The ruins trembled.
Not from impact, not from mana storms—but from resistance.
The moment the last Observer dissolved, the air itself seemed to tighten, as if something unseen had noticed an error it could no longer ignore. The ground beneath his feet glowed faintly as distorted runes surfaced, sharper and more aggressive than any system markings he had seen before.
The pressure came next.
It wasn't physical.
It was authority.
His dragon core pulsed once in response, instinctively pushing back as invisible weight pressed down on his existence.
Three shapes formed from the shifting mana above the ruins.
They were tall, faceless beings wrapped in condensed light, their bodies outlined by flowing symbols that constantly rearranged themselves. No heartbeat. No breath. Just purpose.
"Growth curve exceeded."
"Dragon System integration unstable."
"Correction required."
Their voices overlapped, mechanical and absolute.
He exhaled slowly.
"So this is the system's answer."
They moved without warning.
Space folded as the first Enforcer appeared directly in front of him, a blade of compressed mana slicing downward. He twisted aside at the last moment. The blade passed through the air behind him and erased part of the ruins entirely—stone vanishing without sound.
He countered immediately, fist crashing into the Enforcer's chest.
The impact dispersed uselessly.
His eyes narrowed.
The second Enforcer struck from behind, slamming him into the ground with crushing force. The earth cracked beneath him as he skidded to a stop.
Pain flared.
He stood back up calmly.
"So raw power doesn't work."
The Enforcers adjusted, attacking together now, their movements precise and synchronized. Every strike targeted balance, rhythm, and control—aimed not to kill him outright, but to break his stability.
He stopped forcing output.
Instead, he compressed it.
Dragon energy wrapped tightly around his limbs, vibrating at a higher density. Less flame. More pressure. More intent.
When the first Enforcer attacked again, he met it head-on.
This time, the strike landed.
Cracks spread across the Enforcer's mana shell as it staggered backward.
"Good," he said quietly.
The remaining two reacted instantly, increasing speed, pushing harder. They surrounded him, blades and force striking from multiple angles. His breathing slowed. His movements sharpened.
He let them push him back.
Then he changed rhythm.
Output dropped.
Then surged.
The first Enforcer overextended.
His palm struck its core, releasing a perfectly timed pulse of compressed dragon energy.
The Enforcer shattered.
Light scattered and faded.
The second hesitated.
That was enough.
He moved like a shadow, slipping past its guard and striking the joint where mana condensed most densely. The shell collapsed, and the body dissolved.
The final Enforcer attempted to retreat.
He didn't allow it.
One step.
One strike.
Silence returned to the ruins.
The runes faded.
The pressure lifted.
A final system message appeared, flickering briefly before stabilizing.
"Correction failed."
"Variable reclassified."
He stood alone, golden eyes steady.
"Unrestricted," he murmured.
Far beyond the sky, something ancient observed in quiet approval.
And for the first time—
The system had been forced to step back.