Chapter 319 - The First WARD

Shanaya rolled up her sleeves, brushing her hair behind one ear as she opened the spice drawer. “Okay, I was thinking baingan bharta, aloo gobi, and maybe lachha paratha—but only if you help.”

“I’m helping,” Arjun said.

She turned—and paused.

The counter in front of him was already a blur of motion. His hands moved in short, perfect arcs, the knife gliding with impossible precision. Eggplants diced. Cauliflower florets trimmed. Onions sliced into translucent ribbons, each layer separated mid-air before settling in the bowl.

“Arjun—!”

He looked up innocently. “You said fast, no?”

She blinked, glanced at the mountain of neatly prepped vegetables, then back at him. “I was expecting help. Not… high-speed sabotage.”

He grinned. “Efficient assist—” His eyes suddenly narrowed. “They are coming.”

Shanaya raised an eyebrow as she looked out the window but noticed nothing. Still, if he said it, then it was true.

“Should we prepare some for them?”

Arjun shook his head. “No need. It shouldn’t take too long. I will deal with it.”

She looked at him and nodded softly. “It’s ok, take your time. You just took off half an hour of cooking from my hands,” she smiled.

Arjun kissed her gently before heading outside and calmly waited for the chopper to arrive.

But as it got closer, his eyes widened slightly. It wasn’t entirely unexpected, not after everything he knew and all he had pieced together, but still...

As the man climbed out, Arjun locked eyes with him, a mix of emotions flickering in his gaze.

Siddharth.

There was also James, and a couple of soldiers from the military behind, one of them older and seemed of quite the high rank, but Arjun did not look at them.

He let the seconds pass as they held each other’s gaze.

Arjun had thought a lot about Siddharth—about what happened, what it meant, and everything in between. But time had passed. So much time. So many things had changed.

Seeing him now, all those thoughts flickered through Arjun’s mind in an instant. But in the end, his heart was already settled.

He smiled softly. “Glad to see you’re well.”

Siddharth smiled too.

It was a quiet smile. The kind that said more than words could. There was warmth in it. And pain. A shadow of recognition. A man who once led, now looking at someone who had gone far beyond.

“They told me the strongest man on Earth was living here,” Siddharth said with a quiet grin. “Curiosity led me to see him.”

Arjun chuckled. “Not sure about that… but,” he took a breath, “it’s good to be back. Even if it hurts, too.”

Siddharth nodded, the understanding in his eyes deeper than words. That pain—he knew it better than most. The pain of defeat. Of letting others carry the weight you couldn’t. Of having to look up at others carrying your fate.

He had lived it.

“Is there any official matter to be discussed?” Arjun asked, his voice steady as his gaze shifted to James and the high-ranking officer beside him. “If not, you’re welcome to stay for dinner, Siddharth. I don’t want to keep Shanaya waiting too long.”

Siddharth stepped aside as James and the older man approached.

“We won’t take much of your time, Mr. Rathore,” James said. “This is General Bains.”

Bains? Arjun didn’t recognise the name—or the face.

“We’re here to formally inform you, though you may already be aware, of your WARD status.”

“I know,” Arjun replied simply.

“Good. Then, there will be an official ceremony to—”

“I’d prefer if formalities were kept to a minimum,” Arjun cut in, his tone polite but firm. “As I’ve said, I’d like to stay with my family unless there’s an emergency. That said…” His expression darkened slightly. “There’s something I do want to ask.”

James straightened as Arjun continued.

“What about the families of the Climbers still inside the Tower? Are they safe?”

“They are,” James replied. “All under high-level security. There’s no need to worry.”

Arjun met his gaze without blinking. “I’ve heard of the Second Generation. And of strong returnees walking Earth right now. So I ask again—are their families truly safe from them?”

“Yes,” James said, though less confidently this time.

Arjun’s voice turned cold.

“I know I’m the first WARD. I know, for now, I’m the strongest person on Earth. But that won’t last long.”

He took a step forward.

“While I am here, I want this made perfectly clear. If any of my teammates’ loved ones suffer so much as a scratch—for any reason—I will find out who is responsible. And I will act. I don’t care who they are.”

He looked at General Bains, then James.

“I want this stance published. On ASCENT. On the news. Everywhere. I don’t seek conflict. I won’t use my powers for personal gain. All I want is to be with my family and prepare for the next call—whether it’s the Third Ascent or the next.”

He paused.

“But if someone I care about… or someone they care about… is harmed?”

His gaze sharpened, voice like steel.

“Then I will use my power. And I will bring harm.”

Silence followed.

“That… we will make an announcement, as per your wish, Mr. Rathore,” James said, bowing slightly, maintaining proper etiquette.

“Let’s be concise, then, so as not to waste more of your time. There are two more matters we’d like to discuss. The first is a request—from us, meaning humanity. We’d like you to share your findings and experiences from The Tower in as much detail as possible. That includes key events, battles, and particularly anything about the mysterious Seventh Boss you faced, as well as the knowledge you obtained from the orbs. Also, any information you may—”

“Do you have a device that can read pulses?” Arjun interrupted calmly.

James hesitated only for a moment, caught off guard, before pulling a small device from his pocket. “Yes. Here it is.”

Arjun closed his eyes.

He focused, gathering and compressing his memories into visuals and data, then began to transmit. One pulse. Another. A sequence—each rich in data.

Seconds passed in complete silence. Even the wind felt still.

