Meanwhile, outside the forest, Luv was preparing lunch for himself. The aroma of spices filled the small kitchen of his off-grid cabin. But just as he reached for the pan, a sharp ding echoed through the room—first from his mobile, then from his laptop.
The same notification appeared on both screens.
He paused, curiosity flickering in his eyes. Setting the utensils aside, Luv turned toward his devices. The alert had come from the Soul-Gram group, a social media platform, and also from a deep web community known only to those who dealt in digital trade and other clandestine activities.
There, in a private forum thread, two users had posted the same request—strikingly specific.
Both were looking for a mobile phone capable of high-level hacking. One that couldn't be traced, couldn't be detected by any machine or network surveillance system. Total invisibility.
Usernames: n2four and boss1.
Within moments, the two had begun to argue in the thread, each offering a higher payment than the other.
"I'll pay twice the standard rate," wrote n2four.
"Triple, if you make me priority," countered boss1.
Luv raised an eyebrow, a slow grin forming on his face. He muttered to himself, "Well, well… looks like there's money ready on there table."
He leaned back in his chair, the glow of the screen casting shadows across the cluttered room. Boxes from recent online orders surrounded him—gear for vlogging, half-used components, tangled wires, and high-end cameras he'd spent his savings on.
"If I build a phone like that and provide it to them," Luv whispered, "untraceable, undetectable, loaded with custom hacking tools… I could finally earn enough to cover those investments."
Without hesitation, Luv opened a secure communication channel on Soul-Gram and typed a message addressed to both n2four and boss1:
"I'm interested in what you're asking. I might have the solution you're looking for. Message me privately. We'll talk details."
After sending the message, Luv leaned back in his chair, feeling a strange rush of anticipation. But a sudden thought struck him.
"Wait—my food!"
His eyes widened. In the thrill of discovery, he had completely forgotten the lunch he was cooking. He turned on his heel and bolted toward the kitchen.
Deep within the forest,
Cetana's eyes flickered open once more, glowing faintly beneath the shimmer of a fading resurrection spell. Her breath was shallow, her gaze unfocused—but she was alive. She saw a boy near her, fallen on the ground.
Ravin stepped forward, an angry reaction crossing his face, his voice laced with frustration and alarm.
"Why the hell did you summon that creature? Do you even realize how dangerous it was? And Cetana you died because of that monster!" he barked. "And what is this boy babbling about—claiming he received a skill from you at the moment of your death?"
Cetana blinked, seeing the boy struggling to get up. Here Ravin interjected, "I think I hit him really hard." Cetana struggled to gather her thoughts. Her body felt foreign, unanchored. Slowly, she whispered, "Wait… I know I died. Just a few minutes ago. And… you brought me back."
Ravin crossed his arms, his gaze sharp. "Yeah, I did. But that doesn't answer my questions. Start talking."
Cetana hesitated, then looked down at her trembling hands. "The monster… I thought I could control it. I believed I had enough strength. But… I failed."
She took a shaky breath.
"As for the skill transfer—" she paused, eyes narrowing in confusion, "I'm a half-elf. It's rare, but… the truth is I can't use elf power as you can see; I can only use skill power.
Ravin's expression darkened, but before he could respond, Cetana moved closer to him, her brows furrowing with growing concern.
"Wait a second. Why… why can't I feel anything?" she whispered. "My body feels numb. No touch… no pain… nothing."
Ravin looked at her grimly think a little, then muttered the truth she hadn't yet realized.
"Because you're dead, Cetana."
He met her eyes with heavy silence.
"You're not really alive. Not fully. You're a walking corpse now—maybe the best way to put it is… a zombie."
The color drained from Cetana's face.
"What…?" she whispered in little horror reaction , her fingers trembling as she looked down at her own skin, no longer warm, no longer alive.
Ravin let out a breath, his voice low and tense.
"I did what I thought was important for you," he said, eyes narrowing as he glanced at Cetana, bracing himself for her anger.
Cetana fell silent, lost in thought for a moment. Then, to Ravin's surprise, she nodded slowly.
"It's not that bad," she said with a faint smile, a crazy reaction on her face. "Strange… but not bad. Now I don't have fear of death because I can't die; it's like a type of immortality."
Ravin gave her a strange look, unsettled by the calm expression on her pale, undead face. Before he could speak, the smoke around them began to lift, fading like mist under sunlight.
Out of the clearing smoke stepped Madhav, walking toward them with steady resolve. Only a few minutes ago, during the chaos of the smoke and blast bombs, Madhav had pulled back to safety. He had quickly checked on Ketaki to make sure she was unharmed.
