The dim light of evening filtered through the dense bushes of the jungle. The air was cold, but there was a strange heaviness mixed within it—as if the jungle itself was waiting for something.
Shiv, Arav, and Viru were breathing hard. With every breath, their chests felt heavier. Yet their feet refused to stop—as if stopping meant accepting defeat.
Behind them, Suresh was running, drenched in sweat. His breathing was breaking, his throat completely dry, and with every step, only one thought echoed in his mind—
"If I stop now… I might never get up again…"
The fear on his face was clear. But it wasn't just fear of the monster… it was fear of his own limits.
They were wearing traditional Japanese training clothes, which clung tightly to their bodies under the pressure of the wind, making every movement feel heavier.
Right behind them was a medium-rank Wolf Monster—but this was no ordinary wolf.
It stood on its hind legs like a human, yet there was not a trace of humanity in the way it moved. Every step pressed hard into the ground. Its breath came out like hot steam, and in its eyes burned only one thing—
hunger… and the madness of the hunt.
Its gaze was locked onto them.
Shiv glanced back for a moment.
The tension on his forehead was obvious, but a strange, crooked smile rested on his lips—as if fear and excitement were clashing within him.
Something was moving inside his mind.
Fast. Calm. Dangerous.
"Why aren't we finishing it off?!" Arav shouted from the right side. There was anger in his voice, but beneath that anger was fear—something only he could feel. His speed hadn't dropped, maybe because stopping wasn't even an option for him.
From the left, Viru cut in,
"It's the rule, Arav! We can't directly fight any monster… this training isn't about strength, it's about survival and intelligence!"
Viru's voice was steady, but his eyes were constantly calculating—distance, speed, direction… everything.
"So what, we just keep running like dogs?!" Suresh shouted from behind, gasping. His voice was breaking.
"At this rate, we'll lose!"
His heartbeat echoed in his ears—
thump… thump… thump…
With every beat, the same question—
"How much longer can I keep running?"
Shiv kept looking forward and simply said—
"Just a little more… it's better than stopping."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
And that calmness was the most terrifying thing of all.
[Flashback: A Little While Ago]
Between the cold jungle air and the desperation of running—
this all had begun… just a little while ago.
The Main Arena of Kibo International Academy looked like a grand festival. There were crowds of students everywhere—noise, excitement, and a sharp competitive tension in the air.
As if everyone was waiting for something big.
In the hearts of all the students, only one name echoed—Kiyota Peace.
Blue-colored badges were shining everywhere—an identity… a pressure… a pride.
Away from the chaos, inside a large modern room with white walls and a chocolate-colored ceiling, 20 selected students sat quietly.
The chaos outside and the silence inside—there was a strange contrast between the two.
In the center of the room, a massive digital screen glowed, its soft blue light reflecting on everyone's faces.
On the screen sat a man around 40 years old. His hair was completely white, as if time had stopped coloring it.
He wore a simple gray outfit and sat calmly on a brown chair.
There was depth in his eyes.
And within that depth—a stillness… the kind that either comes from seeing too much… or knowing too much is about to happen.
Behind him was a large window showing the tall buildings of Japan—straight, cold, and silent.
Then suddenly—
A 14-foot Red-Black bird shot past the window like lightning.
"Che...e..ha!"
Its screech sliced through the air.
For a moment, the entire room fell silent.
Some students' shoulders jerked slightly, someone blinked, someone's hands tightened unconsciously—as if their bodies reacted before their minds did.
The students of Virat Academy were stunned.
For them, this wasn't normal… not yet.
At the first table sat Kavya and Ritika.
Kavya's eyes were fixed on the screen—focused and steady.
Ritika had a calm confidence on her face, but her eyes were sharp—like she wasn't just watching, she was analyzing.
Beside them sat Kansh Mehta—dark skin, blue hair, and deep silence.
He didn't move at all.
As if all of this was expected.
Right in front of him sat Suzuka Fujiwara—straight, composed, completely controlled.
Beside her sat the same girl Shiv had seen earlier in the training area wearing leggings and a sports top.
But now—
She was in her academy uniform.
And now, she didn't look like just a student…
she looked sharp—like a blade.
Everything was set.
Every gaze was on the screen.
Then—
The man on the screen spoke, his voice calm yet heavy:
"Your teammates are on the field. You must guide them using your information. If your information is correct, they win… otherwise, defeat."
The air in the room grew heavier.
This was no longer just observation.
This was responsibility.
And there was no room for mistakes.
[Present: The Deep Jungle]
The same jungle.
The same running breaths.
And the same game—now in its true form.
