Kyle Hawthorn has carved out a fortune with his new followers and now seeks to profit from a coming war between rivals.However, the ever-oppressive Ardent Cretins are slowly tightening the noose, threatening to subjugate everything he has built so far. Kyle will have to deal with underhanded plots and shifting allegiances to fortify his position in Raktor before the war begins. But even the Seven Snakes may have a real rat among its followers.

With less room to expand, Kyle must secure his footmen and look beyond his turf, where unimaginable wealth, desperate refugees, and technological upgrades are for the taking.

No one will stop his rise to international domination, not even another System wielder.