Selection day arrived without ceremony.
No announcements. No speeches. Just a list on the noticeboard and a quiet instruction from Parbas Ji.
"Selected students report to the ground after school."
Rudra read his name once.
Then again.
Not relief.
Confirmation.
Three schools arrived that afternoon.
Different uniforms. Different accents. Same hunger.
The ground felt smaller with so many eyes watching. Teachers clustered near the boundary, clipboards in hand. Parbas Ji stood near the center, whistle ready.
"This is not a match," he said. "This is evaluation."
The fitness test came first.
Running drills. Timed sprints. Shuttle runs. Push-ups. Plank holds.
No bat.
No ball.
Just bodies.
Rudra took his place at the starting line.
The whistle blew.
He ran—not fast, not slow.
Efficient.
Running
Lv 01 (15 / 100 EXP) → (22 / 100 EXP)
He turned cleanly at the cone, balance holding through the stop.
Balance
Lv 01 (18 / 100 EXP) → (25 / 100 EXP)
Breathing stayed controlled. Heart rate rose, then settled.
Stamina
Lv 03 (60 / 100 EXP) → (66 / 100 EXP)
Push-ups followed.
He stopped at clean form, not exhaustion.
Strength
Lv 02 (33 / 100 EXP) → (38 / 100 EXP)
Some boys showed power and collapsed. Others ran fast and burned out.
Rudra remained… usable.
That mattered.
Bat-and-ball drills came later.
Short nets. Limited deliveries. Fielding assessments.
Rudra didn't try to stand out.
He tried to be correct.
A clean stop.
A safe single.
A sharp throw.
Reflex
Lv 05 (12 / 200 EXP) → (18 / 200 EXP)
Batting Timing
Lv 01 (18 / 100 EXP) → (24 / 100 EXP)
Parbas Ji made no comments.
Which was a good sign.
When the sun dipped low, the visiting schools packed up. Students waited in small groups, pretending not to listen as teachers conferred.
Rudra sat on the ground, stretching quietly.
Win or lose, the numbers had already answered.
This wasn't about talent.
It was about readiness.
And for the first time, Rudra knew—
He was no longer just learning.
He was being measured.