NOVEL NEXT Chapter 351: Territory Claimed
Zain opened his system menu, the familiar interface shimmering before his eyes.
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[Name: Zain]
[Class: Heavenly Demon]
[Rank: Supreme]
[Abilities]
[Heavenly Demon God: Absorbs anything and converts it into Heavenly Demon Ether, growing stronger with each absorption.]
[Heavenly Demon Sect: Brands targets as Heavenly Demon Slaves, making them absolutely loyal and unable to betray him. Can grant each slave a unique power and create fortresses or bases anywhere]
[Heavenly Demon Ether: A corrupt, destructive ether used to form twisted elements, forge dark weapons and armour, and enhance his body's strength.]
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A slow smirk formed on his face as his crimson eyes traced over the text.
These are my core weapons.
Normally, he relied on [Heavenly Demon God], the reason he was nearly untouchable.
Paired with [Heavenly Demon Ether], it became both his power source and his most dangerous tool.
But now… it was time to use the third pillar. The one he had rarely touched until today.
[Heavenly Demon Sect].
He exhaled slowly, as if savouring the moment. "Activate Heavenly Demon Sect."
The usual screen flickered… then dissolved.
In its place bloomed a deep red and black interface, pulsing faintly, as if alive.
Zain's eyes narrowed in surprise at the sudden change, his gaze tracing the shifting crimson patterns.
Before he could even speak, another translucent window snapped into existence, hovering above the first.
Its text was crisp and direct, ready to clarify the phenomenon.
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[System Clarification:]
[The red/black interface is generated by the ability Heavenly Demon Sect.]
[This interface controls slaves, custom ability creation, and sect construction functions separately from the main system.]
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Zain tilted his head, examining the shifting crimson runes along the edges.
"I see… so this isn't you, System. This is my real ability."
His smirk deepened. "Then why make it look like something out of my hack?"
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[System Response:]
[Reason: A separate interface was created to make the Heavenly Demon Sect's ability easier to use.]
[This prevents command overlap with the main Hero Hack System and allows faster control of slaves, custom abilities, and construction.]
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"I see…" Zain muttered, his tone low, satisfied. "Then let's see just how much I can build with this."
His eyes locked on the red-and-black interface, its pulsating lines reflecting faintly in his crimson gaze.
"Show me my current territory."
[Please designate the center and expand it in a circular formation.]
Zain immediately understood.
The system wasn't asking for a building location. It was asking for the very heart of his domain.
Once the center was chosen, the territory would spread outward in a perfect circle, swallowing everything within its range.
This wasn't just marking a spot on a map… it was claiming an entire kingdom.
[System Recommendation Available – Displaying.]
A faint arrow materialized in the air, shimmering in deep crimson light.
Zain followed its point and saw that it was aimed directly at the throne behind him.
His lips curled into a slow, dangerous grin. "Heh… I like it. Use this as the recommendation."
[Confirmed. Please give the order to begin expansion.]
Zain walked back to the throne, turned, and sat down, smirking. "Start."
[Expanding… 1 meter… 2 meters…]
A ripple of dark ether burst outward from the throne, expanding in perfect circles.
The air seemed to warp, the ground trembling as black lines etched into reality like glass cracks.
Zain's smile faded slightly.
Each meter pulled at him, draining not only his ether but his very stamina.
The weight of the expansion pressed on his body like an invisible hand trying to crush him into the throne.
Suddenly, his original system screen blinked into view.
[Warning: This ability draws directly from host ether and stamina, not Hack Points.]
Zain's eyes narrowed. "Tch… Stop."
The expansion halted instantly, the black ripples freezing mid-spread before slowly fading into the ground.
He looked over the result.
The mansion, several stretches of land, and half the surrounding ruined structures were now fully enclosed within his territory.
It wasn't much compared to what he envisioned… but it was enough for a start.
Still, Zain hadn't expected it to drain his ether and stamina instead of Hack Points.
"So that's what you meant by a different system, huh…" he muttered, a faint smirk tugging at his lips.
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The girls glanced at Zain, unease written all over their faces.
Velra was the first to speak, her voice strained as she sank down to one knee.
"Zain… what happened? Why… does it feel like something's crushing us?"
Savra's breathing was shallow, her hands gripping her thighs as she nodded.
"It's not just you, Velra… I feel it too. Like the whole air wants to crush my bones."
Even Zelia's stance had shifted, her usual composure giving way to visible tension in her shoulders.
Zain's brows furrowed, his crimson eyes narrowing in realization.
"Tch… damn it. I should have known. It's because you're not yet part of my Sect."
Without wasting another second, he summoned the red-and-black interface in front of him.
"Register them as members of my Sect."
[Confirmed. Targets registered as Sect members.]
A sudden wave of oppressive ether snapped and vanished, like a rope being cut.
Velra let out a long breath, rolling her shoulders and stretching her neck.
"Haa… that's better. I thought my spine was going to snap in half."
Savra arched her back with a stretch, a sly grin creeping onto her face now that she could breathe freely.
"For a second there, I was wondering if you were testing how long we could last before we dropped dead."
Zelia's crimson gaze settled on Zain, her tone calm but curious. "Zain… what exactly did you do?"
Zain's lips curled into a smirk. "That," he said, "was one of my abilities."
"It's called [Heavenly Demon Sect], an ability that lets me designate an area as my territory. Everything inside it belongs to me."
His eyes gleamed faintly. "And when I say everything, I mean everything."
He leaned back slightly, resting one hand on the pillar beside him.
"Because I hadn't registered you three as mine… the territory recognized you as intruders and treated you accordingly."
Velra's eyes widened as the realization sank in. "…So that crushing feeling—that was this place trying to kill us?"
"Not exactly kill," Zain corrected with a small shrug.
"But it would've broken you down until you couldn't even move, then pushed you out. That's the natural defense of my Sect's territory."
Savra chuckled under her breath, shaking her head. "And here I thought you were just trying to keep us in line."
Zain's smirk deepened. "Now that you're part of the Sect, you'll never feel that suppression again. In here… you're safe."