Date: May 14, 2018 (Monday)
Location: GDA R&D Sub-Level, Geneva, Switzerland
Time: 08:00 PM
Six hours had passed since the Surge, and the world's initial shock had curdled into naked fear.
From the United States to China, every major nation had declared martial law. Soldiers were forcefully dragging citizens showing symptoms of 'high fever' or 'violent strength' to undisclosed black-sites. The streets were silent, but inside closed rooms, the air was heavy with screams.
Richard Vance stepped into the GDA's underground R&D sub-level. The atmosphere was thick with tension. Aris and his team had been working without a break for hours, their eyes bloodshot and their faces etched with deep exhaustion. They were struggling to quantify a phenomenon that defied everything they knew about science.
"We have recalibrated the sensors, Director," Aris said, scratching his head in frustration. "But we have no baseline. If Mana is indeed an energy, we don't know where its zero point is or where it peaks. Without a proper scale, we are simply shooting in the dark."
Richard walked toward a smart-board without saying a word. He picked up a marker and began writing complex sub-atomic parameters of mathematics without any hesitation.
His 'Basic Knowledge' skill provided the exact frequencies and biological resonance data that were far beyond the reach of modern physics. He drew a scale on the board that would soon become humanity's new 'God' for centuries to come.
"We do not need complexity; we need control," Richard said coldly.
He defined the ranks and their corresponding Mana Point (MP) limits with clinical precision:
Rank F: Zero mana flow/unawakened.
Rank E (1-10 MP): Minor physical enhancements.
Rank D (11-50 MP): Mana infusion into items.
Rank C (51-200 MP): High-level combatants.
Rank B & A (Up to 5000 MP): Walking tactical nukes.
"This scale is final. The world will be reorganized according to these numbers," Richard said, setting the marker down.
Using these exact parameters, the R&D team spent the next hour building a crude, handheld prototype—a Mana Meter. It looked like a futuristic radar gun, humming with a faint internal power.
With trembling hands, Aris pointed the meter at a mutated security guard standing in the corner of the lab. The man's fever had just broken, and he was breathing heavily. The screen flashed with sharp white text: [MP: 14. Rank: D].
A small wave of relief washed through the lab; the device actually worked.
Then, a young scientist hesitantly turned the meter toward Richard. In an instant, the internal counter began to spin violently. The numbers climbed so fast the screen became a blurred mess.
50... 800... 3000... 5000...
Suddenly, a blue spark erupted from the device. The smell of burning electronics filled the room as the screen froze on a single word in bright red: "ERROR: INCALCULABLE."
A deathly silence fell over the lab. Everyone realized that their Director did not fit into the very scale he had just created. He was an anomaly—an S-Rank monster.
Richard looked at the burnt meter with a neutral expression. His 'Basic Knowledge' revealed another bitter truth: The 5000 MP limit for A-Rank was not the true peak. It was a 'False Limit' caused by the limitations of current sensors.
In reality, the depths of mana went far deeper, but there was no need to tell the world that. People required boundaries to feel safe. Richard decided he would turn this 'Lie' into the new truth. He would use this false metric to maintain absolute control over the masses and their perceived potential.
"Prepare the broadcast," Richard ordered, looking at Aris with a cold, unwavering gaze. "The time has come to tell the world exactly who their new master is."