In Present as ravin seen madhav coming near to them, he tensed.
He fastly said to Cetana...."It's not safe to stay here for me," he said urgently to Cetana, stepping back. "He'll kill me this time for sure because my energy is already finished, and my weapon is destroyed. I contacted Sunil for help so he could provide another weapon, but he hasn't responded. I think something happened to him."
But Cetana stood firm. "Ravin, you yourself said you don't care about your friends," she replied.
"Yes, and I still don't care about them," Ravin retorted, taking a breath. "Okay, I'll fight him here—kill him or die trying."
Cetana considered this, her undead eyes gleaming with an eerie calm. "You will not die here. Because of you, Ravin, I'm still standing—" she paused, a bitter smile on her lips, "not alive… but still here. That's enough for me."
She turned her gaze toward Madhav, then back to Ravin. "Let me repay your help. I'll keep him busy and buy you time. You—go to the Forest Elf Capital. Find my mother and tell her everything that happened here. You'll be safe there, and there you will also meet my friend Elven, that elf captain with the golden curse coin."
Ravin hesitated, watching as Cetana stepped forward, positioning herself between him and Madhav. For the first time since her resurrection, there was a sense of purpose in her stance—a strange grace in her undead form.
Ravin clenched his jaw, uncertain. But somewhere deep within, he understood her intent, so he turned back and ran.
As Madhav saw Ravin turn to escape, rage flickered in his eyes.
"You're not getting away!" he growled, and without a second thought, he sprinted after him.
But just as Madhav closed the distance, Cetana moved with unnatural speed. She grabbed Mohit's wrist tightly, her grip cold and unyielding. Her once-gentle eyes now glowed with a strange, undead intensity.
She raised her voice, clear and commanding.
"Take one more step," she warned, "and your friend dies!"
Madhav froze mid-run, his breath sharp in his chest. His gaze shifted to Mohit, who stood stunned, unable to free himself from Cetana's grip.
A tense silence crackled in the air.
Madhav's fingers curled into fists. A faint shimmer of energy began to gather around him as he muttered under his breath.
"Unconsciousness… activate."
The moment Madhav's skill pulsed through the air, Cetana's expression twisted. Her body trembled—and then, she collapsed like a lifeless puppet. A voice whispered into Madhav's ear, cold and cryptic: "One person down… nine remain."
Mohit stumbled back, now free from her grasp. As Madhav rushed to his side, he asked, "Are you alright?"
Mohit rubbed the side of his head and nodded weakly. "Yeah… I'm fine. Ravin hit my head pretty hard though."
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed through the air—sarcastic and chilling.
"Oh really? That's so sad," came Cetana's voice, accompanied by a crazy look.
Madhav turned, eyes wide with disbelief. "What…? You were supposed to be unconscious on the ground!"
Like a corpse reanimated, Cetana sat upright, her movements stiff and eerie dead body. Her eyes locked onto him.
"Nice try," she said coldly. "Your skill worked… but only partially. My right arm is numb, yes. But the rest of me?" She cracked her neck like a horror ghost. "Still very much in motion."
Without warning, she lunged. Madhav shoved Mohit out of harm's way just as Cetana's clawed hand slashed through the air. It was as if she were trying to kill both of them quickly.
Madhav rolled to his feet, shifting into his combat stance.
They clashed—blow for blow. Madhav unleashed a flurry of sharp, practiced moves: elbow strikes, swift kicks, rapid jabs. Cetana absorbed the attacks, feeling no pain. His strikes landed, even tore flesh—but not a single drop of blood fell. Her undead body moved with no regard for damage, As Mohit struggled to regain his balance try to not to fallen into the ground, then he watched Madhav suddenly begin attacking the elf lady, Cetana. Her movements were like an elastic warrior's as she dodged Madhav's assaults, yet she still endured many blows and other attacks to her body. She said "It's a waste of time and your energy on me," Cetana out her tongue like crazy look and she declared. "Now my elf body has turned into a zombie, you fool will never defeat me."
"Whatever you've become, I have no interest in you," Madhav retorted. "Get out of my way; I have to catch Ravin."
"That won't happen," Cetana replied. "I won't move out of your way. First, defeat me; then you'll be able to go anywhere freely."
Suddenly, a shimmer of light appeared beside Cetana—a small fairy with glowing wings and eyes like molten gold. She hovered in the air and began to weave a spell, ancient and binding. A magical sigil formed beneath Cetana, glowing with magical energy, freezing her body in an uneven, twisted position, holding her still.
