Lilian studied their faces for a moment longer, then gave a small nod.
"Alright," she said. "The first thing we do is training."
A few of them blinked.
George frowned. "We've been fighting nonstop. Leveling up, surviving. Isn't that already training?"
Lilian shook her head. "No. What you've been doing so far is relying on the system."
That word drew their attention immediately.
"The system you see," she continued, "is an imitation. A framework imposed on this world to help guide newly awakened beings. It translates Ether into numbers, skills, levels, and growth you can understand." Her gaze sharpened. "But it is not true power."
Silence fell on the room.
"It gives you results but it does not teach you how to wield Ether itself. You grow faster. But only within the limits it defines," Lilian continued.
Myles' eyes narrowed slightly. He also surprised by this.
"So what you're saying," Daniel spoke carefully, "is that we're borrowing power, not owning it."
