(A/N):
Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.
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Rudra's eyes scanned the glowing system panel hovering in front of him, lines of text shifting as if the system itself was excited.
[Ding...]
[Notice]
[Hero Qualification Exam is mandatory for entry into the U.S. Hero Registry.]
[Location: Hero Public Safety Commission, New York Branch.]
[Status: Candidate classified as Veteran Retiree Hero — India seeking reactivation.]
[Requirement: Pass Certification Test → Eligible for Pro Hero License.]
[Next Step: Certification must be cleared before assuming post at Sky High Academy.]
At the corner of the panel, a small holographic map unfurled, glowing with a faint bluish light.
It wasn't static like before—
It moved, rotated, zoomed, almost like a magical version of Google Maps integrated with his system.
A red arrow pulsed brightly, pointing toward the Hero Public Safety Commission office.
Roads and traffic shimmered like tiny streams of light.
"____"
Rudra squinted, tilting his head.
"Great. My system has decided to become… Google Baba."
He chuckled under his breath.
Chuckle~
"Just don't tell me you'll lead me into a special place like Siri."
For the first time since the system has arrived,
Rudra noticed how alive the system felt now—
More dynamic, almost interactive.
Not only were menus smoother, but new icons flickered faintly along the edges of his panel.
Some were locked, hidden under shifting glyphs, while others bore clear names like:
[World Integration Functions]
[Dynamic Mapping 🗺️]
[Heroic Reputation Tracker 🌟]
[Cross-Dimensional Identity Package 🔒]
He whistled low.
Whistle~
"So travelling to a new world unlocked your full personality, huh? Guess I should be careful what I say around you now."
The system, almost cheekily, chimed.
[⚠️ Location services enabled.]
[ETA: 3 hours by foot. 20 minutes via aerial transport. Recommendation: Secure a discreet ride.]
Rudra smirked.
Smirk~
"Dynamic, sarcastic, and now a travel agent. Perfect."
The crowd was still buzzing around him, unaware of the destiny-altering moment unfolding in their midst.
Somewhere high above, the eagle villain was still locked in combat with the flashy heroes was nearing the ending.
But Rudra didn't pay attention to them he moved out of the crowd.
He entered the café and ordered a cappuccino but froze.
With a sigh, He cancelled the order.
Sigh~
"____"
Rudra pushed the café door open, the little bell above it chiming as he stepped out.
Chime~
The faint smell of roasted beans still clung to him,
And he muttered under his breath with a rueful smile.
"Figures… new world, new rules. And apparently, no money or credit cards that work here."
He shoved his hands into his pockets,
His boots crunching against the pavement as he started down the busy avenue.
His blue eyes scanned the road ahead, catching the faint shimmer of the system's map arrow,
Guiding him toward the Hero Public Safety Commission office.
Behind him, cheers erupted as the three pro-heroes wrapped up their victory.
They had finally managed to defeat the villan who looks like a giant eagle named Griffclaw.
Blaze Burst, with his cloak of flame still sizzling,
Handed off the bound eagle villain to the arriving police.
Electra Flash stood tall, lightning sparking at the edge of his suit as he gave a quick wave to the crowd.
And Surge Rider, standing on her glowing hoverboard, tightened the strap of her visor glasses, her gaze sweeping the scene one last time—
"____"
—until her lenses flickered with a faint trace of Rudra's golden shield which she was trying to analyse,
The brief burst of energy he had summoned earlier.
Her lips parted slightly, eyes narrowing.
'That wasn't just some civilian shielding himself. Whoever he is, he stopped a blow that would've shredded a steel barricade.'
The cops didn't notice as she nodded politely to her teammates.
Nod~
"Good work, Blaze. Electra. I'll catch you both later."
"Leaving so soon?"
Blaze Burst smirked, flame dimming around his shoulders.
Smirk~
"Call it… curiosity,"
Surge Rider replied cryptically.
With a graceful step back, she leapt onto her hoverboard.
The board hummed to life, blue thrusters blazing as it lifted her effortlessly above the sea of fans.
Gasps and cheers followed, camera flashes sparkling like fireworks as she shot into the sky,
Carving a sharp line of light through the clouds.
Rudra, meanwhile, walked with calm composure, unaware that a pro-hero's sharp eyes were now on him.
After Few Minutes...
The Hero Public Safety Commission building loomed like a monument of steel and glass, its mirrored panels catching the sun.
At the very top, two flags rippled in the wind—
One the bold stars and stripes of the USA,
The other a gleaming crest emblazoned with the Hero Public Safety Commission's emblem,
A stylized shield flanked by wings.
