The bell rang.

  Deep.

  Structural.

  The vault above the Neutral City shifted from dark copper to a colder glow.

  An interface opened in front of everyone.

  Not a shared one.

  An individual one.

  [Interdimensional Neutral City — Neutral Phase Active]

  [Days remaining: 7]

  [Personal status synchronized]

  Rin felt something stabilize around him.

  Then his full window appeared.

  For the first time since the Tower began, the stats were clear.

  Exact.

  Name: Rin Fushiguro

  Race: Human

  Active Essences:

  — Mantycore Chimera

  STR 14

  AGI 13

  END 14

  PER 15

  RES 16

  INF 18

  Exclusive Statistic:

  Flux Coherence: 12 (unstable)

  Rin wasn’t surprised by the numbers.

  He was surprised by something else.

  A new line appeared at the bottom.

  [Authority Shards: 1,280]

  He stayed still for a second.

  1,280.

  No ranking.

  No comparison.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Just a number.

  Mi-sun was looking at her own screen. She couldn’t see his.

  No one could see anyone else’s.

  It was personal.

  Logical.

  The Shards represented the system’s recognition.

  Not an ego currency.

  A secondary message followed.

  [Allocation calculated based on:]

  — Elimination of a major entity (Tutorial)

  — Full floor stabilization (Floor 1)

  — Structuring collective exploit (Floor 2)

  — Impact on overall Stability

  He understood.

  It wasn’t raw power being rewarded.

  It was structural impact.

  He closed the window.

  A few meters away, Kael was studying his own.

  His expression shifted slightly.

  No arrogant grin.

  Not this time.

  Tension.

  He didn’t speak.

  Lysandre reacted the opposite way.

  A faint, satisfied smile—

  without knowing his total was still lower than Rin’s.

  On the dwarven side, Bjorn Forgeblade examined the engravings of the central pillar that had just emerged.

  Short.

  Thick beard.

  Forearms marked by old burns.

  No divine symbol on him.

  No pact.

  No contract.

  Only tools.

  He didn’t seem concerned with Shards.

  He was testing the stone.

  “Stable foundation,” he muttered in his language before the translation kicked in.

  “Not shaped by gods.”

  That interested Rin more than the numbers.

  A new notification appeared.

  [Interdimensional exchange authorized.]

  [Transactions regulated by Authority Shards.]

  [Individual balances remain private.]

  Ha-joon looked up at Rin.

  “So… what can we buy?”

  The central pillar lit up.

  Categories appeared.

  — Rare resources

  — Structural upgrades

  — Specialized services

  — Temporary access

  No essences.

  No free power.

  Just opportunities.

  Mi-sun scanned the surroundings.

  The beastmen were already grouped in their district.

  Totems planted.

  Fast organization.

  They didn’t look impressed.

  They looked used to surviving together.

  The dwarves, meanwhile, were already setting up modular metal structures.

  Portable workshops.

  They didn’t ask anyone for anything.

  The humans…

  Were splitting.

  Naturally.

  Kael stepped into the center of the plaza.

  Not to provoke.

  To be seen.

  “Seven days,” he declared calmly.

  “Seven days to decide who represents the humans here.”

  It wasn’t a shout.

  It was an invitation.

  Some moved closer.

  Others hesitated.

  Rin stayed still.

  Mi-sun looked at him.

  “You’re not going to answer?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  He watched the central plaza.

  The human flows.

  Not divine.

  Just human.

  “Because if they have to choose someone in seven days…”

  “It won’t be the one who talks the loudest.”

  A faint smile touched Mi-sun’s lips.

  Ha-joon was still watching the beastmen.

  “They’re calmer than us…”

  “Maybe they’re less afraid,” Dae-hyun said.

  Rin reopened his interface briefly.

  1,280 Shards.

  A heavy number.

  He understood something essential.

  The Neutral City wasn’t here to test strength.

  It was measuring the ability to last.