Location: Rudra's Underground Base / Dharavi Hell Gate
Date & Time: March 3, 2025 | 08:00 AM (IST)
Rudra conducted a cold, systematic scan of his 1,200 sq. ft. inventory. While he had a surplus of high-grade Glowshards, Infused Ore, and Vitreous Fluid, the slot reserved for common Essence Stones was depleted. The past two weeks of charity and the extensive setup of his base had drained his liquid stash completely.
Without Essence Stones, maintaining a steady cash flow in the Black Market was impossible. More importantly, his growth had stagnated; his MP had remained locked at 14,920 for days.
"Power does not grow in stagnation," Ruin Soul's chilling voice echoed. "A new D-Rank Hell Gate has opened in Dharavi's Sector 7. You need fresh stones, and this time, hiding in the shadows of the rear isn't enough. Step onto the field and take your share."
Rudra nodded in silent agreement. He donned a worn, dust-caked jacket over his Scavenger's Skin to hide the advanced armor. He focused on his core, suppressing his C-Rank aura until it was buried deep within. To any sensor or Awakened observer, he now appeared as nothing more than an average, unremarkable D-Rank Dunger.
Location: N.D.A.I. Recruitment Camp, DharaviTime: 10:30 AM (IST) A massive crowd of Dungers gathered outside the gate. Rudra joined the line, completing a fake registration with clinical ease. An officer handed him a standard-issue Magitech Bone-Sword. Rudra inspected it coldly; compared to his Blood Crescent, it was a mere toy, but it served as the perfect cover for blending into the crowd.
"Squad 4, move in!" the Leader barked.
Rudra, alongside fifty strangers, stepped into the swirling purple-red portal.
Location: Inside the D-Rank Dungeon The interior was the familiar bioluminescent cave system, with blue Glowshards casting long shadows against the walls. After the squad advanced 500 meters, the first pack of monsters emerged from the gloom. Over twenty mutated scale-hounds lunged with feral intensity.
The battle erupted instantly.
Rudra drew his Magitech sword, but he didn't charge into the heart of the fray. He remained at the periphery of the squad. He intentionally throttled his speed by 70%. While he could have decapitated a hound in a single heartbeat, he chose to act. He swung his blade three or four times for every kill, "narrowly" dodging attacks and feigning a slight struggle before finishing his targets.
He even mimicked the heavy breathing of a standard Dunger, ensuring no one suspected that his stamina and mana capacity were leagues beyond their own.
As the skirmish progressed, Rudra positioned himself to "clean up" the monsters at the rear. He systematically downed 25 beasts while the main group focused on pushing forward.
When the squad surged toward the Boss Room, leaving a trail of carcasses behind, Rudra seized his window. He dropped the act, moving with predatory speed back to the 25 corpses he had claimed. He placed his hand on each one.
[Gluttony] activated.
He didn't consume the bodies entirely. Instead, he precisely extracted the Essence Stones and drained the remaining mana. The corpses appeared intact from the outside, but internally, they were now completely hollow—void of any energy or value.
Following the 1% to 5% penalty rule for devouring lower-rank mana, each D-Rank monster provided him with roughly 100 MP.
[+2,500 MP Absorbed]
His mana density spiked instantly. The core within him began to rotate with renewed ferocity. He deposited the 25 fresh Essence Stones into his inventory and sprinted back to the squad, leaving no trace of his harvest. By the time he caught up, he was once again the "exhausted" average Dunger, blending seamlessly into the ranks.
He had secured the loot, increased his power, and not a single soul was the wiser.
Chapter Summary
Location & Time: Dharavi Sector 7 Hell Gate | March 3, 2025.
The Strategy: Rudra goes undercover as an average D-Rank Dunger to replenish his Essence Stone stash and break his MP stagnation.
The Deception: He successfully suppresses his C-Rank aura and fakes physical exhaustion and average combat skills to avoid detection by the N.D.A.I. squad.
The Harvest: Rudra kills 25 monsters at the rear and uses [Gluttony] to drain their mana and stones, leaving the bodies as hollow shells.
Current Status:
Rank: C-Rank
MP: 17,420
Loot: 25 New D-Rank Essence Stones.
Kill Count: 145 Monsters.