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Dawn sketched a thin line along the desert's rim and left the mountain cool and hollow as a held breath. Kai stood alone on the highest shelf beside Miryam's cocoon. The gold shell pulsed on a slow, sure beat, steady as a drum a careful hand would keep. Wind combed his white / silver hair back and went on its way. No footsteps, no voices, no clang of iron — only the hush of stone and the faint tick of cooling air.
He did not have to clear his head. The night had done it for him. He asked inside his mind, "System, show me the first new skill I got."
[Ding! Post-ascension skill suite stabilized. Detailed review recommended.]
"Open," he thought.
The interface answered without flourish.
[Monarch Core Override.]
Lines of meaning unfolded — clean, precise, and built for a mind that does not like lying to itself.
[Ding! Skill Name: Monarch Core Override
Tier: Core Override → evolves to Greater / Supreme / Eternal
