The bridge was quiet again.
As if the event had never happened.
Zhao Ren returned to the western side without celebration.
Chen Wei met him halfway.
"You claimed it."
"Yes."
No smile.
No display.
Just confirmation.
The others looked relieved but cautious.
Ranking changes were already spreading through whispered conversation.
Zhao Ren didn't address them.
Instead, he opened his system panel.
Interesting.
Not permanent growth.
Temporary amplification.
Strategic.
He closed the panel and looked toward the skyline.
A short demonstration wouldn't hurt.
He stepped into an open area behind the barricade.
Chen Wei watched quietly.
"Testing," Zhao Ren said simply.
He activated the skill.
Immediately
A subtle internal shift occurred.
Not explosive.
Not dramatic.
But concentrated.
He selected Agility.
His body felt lighter.
Sharper.
Movements more precise.
He took three steps forward
Each step covered nearly twice the previous distance.
Clean.
Efficient.
After sixty seconds, the sensation faded.
He checked his panel.
Agility had returned to normal levels.
But the experience confirmed something important:
In a controlled encounter, that one minute could decide everything.
Especially against someone like Han Qian.
Chen Wei approached slowly.
"That changes the balance," he said.
"It changes timing," Zhao Ren corrected.
Chen Wei nodded.
The difference mattered.
The others were watching from a distance.
Respect had grown.
But so had awareness.
Rank 1 wasn't just a title anymore.
It was visible strength.
Zhao Ren turned his attention back to the city map.
"We expand cautiously," he said.
"No overextension."
"The bridge remains monitored."
"And rotate patrols."
Chen Wei gave a small smile.
"You think ahead constantly."
"Yes."
Because Rank 2 would not remain passive.
Across the river
Han Qian would be analyzing just as carefully.
As evening approached, Threat Detection pulsed softly again.
This time closer.
Not external.
Within the perimeter.
Zhao Ren walked casually through the barricade zone.
Conversations quieted when he passed.
Normal.
But one presence felt unstable.
Earlier hesitation.
Earlier ambition.
Now sharper.
He didn't confront it.
Not yet.
Observation first.
Conclusions later.
Control required patience.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Top 10.
No longer 100.
The filter had narrowed dramatically.
Zhao Ren closed the panel.
Han Qian would see the same message.
That meant
Preparation time had just been cut.
Competition would intensify.
And weaker survivors would grow desperate.
Chen Wei stepped beside him.
"Forty-eight hours," he said quietly.
"Yes."
Zhao Ren looked toward the river.
The bridge between territories now felt less like a boundary
And more like a timer.
Forty-eight hours.
Two apex survivors.
One city.
The Trial was tightening.
And from this point forward
Every decision would carry weight.