“Done,” Arjun said, opening his eyes again. “My knowledge is limited beyond the Third Pillar State and Second Body State. I haven’t reached those levels myself, and the information becomes harder to visualise and share beyond that point. But everything up to those stages is there. My understanding is more complete than what ASCENT currently provides. As for the rest, I’ve shared what I consider relevant. I’d prefer not to share more.”

The others nodded in quiet understanding, though James opened his mouth again—only for Arjun to speak first.

“So, what’s the second matter?”

“Yes,” James said, regathering his composure. “The second is regarding… a message to the world. An announcement of the first WARD, to showcase your power. Since you prefer to avoid a formal ceremony, would you at least allow us to record or present some form of visuals—something of your choosing—to represent your title?”

Arjun remained still for a moment.

Then, without a word, he turned his eyes toward the chopper behind them.

A low hum filled the air as the helicopter began to rise—its rotor fan perfectly still.

The soldiers stiffened, eyes wide. The general took a small step back. Even James and Siddharth flinched slightly.

The aircraft hovered several metres off the ground—completely motionless, yet airborne.

Then it lowered gently, returning to its exact position.

“That should be enough,” Arjun said flatly. “If not, I sent pulses with visual data from several fights inside The Tower. But…”

He turned back to James, gaze serious.

“My current prowess is meaningless compared to some of those still inside. In my opinion, there’s no need for this fanfare or display. The Tower feeds should be more than enough proof that—”

“—our capabilities have already moved beyond what humanity can comprehend or control.”

The General’s jaw tensed ever so slightly, a silent acknowledgement beneath the rigid lines of his expression.

Even the soldiers—trained, hardened—shifted their weight, eyes no longer meeting Arjun’s.

James exhaled softly.

“We understand, Mr Rathore,” he said, bowing his head again. “Thank you for your clarity… and for your restraint.”

General Bains took a slow step forward and extended a gloved hand. Arjun didn’t hesitate to shake it.

“Enjoy the time with your family,” the General said. “You’ve earned it. And… thank you. For what you did—for all of us.”

Arjun gave a nod.

Without another word, the group turned and headed for the chopper.

The rotors spun back to life.

Moments later, they lifted off, swallowed by the clouds above.

Arjun stood still, gaze following the shrinking dot in the sky until it vanished.

Then he turned.

Siddharth hadn’t moved.

Their eyes met again.

“Come inside,” Arjun said. “We’ve got a good meal ready.”

He paused.

“Shanaya will be happy to have a guest.”

Ayu sucked in a breath as the humming finally began to fade from her cells.

Her skin was slick—sweat and that thick black gunk clinging to every inch of her body, seeping from her pores. The stench hit her only now, sharp and foul, like something rotting under heat. But she didn’t flinch. Just grimaced.

The pain was still there.

Faint, distant—but still there.

It had lasted way longer than she’d expected. Long enough she’d lost track of time. But judging by the state of her limbs, the slow throb in her bones, it hadn’t been short.

She tilted her head back, hair drenched and plastered to her neck, her shoulders, her spine.

It had been hell.

Even after figuring out the rhythm, the structure—reshaping every damn cell in her body to create a whole new micro-node system... it was insane. The scale of it… she couldn’t even wrap her head around the numbers. Billions? Trillions? More? Didn’t matter.

She’d done it.

Over six weeks since hitting the Second.

Now—

She’d made it.

The Third Body State.

Highest level among the Beastmen. Top of this stage.

Now all she needed was a bit more mastery over Primal Flow, and she’d be considered a Master Warrior by their standards.

She smiled as she stood, then pulsed a sharp vibration through her body, sending sweat and residue flying off. She could still use a proper wash—but this would do for now.

She closed her fist, feeling the weight behind it. The difference was obvious—not just in power, but in control. Her Understanding of I had deepened just by reaching this point. She was sure she could push Fury several percentage points higher if she tried now.

Her body felt good.

She bounced lightly on her toes, testing the feel—then blurred across the chamber. A twist, a roll, a mid-air kick—

—and a crack tore through the thick metal wall as her heel slammed into it, leaving a deep dent.

The sound vibrated through the room, echoing down the corridor.

“Ayu?”

Lukas’ pulse came through.

“My bad. Just testing it.”

“You reached it?”

“Of course!”

She grinned as she stepped out—

—appearing just behind him before he even noticed.

“What about Chiara?”

Lukas was caught off guard by the sudden voice, but relaxed as he noticed Ayu. “She’s still inside.”

“So I won?!”

Lukas laughed. “I guess you did.”

Ayu’s smile widened.

“By the way, we just got a package from the General of the Western Front,” Lukas said with a knowing grin.

“What? A package? From the Ajnal General? What’s it about?” she asked, curious.

“Came with several Warden corpses and—” Lukas gestured as a nearby disc floated toward them.

The metallic disc landed with a soft thud. Its surface split open, revealing a sealed compartment. Inside was what looked like an envelope.

“This is for you.”

Ayu frowned, eyeing the object, then glanced at Lukas. There was definitely some kind of joke or setup happening here—but fine, she’d play along.

She picked it up, turned it over, and opened it.

Inside… was a letter?

Congrats on the breakthrough!

Huh?

She frowned deeper and checked the envelope again—then paused.

At the bottom, tucked beneath the message, were three orbs.

Her eyes widened.

She looked up at Lukas, who was grinning like an idiot.

It clicked.

“Wait… Alonso is a General!?”