The sun over Stone City felt more cynical on Grande's first day as a Custodian. It no longer illuminated the dreams of a Battle Hero, but rather exposed the filth and grime of the city he had always ignored.
The broom in his hand felt alien, almost insulting. Yet, he recalled his fierce vow from the previous night: If I cannot be the strongest, then I will be the strongest Custodian.
His assigned area was the Trade Quarters, back alleys that smelled sour with rotten vegetable scraps, stale ale spills, and mouldy leather packages. Grande's supervisor, an older Gigantes named Lekir with the same Rank F and a perpetually tired expression, watched with half-closed eyes.
"You're the new kid, aren't you? Grande," Lekir frowned. "I heard the stories about you. Big ambitions, small results. Forget the sword. Here, all that matters is sweeping clean. Don't make trouble with the higher Ranks."
Grande nodded. He didn't want to argue. He wanted to observe.
He began sweeping with intense focus. To Lekir and the other Custodians, this job was a monotonous routine. To Grande, it was a reconnaissance mission. Every swing of the broom was a step forward.
Phase 1: Accepting the Role
Because of his duties, Grande was allowed into every crack and crevice that was usually forbidden. The high Ranks never paid attention to a Custodian. To them, a Rank F was like moving furniture - they existed, but were unimportant. This was an unexpected advantage.
While clearing a storage area beneath the Fire Dragon Restaurant, Grande found a small door hidden behind a pile of empty barrels. The door was secured with an iron chain, but the chain looked ancient, unlike the modern steel locks used by ranked Gigantes.
The first loophole.
Grande continued his work. He gathered information while sweeping.
* System Enforcement: He noticed that the Power Limits imposed on Rank F were incredibly strict. Custodians were not allowed to carry any weapon classified as Rank C or above. They couldn't enter military training facilities, and they had to report in every hour. This confirmed that a direct confrontation would end in painful failure (like the unliftable sword).
* Rank Interaction: He saw how Rank C and higher Gigantes treated the Rank F - with obvious arrogance. They would shout orders, or throw food scraps on the ground in front of him, just to watch him bend down and clean up. Grande swallowed his pride. He knew that for now, he had to be the perfect actor - the scorned, compliant Rank F youth.
Two days passed. The foul smell no longer bothered him. The physical fatigue was non-existent, as his ten years of training had been far more demanding than lifting trash. What truly exhausted him was the effort to hold himself back.
Phase 2: Finding the Cracks
On the evening of the third day, when all the Custodians had dispersed, Grande returned to the Fire Dragon Restaurant. The dark night was a Rank F best ally.
He went back to the hidden door behind the barrels. The chain was very old, suggesting it was installed before the Rank System was strictly enforced. Grande, with the finger strength trained for gripping a heavy sword, began inspecting the lock.
It was secured by an ancient mechanical lock, not a modern magical energy lock.
The Fate Rank System is a magical system that controls the internal energy (Mana) of the Gigantes. Ranks S/A/B/C rely on magic for security and strength. But the Monolith itself was ancient, and it likely had mechanical weaknesses ignored by modern magical technology.
Grande pulled out a piece of iron wire he had found in a pile of junk that morning. It was not classified as a weapon, so the Power Limit did not activate.
With the patience of a swordsman waiting for the perfect moment to strike, he began maneuvering the wire in the lock. Five minutes, ten minutes, only a slow click could be heard.
CLICK!
The lock sprang open.
Grande's heart raced. It wasn't the joy of a Custodian completing a chore, but the thrill of a warrior breaching enemy defenses.
He pushed the door open. It led to a dark, damp underground passage, smelling of moss and buried history.
He lit a small oil lamp he had stolen from the storage room. The passage was narrow but led to a larger tunnel that seemed to circle the entire underground of Stone City.
The tunnel was covered in ancient graffiti that wasn't modern Gigantes language. Grande couldn't read it, but he knew he was in the right place - an old, forgotten area, outside the direct jurisdiction of the modern Rank System.
After walking about a hundred metres, he reached a larger subterranean chamber. In the center of the room lay piles of thick books, leather scrolls, and strange, dimly glowing objects.
