Day 2 had not yet reached its midpoint.

  And yet, the city had already shifted its posture.

  It was no longer a gathering.

  It was a settlement.

  In the beastmen’s district, things were clear.

  There was no uniform mass.

  There was a center.

  A leader.

  At the top.

  Broad build, old scars, an unmoving gaze.

  His name, transmitted through system translation, was Rhazgar of the Grey Fang.

  He was not merely a warrior.

  He was the Chief of the Unified Clans.

  Around him stood several clan leaders.

  Less imposing.

  But each at the head of their own lineage:

  — Clan of the Broken Fangs

  — Clan of the High Shadows

  — Clan of the Ashen Horns

  They did not obey him out of fear.

  They recognized his ritual supremacy.

  When Rhazgar spoke, the chiefs listened.

  When the chiefs spoke, the clans followed.

  A clear hierarchy.

  Not perfect.

  But solid.

  Rin observed this from the edge of the human district.

  Not hidden.

  Not provocative.

  Just present.

  Ha-joon joined him.

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  “They don’t argue like we do.”

  “No.”

  “Why?”

  Rin didn’t answer immediately.

  He wasn’t searching for a phrase.

  He was watching interactions.

  One of the clan chiefs stepped forward toward Rhazgar.

  He spoke at length.

  A disagreement, clearly.

  Rhazgar listened.

  Replied briefly.

  The chief inclined his head slightly.

  The discussion was over.

  Not crushed.

  Decided.

  Among the humans, it was different.

  Three distinct groups were already forming.

  Around Kael.

  Around Eleanor.

  Around A?cha.

  And a fourth.

  Floating.

  Undecided.

  Rin felt Mi-sun approach.

  “We’re going to have to choose a position.”

  “We already have one.”

  “Independent, yes.

  But independent doesn’t mean invisible.”

  At the center of the plaza, the exchange pillar was drawing more people.

  A dwarf negotiated curtly with a human.

  “Sixty Shards.”

  “That’s too much.”

  “Then repair it yourself.”

  The transaction happened anyway.

  Nearby, a beastman offered durable organic materials in exchange for metal tools.

  A slow exchange.

  Wary.

  But real.

  The city breathed.

  Not peacefully.

  But functionally.

  A more pronounced movement drew attention.

  Rhazgar was leaving his circle.

  Not alone.

  Two clan chiefs accompanied him.

  They walked toward the central plaza.

  Not directly toward the humans.

  Toward the pillar.

  Human conversations gradually fell silent.

  Kael stepped forward slightly.

  A?cha did not move.

  Marcus shifted subtly to hear better.

  Rhazgar stopped exactly at the edge of the neutral zone.

  He placed his hand on the stone.

  No light.

  No reaction.

  He spoke.

  His deep voice carried.

  “We did not cross our gods to become your enemies.”

  The translation activated instantly.

  “We survived because we followed a clear hierarchy.

  We will not impose ours.

  But we will not accept chaos.”

  It was not a threat.

  It was a declaration of structure.

  Kael stepped forward in response.

  “Humans are not chaotic.”

  A faint smile touched A?cha’s lips.

  Rhazgar looked at Kael without hostility.

  “Then show it.”

  Silence settled.

  Rin understood immediately.

  This wasn’t provocation.

  It was evaluation.

  The beastmen weren’t testing strength.

  They were testing cohesion.

  One of the clan chiefs behind Rhazgar studied the humans closely.

  He wasn’t looking at Kael.

  He was watching the divisions.

  The hesitations.

  The clusters.

  He was looking for potential weakness.

  Mi-sun murmured:

  “They’re not looking for war.”

  “No.”

  “They’re looking to see if we’ll destroy ourselves.”

  Rhazgar removed his hand from the pillar.

  “Seven days,” he concluded.

  “We will see.”

  He turned away.

  The clan chiefs followed.

  No more words.

  No fewer implications.

  Dae-hyun exhaled slowly.

  “He talks like a general.”

  “He’s more than that,” Rin replied.

  Kael stood still for a few seconds.

  Then he turned to the humans around him.

  “You heard him.”

  Some nodded.

  Others looked irritated.

  A young man stepped forward.

  “We’re not going to be judged by beasts.”

  This time, A?cha intervened.

  “If you want to prove we’re not chaotic, start by being quiet.”

  Silence fell again.

  Not humiliating.

  Necessary.

  Rin observed the reactions.

  Not searching for a formula.

  Searching for rhythm.

  The Neutral City wasn’t a battlefield.

  It was a scale.

  And every word carried weight.

  Above them, the vault pulsed faintly.

  [Hierarchical interactions recorded.]

  [Stability maintained.]

  Day 2.

  Still ongoing.

  And already, the invisible lines between peoples were beginning to form.

  Not through blood.

  Through structure.