The silence felt wrong.
Not peaceful.
Not safe.
Just… empty.
Arjun leaned against the broken concrete, his breathing uneven.
Every part of his body hurt.
Not sharp pain.
Not clean pain.
But something deeper.
Like his body itself was rejecting movement.
[Physical Condition: Critical]
[System Warning: Overdrive backlash detected]
"…Yeah… I figured…"
His voice came out weak.
The combat suit flickered again.
Then dimmed further.
[Suit Integrity: 7%]
"…So even this is about to die."
The drone hovered beside him.
[Emergency recovery required]
Arjun let out a slow breath.
"…No kidding."
The squad gathered around him.
The girl knelt down.
"…You shouldn't move."
The older man looked around cautiously.
"…We need to get him somewhere safe."
The third member, still injured, leaned against a broken wall.
"…Safe doesn't exist anymore."
Silence followed.
Arjun closed his eyes briefly.
Then opened them again.
Focused.
"…No."
The others looked at him.
"There is."
He pointed toward the map interface.
A new marker blinked.
Blue.
Different from before.
[Safe Zone Detected]
Distance: 1.8 km
The older man frowned.
"…Safe zone?"
Arjun nodded slightly.
"…System-generated."
The drone confirmed.
[Temporary recovery zones deployed after major combat events]
"…Temporary," Arjun repeated.
"…So we don't have time."
The girl helped him stand.
"…Then we move now."
Arjun didn't argue.
He couldn't.
His body barely responded.
They started moving.
Slowly.
Carefully.
The destroyed city stretched around them.
Burned buildings.
Collapsed roads.
Silence everywhere.
But—
It wasn't empty.
Something was watching.
Arjun could feel it.
Even without the system.
"…We're not alone," he muttered.
The older man nodded.
"…I feel it too."
They moved through narrow streets.
Avoiding open areas.
Every step—
Measured.
Every sound—
Heavy.
Arjun's vision blurred again.
He forced himself to stay conscious.
"…Not now…"
The system flickered.
[Warning: Consciousness stability decreasing]
"…Yeah, I noticed."
The girl tightened her grip on his arm.
"…Don't pass out."
Arjun smirked faintly.
"…Trying not to."
Minutes passed.
The distance decreased.
1.2 km.
0.9 km.
Then—
The ground trembled.
All four stopped instantly.
"…What now…" the injured man whispered.
Arjun's eyes sharpened.
Even in his condition.
"…Not elites…"
The drone scanned.
[New enemy classification detected]
Arjun frowned.
"…New?"
[Designation: Hunter Units]
The name alone felt different.
Not heavy like Elite.
Not chaotic like basic monsters.
But—
Something else.
Movement.
Fast.
Too fast.
A shadow crossed the street ahead.
Then another.
Then—
Four figures emerged.
Smaller than Elite Units.
Lean.
Sharp.
Their movements—
Fluid.
Animal-like.
[Threat Level: High]
"…Great," Arjun muttered.
"…We're really doing this now?"
The Hunters didn't rush.
They circled.
Watching.
Analyzing.
The same way Elites did.
But faster.
Smarter.
"They're not attacking…" the girl whispered.
"…They're waiting."
Arjun nodded slowly.
"…They're testing us."
The older man stepped forward slightly.
"…Then what do we do?"
Arjun didn't hesitate.
"…We don't fight."
Silence.
"…What?" the injured man said.
Arjun's eyes remained fixed on the Hunters.
"…We can't win right now."
The system didn't argue.
That was enough.
"Then what?" the girl asked.
Arjun took a slow breath.
"…We move through them."
The squad froze.
"…That's insane," the older man said.
Arjun shook his head slightly.
"…No."
"…It's survival."
The Hunters shifted.
Reacting to movement.
Arjun stepped forward.
Slow.
Controlled.
No sudden motion.
The squad followed.
Carefully.
The Hunters watched.
But didn't attack.
Not yet.
"…Don't run," Arjun whispered.
"…Don't show fear."
The girl swallowed hard.
"…That's not easy."
"…Do it anyway."
They moved closer.
Step by step.
The Hunters adjusted positions.
Closing gaps.
Controlling space.
But still—
Not attacking.
"…They're deciding," Arjun said quietly.
"…Whether we're worth killing."
The older man's grip tightened.
"…And if we are?"
Arjun didn't look back.
"…Then we're dead."
Silence.
Heavy.
Tense.
Then—
They crossed the midpoint.
The Hunters stopped.
Watching.
But no longer advancing.
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"…Keep moving."
They passed.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Step by step.
Until—
The pressure faded.
The Hunters didn't follow.
They stayed where they were.
Watching.
Waiting.
"…We made it," the girl whispered.
Arjun didn't respond.
He was focused ahead.
The blue marker grew brighter.
Closer.
0.3 km.
0.1 km.
Then—
They saw it.
A dome of faint blue light.
Standing in the middle of the ruined city.
Untouched.
Stable.
[Safe Zone Reached]
Arjun stepped inside.
The moment he crossed the boundary—
The pressure vanished.
The pain eased.
The system stabilized.
[Recovery Protocol Initiated]
He collapsed immediately.
The world faded.
But this time—
Not into danger.
Into rest.
And for the first time since the invasion began—
Arjun slept.