Location: Parliament House, New Delhi / Reassessment Camp, Mumbai
Date & Time: January 9, 2025 | 11:00 AM (IST)
The announcement of the G.D.A. in Geneva was barely a few hours old, but in India's capital, New Delhi, an emergency meeting was already reaching its final, tense stages. The stress on the faces of the Prime Minister and top defense officials was unmistakable. With the Hell Gates scheduled to open within a month, time was a luxury they simply did not have.
The Defense Minister laid a thick file on the mahogany table. "The Geneva protocol is clear. The G.D.A. has defined the classes and the ranks. Now, we must build our army on the ground. I am officially moving the bill for the N.D.A.I.—the National Dungers Association of India. As of today, military law is in effect in every state, and every individual possessing mana must undergo 'Reassessment'."
The Prime Minister looked up, his voice low and calculating. "Where will we find the highest numbers?"
"Mumbai, sir," an official replied instantly. "The highest concentration of awakenings occurred in Dharavi and its surrounding dense areas. We have already begun setting up Reassessment Camps there. We need numbers, sir. The more Dungers we have, the more gates we can hope to clear."
A cold, heavy silence filled the room. Everyone present knew what 'numbers' actually meant—they were the people who would be the first to die inside the Hell Gates.
Location: Outskirts of Dharavi, Mumbai
Time: 01:30 PM (IST)
The massive open ground outside Dharavi had been transformed into a high-tech military base overnight. Towering white tents lined the field, surrounded by heavily armed N.D.A.I. guards. Drones hovered in the humid air, their speakers blaring a constant, synthesized announcement:
"Attention citizens. Per G.D.A. directives, every Awakened individual must register their rank and class. The N.D.A.I. will provide protection and resources. Maintain your positions in the line for Reassessment."
In the center of the ground stood a large, transparent pod connected to a massive digital screen—the new 'Mana Meter.' Sitting calmly beside the pod was a man with an eerie, unnerving focus. He was a Perceiver.
A trembling twenty-year-old man stepped into the pod. A laser scanner swept his body from head to toe. Within seconds, a number flashed in bright blue on the screen:
[MP: 3,200]
An N.D.A.I. officer announced over the loudspeaker, "Rank E! Novice level."
Then, the Perceiver stood up. He stared directly into the young man's eyes. His own pupils glowed a faint, ethereal blue for a second as he read the flow and structure of the mana within the boy's body.
"His mana flow is accumulating in his muscle fibers," the Perceiver stated without a trace of emotion. "Class: Warrior."
The officer immediately handed the boy a cold iron badge engraved with 'E-Warrior.' "Go to Tent Number 4. Your basic weapon training begins this evening."
The boy looked at the badge with a hint of pride, feeling like he finally had a title. But the officer's face remained a blank mask. In his eyes, that boy with 3,200 MP was nothing more than the first sacrifice for the coming gates.
The process continued with mechanical efficiency.
[MP: 7,500]Perceiver: "Mana flow is hardening the outer skin. Class: Vanguard."
Officer: "Rank D! Tent Number 2."
The N.D.A.I. wasn't sorting humans; they were categorizing living weapons for the Hell Gates.
Location: A Narrow Alleyway overlooking the Camp
Time: 02:00 PM (IST)
From the dark corner of a narrow alley, Rudra watched the entire scene unfold. His oversized hoodie was pulled low, and the guitar case containing his mangled bronze bat hung heavy on his shoulder.
After his seven-day deep sleep, the D-Rank energy had sharpened his senses to a terrifying degree. Even from this distance, he could clearly read the numbers flashing on the Mana Meter.
Rudra took a long, shaky breath. He looked down at his own hands, feeling a warm, steady flow of energy pulsing through his veins. "If I go there," Rudra whispered to himself, "maybe I'll find out what my actual MP is after devouring that D-Ranker. I'd get a class... and maybe some resources."
"And then what?" Ruin Soul's mocking voice pierced his mind like a shard of ice. "Go in there, take your shiny new badge, and walk around with your chest puffed out?"
Rudra hesitated. "I just meant... I'd have the support of the system."
"You really are a naive child," Ruin Soul's voice turned cold and harsh. "Do you think they are gathering people there to turn them into heroes? When the Hell Gates open in a month, and Bosses with 1 million MP come crawling out, do you think they'll send their precious A-Rank Grandmasters to die first?"
Rudra's eyes widened as the brutal logic began to sink in.
"No," Ruin Soul continued relentlessly. "They will push these 'E-Rank' and 'D-Rank' fools to the front. In the eyes of the new G.D.A. system, low-rankers are nothing but garbage. Pawns. Meat shields. If you go there now, they'll hand you a cheap badge and stand you in the line where death arrives first."
Rudra tightened his grip on the strap of the guitar case. Ruin Soul's words were bitter, but they were the absolute truth. The system needed gods right now, not ordinary men. And Rudra was still far from being a god.
"Then what do I do?" Rudra asked, his focus sharpening.
"Exactly what a hungry wolf does," Ruin Soul replied. "These dark alleys of Dharavi are still hiding many mutants who are too terrified to go to those camps. They are unstable. Feral. They are your prey. Grow so powerful that when you finally stand before the system, they don't dare call you 'garbage.' You don't ask for a badge, Rudra. You take it."
Rudra took one last look at the camp. The line was growing longer by the minute. But the temptation to join it was gone. He pulled his hoodie further over his face, turned back into the darkness, and headed toward the parts of Dharavi where even the N.D.A.I. drones feared to fly.
Chapter Summary
World Event: The N.D.A.I. (National Dungers Association of India) is formed. Reassessment Camps are established to categorize Awakened individuals by MP and Class.
The System's Flaw: The government is secretly treating low-rank (E and D) Dungers as expendable 'meat shields' for the upcoming Hell Gates.
Rudra's Choice: Rudra observes the screening process from afar. He considers joining for resources, but Ruin Soul warns him of the grim reality—he would be treated as a disposable pawn.
The Path Forward: Ruin Soul advises Rudra to stay hidden and hunt feral mutants in the lawless parts of Dharavi to increase his strength independently.
Current Status: Rudra is moving deeper into the dangerous, unmonitored zones of Dharavi to start his 'Hunt' and grow his power before facing the system.