The search for other system users began in earnest the next morning.Marco gathered his inner circle in the war room—Isabella, Morwen, Riven, and Lena. The maps on the table had been replaced with a new document: a list of names, locations, and suspected abilities, painstakingly compiled by Eos over the past several months."There are twelve confirmed system users on the continent," Marco said, tapping the parchment. "Three are in the kingdom. Four are in the Empire. The remaining five are scattered across the neutral territories."Isabella studied the list, her ice-blue eyes narrowing. "How do we find them?""Carefully." Marco turned to Morwen. "I want dossiers on every name on thi

The fortress had become a gathering place for the extraordinary.Elara tended to the wounded in a makeshift infirmary, her healing system mending bones and curing diseases that would have killed ordinary men. Dorian patrolled the walls, a blur of motion that could cross the entire fortress in seconds. Brianna worked in the forge, crafting weapons and armor that could withstand the punishment of system-enhanced combat. Magnus helped with construction, lifting stones that required teams of men, his strength system making the impossible routine.And Lena sat in Marco's study, her gray eyes distant, her mental manipulation system scanning for threats that hadn't yet materialized."We have a problem," she said one morning, her voice flat.<