"What's happening? Why can't I move?" Cetana reacted, her voice slow with surprise and confusion.
As Mohit saw Cetana rendered immobile, he urged Madhav, "Go from here! Follow Ravin quickly!"
"Now!" Ketaki shouted from behind them. "Madhav—go! Chase the one who fled! That person! He can't escape from this area after destroying our village's peace!"
Between the lingering chaos, Madhav ran forward, a serious expression on his face. His eyes were locked on his target—Ravin.
Ravin had taken off moments earlier, but he hadn't gotten far. His legs faltered, his breath uneven. The brutal fight with Madhav had already drained most of his strength, and the bracelet on his wrist—the very tool that had granted him power—was now leeching what little energy he had left.
Ravin think why his lungs burned. Every step felt heavier than the last. A wave of dizziness crept into his vision, shadows curling at the edges of his sight. He stumbled once, catching himself on a tree trunk, chest rising and falling in shallow gasps.
And then he made the mistake of looking back.
Suddenly through the fog of exhaustion, he saw Madhav—relentless, steady, and closing the distance.
Ravin's heart pounded. He was shocked, but then remembered Miss Cetana's words: she said she would handle it and buy him enough time to escape.
"He's still coming…" he muttered under his breath, panic blooming in his chest like wildfire.
He turned back toward the forest path, willing his legs to move again.
But his body… was reaching its limit.
As Madhav quickly closed the distance, he saw Ravin struggling—his steps sluggish, his body weakened from the battle and drained by the very bracelet he wore.
Smirking, Madhav called out, "Going somewhere without me?"
Ravin turned slightly, forcing a smirk of his own despite the fatigue etched on his face. "You all seemed busy entertaining Miss Cetana, so I thought I'd come out for some fresh air. And why would I go anywhere without you? As I wanted to take you with me to meet our boss, Deva, and Miss Olivia."
Madhav's expression darkened. "Don't joke with me, Are you sure you're able to do that in this type of condition of your body?"
Ravin's voice sharpened, laced with defiance. "If you're looking at me and thinking I'm too weak to fight… you're dead wrong. I don't have time to waste today. Let's finish this quickly."
Madhav took a step closer, his tone shifting. "I want to know something... Do you remember what you and your friends did in the Black Shadow Elf village area?"
Ravin paused, then chuckled darkly. "Oh, that? Of course, I remember. Everything that happened there—every horror, every scream of the local village elves—I take full responsibility. The two zombie beasts we sent into the village... what a brilliant display of chaos, full of enjoyment and the funny thing is because of zombie chaos, a few local elf died and some got injured."
He laughed, wild and manic, the sound echoing through the trees.
"I still remember the look on that village leader's face; his condition was worse... men, women, children—all terrified because of our actions! That was art, or I should say, a blood dance of chaos. Me, my friend Sunil, and Zahir totally a fantastic group together ? We did something truly memorable."
Madhav's jaw clenched. His eyes burned with fury.
"Don't you feel even a shred of guilt in your heart?"
Ravin scoffed. "Guilt? Why would I feel such a low-quality emotion in a heart as creative as mine?" He threw his head back and laughed. "Guilt, my foot!"
That was enough.
Madhav's expression turned cold as steel. Without another word, he used his skill to summon his storage space, drawing out a sword. Here, he activated another skill, Combat Skill of Master Art and basic fighting , imbued with the combined power of light and water sword.
The blade shimmered, reacting to his righteous anger. In one fluid motion, he activated his combat skill, light flaring from the edge of the sword.
"If a criminal doesn't understand the pain they've caused," Madhav said solemnly, "if they feel no remorse, no guilt—then that person has no right to live on this earth."
Before Ravin could react, Madhav was suddenly right in front of him—too fast to track.
The glowing sword pierced Ravin's heart.
Ravin's eyes widened. His mocking smile vanished as pain overtook him. He looked down at the blade embedded in his chest.
"T-this… this is my sword…" he whispered, almost in disbelief.
Then his knees buckled. The life drained from his body, blood soaking the earth beneath him. Ravin collapsed to the ground—motionless, breathless. A few minutes after Ravin died, a voice again whispered into Madhav's ear: "You got Craftsman Skill."
Then, a sudden thunderstrike hit the ground behind Madhav, followed by a loud boom and a shockwave. Rain began to fall. Madhav turned, looking backward, wondering what had just happened.