Chapter 24: Global Recognition (The Black Sentinel's Demands)
[The Forced Alliance]
The Busan Defense was the single most viral event in global Hunter history. Videos of the four imposing, steel-blue Death Knights silently annihilating C-Rank spiritual entities while the Black Sentinel effortlessly sealed an A-Rank Gate dominated every news feed. The Stellar Halo could no longer control the narrative; the world was celebrating the rise of the Sentinels of Necessity.
Back at The Immortal Sepulchre, the atmosphere was heavy with anticipation. Rudraunsh was recovering from his core depletion, the 210% E-Rank Base capacity slowly stabilizing. He had used the minor capacity increase earned in the battle to stabilize his current force, but he had intentionally held back from any further immediate upgrades. The A-Rank Mana Core Crystal was secured, but its energy was too raw, too volatile for an immediate integration. It required specialized, external shielding and refinement, a process that would take weeks.
Sera projected the holographic image of Grand Marshall Sung-Hoon in the core chamber. This time, the Marshall was not alone; flanking him were the stern figures of two other S-Rank Hunter leaders: S-Rank Master Juro from the Japanese Celestial Guild and S-Rank High Elder Vesh from the European Templar Order. The negotiation was now global.
"We acknowledge the efficacy of your intervention in Busan," Marshall Sung-Hoon began, his voice tight with controlled hostility. "The Sentinels of Necessity stabilized the region and averted a catastrophic contamination spill. This alliance is no longer temporary. The Continental Contagion is officially classified as a global S-Rank threat."
High Elder Vesh, a stern woman in ornate armor, spoke next, her voice cutting and direct. "We recognize your power, U-Rank Entity. But the global Hunter network requires absolute transparency. We demand full details on your constructs and the source of your Soul Mana."
[The Slow-Paced Defense]
Rudraunsh allowed the silence to stretch, letting the weight of his absolute, terrifying power fill the chamber. He knew his core was only C-Rank, but his army was B-Rank, and his will was U-Rank.
"Transparency is a political tool, Elder Vesh," Rudraunsh's voice finally resonated, colder and deeper than before. "My necessity is a universal law. I do not answer to your political theater. I answer only to the threat of chaos."
Sera stepped forward, acting as the smooth conduit of the Sovereign's demands. "The terms of the alliance are simple, and they reflect the necessity of the Black Sentinel's methods."
The Sentinel's Demands (The Price of Necessity):
* Full Sovereignty of the Sepulchre: The Immortal Sepulchre is internationally recognized as a fully autonomous U-Rank Sovereign Territory, immune to any surveillance, physical or magical.
* Resource Prioritization: The Sentinels of Necessity retain absolute first claim on any high-grade Necrotic or spiritual catalyst (Grade 3 and above) recovered from any contaminated region where they are deployed.
* Global Mission Selection: Rudraunsh retains the right to selectively intervene in the contagion zones that best serve his mission—the acquisition of power necessary to contain the threat.
* A-Rank Refinement Facility: To safely integrate the high-grade catalysts necessary for B-Rank and A-Rank evolution, the Stellar Halo must covertly provide access to a shielded, non-magical A-Rank Research Facility for refinement and stabilization.
"You demand a fortress, infinite resources, and a state-of-the-art laboratory for forbidden research," Marshall Sung-Hoon summarized, his face pale with fury.
"I demand the tools required to save the world you failed to protect," Rudraunsh corrected. "The alternative is a slow, spiritual collapse of the entire Hunter network. You have seen what happens when Light fights the order of death."
After a prolonged, tense silence, Grand Marshall Sung-Hoon reluctantly nodded. "The terms are accepted. The Stellar Halo and its allies will issue the classified directive. You have your fortress, Black Sentinel."
[The First Global Mission: The C-Rank Siege]
The alliance was secured, but the payment was immediate. The Marshall, determined to test the limits of Rudraunsh's power, issued the first global assignment—a strategic trap disguised as a vital mission.
"The Continental Contagion is spreading across the Yellow Sea to China," Sera explained, projecting a new map. "A major coastal city, Qingdao, is facing a full-scale siege from a B-Rank Dimensional Tear. The immediate threat is not the B-Rank monsters, but the massive numbers of C-Rank Contagion Spawners flooding the streets—a problem of sheer scale."
This mission was designed to stretch Rudraunsh's logistics and mana reserves without providing a proportional reward—a perfect strategy to enforce slow growth.
"The Qingdao Gate requires the elimination of at least three thousand C-Rank Contagion Spawners to seal," Sera noted. "Your four B-Rank Death Knights can destroy them, but maintaining the spiritual attacks and the Undying Authority for a week of constant combat will severely deplete your core. The reward for clearing so many C-Ranks will only be minor Grade 2 Catalysts."
Rudraunsh understood the challenge. This wasn't a fight for an A-Rank core; it was a fight for capacity and endurance. His current 210% core would be pushed to the brink, yielding only incremental growth, but forcing him to demonstrate his long-term viability.
"The mission is accepted," Rudraunsh agreed. "We will show them the power of Endless Order."
[Incremental Capacity Expansion]
Before deploying, Rudraunsh took a single, strategic action to utilize the small capacity buffer gained from the Busan victory.
His current capacity was 210%, with four B-Rank Death Knights demanding 60% upkeep. He had a spare 150% of E-Rank capacity remaining—just enough to materialize one more high-grade unit.
He channeled the power, this time focusing on reinforcing a specialized, non-combat unit necessary for the massive endurance mission.
"Rise. Be the Anchor."
He materialized a fifth unit: a specialized construct known as the Shadow Anchor. It was a D-Rank unit, slightly weaker than his original Steelbone Warriors, but its single, crucial function was to absorb residual Necrotic mana from the battlefield and feed it back directly into Rudraunsh's core during combat.
> [Summon Status: Shadow Anchor (x1)]
> Rank: D-Rank (Logistics)
> Primary Trait: Necrotic Mana Siphon - Absorbs ambient dark mana from the battlefield and replenishes the Sovereign's Mana Core at a rate of 5% of its capacity per hour.
> Sustained Mana Consumption: 5% per Anchor.
>
The addition of the Shadow Anchor moved his total upkeep load to 65% (60% for Knights + 5% for Anchor). This was a critical logistical upgrade, not a combat one, ensuring his slow growth pace by protecting his core during the long siege. The growth was slow, but the capacity usage was maximized.
"The Shadow Anchor will keep my core stable during the siege," Rudraunsh explained to Sera. "I will gain core capacity not from defeating a single boss, but from the slow, steady ingestion of thousands of minor cores. Slow growth, but guaranteed."
Sera nodded, impressed by the logistical solution. "We will prove that the Black Sentinel is the ultimate resource manager. I have prepared the logistics for the Qingdao crossing. We move within the hour."
As the four B-Rank Death Knights and the single D-Rank Shadow Anchor stood ready for deployment, Rudraunsh felt the weight of the global mission. The fight was no longer just about survival or revenge; it was about the meticulous, slow, necessary construction of his absolute power, one strategic decision at a time.