Outside the arena, inside a virtual dimension, Shiv suddenly clenched his fist and stopped.
Something clicked inside him.
As if all the pieces had finally fallen into place.
"Enough! Arav, we're not running anymore," Shiv said with a dark, twisted smile.
Arav was stunned. For a moment, his steps slowed—as if he had misheard.
"Have you gone crazy? We can't fight!"
Shiv didn't respond.
He simply glanced at Viru and Suresh—and gestured with his hand.
"You two split up! Run in different directions! Left and right! Distract it!"
Not even a second of delay.
Viru instantly turned left, his mind already calculating angles and distances.
Suresh hesitated for a moment—but fear pushed him forward. He jumped onto tree branches and disappeared to the right.
Behind them, the Wolf Monster paused for a moment in confusion.
Its head snapped left and right.
Two targets.
Two directions.
But then—
Its gaze locked back onto Shiv.
As if it had chosen its real prey.
Shiv and Arav hid behind a dense tree. Both were breathing hard, but Shiv's eyes… were completely calm.
Arav whispered,
"Don't tell me you don't have a plan."
Shiv simply gave a thumbs-up.
That strange smile returned to his face.
"We won't fight… we'll make the monsters fight each other."
Before Arav could process it, Shiv tapped the device near his ear.
"Hello, Kavya?"
"This is Ritika, Shiv," came the calm voice from the other side.
Shiv's eyes were still scanning the jungle. Every movement, every sound—he was absorbing everything.
"Ritika, tell me quickly, is there anything nearby?"
A few seconds of silence.
As if calculations were happening there too.
"About 20 meters away, there's a cave… chances of monsters being there are high."
Shiv's smile deepened slightly.
"Be sure! Our lives are on the line here!"
A soft chuckle came from the other side.
"Good luck."
The connection cut.
At that very moment—
The air tore apart.
The wolf-like monster lunged straight at their tree. Branches cracked, leaves scattered.
Arav reacted instantly. He leapt to another tree with shadow-like speed.
"I told you! It will find us!"
Shiv had already moved.
"Head toward that cave!" he shouted.
Both of them ran.
The terrain grew rough—roots sticking out of the ground, uneven rocks, heavier air.
Behind them, the monster's footsteps slammed against the ground as it chased them.
Thamm!
Thamm!
Thamm!
With every step, the distance closed.
The air grew heavier.
And then—
They saw it.
A dark, deep cave.
As if the earth had opened its mouth… and inside was nothing but darkness.
Shiv stopped.
One second.
Just one second.
Blue energy began gathering in his hands. A faint blue glow flickered between his fingers.
Arav's heart pounded.
"But Shiv, fighting is forbidden!"
Shiv didn't even look at him.
"I'm not fighting… I'm just playing with the ground."
His voice was low.
But filled with a strange confidence.
The next moment—
The monster was right in front of them.
Its massive arm cut through the air toward Shiv—a direct, lethal punch.
Time slowed.
Shiv twisted his feet—
and spun 360 degrees in the air.
The punch missed him by inches.
The air split apart.
And in that same motion—
Shiv slammed his blue-energy-filled hand into the ground.
BOOM!
The sound echoed through the jungle.
The ground shattered like glass—cracks spread like lightning. Dirt, rocks, and roots burst into the air.
The monster slipped.
Its balance broke.
It fell backward—
and before it could recover, its massive body rolled straight into the cave.
For a moment—
everything went silent.
Then—
The darkness came alive.
A painful scream echoed from inside the cave.
Then another.
Then another.
And then—
Dozens.
Different sounds.
Growls.
Screams.
Bones colliding.
Claws scraping against stone.
As if a war had begun inside the darkness.
Grrrrrr…!
Aaaarrghhh!
Krrrshhh!
From the cave's mouth, a wave of heat and the smell of blood began to flow out.
Arav froze.
Sweat slowly dripped down his face.
"What… what are those sounds?"
His throat had gone dry.
He looked at Shiv—
as if trying to understand him for the first time.
Then—
Ritika's voice echoed in the earpiece, calm as ever:
"Shiv, inside that cave is a deep pit filled with more than 50 normal-rank monsters. Even if the one chasing you is medium-rank, when quantity increases… quality eventually loses."
The sounds inside continued.
But slowly—
the chaotic noise began shifting in one direction.
As if one prey… had fallen among many hunters.
Shiv brushed off his uniform without looking back.
His breathing had returned to normal.
As if all of this… was just a calculation to him.
"Let's go, Arav," he said, moving forward,
"we still have to find the Crystal."
Behind them—
the cave was still alive.