Location: Sanjivani Guild Headquarters, Kolkata
Inside the meeting room of the Sanjivani Guild, the atmosphere was heavy with anticipation. Guild members discussed the aftermath of the B-rank dungeon incident — yet no one knew who had cleared it. No official hunter had registered the kill. No known name was credited.
Still, it had vanished. And the monsters were gone.
At the table sat Divya Bharti, the cold, calculating Guild Director — S-rank herself, but notorious for her sharp instincts and complete lack of sentiment. Across from her, sat Mahesh Rana, the hot-blooded AAA-rank flame user, still confused from the events earlier.
Mahesh leaned forward.
> "Mam… that boy—Harvin. I saw him walk out of that dungeon… alone. The dungeon disappeared right after."
Divya didn't look impressed. She casually sipped her tea, then looked away.
> "He's lucky. Not strong. Don't waste time on an E+ nobody."
Mahesh frowned. "But—"
Divya raised a hand, silencing him.
> "We don't invest in maybes. This world doesn't reward pity. Power speaks. Influence survives."
Just then, an assistant rushed in with a file, whispering urgently into Divya's ear.
Her calm expression shifted—only slightly.
> "An awakened hunter... SSS-rank... in Mumbai."
Gasps filled the room. The highest rank. Never seen in India before.
Mahesh blinked. "That's incredible, mam—but how is that connected?"
Divya set her teacup down with a quiet clink and looked directly at Mahesh.
> "Because this SSS-rank awakened yesterday. And they're arriving in Kolkata... tomorrow."
Mahesh sat up straight. "You mean, they're coming here?"
> "Yes. And I want you and Alisa to welcome them personally."
Mahesh nodded. "Of course… but—"
Divya interrupted again, voice cold.
> "Make contact. Build trust. Even if we have to offer alliance, position, or territory."
"SSS-rank is more than a weapon. It's a future. And we will not be left behind."
Mahesh nodded slowly… but his mind was somewhere else.
That boy… Harvin...
He remembered Harvin's broken body, still standing. Eyes burning. The way he fought without skills, without buffs, without support. And somehow won.
> "There's something different about you… isn't there?" Mahesh thought.
As the room buzzed with plans for the SSS-rank hunter, Mahesh looked out the window at the distant skyline, where the light from the fading sun touched the abandoned ruins of an old dungeon gate.
And somewhere, alone in that city, Harvin walked quietly.
Unranked. Unrecognized.
But not unnoticed.
---
: A Roar in the Crowd
The morning air in Kolkata buzzed with nervous energy.
Harvin, now stronger than before, walked with a focused gaze. His body was still sore from his last battle, but the fire inside him burned brighter than ever. He had one goal today: find another dungeon and keep growing.
As he crossed a street, suddenly, he noticed something strange.
Crowds.
Massive crowds. Hundreds of people — civilians, reporters, even hunters — were rushing in one direction. Phones were out, camera drones hovered in the air, and loud chatter echoed across the street.
"Where are they all going…?" Harvin muttered.
He stopped a passing man. "Hey! What happened?"
The man barely looked back. "You don't know?! The SSS-rank hunter has arrived! At S.K.M. College! She's going to give a speech!"
"SSS... rank?" Harvin froze.
The crowd moved like a wave, and Harvin found himself swept along. Curiosity—or something deeper—pulled at his chest.
He followed.
---
S.K.M. College Grounds – Main Arena
The open campus was transformed into a media battlefield. Drones flew above. News banners flashed on screens. And in the center, surrounded by elite hunters and guild officials...
…stood Neon Airos, the newly awakened SSS-rank hunter.
She stood tall, cloaked in a sleek black combat suit, her white-gold hair flowing in the breeze, her eyes glowing faintly with power that shook the air.
The crowd cheered wildly.
But amidst the cheers, Harvin's eyes widened—not with awe.
But with rage.
A face from his past. A face that triggered a buried memory.
His fists clenched. He could hear screams. A burning home. A child's cry.
> "Why are you here...?"
He bit his lip hard enough to bleed, holding back a scream.
Neon's voice echoed across the grounds as she spoke to the media, but Harvin couldn't hear anything anymore. His world had narrowed. All he could see was her face. His vision blurred. His breath quickened.
But then...
He exhaled.
> No. Not now. Not like this.
He turned.
Pushed through the crowd.
Walked out of the gates of the college.
---
Open Ground – Outside City Limits
Harvin stood alone, away from the noise, in a wide open field. His heart was still pounding. Rage still burned.
Then…
RRRRAAAHHHHHHHHH!!
Harvin let out a thunderous roar that echoed through the field — a roar that wasn't heard by any audience but the sky itself.
"I will not run anymore."
Just then, a ripple in the air formed beside him.
A faint blue shimmer — a Dungeon Gate.
[B-Rank Dungeon Detected]
Harvin smirked. His breathing calmed. His body straightened.
> "Come on then…"
He stepped through the gate.
And disappeared into the shadow of another battlefield.
---