The Crown Complex felt different without the System's constant presence.
Too quiet.
Tyler stood in the underground hall—once an abandoned storage floor, now cleared and reinforced. Bare concrete. Exposed beams. Emergency lights humming softly.
No HUD.No passive buffs.No aura.
Just him.
The System's last message lingered in his memory:
Defend the Crown without intervention.
A clean test.
A cruel one.
He rolled his shoulders, feeling every imperfection in his body. The confidence boost was gone. His breathing wasn't regulated. His senses weren't sharpened.
For the first time since the System awakened…
He was just Tyler again.
Footsteps echoed from the far end of the hall.
Three figures emerged from the shadows.
Not thugs.
Not amateurs.
They moved with discipline—measured, coordinated. Urban combat posture. No wasted motion.
The first man spoke, voice calm and professional.
"Tyler Brooks. Property owner. System-linked individual."
Tyler's eyes narrowed. "You guys from the city?"
The man smiled slightly. "No. We work for people who dislike uncertainty."
That tracked.
Selene didn't attack directly.
She sent pressure testers.
The second man cracked his knuckles. "Order is simple. We stress the perimeter. If you break, we report back."
"And if I don't?" Tyler asked.
The third woman finally spoke. Her voice was flat.
"Then you become expensive."
Tyler exhaled slowly.
No System.
No tricks.
Just fundamentals.
"Alright," he said. "Let's get this over with."
They moved instantly.
The woman rushed first—low stance, aiming to sweep his legs. Tyler barely reacted in time, hopping back as her foot skimmed the concrete where his ankle had been.
Too slow.
The first man followed with a straight punch aimed at his throat.
Tyler raised his forearm—not perfectly. Pain exploded up his arm as bone met bone.
He grunted but stayed upright.
The third attacker circled, waiting.
Tyler realized the mistake immediately.
They weren't trying to knock him out.
They were measuring how long he could last.
The next exchange was ugly.
No cinematic flair.
No clean victories.
Tyler took hits.
Blocked others.
Learned fast—or got punished.
A kick caught his ribs. Air blasted out of his lungs.
Another punch grazed his cheek, splitting skin.
Blood dripped onto the concrete.
But something else happened too.
He adapted.
He stopped chasing openings and started controlling space.
He used pillars. Corners. Timing.
When the woman went for another sweep, he anticipated it—stepped inside her range and shoved her shoulder instead of striking.
She stumbled.
That was new.
The first man's eyes sharpened.
"He's learning."
The third attacker finally moved in.
This one was different.
Sharper.
Faster.
She feinted high, then drove an elbow toward his chest.
Tyler twisted—barely—and felt it glance off his shoulder instead of his sternum.
Pain flared.
But he stayed standing.
Minutes dragged on.
Sweat soaked his shirt.
His lungs burned.
His arms trembled.
And yet—
He was still there.
Still defending.
Still refusing to fall.
Something clicked.
Not strength.
Resolve.
He wasn't fighting to win.
He was fighting to hold.
The lead man raised his hand.
They stopped.
Breathing heavy, Tyler wiped blood from his lip.
"That it?" he asked hoarsely.
The man studied him, then nodded once.
"Trial complete."
No applause.
No respect.
Just acknowledgment.
They turned to leave.
The woman paused at the doorway and looked back.
"You're not a ruler yet," she said. "But you're not weak."
Then they were gone.
Silence returned.
Tyler sagged against a pillar, sliding down until he sat on the cold floor.
His hands shook.
He laughed softly—half relief, half disbelief.
"…Damn."
The System reactivated.
Not triumphantly.
Not loudly.
Just… present.
[Keeper Trial: Completed]
Result: Pass (Minimum Threshold Achieved)Evaluation: Defensive Instincts ConfirmedAuthority Growth: Stabilized
Then another line appeared.
[Hidden Effect Unlocked]Trait Acquired: Anchor Presence (Passive)Description: Allies within your territory gain increased composure under pressure.
Tyler stared at it.
Anchor.
Not weapon.
Not dominance.
Support.
Footsteps hurried toward him.
Mira dropped to her knees beside him, panic clear on her face. "Are you insane?! You could've—"
"I know," Tyler said, cutting her off gently.
Lila arrived seconds later, eyes scanning his injuries.
"You passed," she said quietly. "That matters."
Eva appeared in the doorway, unreadable.
"You didn't scare them away," she said. "You proved you're not easy to remove."
Tyler pushed himself up slowly.
"And Selene?"
Eva met his gaze.
"She noticed."
The System chimed one last time.
[City Notice Updated]Status: Crown Complex — Contested but Standing
Tyler looked around the underground hall.
At the concrete.
The blood.
The space he'd chosen to protect.
This wasn't the end of pressure.
It was the beginning of real resistance.
He straightened despite the pain.
"Alright," he said."Now we build the Inner Circle properly."
Somewhere across the city, Selene reviewed the combat footage.
Her smile was no longer amused.
"Interesting," she whispered."He didn't fall."
And for the first time—
She leaned forward.
End of chapter.