Chapter-16:First Assignment
In the Night.The academy looked different.Quiet.
Calm and still.But outside—Not safe.
Never safe.Raj stood near the exit gate.
The black device in his hand flickered once—
Then stabilized.
[Mission Assigned]
→ Location: Sector-7 Outer Zone
→ Threat Level: Medium
→ Target: Corrupted Cluster
Raj's lips curved slightly."…So it starts."Footsteps approached.Three figures.Familiar.The tall boy.
The girl.The smiling one.His team."…Don't slow us down," the tall boy said.Same tone.Same calm pressure.Raj smirked."…Try to keep up."
The smiling boy laughed."HAHA—this is gonna be fun."The girl didn't react."…Focus."A pause.
"…This isn't training."The gates opened.Slowly.
—CREAK.Cold air rushed in.Different from inside.
Heavier, Darker.Raj stepped out.For the first time—
Beyond the academy.The world outside felt… wrong.
The streets were empty.Buildings damaged.
Lights flickering, Silence and Too deep.
"…Stay alert," the girl said."…Corrupted don't always appear immediately."
Raj's eyes scanned the area.No movement.No sound.But—Something felt off.
The system flickered.
[Threat Detection: Active]
"…There."Raj stopped.Looked ahead.
A shadow moved.Then—Another.
Then—More.From the darkness—They emerged.
Not one.Not three Dozens.
"…Cluster confirmed," the device echoed.The smiling boy whistled."…That's more than 'medium'."
The tall boy stepped forward."…Formation."
Instant.The team moved.Positions set.
No hesitation.
Raj stayed slightly behind.Watching.Analyzing.
Numbers… speed… movement patterns…
The corrupted charged.All at once.—ROAR.
Chaos exploded.The tall boy moved first.
—BOOM.A direct clash.He broke through the front line instantly.The girl followed.Controlled, Precise.
Splitting the group.The smiling boy—Vanished.
Reappeared behind them.Striking fast.Efficient.
Raj watched.Then—Moved.Not into the center.
But—Around.Flanking.Too many to fight head-on.
Better to control the flow.A corrupted lunged at him—
Raj sidestepped.Minimal movement.Perfect timing.
He didn't counter.Didn't strike.Instead—He touched it.Lightly.
The system activated.
[Condition Met: Contact – Corrupted]
[Energy Reading…]
Unstable.Violent.Chaotic.Raj focused.Not full extraction.Not like before.A small pull.Precise.
Controlled.[Partial Extraction Initiated]Energy flowed.Sharp, Burning.But manageable.
Raj cut it off instantly.The creature staggered.
Weaker, Slower."…Good."He moved again.
Another.Touch.Pull.Release.
One by one—They weakened.Not killed.
Not yet.Just—Reduced.Across the field—
The tall boy noticed."…He's supporting."
The girl nodded slightly."…Smart."
The flow of battle changed.Less pressure.
Less chaos, More control.The smiling boy grinned.
"HAHA—he's cheating."Raj ignored them.
Focused, Efficient and Predatory.
But calculated.Then—
The system flickered violently.
Stronger than before.
[High-Value Target Detected]
Raj froze for a split second.High-value…?
From the back of the cluster—Something stepped forward.Different, Larger.More stable.Its body—
Less broken.More complete.Its eyes—
Not empty.Watching, Aware."…That one," Raj muttered.The tall boy turned.His expression changed instantly."…Elite."The atmosphere shifted.
Heavy, Dangerous.The corrupted around it—
Stopped.Like they were waiting.The Elite took a step forward. Slow and Controlled.
Then—It spoke.A broken voice.But clear."…You…"
Its eyes locked onto Raj."…Again."
Raj's pupils shrank slightly.It recognizes me…
The system reacted violently.
[Target Locked: Elite Corrupted]
[Risk: Extreme]
[Reward: High]
Raj exhaled slowly."…Of course."The Elite moved.
—FLASH.Too fast.Even faster than the tall boy.
—BOOM.A direct strike.The tall boy blocked—
Barely.The ground shattered beneath him.
"…This one's different!" the girl shouted.
"No kidding!" the smiling boy replied.
The formation broke slightly.Pressure increased instantly.Raj stepped back.Watching and Analyzing.
Stronger… faster… controlled…Not like the others.
This one—Was evolving. The Elite attacked again—
This time—Toward Raj-Direct.Targeted.
"…Of course you'd come to me."Raj didn't run.
Didn't panic, He waited.Watched.Calculated.
At the last second—He moved.Side step.
Perfect.The attack missed.Barely.Raj stepped in—
Close.Too close."…Let's test this."He grabbed it.
Direct contact.
"Raj—WAIT—!" the girl shouted.Too late.
The system exploded.
More violent than ever.
[Extraction Attempt: Elite]
[Warning: Overload Risk]
Energy surged.Wild.Massive.Overwhelming.
Raj's body trembled."…Too much—"The Elite roared.Fighting back.Harder,Stronger.
The connection shook.Unstable.Raj's vision blurred.
Then—He remembered.Control.Not force.Not greed.Control.His grip adjusted.Less pull.
More precision.The flow stabilized—Slightly.
Just enough."…Got it."—SNAP.The connection broke.
Raj was thrown back.Hard.He hit the ground—
Rolled—Stopped.Breathing heavy.The Elite staggered.Weakened.Just a little.But enough.
The tall boy moved instantly.—BOOM.
A direct strike.The girl followed.—CRACK.
The smiling boy finished it.—FLASH.
The Elite collapsed.Gone.Silence.Heavy.The rest of the corrupted—Fell soon after.The fight ended.
But no one relaxed.All eyes—On Raj.
He stood slowly.Unsteady.But smiling.
The system flickered.Brighter and Stronger.
[Partial Extraction Successful]
→ Elite Energy Acquired
→ Control Efficiency Increased
Raj exhaled."…So this is the next level."The tall boy walked toward him.Serious."…You're reckless."
Raj shrugged slightly."…It worked."
The girl stared at him."…For now."The smiling boy laughed."HAHA—he's insane."Raj didn't deny it.
He looked around.The battlefield.The fallen.
The silence.Then—At his hand."…I can grow faster out here."A dangerous realization.The device in his hand flickered again.
[Mission Complete]
But something else—Appeared, Faint andHidden.
[New Signal Detected]
Raj's eyes narrowed.Again…He looked into the distance.Dark and Endless.
And smiled.
"…There's more."
[Chapter-16 Ended]