Rudra stopped at the base of the steps,
The system's arrow pulsing faintly in the corner of his vision.
Just as he was about to take his first step toward the entrance—
"Hi there!"
The voice was melodic, warm, almost disarming.
Rudra froze mid-step and turned his head.
From above, a faint hum of energy thrusters cut through the city's background noise.
Surge Rider descended gracefully on her hoverboard,
The board's sleek neon edges casting a purple-blue glow across the pavement.
She circled him once, slow and deliberate, like a hawk sizing up its prey—
"____"
"____"
But her expression was curious rather than hostile.
"Are you hurt?"
She asked, tilting her head.
The visor lenses over her eyes glowed faintly as if scanning him.
Rudra blinked, caught off guard by her sudden approach.
His silence and slight frown betrayed his confusion.
Frown~
"____"
Seeing his expression, Surge Rider smiled and held up a hand in greeting.
"Sorry—should've introduced myself properly. I'm Surge Rider. Pro hero."
She gave a playful spin on her board, stopping with a practiced flourish.
Her tone shifted softer, more earnest.
"I couldn't help but notice… back there with Griffclaw. That shield of yours—it stopped his beak attack cold. Most pros would've had trouble with that, and you—"
She paused, a glimmer of genuine awe slipping into her voice—
"you just stood there and tanked it. Effortless."
She bowed her head slightly,
The motion elegant despite her futuristic gear.
"And I should apologize. That strike was meant for the civilians. My job was to intercept him before it landed, and I didn't. You did what I should've done."
Her words hung in the air, drawing a few curious stares from passersby who recognized her.
Rudra stood silent, his blue eyes calm but he was stunned dont know how to react.
Rudra shook his head slowly, his calm voice cutting through the city's noise.
"It wasn't your fault—or the other two heroes' either. You all did your best to fight that villain. That's what matters."
For a moment, Surge Rider just blinked at him.
Then her lips curved into a wide, genuine smile—
Blink~
"____"
Relieved, almost childlike in its brightness.
She leaned forward slightly on her board, circling him with renewed curiosity.
"So… you're not from around here, are you?"
She asked, her tone teasing but eyes sharp,
As though trying to piece together the mystery.
Rudra offered a faint smile of his own and shook his head again.
"No. I'm from India. I'm here for… a job."
The single word—
job—
Lit a spark in her eyes.
"A job, huh? Don't tell me you're joining the Hero Public Safety Commission itself?"
She raised an eyebrow, clearly half-joking but hoping for confirmation.
Rudra didn't answer directly.
"____"
Instead, he turned toward the tall glass doors of the Commission headquarters.
With steady steps, he began climbing the stairs.
Surge Rider, however, wasn't about to let the conversation end there.
She swooped down on her hoverboard and floated just beside him, effortlessly keeping pace as he walked.
Her voice bubbled with energy, her questions spilling one after another.
"So what's it like in India? Do you have strong heroes there too? Are you, like… military? Ex-military? Or wait—maybe some kind of underground vigilante type? Oh, or are you one of those mysterious prodigies who just shows up out of nowhere?"
Rudra only gave her a sidelong glance, shaking his head lightly at her boundless curiosity.
She grinned wider, unbothered.
Grin~
By the time he reached the glass doors,
Surge Rider had practically bounced along beside him, her board lowering so smoothly it looked choreographed.
She clearly wasn't just energetic—
She was relentless in her curiosity.
As Rudra pushed open the doors to step inside the Hero Public Safety Commission,
She slid right in after him, still chattering, eyes gleaming as if she had stumbled onto a secret.
Rudra stepped into the brightly lit office, the faint hum of computers and chatter from the staff filling the air.
An employee behind the reception desk looked up immediately, eyes scanning him.
"Hello! May I help you? What's the purpose of your visit?"
The employee asked politely.
Rudra, ever calm and composed, slid his hands into his pockets and let his system summon the form he needed.
Within a flicker of golden light,
The official Hero Qualification Form appeared in his hand, perfectly formatted and ready.
He handed it over to the employee.
The employee's eyes widened slightly as he scanned the document,
Clearly impressed by its completeness and the aura of authority it carried.
After a moment, he nodded and gestured toward a sleek waiting area.
Nod~
"Please, have a seat here. Someone will attend to you shortly."
As Rudra moved toward the chairs,
Surge Rider hovered right behind him, her hoverboard glinting under the fluorescent lights.
She looked around in awe at the office, practically bouncing with curiosity.
"Mind if I tag along?"
She asked, leaning slightly forward as she followed him.
