Location: N.D.A.I. Safe Zone Border, Mumbai
Date & Time: February 8, 2025 | 10:00 AM (IST)
Two weeks had passed since the first wave of fractures had devastated the world. Humanity was slowly trying to pull itself together, but there was no peace in their hearts. The fractures alone had wiped out half of mankind, and now, the eyes of the entire world were fixed on the massive, dark portals floating ominously in the sky.
The Hell Gates were scheduled to open in just seven days.
The N.D.A.I. and other global associations had resumed their recruitment drives with a renewed, desperate intensity. Outside the designated safe zones, long lines of people stretched for miles. Ordinary citizens, possessing even a trace of E or D-Rank mana, were being forced to sign service contracts. They didn't trust the system, but they had no choice. If they refused to enter the Hell Gates, their families would be stripped of their protection and thrown out of the safe zones.
However, there was a visible change this time. N.D.A.I. officers were no longer distributing standard steel swords. Instead, they had begun issuing 'Magitech' weapons—gear forged from the reinforced bones, teeth, and cores of the fallen monsters. The officers offered loud assurances that with these new weapons, Dungers wouldn't fall as easily as before. The people gripped these bone-carved weapons with trembling hands, swallowing their fear in the hope that these promises might actually be true.
Location: Ruins of Dharavi (Outside Safe Zone)
Date & Time: February 8, 2025 | 11:30 PM (IST)
In the dead of night, away from the watchful eyes of the safe zone, a shadow paused outside a tattered tent. Rudra pulled a small bag from beneath his hoodie and silently placed it near the tent's flap. Inside the bag were processed E-Rank monster fibers, some remaining rations, and two small Essence Stones.
This had been Rudra's routine for the past two weeks. He hunted monsters during the day, and at night, he became a silent shadow, helping those needy survivors who had fallen through the cracks of the system's corruption. He never stepped into the light to play the hero; he simply paid his debt to humanity in silence.
His task complete, Rudra vanished back into the deep ruins of Dharavi. It was time for the hunt.
The moment he activated [Primal Adaptation], a lone D-Rank monster registered on his mental radar. It was a mutated, scale-covered brute with an MP of roughly 6,000.
Rudra leaped from the top of a wall. His C-Rank speed was now so great that the D-Rank brute didn't even register his presence. Flash. The dark dagger manifested in the air and drove straight through the brute's skull, piercing its core. An instant, silent kill.
Rudra placed his hand on the carcass and activated [Gluttony].
[+120 MP Absorbed]
Rudra's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Only 120 MP? Its original energy was 6,000. I thought I'd get at least half of that."
"Your mind is still stuck on your old limits," Ruin Soul's icy voice resonated in his head. "Before, your body was a small vessel, so you could absorb almost all of an E-Rank's mana. But you are now a C-Rank vessel. Your mana core has become incredibly dense. The low-quality mana of a D-Rank brute is of no use to you now. Your body naturally rejects this garbage."
"So how much will I get from now on?" Rudra asked, his tone practical.
"Between 1% and 5%," Ruin Soul replied strictly. "You have become an ocean, kid, and this trash is nothing but a single drop of water. If you want to move forward or reach B-Rank, you must change your habits. You need to hunt C-Rank ferals or the Bosses within the Hell Gates. The bigger the prey, the greater the power. Small hunts are for materials now, nothing more."
Rudra nodded in understanding and used [Darksmith] to dismantle the brute into his inventory. He stood on a rooftop, scanning the area once more. There was a strange, unsettling silence over the ruins.
"Ruin Soul," Rudra said, staring into the abyss. "I've noticed something over the last two weeks. I haven't seen a single Rank C, D, or even E-Rank feral mutant. They've completely vanished."
"I've observed that too," Ruin Soul said. "There are only three logical reasons. Either the N.D.A.I.'s new Magitech weapons have completely purged them... or the monsters have devoured the ferals, as the blood of mutated humans is the ultimate lure for them. But there is a third, much darker possibility..."
"What?"
"That they are all hiding," Ruin Soul warned. "They might be waiting for the Hell Gates to open. When the N.D.A.I.'s heavy forces are trapped inside the gates, that's when they'll emerge to seize the safe zones left behind."
Rudra's mind began to calculate the possibilities. The Hell Gates were seven days away, and his own preparations had reached an entirely new level.
Chapter Summary
World Status: One week remains until the Hell Gates open. N.D.A.I. introduces 'Magitech' weapons to Dungers—gear made from monster remains.
The Scavenger's Mercy: Rudra continues to secretly provide resources to struggling survivors outside the safe zones.
The Diminishing Returns: As a C-Ranker, Rudra realizes that devouring lower-rank monsters (D and E) provides negligible MP (1-5%). He must now hunt C-Rank targets or Gate Bosses to progress.
The Mystery: Feral mutants have disappeared from the ruins. Ruin Soul suspects a coordinated strike on safe zones once the military enters the Hell Gates.
Character Status: * Rank: C-Rank (Base Level)
MP: 14,920
Next Goal: Using accumulated materials to craft C-Rank weapons and armor before the Gates open.