The school bell released them like a held breath.
Within seconds, the corridors of NITK English Medium School – Bangalore Branch emptied into noise and motion. Shoes slapped against concrete. Shouts overlapped. Bags were flung into corners without care.
Recess had begun.
Rudra stepped out more slowly.
The ground lay beyond the main building—a wide, uneven stretch of packed mud bordered by a few tired trees and a rusted goalpost that leaned permanently to one side. It wasn't impressive.
But it pulled at him anyway.
Children were already scattered across it, forming games that obeyed no real rules. A half-crushed tennis ball bounced wildly as boys argued over boundaries that shifted with convenience. Some chased each other without purpose, others kicked at dust, laughter rising and falling like birdsong.
Pure, chaotic play.
Rudra watched from the edge.
There was freedom here—movement without pressure, mistakes without consequence. In his other life, fields had been measured, maintained, monetized.
This one was just… alive.
He stepped onto the dirt.
The texture changed under his shoes. Uneven. Honest.
Field Awareness
Lv 01 (6 / 100 EXP) → (9 / 100 EXP)
The ground spoke to the feet first.
"Hey! You play?" a boy called out, already tossing the ball.
Rudra caught it instinctively—too cleanly.
The boys paused.
He corrected himself immediately, letting the next throw fumble slightly before recovering.
A child's body required a child's rhythm.
They began.
No teams. No score. Just batting until someone argued enough to change sides.
Rudra took guard.
The bat felt familiar in shape, unfamiliar in weight. He reminded himself to slow down, to let the body learn again.
The ball came.
He swung late—deliberately.
Contact was soft, the ball skidding along the ground.
"Run!" someone shouted, though no one actually counted.
Rudra jogged, smiling faintly.
Batting Timing
Lv 01 (5 / 100 EXP) → (9 / 100 EXP)
Effort registered.
Another ball. Another swing.
This one connected cleaner, the vibration traveling up his arms.
Hand–Eye Coordination
Lv 02 (14 / 100 EXP) → (18 / 100 EXP)
Laughter broke out when someone tripped chasing the ball. Dust coated uniforms. Arguments sparked and dissolved just as quickly.
Rudra joined in—not leading, not retreating.
Balanced.
A high ball came his way in the field. He tracked it, feet adjusting unconsciously.
The catch landed awkwardly against his chest and dropped.
"No problem!" someone yelled.
Rudra grinned.
Field Awareness
Lv 01 (9 / 100 EXP) → (14 / 100 EXP)
Failure taught as much as success.
The bell rang again, sharp and final.
Groans erupted.
As they walked back toward the building, Rudra glanced once more at the field—the scuffed dirt, the careless laughter still hanging in the air.
Attraction wasn't about perfection.
It was about return.
He knew, with quiet certainty, that he would come back here again.
And next time, the ground would remember him.
Overall EXP
214 → 231
Not because he tried to level up.
But because he played.