This was the Subterranean Archive - a hidden library likely left behind by the original inhabitants of Stone City, before the Fate Rank System was fully imposed.
Grande rushed toward the pile of scrolls. He wasn't looking for treasure; he was looking for information.
He picked up the thickest leather scroll and began reading. The text was in old Gigantes, and it took him a long time to decipher, but the subject immediately grabbed his attention: The Genesis of Rank.
The scroll explained:
> "The Rank System was not created by the Gods; it was created by the Council of Thirteen Kings to control the widening disparity of power among the Gigantes. It is a magical net designed to prevent the weak from becoming too strong, and the strong from becoming too powerful."
>
This contradicted everything the High Priest taught - that the System was a sacred destiny. This System was man-made!
He continued reading, discovering critical information about the Power Limit:
> "The Power Limit does not physically restrict muscle or mind capabilities, but restricts the flow of internal energy (Mana) for tasks outside the designated role. A Rank F individual prohibited from combat cannot channel Mana to strengthen a blow or channel it into a weapon. However, if the activity does NOT involve channeled Mana, the Power Limit does not apply."
>
The sentence echoed in Grande's head. He had tried to lift his heavy sword and failed, because the sword required Mana to activate its embedded gravity runes.
But what if I use an object that is not activated by Mana?
He looked at the broom in the corner of the room. A Rank F broom. It was just wood and straw. It required no Mana. He could swing it a hundred thousand times without hindrance.
The System is stupid. It sees the object, not the purpose.
Grande continued his search. He looked for a loophole. In another scroll, he found a small paragraph:
> "The main exception to the Rank System is Role Skills. If a Rank F individual discovers a skill exclusively related to their role - cleaning, transporting, organizing - then the System will override the Power Limit to allow that skill. This is to ensure the function of the role proceeds."
>
This was the golden loophole! Grande couldn't learn combat skills, but he could turn Custodian skills into combat skills.
He glanced at the broom badge on his neck, no longer with disgust, but with strategic appreciation.
From that night on, Grande no longer saw himself as a Custodian. He was the Rank F System Investigator, and his broom was the Fate Training Weapon.
He left the archive before dawn, hiding the most important scrolls under a loose floorboard in his quarters. As he returned to the Trade Quarters to start his shift, Lekir yawned, leaning against the wall.
"You're early today," Lekir noted.
"I just want to make sure my area is clean, Lekir," Grande replied with a smile that was a little too wide.
He started sweeping. But this time, every swing of that Rank F broom had a new focus. He was no longer sweeping trash. He was training.
He practiced swinging the wooden broom in rapid motions, applying all the body mechanics he had learned from his sword training. He wasn't using Mana, so the Power Limit remained silent.
The Rotating Sweep Strike: He spun the broom in front of him to disperse dust, the same motion as a sword rotation to deflect arrows.
The Residue Scrape Technique: He used the tip of the broom to scrape stubborn dirt, training the precision of a thrust.
The passersby only saw a hard-working Custodian. They did not see the Rank F Battle Hero training in front of them.
Lekir watched in surprise. "Hey, Grande. Don't be so enthusiastic. You're making the rest of us look bad."
"I just want to be the best in my role," Grande replied. "I've found that if we sweep in the right rotating pattern, we can clear twice the area in the same time."
Lekir didn't understand, but Grande had already moved on. In the coming weeks, Grande would use his Custodian role to master:
* Logistical Access: Learning every corner, secret path, and guard schedule in Stone City.
* Covert Training: Turning the Rank F broom into a weapon of speed and precision without using Mana.
* Information Gathering: Continuing to research the ancient scrolls underground, looking for bigger loopholes.
His goal was clear: he couldn't become the strongest Gigantes directly, but he could become the most knowledgeable and the most cunning.
Grande offered a slight smile. His Battle Hero dream wasn't dead. It had just changed roles.
He bent down to pick up a piece of paper blown by the wind. It was a worn-out poster, advertising a fighting match in the underground arena - a place where low-Rank Gigantes fought illegally, outside the official System surveillance.
The Underground Fights. The perfect place to test this "Residue Scrape Technique."