The meeting with Kraken confirmed they were watching. The next move was theirs. While she waited, Mo Chen focused on expanding her power base. Her daily burns continued, a ritual that steadily filled her coffers and strengthened her connection to her fire.
The system, pleased with her aggressive expansion, delivered another upgrade.
[Ding! Host has successfully weaponized financial markets for strategic destruction. System Level 12 unlocked.]
System: Money Burning System (Level 12)
Host: Mo Chen
Daily Burning Quota: $100,000 USD
Conversion Rate: 1%
New Function Unlocked: Scorched Earth Protocol.
[Scorched Earth Protocol: For a one-time cost of 1,000,000 Personal Funds, host can designate a single, large-scale physical asset (e.g., a building, a ship, a data center) for complete annihilation. The system will facilitate its destruction through 'unfortunate accidents' within 72 hours. Cooldown: 30 days.]
It was a weapon of mass destruction. A way to erase her enemies' infrastructure without getting her own hands dirty. It was expensive, but the tactical advantage was immeasurable.
She also used her growing personal wealth to make her first legitimate, non-destructive investment. She bought a small, cutting-edge materials science lab that was on the verge of bankruptcy. Their research was in heat-resistant ceramics and energy-dispersive alloys—materials that could potentially contain or channel her power.
She wasn't just a destroyer. She was a creator, building the tools for her own unique form of warfare. The Phoenix was building its nest, and it was forged in fire.