The shard hovered before Uther's outstretched hand, its corrupted energy trembling between stability and chaos.
> [Combat System Upgrade – Confirmed.]
[Installing Combat Subsystem: Vanguard Protocol…]
[New Abilities Unlocked: Adaptive Strike, Combat Insight, System Reflex Layer.]
[Warning: Combat Subsystem May Draw Hostile System Attention.]
The world around Uther seemed to slow for a heartbeat.
Power surged through his limbs, not like raw mana — but a structured, intelligent force. The System wasn't just enhancing his strength. It was rewriting how he fought.
As the final light dimmed from the fragment, a low hum echoed through the quarry walls. Something ancient had been disturbed.
Kaelen took a cautious step back. "That power… it changed you."
Uther exhaled slowly. His grip on the sword had never felt more natural.
"It's just the beginning," he muttered.
---
Back at the Village
While Uther's party trekked home, a storm was brewing elsewhere.
In the capital's grand library, cloaked figures analyzed a crystal projection.
> "So the Combat Protocol reactivated…"
"In the hands of a rogue village no less. That shouldn't be possible."
"It's spreading. We need to intervene before the Core reconstructs fully."
Far away, a masked figure — the same spy who reported the village — received a silent command.
> [Initiate Protocol: Observe. Sabotage If Necessary.]
---
Return and Revelation
By the time Uther returned, night had fallen. The village glowed warmly under oil lanterns and runes.
As he crossed into the main square, the System activated again:
> [New System Function Online – Combat Training Hall Unlocked.]
[New NPC Role Available – Combat Instructor.]
[System Combat Trials Accessible – Train or Test Recruits.]
Mara blinked. "Did we just unlock a dojo?"
Uther smirked. "Something like that. Looks like we're officially building an army."
> [New Quest Unlocked – Recruit and Train 3 Combatants to Guard the Village.]
Reward: Defensive Perimeter Upgrade, Patrol System, Elite Combat Node (Locked)
---
The Stranger at the Gate
Before they could celebrate, Joren — the scout — came sprinting from the edge of the forest.
"Someone's at the border," he panted. "A lone traveler. Won't come in. Says he's looking for… the Wielder of the Reborn System."
Uther exchanged a look with Kaelen.
"Let's meet them."
As the group approached the gate, a figure stood just beyond the torches — wrapped in gray robes, face shadowed, holding a staff tipped with crystal circuitry.
"I bring word from the Circle of Sealed Systems," the stranger said calmly. "Your activation has not gone unnoticed. You walk a path that was forbidden for a reason."
Uther's eyes narrowed. "You came to stop me?"
The stranger smiled faintly. "No. I came to see if you survive what comes next."
---
To be continued…