During the journey toward Cyprus, Zoe continuously refined the stone trident using her spiritual power, gradually completing its final tempering.

The process went more smoothly than expected.

Before she even reached the northern coastline of the island, the refinement was already finished, and the trident had been integrated into her expanded long-range spatial perception network.

She left the weapon temporarily on the seabed at a fixed offshore location.

She did not intend to carry it onto land. As long as the coordinate link remained stable, she could retrieve it accurately at any time.

To her, it functioned more as an anchor point than a weapon she needed to bring along.

Around midday, she landed on a quiet stretch of coastline in northern Cyprus.

She emerged from the sea and paused briefly before continuing along the shore.

The area was calm and sparsely populated, with open sightlines and Mediterranean vegetation spreading across the coast.

Zoe was not familiar with this environment, so she observed it in a steady, measured way while moving forward.

As she continued inward, the terrain gradually shifted. Vegetation became denser in patches, and signs of human presence began to appear.

Soon, faint smoke rose in the distance along with scattered buildings, indicating she was approaching inhabited areas.

Her route eventually led toward Larnaca.

Before entering the city, she encountered several small groups attempting informal extortion along the roadside.

They were not organized forces, only opportunistic local street groups.

She did not engage with them, instead acquiring basic clothing and supplies along the way so she could enter urban areas without drawing attention.

After entering Larnaca, she attracted no significant attention.

The city combined Venetian and Ottoman historical layers with modern coastal urban life. The streets were calm, carrying a steady everyday rhythm.

She walked through older districts first, where stone buildings and historical churches reflected centuries of Mediterranean influence. Later she moved into market areas where local produce, seafood, and mixed languages filled the space.

She tried several local dishes, adjusting them slightly to suit her preferences.

The experience resembled ordinary travel rather than any operational movement.

In the afternoon, she visited a cultural site housed in a historical municipal building, briefly reviewing the region's background.

The information was not essential, but it helped her understand the structure and dynamics of local society.

She did not remain in this observational mode for long.

Her purpose for coming here was not sightseeing.

As time passed, her attention shifted toward more practical objectives.

In her assessment, regions like this often contained exploitable gaps in local power structures, especially in peripheral districts.

Direct confrontation with a state was inefficient and unnecessary.

Influencing or controlling smaller local groups was more effective and easier to manage.

By evening, she walked along a coastal river-adjacent district into a more mixed urban zone.

This area sat between residential and commercial activity, with small restaurants, bars, and informal gathering points.

During her movement, she adjusted her appearance deliberately.

Outwardly, she looked relaxed and unguarded, with no attempt to conceal her belongings.

This made her appear like an easy target.

Soon, she noticed people watching her.

The observation did not immediately turn into action, but instead remained in a phase of testing and evaluation.

She continued walking at the same pace without changing her behavior.

Eventually, she stopped at a modest restaurant and ordered food, maintaining a calm posture while eating.

At the same time, she left certain details visible, including the casual placement of her belongings and the visible presence of cash.

These signals were subtle, but sufficient to shape perception among nearby observers.

The number of watching eyes gradually increased.

Outside the restaurant, several figures began to follow at a distance.

After confirming this, she continued eating without interruption.

There was no urgency in her actions.

From her perspective, this was simply the early stage of baiting.

Time passed slowly, and attention around her continued to concentrate.

She placed her wallet in a more visible position beside her, neither hiding it nor emphasizing it further.

After finishing these adjustments, she waited calmly.

The surrounding movement slowly tightened.

The first people willing to act were about to appear.