The hospital room was quiet, but it wasn't peaceful.
Machines hummed softly. The faint glow of blue lights painted everything in a cold, lifeless shade. Outside the window, the city glittered like nothing had happened—like hunters weren't bleeding, like guilds weren't collapsing, like monsters weren't waiting in the dark.
Elara sat beside Rohan's bed, her fingers tightly intertwined. The healer's spell circle beneath him flickered faintly, struggling to stabilize his condition. His breathing was slow, uneven. Too slow.
Then she heard it.
Footsteps.
Heavy.
Calm.
Dangerous.
She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
Arav.
He stepped into the room quietly, his coat still damp from the rain outside. His eyes moved once toward Rohan, and for just a fraction of a second, something shifted in his expression.
Then it disappeared.
Cold.
Controlled.
Calculated.
Elara finally broke the silence.
"A Guild War?" she said, her voice low but sharp. "Arav… tell me you're not serious."
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he walked past her and stopped near the window. The city lights reflected in his eyes, but they didn't soften them. If anything, they made him look colder.
"Golden Lion has hundreds of hunters," Elara continued, her voice tightening. "High-rankers, resources, connections… and you—"
"...And I'm alone?" Arav finished calmly.
Elara fell silent.
Because yes.
That was exactly what she meant.
Arav slowly placed a file on the table beside her.
The words on the cover made her eyebrows tighten.
Golden Lion — Financial Status Report
She opened it.
Her eyes widened.
"These numbers…" she whispered.
"Vikram is a fugitive," Arav said quietly. "Their leadership is unstable. Investors are pulling out. Internal divisions are growing."
He turned toward her.
"And fear spreads faster than monsters."
Elara looked up.
"You want to attack them while they're unstable?"
"I don't want to attack them," Arav said.
"I want to dismantle them."
The words landed heavier than any threat.
Because he wasn't speaking like someone preparing for a fight.
He was speaking like someone planning an execution.
Arav stepped closer.
"I don't need your magic, Elara."
His voice dropped.
"I need your influence."
She froze.
"You still have connections in the Association. Banks. Permit offices."
Arav's eyes sharpened.
"Freeze their accounts."
"Delay their gate permits."
"Trigger inspections."
"Cut their logistics."
Each sentence sounded like another nail in a coffin.
"Break them financially," he finished.
"And while they're trying to recover…"
He picked up his coat.
"I'll cut their throat."
The silence that followed felt heavier than before.
Elara clenched her fists.
"Arav…"
He stopped at the door.
"Rohan is injured," she continued. "You don't have a tanker anymore. You can't handle this kind of damage alone."
For a moment, he didn't move.
Then—
A faint shadow formed across his face.
"Rohan is my friend," Arav said quietly.
"And that's why he's in the hospital."
The words sounded cold.
But Elara heard something deeper beneath them.
Something darker.
He opened the door.
"For war…"
His voice dropped lower.
"I don't need friends."
The hallway lights flickered faintly.
"I need monsters."
And then he left.
Fifteen minutes later.
Rain poured heavily over the empty backstreets of the city.
Arav walked through the narrow alleyways, his hood pulled low over his face. Water dripped from the edges of his coat, splashing quietly against the ground.
His footsteps echoed softly.
Steady.
Unhurried.
His mind, however, was far from calm.
Ninety-nine loops.
Ninety-nine times he had built teams.
Ninety-nine times he had trusted people.
Ninety-nine times he had watched everything collapse.
Betrayal.
Fear.
Weakness.
Hope.
He had seen them all.
And every time, the result had been the same.
Failure.
"This time…" he murmured quietly.
"No teams."
No attachments.
No hesitation.
He reached the end of the alley.
A dead wall stood before him, covered in old graffiti and fading paint. Rainwater trickled down its cracked surface.
To anyone else, it looked meaningless.
To Arav—
It was a doorway.
He opened his inventory.
A small key appeared in his palm.
Dark metal.
Twisted shape.
Key of the Backrooms.
A rare dimensional artifact.
Illegal.
Dangerous.
Perfect.
He lifted it toward the air.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
Cracks.
The air itself began to fracture like shattered glass. Purple light seeped through the cracks, bleeding into reality.
The rain froze mid-air for a split second.
A low vibration filled the alley.
KRRRRR-ACK
Reality tore open.
A distorted portal formed before him.
Purple fog drifted slowly from within.
Arav stepped forward.
"Open."
And walked through.
The world on the other side wasn't natural.
The sky shimmered with shifting purple clouds. Floating platforms drifted slowly in the distance. Strange creatures moved between dimly lit stalls.
Weapons.
Artifacts.
Creatures.
Slaves.
Everything illegal existed here.
The Backrooms.
Sector 4.
The dumping ground.
The forgotten market.
Hunters feared this place.
Arav didn't.
Because he had been here before.
Many times.
He walked through the crowd calmly, ignoring the stares. Some creatures stepped aside instinctively. Others watched carefully.
They could feel it.
The aura around him.
A faint black mist trailed behind his footsteps.
Karma.
Dark.
Heavy.
Dangerous.
