Match 4 — vs FTS Sports School
The sound off the bat was different.
From the first over, it was clear.
FTS didn't test the field.
They tested the boundary.
Short balls were pulled without hesitation. Full balls disappeared straight. Even mis-hits carried far enough to punish bowlers who missed by inches.
Power, repeated.
By the time the innings ended, the scoreboard looked heavy.
Too heavy.
NITK fielders gathered near the rope, breathing hard, eyes fixed on a total that didn't threaten—it declared.
This was what everyone had warned about.
NITK's reply began under pressure.
Not the visible kind.
The quiet kind that sat on the shoulders.
Two wickets fell early.
Then a third.
Rudra walked in sooner than planned.
The field was already spread.
FTS didn't rush.
They smiled.
The spinner took the ball.
Slow. Accurate. Relentless.
First delivery—flighted, dipping late.
Rudra stepped forward, smothering it cleanly.
Correct.
Second—shorter, turning just enough to bite.
He played it late, under his eyes.
Correct again.
But nothing moved fast.
The pitch absorbed pace. The outfield felt thick.
Batting Timing
Lv 01 (86 / 100 EXP) → (88 / 100 EXP)
FTS knew.
They hunted.
Fielders crept closer, cutting singles. Every gap closed a fraction earlier than expected.
Rudra waited for a mistake.
It didn't come.
He tried to manufacture one—opened the face, guided it finer, used his wrists to steal momentum.
The ball still died before the rope.
Eleven runs.
Thirteen balls.
Then the spinner dragged one slightly shorter.
Rudra rocked back and pulled—timed well, perfectly controlled.
Straight to the man.
Out.
No loose shot.
No error.
Just not enough force.
Strength
Lv 02 (40 / 100 EXP) → (41 / 100 EXP)
The dugout was quiet as he returned.
No blame.
No advice.
Everyone had felt it.
FTS didn't beat them with tricks.
They beat them with capacity.
The chase never recovered.
NITK fell short, overs unused, options exhausted.
Record leveled again.
2–2.
Later, sitting on the grass, Rudra stared at his bat.
Not disappointed.
Measured.
"They're stronger," he said to no one in particular.
Not better.
Stronger.
Decision Speed
Lv 04 (37 / 100 EXP) → (40 / 100 EXP)
The system didn't reward the match.
But it logged the truth.
This wasn't a wall.
It was a weight class.
And if Rudra wanted to stand on grounds like this—
He wouldn't need better shots.
He'd need a stronger body to carry them.