[NOTE: This chapter is written entirely from Rudra's 1st Person Perspective.]
Today is January 1, 2028.
A new year has dawned, but for me, it is merely another day added to the ledger of my suffering. I am sitting alone on the expansive terrace of the N.D.A. Headquarters in Mumbai. Before me lies a skyline that has become unrecognizable over the last two years. Magitech drones weave through the clouds, skyscrapers are bathed in the ethereal blue glow of mana-shielding, and in the distance, near the shoreline, I can see the lights of a massive Hell Gate auction site flickering like a beacon of organized greed.
Two years. It has been exactly two years since the "Glitch" shattered the foundations of our reality. Today, humanity's magical technology—Magitech—has advanced so rapidly that most have forgotten it was born from the womb of a near-apocalypse. The strategy Kavir unveiled ten months ago truly reset the world's axis. The bidding, the auctions, and the relentless hunt for resources have made nations wealthy, but they have made the human spirit a little cheaper in the process.
Yet, amidst this frantic march of progress, my time remains frozen on January 1, 2027.
It has been a full year since President Chirag slipped into that deep, impenetrable coma. And it has been just as long since this Corrupted Curse anchored itself into my soul. When I clench my fist now, I can feel the 100% stability of my mana pool, but the 40% output cap feels like a cage made of invisible iron, bruising me from the inside whenever I try to push against it. The system has me locked at Level 50 (Rank B), as if I am a prisoner exiled to a digital wasteland. Those 135 Reserved Points remain visible in my periphery—a fortune I cannot spend, a power I cannot touch.
Two years, Aaryan. Two years since you entered my Sanctuary. I sit here on the edge of the terrace, tracing the memory of your face in the silence of my mind. I don't know if you can hear my voice or if these thoughts even reach you, but to be honest, I often find myself wondering what life would be like if you were awake today. According to Chirag's "World Codex," your innate talent would have easily made you an S-Ranker, or at the very least, a Tier-Platinum A-Ranker. We would have conquered these Hell Gates together.
Instead, I am here, waiting for the day this curse finally breaks so I can find a way to drag you back to the light. The Ruin Soul has been silent since it last mentioned that "New Quest." I've called out to it a thousand times, but its voice has been swallowed by the void within me. What is this quest? What are the rewards? I know nothing. I only know that as long as it remains dormant, I am a captive of my own 40% efficiency.
I still participate in Garud Vajra's raids, but always as a "Shadow Specialist," my face hidden, my presence a ghost. Vikram-sir and Adiraj-sir are good men. They have never made me feel like anything less than a vital part of the team, even if I am a restricted one. You would have loved Adiraj-sir's Exotic-tier lightning and his new Vajra-II suit, Aaryan. I will introduce you to them the moment you open your eyes.
And then there is Vikram-sir... and his daughter, Kiara. She is only three years old. You wouldn't believe it, but that little girl treats me as if I were her own biological brother. Last year, she tied a Rakhi on my wrist, and for a fleeting moment, I felt as if my shattered family was beginning to heal. My heart aches when I look at her innocent face and remember that her mother left this world two years ago.
Perhaps that is why our bond is so unbreakable. Neither of us has parents anymore. Vikram-sir loves her deeply, but his life is consumed by the guild, the auctions, and the raids. He rarely has a moment to simply sit with her. So, Kiara is often with me, her small hands tracing the glowing circuits of my Mk-II suit as she asks, "Bhaiya, why are you always so sad?"
How do I explain to her that her brother was meant to be the 'Void Sovereign,' but has instead become a living shadow?
I will introduce you to all of them, Aaryan. I'll tell you how Kavir changed the world, pushing his mind to the brink until mana began to leak from his very eyes. I'll tell you how Exotic Titans like Mason Steele now hold the world's leash. You will love the people of Garud Vajra, and you will find Kiara's mischief endless.
But for all of that to happen, I must break this curse.
Sitting here, I wonder if the world is truly moving past the "Genesis" arc. Everyone speaks of the auction system with such hope, but behind that joy, I see a terrifying void. Kavir warned us that the power balance was about to break... and the Ruin Soul's quest points toward the same impending storm.
I tried to access my 135 reserved points again today, only to be met with the same cold flicker: "Unauthorized Access. Corruption Level High." My fist trembles with a rage I can barely contain. Aaryan, I promise you, even if I have to descend into the deepest pits of hell, I will erase this curse. I am tired of being a shadow. I am tired of watching the world race toward its own greed.
The world thinks it knows the truth, but there is still so much they don't understand—things lurking behind the clouds and within the depths of the rifts that are finally beginning to stir.
I am here on this terrace, fighting for you, Aaryan. This new year... perhaps this is the year I finally bring you back. Until then, I remain the Shadow Specialist of Garud Vajra, observing the world from the darkness.
Trust in me. I will find the way.
Sovereign Archive: Chapter 74 Core Data
Timeline: January 1, 2028 (The "Two-Year Post-Glitch" Milestone).
Protagonist (Rudra) Status:
Level/Rank: 50 (Rank B) - System Locked.
Efficiency: 40% (Corrupted Curse).
Reserved Points: 135 (Locked).
Role: Independent Shadow Specialist for Garud Vajra Guild.
Key Relationships:
Kiara: 3-year-old daughter of Vikram. Lost her mother 2 years ago. Views Rudra as her biological elder brother.
Aaryan: Residing in Rudra's "Sanctuary." Target of Rudra's primary motivation.
Kavir: Showing signs of extreme mana-exhaustion (physical leakage).
Plot Hooks: The Ruin Soul's "New Quest" remains a silent threat; Kavir's warning of a "Breaking Power Balance" is looming over the global auction era.