Victor Thorne remained silent for a moment, then glanced at his two wives, as if seeking their opinion on whether he should respond.
Evelyn Thorne, without bothering to wait for Victor, spoke directly—
"Tell us, Adrian, what exactly is your plan?"
Adrian answered in a calm, serious voice—
"Call each of the Elders and Commanders here, one by one. Question them in detail about the bandit attacks. After that, I will tell you which ones need to be investigated further."
Victor narrowed his eyes slightly. If it were really that simple, he would have resolved this matter long ago.
He was about to refuse Adrian's suggestion. But it was the first time his son had shown any genuine interest in the affairs of the clan. Before Victor could speak, Selena Thorne and Evelyn Thorne both said at once—
"Do what you think is right. We will support you."
Victor didn't argue. A part of him also wanted Adrian to try his hand at this—even if it didn't lead anywhere, at least it would give him valuable experience.
Adrian spoke in a composed tone—
"Alright. Mother… Father… please follow exactly what I've asked. I'm certain this will help put an end to your problem."
With that, Adrian rose from his chair and headed straight toward his room.
Victor watched him go, exhaling slowly. He turned to Selena and Evelyn and asked—
"What do you both think about this?"
Selena and Evelyn exchanged a brief look. Then, in unison, they said—
"Let him do as he wishes. Maybe this is how our Adrian will finally start to change… and learn to take responsibility."
Adrian, unconcerned with whatever his family might think, reached his room and carefully locked the door behind him. He wanted no interruptions when he finally healed his dantian.
Then, in the quiet of that room, he asked the System—
"System, the Relationship Points and Scope ratings I see in people's profiles… what do they actually mean?"
The familiar robotic voice echoed in his mind—
"Host, Relationship Points indicate the degree of emotional closeness or loyalty that person feels toward you:
1–2 Points: Neutral… they neither support nor oppose you.
3–5 Points: Generally positive—willing to help if it doesn't cost them much.
6–8 Points: Loyal enough to stand by you through hardship.
9 Points: Fully committed to aiding you in all circumstances.
10/10 Points: Extreme devotion—they would give their life for you, or take a life on your behalf. This is exceedingly rare, typically reserved for one's parents, closest friends, spouse, or someone to whom you have shown tremendous kindness."
The System paused a moment, then continued—
"As for Scope:
C Grade: Mortal level.
B Grade: Warlord level.
A Grade: King level.
A+: Half-Saint.
S Grade: Saint level."
Adrian took a slow breath.
At last, he understood exactly how Scope worked.
And then, a thought flashed in his mind—
"If I can see everyone's Scope… how can I turn this to my advantage?"
He stood there in silence, golden light shimmering faintly in his eyes…
Adrian Thorne couldn't stop himself from thinking about the skill he had received from the system—Golden Eye of Spy.
"If I use this skill properly," he thought to himself,
"I could build an army so formidable that one day, no force in this world could stand against me…"
He forced himself to set aside those thoughts for now and focused his attention on Item Number 4 – Self-Dimensional Space.
The system's robotic voice echoed in his mind—
"Self-Dimensional Space is a pocket-world accessible only to the host and any individuals the host brings along. This space allows you to store anything. Time here flows ten times faster than in the outside world. For example, if you cultivate inside for ten hours, only one hour will pass outside."
A translucent screen appeared in front of Adrian:
Status
Self-Dimensional Space
Level – 1 (Upgradeable)
Time Flow – 1×10
(10 hours inside = 1 hour outside)
Herbal Garden – 1×30
(Any herbs planted here will grow 30 times faster compared to the outside world.)
Training Space – Limit: Warlord level cultivation
Dual Cultivation Room – 3× Qi density
Normal Cultivation Room – 2× Qi density
Seeing all these details, a broad, almost electric smile lit up Adrian's face.
He quickly asked—
"System, how do I enter the Self-Dimensional Space?"
The system replied calmly—
"Host only needs to think about entering Self-Dimensional Space. You will be transported there instantly."
Adrian closed his eyes and focused his mind:
"Self-Dimensional Space…"
In the blink of an eye, everything changed around him.
He found himself standing in a vast, empty plain stretching endlessly in all directions.
A strange déjà vu gripped his mind—
"This is the place… When I was unconscious, I felt my consciousness floating here. When the golden flames were around me, this was exactly what I saw…"
He turned slowly, scanning the desolate expanse.
"System, why does it look so barren? There's nothing here…"
Without responding, the ground under his feet began to quake.
Cracks spread across the land, and a colossal palace emerged, as if rising straight from the depths of the earth.
It was so enormous and majestic that Adrian's eyes widened in awe.
Multiple towers glistened in the soft light, golden and sapphire inlay gleaming across the intricate carvings.
Next to the palace, a vast herbal garden materialized.
Around it, a shimmering barrier of protective formation glowed faintly blue.
The system's voice returned—
"Host, in this herbal garden, any medicinal plants you cultivate will grow thirty times faster. One day outside will be thirty days here."
Adrian didn't reply.
His heart was pounding like a war drum as he stepped closer to the palace and pushed open its massive doors.
Inside was more breathtaking than he had ever imagined.
A grand hall with a ceiling crafted from crystal and sapphire.
Hundreds of lanterns floated in the air, bathing the room in soft golden light.
The polished marble floor shone so brightly it reflected his face.
At the center stood a massive throne—
carved entirely from gold and emerald.
It was so wide, three people could sit upon it with ease.
Behind the throne, a huge engraving of a dragon seemed almost alive, its eyes gleaming with an ancient presence.
There were twenty chairs on each side of the throne, all crafted from gold and embedded with rare, luminous gemstones.
Adrian slowly walked around the massive hall for a while, taking in every detail. Then, step by step, he approached the throne and sat down.
The moment he settled into it, he felt an indescribable sensation—as if some unseen force was acknowledging him, silently granting its approval. The feeling lasted only a few breaths before fading away, leaving the space calm and still.
Adrian rose from the throne and stepped out of the hall to explore further. Ahead, he saw two large doors. One was marked Normal Cultivation Room, and the other—Dual Cultivation Room.