*Camp Half-Blood – Athena's Cabin*
Annabeth laid out a crude drawing of the *Solar Fragments' pulse trail*, scrawled with data Kenji's system had collected.
"This ping here—on the west coast? That's not a random anomaly. A demigod has it."
Kenji stared at the red dot pulsing near San Francisco.
Percy leaned over the map. "That's Roman territory."
Annabeth nodded grimly. "Camp Jupiter."
---
*System Alert: Unknown Player Acquired Fragment (3/7)*
> *Current Holder: Codename "Aurum"
> Affiliation: Camp Jupiter (Probable)*
> Status: Hostile Detection – Unconfirmed*
Kenji's mind raced. *Camp Jupiter. Romans.* Another system user?
"This just got political," he muttered.
---
*Later That Night – By the Lake*
Kenji sat by the water, staring at the two shards in his hand. Percy joined him.
"You ever think… maybe we're not meant to win this?" Percy asked.
Kenji chuckled softly. "I've thought about it. Then I remember I've already *died* once. Everything after that feels like bonus time."
Percy raised a brow. "Died?"
Kenji shrugged. "Long story."
Suddenly—
> *System Message: Dynamic Event – "Fragment Clash: East vs. West"*
> *New Quest: Investigate "Aurum" at Camp Jupiter
> Reward: Info on Fragment 3/7, Unique Skill Tree Unlock Opportunity*
---
*Next Day – Big House Council*
Chiron frowned. "You want to go to *Camp Jupiter*?"
Kenji nodded. "I need to know if they have a Solar Fragment. And if someone else has a system like mine."
"Even if you find them, they won't trust you," Chiron warned.
"They don't need to," Kenji said. "They just need to talk."
Annabeth added, "He's not going alone. I'll send a message to Reyna. She owes me."
---
*San Francisco – En Route*
Kenji stared out the window of the train as it sped west. His mind was sharp, senses alert.
Percy leaned back. "So, what's your plan?"
Kenji smiled. "Make allies… or steal the shard."
---
*Camp Jupiter – Outer Watchtower*
A figure stood silently as the train approached. Blonde hair. Roman armor. Golden aura flickering faintly.
His system interface glowed.
> *Fragment Bearer Confirmed: Solar Key (3/7)*
> *Title: "Aurum – The Hidden Heir"*
> *Class: Solar Champion*
Aurum smiled. "So… he's finally coming."
---
*End of Chapter 23*