Location: Sector 9 to Underground Bazaar, Mumbai
Date & Time: November 2025 (External Reality)
Outside the glowing N.D.A.I. branch, the air was thick with an emotional cacophony. The joy of returning home after years—or so it felt—clashed with the sheer trauma of an eight-month time-skip.
"Follow me," the senior N.D.A.I. official commanded, signaling his guards to clear a path. "I'll take you to your new housing and your families. They won't believe you're actually alive."
A surge of excitement rippled through the Dungers. Even Captain Ravindra exhaled a breath of relief, following the officials. Every eye was fixed on the shimmering roads and the promise of a future.
In that moment of collective distraction, a cold voice resonated within Rudra's mind.
"This is the window," Ruin Soul analyzed with the detached precision of a tactical supercomputer. "Their focus is fractured, and the guards are looking ahead. Disappear now."
Rudra didn't waste a micro-second. His Scavenger's Skin was already masking his thermal signature and mana fluctuations. He took two silent steps back, slipped into the yawning shadow of an alleyway, and vanished. Not a single D-Ranker or official noticed that the final man to emerge from the gate was no longer among them.
"Before securing a new base, you must decode this new economy," Ruin Soul guided. "Head straight for the Black Market."
Rudra navigated toward the underground bazaar from memory, but he kept his eyes sharp. Eight months ago, these streets were lined with trash, and the air tasted of industrial smoke. Now, the change was surgical.
The roads were pristine. The most jarring shift was the vehicles. While a few old petrol and diesel cars still rattled along, they were being overtaken by sleek, silent machines. These new cars didn't rumble; instead, their exhausts emitted a faint, pulsing blue glow.
"Magitech fuel," Rudra noted coldly. "Society has pivoted from fossil fuels to dungeon resources. The transition was aggressive."
Eventually, Rudra reached the entrance of the Black Market. What used to be a dangerous, cramped alleyway for petty smugglers had evolved into a fully established underground hub.
It was teeming with life. Dozens of new storefronts stood beneath neon signs powered by Glowshards. The crowd wasn't just thugs anymore; it was a mix of Awakened of various ranks, Magitech mechanics, and brokers trading openly.
Rudra moved through the mass like a ghost, his face buried beneath his hood and mask. He approached a well-established appraisal store.
"I need intelligence," Rudra's voice was dead and direct. "What's the current Hell Gate distribution ratio?"
The broker looked up from his digital pad, scanning the hooded figure. "Gate ratio? The data stabilized about four months ago," he replied casually. "E and D-Rank gates are common now, covering about 60% of the market. C-Rank gates are rarer and deadlier, taking up 30%. The remaining 10%... those are the B-Rank Hell Gates. They have the highest fatality rates. No ordinary Dunger or small team can even get near them. N.D.A.I. and the major Private Guilds hold a strict monopoly over those."
Rudra saved the data. N.D.A.I. controlling high-tier dungeons was a logical outcome. He reached into his coat and placed an E-Rank Essence Stone on the counter. "The price?"
"E-Rank. High supply. 5,000 INR per piece," the broker said instantly.
Rudra then placed a D-Rank stone on the counter.
"D-Rank," the broker checked the luster. "This is decent. I'll give you 10,000 INR for it."
Rudra didn't stop. He pulled a high-density, pure C-Rank Essence Stone from his inventory—one harvested from the jungle's elite predators—and set it down.
A flicker of genuine respect crossed the broker's face. He adjusted his lens to analyze the mana density. "Pure C-Rank mana. You don't find this in the hands of common Dungers. Current market value is between 35,000 and 40,000 INR."
Rudra's mind ran the numbers. He had over 30 stones from his seven-day hunt, mostly E and D-Rank, with a few C-Ranks. He was already a millionaire on paper. But he was calculating something much larger.
If a C-Rank stone was worth 40k, the B-Rank Boss loot was in a different league entirely.
"What is the value of a B-Rank Essence Stone?" Rudra asked, his tone ice-cold.
The broker paused, then let out a short, dry laugh. He thought the hooded man was joking.
"Friend, B-Rank stones don't 'float' in the market. They are highly rare and overpowered," the broker explained. "A stone from a normal B-Rank monster easily goes for 1 to 1.5 Lakh INR. And if by some miracle someone got their hands on a B-Rank Boss Essence Stone... the starting bid for that is upwards of 7 Lakh INR. Those are bought exclusively by the top-tier guilds."
Rudra blinked once. Locked within his internal inventory at this very moment was a pure B-Rank Boss Core, a Boss Fragment, and a Boss Essence Stone. Their combined value likely transcended crores. Standing in that crowded, grimy bazaar, Rudra was physically a walking bank, wealthier than almost anyone in the sector.
Chapter Summary
The Disappearance: Rudra successfully detaches from the N.D.A.I. squad and vanishes into the shadows of the new Mumbai.
World Observation: Rudra notes the rapid evolution of society—Magitech fuel and Glowshard infrastructure are now the norm.
Economic Intelligence:
E-Rank Stone: 5,000 INR
D-Rank Stone: 10,000 INR
C-Rank Stone: 40,000 INR
B-Rank Boss Stone: 700,000+ INR (Starting Bid)
The Realization: Rudra realizes he is carrying a fortune (crores) in his inventory, making him an extremely high-value target if discovered.