Chapter 3: Beneath the Surface
As evening settled over the bustling market, the flow of customers slowed, and workers began taking inventory of the day's stock. vijay , enjoying a brief moment of peace, let his thoughts drift—until they were abruptly interrupted by a voice dripping with condescension.
"Well, if it isn't the rankless retard, enjoying himself doing minimal work that even our servants wouldn't bother with."
vijay turned to see the source of the insult: Ross, the heir to the Aditya Group. Ross's expression was a sneer, one that Dhruv had become all too familiar with.
The Aditya Group, once a respectable force in the Mumbai Hunter Market, had been forced to flee to Delhi after offending a Rank 6 Domain Holder. The move had cost them dearly, and they had paid a steep price to escape the wrath of their powerful adversary. In Delhi, they had started small, biding their time and licking their wounds. But once they realized that the saints and domain bearers paid little attention to the hunter market, they showed their true colors, ruthlessly eliminating competitors to establish dominance. Now, the only obstacles to their monopoly were the Ram Trading Company and a few guild markets headed by Rank 5 hunters.
vijay met Ross's sneer with a calm smile. "Well, if it isn't the pride of the Aditya Group, who consistently maintained the record of being last in the class."
Ross's face twisted in anger, but he quickly retorted, "At least I attended the Hunter School and became Rank 1."
vijay's smile faded, replaced by a stoic expression. The mention of ranks was always a sore point, one that Dhruv had learned to endure with silence. His own humiliation at the Hunter School was still fresh in his mind—the memory of being unable to defeat even a lowly goblin, of his classmates watching in stunned silence as he failed to break through the creature's mana barrier. The video of that ceremony had spread like wildfire, cementing vijays reputation as the rankless failure who couldn't even protect himself.
Seeing that vihay had no retort, Ross seemed ready to continue his taunting, but the representative from the Aditya Group, who had been standing quietly behind him, intervened.
"I am Roshan, here on behalf of the Aditya Group to negotiate business. Can we move someplace quiet?" Roshan's voice was devoid of emotion, his demeanor professional.
vijay, recognizing the seriousness in Roshan's tone, gestured for him to follow. He led Roshan to a meeting room where his employees often discussed strategies and, at the same time, discreetly contacted his father to listen in on their conversation.
"The business we have is simple," Roshan began once they were seated. "You will hand over 50% of your small businesses to the Aditya Group, and in return, we will leave you alone and never interfere with your operations. This agreement will be overseen by the Guildmaster of the Flagbearer Guild." As he spoke, Roshan handed over a file containing the documents and a personal letter from the Guildmaster.
vijay carefully examined the file, thinking over the offer. At first glance, it seemed like a reasonable deal. His family had always prioritized survival over conflict, and avoiding a direct confrontation with the Aditya Group might ensure the company's continued existence. The compensation offered could be invested in strengthening Raj, his brother, allowing him to become even more powerful.
However, as Dhruv was about to discuss the terms of the handover, his gaze fell upon Ross, who was grinning with a familiar, smug expression. A sense of unease washed over him. Returning his focus to the documents, he re-read the conditions and quickly spotted the hidden trap. The contract defined the main trading company as a "small business" and included it in the agreement. Agreeing to this deal now and then backing out would not only be dishonorable but could also offend the Rank 5 hunter overseeing the deal—a hunter known for being particularly strict about agreements and conditions.
Suppressing a surge of anger, vijay tore the documents in front of Roshan's eyes. Roshan's expression shifted to one of shock and confusion as Dhruv's voice cut through the room like a blade.
"You almost had me," vijay growled, his eyes locking onto Ross's. "If it hadn't been for this bastard's shit-eating grin, I might have agreed to this after some negotiations. GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE BEFORE I TEAR YOU LIMB FROM LIMB. AND DON'T THINK FOR A SECOND THAT I CAN'T DO IT. I BEAT YOU IN CLASS WHILE BEING CLASSLESS—I CAN KILL YOU NOW."
The room fell silent, the tension thick as vijay's anger reverberated off the walls. At that moment, Rajesh and Anil entered the room, their presence a silent command for Roshan and Ross to leave.
Roshan's POV:
As I hurried out of the building, my mind replayed the encounter, focusing on the killing intent I had felt. It wasn't vijay rage that made me shiver—it was the unspoken threat from his father, Rajesh. Rumors had long circulated about Rajesh, once a formidable Rank 5 hunter with the potential to reach Rank 8. His power had been legendary until an explosion during a monster material handling accident killed his father and forced him to sever his connection with Agni, the Fire Deity, to protect his family. The severed connection had damaged his constitution, amplified by his Flame Overlord abilities, leaving him severely weakened. Yet, despite the setback, he had clawed his way back to Rank 2, proving his indomitable spirit.
But killing intent is still just killing intent—it doesn't equate to strength. Yet, the presence behind that intent was what made my blood run cold.
I glanced at the young master beside me, Ross. He was immature to a fault, and today's debacle proved that. The real negotiation, the one that mattered, had already been sent to vijay elder brother, delivered personally by the head of the family. We never expected this absurd agreement to succeed—it was merely a distraction, a way to test vijay's mettle.
I couldn't help but think about the past. vijay's humiliation at the Hunter School ceremony had been a turning point. The video of him being beaten by a goblin, unable to muster the mana to even scratch its barrier, had been a source of endless mockery. But what made vijay truly dangerous wasn't his lack of rank—it was his resilience. The fact that he had survived that humiliation, continued to fight, and now stood defiant against us, made him far more of a threat than Ross could ever understand.
As we left the premises, I knew I had to get Ross back to the group before he threw another tantrum. The market was a dangerous place, and Ross's recklessness could easily get him killed—or worse, embroil us in a conflict we weren't prepared to handle.