Location: Garud Vajra HQ (Combat Zone / Testing Room)
Time: 10:00 AM
Date: November 19, 2025
The morning air at the Garud Vajra Headquarters was thick with the sound of elite dungers training. Mana blasts resonated through the grounds, accompanied by the heavy clashing of metal. The environment was a constant hum of high-tier activity.
Rudra prepared to leave his room, but before stepping out, he issued a cold mental command. He moved 'Gabbar', the shadow-beast hidden in his reflection, into the safety of his Sub-space Inventory. With high-level mana sensors and S-Rankers stationed throughout the HQ, any leak of the summon's dark energy would expose Rudra's deepest secrets.
When he reached the combat ground, Vikram was already waiting. His presence was calm and professional. "Are you ready to begin your formal combat training today?"
"Yes," Rudra replied without hesitation.
"Good," Vikram nodded. "But first, I need to see your exact base level."
Vikram led him into a high-tech Testing Room dominated by a massive Mana Measuring Machine. As Rudra stood in the center, blue scanning lights swept over his body. The screen flashed his current stats: 99,850 MP.
Vikram analyzed the screen. "A mid-high B-Ranker. Your foundation is solid, Rudra. But let's see how you actually wield this raw power."
The Reality Check
They moved to the B-Rank Combat Zone, where the walls were reinforced with shock-absorbent mana-metals. Vikram called over an experienced B-Ranker named Kabir, whose MP stood at 140,000.
"A friendly duel," Vikram set the parameters. "Bare hands only. No lethal magic, no weapons. Begin."
Kabir took a perfect martial arts stance, balanced and fluid. Rudra, however, crouched slightly forward—leaning into the predatory posture of a hunter ready to lunge at its prey.
Go!
Rudra exploded forward. His mind ran cold calculations, looking for blind spots and lethal openings. He attempted to slip behind Kabir for a backstab strike.
But Kabir was not a mindless monster.
The moment Rudra entered his blind spot, Kabir delivered a lightning-fast elbow strike backward without even looking. Bam! The mana-infused blow hit Rudra's chest, knocking the breath out of him and forcing him to slide back.
Rudra charged again, this time with a frontal assault. But his punches were fueled by raw power alone, lacking any refined technique. Kabir parried the attacks with ease, finding a gap in Rudra's guard and burying a counter-punch into his midsection. Rudra hit the ground hard.
The duel was over.
Lying on the floor, Rudra felt a psychological sting sharper than the physical pain. He realized a brutal reality: he had spent his life killing monsters driven by rage or prey weaker than himself. In a direct, technical confrontation, his "backstab-and-scavenge" tactics were useless. Raw power was a target, not a shield. He needed a flawless combat foundation.
The Filtration Protocol
Time: 01:00 PM
Vikram helped Rudra up. "You have the speed and the instincts, but your foundation is missing," he said calmly. "Rest for now. Go to the canteen and recover."
Rudra returned to his room on the 6th floor, his body aching. He sat on the bed and addressed the ancient entity within his mind. "I need to increase my MP and power. Faster."
"I understand," Ruin Soul's voice echoed. "But today proved that without technique, your strength is just a bigger target. You must focus on martial arts. As for your MP..."
Ruin Soul paused, then provided a tactical solution. "Take one A-Rank Essence Stone from your inventory and set it for Filtration in your Soul Sanctuary."
"What will that achieve?" Rudra asked, suspicious of a sudden jump.
"Do not be a fool," Ruin Soul replied harshly. "An A-Rank stone holds approximately 1 Million MP. If you, a B-Ranker, consumed that energy all at once, your body would incinerate. Filtration means you will receive exactly 10% of that energy—100,000 MP. But it will be released drop by drop into your core, only when your body is strong enough to contain it. It is a slow, safe, and absolute power-up."
Rudra accepted the logic. He extracted a shimmering A-Rank stone and, following Ruin Soul's instructions, connected its energy to the Soul Sanctuary. The stone vanished in a flash of light, replaced by a warm, dense sensation flowing slowly through his veins.
The Target: December 4th
Time: 01:30 PM
After refreshing himself, Rudra sat in the vast canteen with a plate of high-nutrient food. He ate slowly, but his mind was far from quiet. The A-Rank energy filtering into his chest was a constant reminder of the scale of the world.
He wasn't training to fight D-Rank or C-Rank fodder anymore. His objective had shifted.
He needed to stand among the Sovereigns. He needed to uncover the secrets hidden from humanity. And most importantly, he needed to see for himself what a 20 Billion MP "Monster" looked like.
Rudra's cold eyes fixed on the digital clock on the canteen wall. Only one date resonated in his mind:
December 4th.
Chapter Summary
The Flaw Revealed: Rudra loses a bare-handed duel to Kabir (140,000 MP), realizing that his predator instincts lack technical martial arts foundation.
The Scan: Rudra's base MP is officially recorded at 99,850.
Soul Sanctuary Filtration: Rudra begins a slow-release power-up using an A-Rank Essence Stone. He will gain 100,000 MP gradually as his body adapts.
The Motivation: Rudra's focus is now entirely on the gathering of S-Rankers and Mason Steele on December 4th.
Status Log
Current Location: Garud Vajra HQ.
Rudra's MP: 99,850 (B-Rank - Filtration Active).
Filtration Reservoir: 100,000 MP (Slow-release in progress).
Next Milestone: Master combat techniques and prepare for the SS-Rank arrival.