Months passed, and the summer of Stone City gave way to the humidity of autumn, but for Grande, time was measured only by the number of broom swings and the amount of Echo Energy absorbed.
He had become a perfect machine of repetition. Every day, his routine was the same, but its purpose had completely transformed.
Mornings (Rank A Commander Training Quarters):
This was his harvest time. While cleaning the training hall, Grande performed A Thousand Rotating Sweeps and Five Hundred Precision Scrapes. He wasn't sweeping randomly; he was mimicking Commander Sirus's movements that had been programmed into his muscle memory by the Echo Energy.
He was now able to absorb Echo Energy so skillfully that his temporary status often reached Physical Strength +20% and Reaction Speed +15%. Most importantly, he felt the Rank F Power Limit getting thinner, like a layer of ice about to crack.
Noons (Rank B/C Trade Quarters):
He used this area for covert Field Training. He used his Rank F Broom to "clean" narrow gaps between barrels, training his lateral movement speed and stabbing precision in cramped spaces. If any High-Rank Gigantes passed by, he immediately switched to sweeping harmless residue. No one suspected that such a meticulous Custodian was actually training intensively.
Nights (Junk Arena):
Twice a week, Grande appeared as the Phantom Custodian. His reputation grew among the Low Ranks. He won almost every fight against Rank D and E opponents. They were strong, but Grande's movements were phenomenal, using the Rank F Broom to strike joints and centers of gravity. He always won in ways that looked awkward or humiliating, never with an attack clearly classified as 'combat.'
The money won was used to buy training supplies - not weapons, but paper scrolls, oil lamps for reading the ancient scrolls, and expensive broom oil to reduce friction.
The Peak of Manifestation
After two months of brutal discipline, one night in the Custodian Quarters, Grande reread Sirus's Skill Manifestation Log: "A Skill is manifested when physical repetition converts channeled Mana energy into second nature..."
Grande wasn't using Mana, but he was using Echo Energy (absorbed High-Rank Mana) and Rank F Custodian Physical Repetition.
Suddenly, while performing the Residue Snap exercise (a fast, sharp movement to dislodge stubborn dirt), something happened.
Grande felt a surge of energy that was not temporary. It wasn't a gentle Mana flow, but a short electrical snap.
[Rank F Role Confirmation Complete.]
[New Role Skill Manifested: Custodian Snap Technique.]
[Class: Rank F Physical Skill (Recognized as "Efficient Cleaning").]
[Effect: Allows One D-Tier Strength Snap (Equivalent to a Rank D Strike) without Activating Personal Mana. Can Only Be Performed with Custodian Equipment.]
[Activation Condition: Requires Minimum 20% Echo Mana Accumulation within 24 Hours.]
Grande froze. He had succeeded! He had forced the System to recognize a combat skill as a necessary Role Skill for an efficient Custodian.
He immediately grabbed his Rank F Broom and performed the Residue Snap motion into the air.
WHIP!
The sound produced was not the sound of straw sweeping, but the sharp sound of air fracturing, as if a whip had been pulled with extraordinary speed. Although he didn't use Mana, the stored strength activated.
The force of the Snap clearly exceeded the Rank F limit set by the System. It was a legitimate strike.
Grande now possessed a True Rank D Skill disguised within a Rank F Role.
The Grand Challenge
The next day, Grande returned to the Junk Arena. He needed a bigger test.
That night, his opponent was Brutus, Rank C, a Stone Breaker. Brutus was his first Rank C opponent - a Rank classified as Intermediate and having access to more advanced combat Mana.
Brutus stepped into the arena with a massive stone bludgeon. He had a cynical aura. "A Custodian? I'll make sure you sweep up your own blood tonight."
Brutus didn't just rely on physical strength; he channeled Basic Mana of Rank C into his bludgeon, causing it to glow with a faint orange light. The bludgeon's strikes now carried a damaging Mana effect.
Big Problem: Mana! Grande could not withstand a Mana-infused attack.
"Hurry up, Custodian!" Brutus yelled, charging forward.
Grande knew he couldn't evade forever. He had to use the Custodian Snap Technique as quickly as possible.
He began moving, using the speed gained from Echo Mana absorption. He let Brutus's first strike narrowly miss, then moved to the side.
Brutus was surprised by Grande's speed. He tried to retaliate with a side swing.
Now is the time!
Grande activated the Custodian Snap Technique. He thrust his Rank F Broom towards Brutus's ribs.
SNAP!
The dormant Rank D strength, recognized as an "Efficient Snap," erupted at the point of contact.
Brutus screamed, not from physical pain, but from shock. The attack had successfully bypassed his basic Mana armor.
"The Mana... where did that Mana come from?!" Brutus staggered.
Grande gave no answer. He knew he only had one Snap strike before the energy needed to be refilled (through Echo Mana absorption).
He used his agility to force Brutus back against the wall. The panicked Brutus began channeling more Mana into his bludgeon, trying to strike a wide area to hit Grande.
Grande, seeing the opportunity, performed his final move: Ghost Sweep, a motion where he dropped low, using the Rank F Broom to sweep Brutus's feet.
This time, he swept the feet with the stored Snap, landing a Rank D Snap effect on Brutus's ankle joint.
CRACK!
It wasn't a broken bone, but Brutus's balance and Mana focus were disrupted.
Brutus fell with his Mana-infused bludgeon flaring uselessly in the air. Grande stood over him.
The Junk Arena went silent. A Rank C defeated by a Rank F!
Grande collected his winnings, but his eyes were not focused on the money. He knew that this victory would attract the wrong kind of attention - especially from Ranks S/A/B.
Brutus's last words echoed in his head: "Where did that Mana come from?"
Grande was now a threat to the power structure in Stone City. He had proven that a Rank F could fight.
That night, in the Custodian Quarters, Grande planned his next move. The Junk Arena was too small. He needed to test the limits of the Custodian Snap Technique on objects, not just people. And he needed to find more ways to absorb Echo Energy.
He had acquired his first Role Skill. It was time to find the second skill, one that might allow him to escape Stone City and pursue real training in the outside world, away from the System's gaze.