"Oh, not bad, little brother Victor—you're already getting offers to join factions. Even millions who apply can't get in, yet you're being invited. And by the looks of it... someone of very high position too," Camelia said playfully, sizing Sarah up and down. Only Victor could hear her voice.
'Camelia, you know about factions?' Victor asked in his mind, to which she responded,
"Of course I know. There were countless factions during my time, and they often went to war over petty reasons. In the end, thousands of factions—including mine—were destroyed. After that, I decided never to join another faction and just roamed the Tower. Before I was sealed, there were still conflicts going on. I don't know the current state, so you should ask her," Camelia said, reminiscing as she spoke.
"War, huh?" Victor muttered aloud with a frown, which immediately caught Sarah's attention.
"Hmm? Did you say something, Victor?" Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Hmm, Miss Sarah," Victor said calmly, "I heard somewhere that factions used to wage wars over petty reasons. Are they still at war?"
His words caused Butler Leon to twitch his eyebrows in irritation, while everyone's eyes widened as they turned to look at Victor.
"Hmm, where did you hear that? This kind of information has been erased from the lower floors, and only High Rankers from the top floors know this," Senior Julian asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I–I heard it from somewhere," Victor said, stuttering as he shot a glare at Camelia, who simply shrugged her shoulders. How was she supposed to know that such common information had long been erased? Since Rankers on the lower floors didn't have lifespans stretching thousands of years, the traces of that knowledge had naturally vanished from history.
"I see," Senior Julian said after a pause. It wasn't unheard of for random people to stumble upon forgotten bits of knowledge.
"Yes, it was indeed the case thousands of years ago—but not anymore," Sarah said, shooting a glare at Leon, who was about to say something, before continuing, "During that era, there were countless factions constantly fighting for territory and resources, since they were limited. Only a few factions, like mine—Illuminated Rankers—survived. We currently have hundreds of thousands of members and are one of the top factions in the Tower."
"Huh, Illuminated Rankers? They survived?" Camelia was listening to the history after being sealed, and when she heard the familiar name, she was surprised.
'You know them?' Victor asked Camelia in his head while keeping his gaze on Sarah and the others.
"Yeah, they were a mid-sized faction during that era and later fell to a low-sized faction after they fought with mine, which was also a mid-sized faction. They turned into a low-ranked faction while mine was wiped out. I remember killing quite a few of their members, so I'm surprised they still managed to survive—and with such large numbers," Camelia said in a shocked voice.
Victor, who heard this, felt his eyebrows twitch.
'Damn, I'm regretting taking her offer,' Victor thought as his temples throbbed.
"Joining a faction seems troublesome. Won't I be targeted by other factions if I join?" Victor said. Honestly, he was very tempted to join but still thought about the risks.
"If it were in the past, indeed you would be targeted just by joining us and forced to participate in wars regardless of your strength, but things have changed..." Sarah said patiently and was happy inside, as Victor asking this meant he was not completely averse to joining her faction.
"She's right. If you join, you won't be targeted—at least not openly—and others wouldn't mess with you because of your talent, as you'd be under the umbrella of one of the most powerful factions. Only higher rankers are targeted in the dark, and you're currently insignificant no matter how talented, there are many talented people who fail to reach their potential" Senior Julian said calmly.
Seeing Victor hesitate, Sarah explained quickly
"Factions are essential on the upper floors because without one, you'll be vulnerable in a world where the majority of people belong to a faction for support and safety. You may think High Rankers are invincible, but on the upper floors, where there are other low or high Rankers, nobody is safe," Sarah explained to him.
"If you join a powerful faction, unless other factions want to risk a war, they won't dare touch you. Of course, non-faction members are a different matter entirely."
"High Rankers, magical beasts, even powerful families and clans—they all belong to a faction."
"Do you understand the importance of factions now?" Sarah asked him calmly.
Victor thought for a moment, then nodded with a frown. "Yes, I understand."
"Now that you understand what factions are, what is your answer?" Sarah asked again.
"My faction—the Illuminated Rankers—is one of the most powerful factions in the tower, with many peak experts and legendary figures. As long as you promise to join us, you'll receive various resources that even the most powerful families in the lower floors can't provide, and your progress will be much faster," Sarah explained.
"Wow, she sure is convincing. You should accept—she must hold a very high position in that faction, and the way she described it, her faction sounds incredibly strong. Plus, I didn't sense her lying," Camelia suggested, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Sarah, then turned to Victor, who was deep in thought.
"Senior Julian, what about you? Are you also part of their faction?" Victor asked.
"No, I'm not part of that faction," Julian replied with a smile. "I belong to an organization that includes members from other factions and remains neutral. Even mythical beasts are part of it, and it doesn't discriminate."
"Oh?" Victor raised an eyebrow in interest, while Camelia frowned as several organizations popped into her head.
"I am the leader of the Holy Knight Temple—and a Sword God," Julian said with a smile, causing both Camelia and Victor to look at him with wide eyes.