The battle had ended. But the questions had just begun.
**Rudra and Naran** stood silently for a moment, looking at the monster core lying in the grass.
**Naran:**
"You taking it?"
**Rudra (picking it up):**
"Yeah… though I'm not sure what I'll use it for yet."
They started walking.
**Rudra's thoughts drifted.**
That same mysterious **woman's voice** whispered in his memories:
> *"Be brave… be strong…"*
**Rudra (thinking):**
"I promised you. I won't stop here."
**Naran (snapping fingers):**
"Hey. You alive in there?"
**Rudra (blinking):**
"Yeah. Just thinking."
**Naran:**
"You never told me—how do you know so much about monsters?"
**Rudra (casually):**
"Read some books. Listened to some... old voices."
**Naran (smirking):**
"You're always mysterious."
**Rudra (serious):**
"There are 11 monster ranks. We identify them by horn colors—"
Green: Rank 1
Purple: Rank 2
Brown: Rank 3
Yellow: Rank 4
Grey: Rank 5
Rose Gold: Rank 6
Gold: Rank 7
Sky Blue: Rank 8
Black: Rank 9
White: Rank 10
Red: Rank 11
Naran (whistles):
"Never thought color could mean death."
Elsewhere…
Arie stood atop a hill, facing a monstrous figure.
An 8th-Rank Monster standing beside her, speaking in a deep voice.
8th Rank Monster:
"That kid—he's lucky. A Tier-7 beast core… and now a monster core too."
Arie (coldly):
"It's not about luck. It's about what he does with it."
Monster:-
"And yet, he doesn't even know how dangerous monster cores truly are."
Arie (firmly):
"Enough. We're here for our mission. I won't be distracted by him."
## 🏯 **Scene: Kak Empire – Royal Palace Grounds**
The grand crimson gates of the **Kak Empire Royal Palace** swung open. The scent of jasmine trees drifted through the air as Rudra entered, flanked by two guards in black ceremonial armor.
In the main hall, **Emperor Gator Yan** stood tall in his flowing red and gold robes, flanked by **Supra Yan**, her presence calm yet commanding.
**Gator Yan (surprised):**
"Back so soon? It's only been fifteen days, Rudra. Is everything alright?"
**Rudra (bowing):**
"Everything's fine, Father. I came because our team reached the finals. And…"
**(he raised his eyes)**
"I need a spiritual technique."
Just then, the chamber doors creaked again.
**Naran** entered with steady steps, his posture proud, and at his side walked his father—**General Fan**, a burly man with a rough beard and a reputation for blunt honesty.
**Fan (grumbling):**
"Yan, please explain to this hard-headed son of mine that a **halberd** doesn't suit someone with a **shadow element**."
**Gator Yan (chuckling lightly):**
"Naran, your father's right. Maybe you should consider a sword… or even an axe knight path."
But before Naran could respond, a voice cut cleanly through the hall.
**Supra Yan (sharp but calm):**
"Naran. If you truly want to wield a halberd… then prove yourself."
**(Her eyes locked with his)**
"Reach the **Beast Spark Knight** level within **one month**. If you do, I'll personally prepare a Halberd Granth for you."
**Naran (grinning):**
"A whole month? Too long. I'll do it in half."
He stepped forward, lifting his palm, and his aura burst to life.
**Dark shadows coiled around him**, swirling like smoke as his elemental armor activated. **A fierce glow burned across his back**—revealing the mark of the **7th chakra gate**.
Everyone paused in disbelief.
**Supra Yan (stunned):**
"You… you've already broken through to the **7th gate**?"
**Gator Yan (smiling with pride):**
"You two are monsters."
**Naran (looking at Rudra):**
"Even so… Rudra is greater. He reached the 7th gate **at just 7 years old**. I'm 8 now… still one step behind him."
The room fell into silent awe.
**Supra Yan (softly):**
"Rudra. Two weeks ago, you were only at the 5th gate. What happened?"
**Rudra (a faint smile, deflecting):**
"I guess… I just got lucky."
But in his heart, he knew it was more than that. It was will, rage, and the promise to a woman in his visions.
---
### 🌌 *Spiritual Garden – A Private Ground Behind the Palace*
Supra Yan led Rudra into the **spiritual formation garden**, a sacred place filled with glowing spirit symbols etched into the stone ground.
"Stand still," she said.
She held her hand over his head, channeling spiritual detection energy.
One by one, bright **spiritual stars** began appearing above him:
* 1… 5… 10…
* 30… 50…
Then—**78 stars** glimmered into view, glowing like a small constellation.
**Supra Yan (smiling with pride):**
"As expected of my son…"
She walked to an ancient sealed chest and opened it with a drop of her blood. Inside lay a glowing scroll embedded with spirit jade.
She handed it to him.
### 📜 Spiritual Technique: Chain Control Formation Granth**
**Supra Yan (explaining):**
"This technique was created by a legendary formation master—**Liyi**, one of the few to reach the Half-God stage in the past."
"It's complex… but powerful. It uses spiritual energy to control chains through four different formations."
**She demonstrated each one carefully:**
1. **Spinning Disk Formation**
> A circular spiritual disk with 24 chain spikes rotates defensively, capable of both blocking and attacking.
2. **Chain Burst Spin**
> The disk spins at high speed and ejects chains outward like a storm—perfect for crowd control and wide-area strikes.
3. **Binding Trap Formation**
> Chains hidden under the ground leap upward to immobilize anything caught within the pattern.
4. **Sealing Formation**
> Spiritual chains fly out in all directions and bind dark or spiritual energy, sealing its flow. Not useful on high-tier creatures, but effective against cursed techniques and spiritual poisons.
**Supra Yan (firmly):**
"This is not a technique you'll master through talent alone. It will require precision, patience, and discipline. Only I and Naran's mother have successfully mastered all four forms."
---
She handed him one final scroll—smaller, shaped like a horn.
**Supra Yan:**
"This one is simpler. It's called **Unicorn Dash**. It's an offensive spiritual technique focused on speed, piercing, and agility."
Rudra opened the scroll and let a drop of blood fall.
**The granth floated into the air, glowing.**
An arc of white light entered his forehead. His body stilled, and his consciousness drifted inward—
**To his spiritual world.**
The
re, at the center, stood a sealed **unicorn-shaped formation**, pulsating with energy.
He walked toward it slowly.
**Rudra (thinking):**
"Let's see what you're hiding..."
**To Be Continued…*