A four-armed merchant suddenly blocked his path.
"Hey, human," the creature grinned, revealing jagged teeth. "Looking for something? Or did you come to sell yourself?"
Arav didn't even slow down.
"Hatt."
The word wasn't loud.
But the aura behind it exploded.
Black smoke surged outward.
For a brief moment—
The merchant saw something.
A shadow.
Massive.
Terrifying.
Death itself standing behind Arav.
The merchant stumbled backward.
"W-What…"
But Arav had already walked past him.
He reached the far end of the market.
Where the light grew dim.
Where stalls disappeared.
Where only rusted cages remained.
Rejected experiments.
Failed creations.
Dangerous monsters.
And there—
A massive iron cage.
Rust-covered.
Heavy chains wrapped around it.
A faded sign hung above:
REJECTED — DANGER
Inside the darkness—
Two red eyes slowly opened.
Heavy breathing echoed.
GRRRRRR…
Arav stepped closer.
And smiled slightly.
"Found you."
The creature inside the cage shifted.
Chains rattled.
Metal groaned.
The red eyes burned brighter as they locked onto Arav.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
Then the creature lunged.
The entire cage shook violently as the chains pulled tight, stopping it inches away from the bars. A deep, animalistic growl echoed through the dim corridor, making nearby merchants quietly move away.
It wasn't just a monster.
It was hunger given form.
Arav stood still, unfazed.
His gaze remained calm, analytical.
Subject 89. Code Name: Gorge.
He remembered it clearly.
In one of the future loops, this creature had escaped.
Within three days, it wiped out half of City C.
Within seven days, it became classified as a Disaster-Level Threat.
Within ten days, an entire guild army had failed to contain it.
And eventually—
It vanished.
No one ever found it again.
A monster that even time itself had lost track of.
And now—
It was right in front of him.
But something was different.
Right now…
It was weak.
Starving.
Unstable.
The perfect moment.
The creature slammed against the chains again.
"Ma…asss…" it growled, its voice rough and broken. "Meaaat…"
Its body was massive—nearly twice Arav's size. Grey skin stretched tightly over swollen muscles. Veins pulsed beneath its surface like something alive beneath the flesh.
It looked incomplete.
Like something that had never finished evolving.
Arav reached into his inventory.
A small vial appeared in his hand.
Inside, thick molten liquid glowed faintly.
Concentrated Magma Essence.
The moment the cork loosened—
The creature froze.
Its nostrils flared violently.
The red eyes widened.
Then madness appeared.
The chains tightened as it struggled harder, shaking the entire cage.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
It could smell the energy.
Pure.
Raw.
Food.
Arav lifted the vial slightly.
"Hungry?" he asked quietly.
The creature growled louder.
Drool dripped from its mouth, sizzling faintly as it hit the floor.
Arav tilted his head slightly, studying it.
"You were rejected because you couldn't be controlled."
He slowly walked closer.
"They called you unstable."
Another step.
"Broken."
Another.
"Trash."
The creature's breathing grew heavier.
Its eyes never left the vial.
Arav stopped directly in front of the cage.
A faint smirk formed.
"But for me…"
His voice lowered.
"You're a diamond."
He inserted the key into the cage lock.
The mechanism clicked.
For a moment—
Everything went silent.
Then—
CLICK
The chains loosened.
The cage door slowly creaked open.
Nearby merchants immediately scattered.
Even the monsters backed away.
Because everyone knew—
This thing shouldn't be free.
The creature stepped forward.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Its massive frame emerged from the darkness, towering over Arav. It leaned forward, its breath hot and heavy.
One movement.
And Arav would be dead.
But Arav didn't move.
He didn't even blink.
Their eyes met.
The creature raised its arm—
And then—
Arav spoke.
"Sit."
His Karma Manipulation activated instantly.
Dark aura exploded outward.
The air grew heavy.
Pressure slammed onto the creature like invisible chains.
Its body trembled.
Its arm stopped mid-air.
The creature growled, resisting.
But the pressure increased.
Stronger.
Heavier.
Until—
The creature slowly lowered itself.
And knelt.
Arav stepped forward.
"If you eat me," he said calmly, "your hunger ends for a moment."
He tossed the vial.
"But if you fight for me…"
The creature caught it instinctively.
"You'll eat like a king."
The creature didn't hesitate.
It crushed the vial and swallowed the contents in one gulp.
For a second—
Nothing happened.
Then—
Its veins lit up.
Glowing orange.
Heat radiated from its body.
The ground beneath its feet cracked slightly.
Power surged.
The creature roared, but the sound was different now.
Not rage.
Not madness.
Energy.
Evolution.
Its muscles tightened.
Its breathing stabilized.
The madness in its eyes softened… slightly.
The creature slowly lowered its head.
"More…" it muttered.
"More…"
Arav stepped forward and placed his hand on its head.
Like taming a wild beast.
"You'll get more."
The creature stilled.
Obedient.
Controlled.
Leashed.
Arav turned.
Behind him, the portal shimmered open again.
"Come," he said calmly.
The creature followed immediately.
Heavy footsteps echoed behind him.
A monster walking beside ruin.
