appreciate the help. Of course, you’d get paid."

"That area is for Level 5 and below only... So we can’t really ask other members." Maya added...

Kai studied her carefully. He could tell she was desperate to fill the quota, but he also understood the opportunity...