Rudra froze for a split second, his usual calm expression giving way to a silent, almost imperceptible sigh.
"____"
Sigh~
"You… can, if you wish,"
He said, keeping his tone neutral.
The employee glanced at her, slightly bewildered.
"And you are? Ms.Surge Rider..."
He asked.
"Oh, I'm just… satisfying my curiosity. I saw him handle that villain earlier and couldn't resist seeing more,"
She replied, eyes sparkling with energy.
"____"
The employee exhaled audibly, shaking his head while muttering under his breath, a mix of disbelief and exasperation.
'Why am I even here dealing with this? And why does this guy have such luck with women?'
Meanwhile, Rudra slid into the waiting area, taking a seat, his posture calm but his mind quietly observing the office.
Surge Rider hovered beside him, clearly itching for conversation, and Rudra knew this was going to be… interesting.
Seeing he will be waiting here for some time.
Rudra commanded the system to reveal the special template.
The holographic interface shimmered in front of him, its surface flickering with golden particles.
At first, it was just a question mark—
An enigmatic silhouette hinting at the unknown.
With a dramatic shimmer, the surface began to vanish layer by layer, revealing an image beneath. Rudra's breath caught in his throat.
"____"
There he was.
A man seated upon a golden throne, exuding an aura of absolute authority.
Every detail screamed power.
The regal posture, the sharp eyes that seemed to pierce through dimensions, the aura of someone who had mastered realms beyond ordinary comprehension.
Rudra's eyes widened in shock and recognition.
"____"
The man before him was no ordinary king—
This was the legendary Ravana, the monarch of Lanka,
The multi-talented genius who had mastered all ten kalas(arts),
Gaining knowledge and skills that spanned the divine and mortal worlds alike.
His ten heads symbolized his unmatched mastery, wisdom, and ferocity.
A chill ran down Rudra's spine.
The realization hit him like a tidal wave.
'this man had once ruled worlds with sheer might… and his death had required the incarnation of a god.'
The system's notification chimed in his mind:
[Special Template: Ruler of Lanka – RAVAN
Status: Eligible To Integrate.
Level: Solar-Planetary Level.]
Rudra's pulse quickened.
'A being whose legacy had shaped countless realms.'
As he sat there, Surge Rider siting nearby, oblivious to the image glowing in Rudra's mind.
Rudra's eyes never left the hologram.
The gravity of what lay ahead settled over him like a storm.
He muttered quietly, almost to himself.
"The king of Lanka… Ravana…"
He asks the system to integrate the special template.
Rudra felt a warm surge of power course through his body as the system began integrating the template.
Every muscle, nerve, and sinew seemed to hum with newfound potential.
His aura shimmered faintly with a golden hue, the signature of the divine knowledge he had just acquired.
The system chimed in his mind.
[Integration Status: 15% Complete –
Beginner Knowledge of 10 Kalas Acquired]
Rudra flexed his fingers experimentally.
Already, he could feel the increase in raw strength—
The system reported an exact figure:
[Strength: +50, Agility: +20, Dexterity: + 35, Stamina: +70]
Next, he tried something more subtle.
Then he looked the next skill.
The system noted.
[Shapeshifting: Beginner (Duration: 1 minute)]
He chuckled quietly, realizing the potential this could bring in reconnaissance or disguise,
Chuckle~
Even in a dangerous situation.
Testing further,
Rudra strummed an imaginary instrument and felt the ability of sound manipulation awaken, albeit at a rudimentary level.
[Musician: Beginner]
He then attempted to construct a simple contraption in his mind,
Visualizing materials and forces combining.
It worked, though imperfectly:
[Artificer: Beginner]
Finally, he grasped a nearby piece of metal and felt the knowledge of weapons flow into his mind.
How to wield, balance, and craft them with intermediate mastery.
[Weapon Mastery: Intermediate (Can master any weapon in host hands for 20 minutes.)]
Rudra exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of potential in his hands.
This was only 15% integration,
Yet the possibilities were already staggering.
The system chimed again, reminding him that.
[To further integrate the template and unlock full potential, Rudra must complete a special tasks.]
[Task will be revealed at the opportune moment.]
He nodded to himself,
Nod~
Aware that each step forward brought him closer to mastering the abilities of the legendary Ravana.
Rudra's eyes glimmered with determination.
'This is only the beginning. Let's see what the rest of the 10 kalas can teach me… When i further unlock the template.'
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(Author's POV)
(A/N):
Thanks for reading the chapter!
Please give a review!!! And power stone!!!
Which will motivate me more?