Arav pulled out his dagger.
Green poison dripped from its edge.
"Golden Lion Guild warehouse is nearby."
His eyes darkened.
"Tonight…"
The portal opened wider.
"We hunt."
They stepped through.
Rain still poured when they emerged.
The city didn't notice.
It never did.
Arav walked through the shadows.
Behind him—
Gorge moved silently.
Massive.
Terrifying.
Controlled.
Within minutes, they reached their destination.
Golden Lion Guild Warehouse.
Two guards stood outside, smoking casually.
"Saw the news?" one guard laughed.
"Yeah," the other replied. "Boss crushed that E-ranker's friend."
"Poor kid."
"What's he gonna do? Fight the Golden Lion alone?"
Both laughed.
Then—
The shadows behind them shifted.
Two red eyes opened.
A faint footstep followed.
And a calm voice spoke.
"Quite a lot."
The guards froze.
Slowly.
They turned around.
And saw—
Death standing behind them.
The guards didn't even have time to react.
One second, they were laughing.
The next—
Gorge moved.
The monster vanished from behind Arav and reappeared in front of them with terrifying speed. Before either guard could raise their weapon, massive grey fingers wrapped around their bodies.
Bones cracked.
A muffled scream escaped.
Then silence.
Gorge lifted them effortlessly.
Like toys.
Like nothing.
Arav watched calmly.
"No noise," he said quietly.
Gorge understood.
The monster tightened its grip slightly.
The guards stopped moving.
Gorge dropped the bodies gently—almost carefully—like a trained predator avoiding unnecessary disturbance.
Arav nodded slightly.
"Good."
The monster tilted its head, waiting.
Like a loyal beast waiting for the next command.
Arav stepped forward.
The warehouse loomed ahead — large steel doors, security cameras, reinforced walls.
Golden Lion Guild didn't play around.
But Arav had no intention of playing fair either.
He raised his hand slightly.
"Karma Manipulation."
A faint black mist spread outward, crawling across the walls like living shadows. One by one, the security cameras flickered.
Then—
Dark.
Blind.
The system went offline.
Arav walked toward the entrance.
Gorge followed silently behind him.
Inside the warehouse—
Stacks of supply crates filled the massive hall.
Weapons.
Artifacts.
Healing potions.
Gate stabilization devices.
Everything a guild needed for war.
And everything Arav intended to destroy.
A group of hunters stood near the center, talking casually. About six of them.
Low to mid rank.
Nothing dangerous.
But still—
They were part of Golden Lion.
Which meant—
They were targets.
Arav stopped walking.
Gorge stopped instantly.
"Don't kill them all," Arav said calmly.
"Break them."
Gorge's red eyes gleamed.
The next moment—
Chaos erupted.
The monster slammed into the group like a living missile. Crates shattered. Hunters were thrown across the warehouse.
One hunter tried activating a skill—
Gorge grabbed him mid-cast.
And crushed his arm.
A scream echoed.
Another hunter fired a magic bolt—
Arav stepped forward.
His dagger flashed.
Green poison cut through the air.
The hunter collapsed within seconds.
Paralyzed.
Alive.
Arav walked through the chaos slowly.
Calculated.
Precise.
Every movement intentional.
This wasn't rage.
This was strategy.
Golden Lion needed to fear him.
Fear spread faster than destruction.
Within seconds—
The hunters were down.
Groaning.
Broken.
Alive.
Arav turned toward the supply crates.
"Destroy everything."
Gorge didn't hesitate.
The monster began tearing through the warehouse. Metal bent. Crates exploded. Artifacts shattered.
Golden Lion's logistics collapsed in real-time.
Alarms suddenly blared.
Red lights flashed.
Security triggered.
Arav smiled faintly.
"Good."
He wanted them to know.
He wanted them to panic.
Footsteps echoed from the far side.
Reinforcements.
Four high-rank hunters rushed inside.
Their expressions froze the moment they saw the destruction.
"What the—"
One of them recognized Arav.
"You… you're that E-ranker—"
He didn't finish.
Gorge appeared in front of him.
Punch.
The hunter slammed into a steel wall.
The others reacted instantly.
Skills activated.
Magic circles formed.
Blades ignited.
Arav stepped forward.
His Karma Aura expanded.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
The hunters slowed.
Just slightly.
But that was enough.
Gorge moved again.
Another hunter fell.
Arav's dagger cut through the third.
The fourth tried escaping.
Arav grabbed him by the collar.
"Send a message."
The hunter trembled.
"T-Tell your guild leader…"
Arav leaned closer.
"The monster is loose."
He released him.
The hunter ran.
Panicked.
Terrified.
Exactly as planned.
Within minutes—
The warehouse was ruined.
Supplies destroyed.
Hunters injured.
Fear planted.
Arav turned away.
Gorge followed silently.
Behind them—
Golden Lion Guild's first pillar collapsed.
Rain poured harder as they stepped outside.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
Arav looked up briefly.
Then forward.
"This is only the beginning," he murmured.
Gorge growled softly.
Like agreement.
And together—
They disappeared into the night.
Chapter 13 End.