Lab ke us andhere kamre mein sirf machines ki tik-tik sunayi de rahi thi. Ek 50 saal ka mard, jiska jism ab sirf ek tabaah shuda gosht ka dher tha, apni aakhri saansein gin raha tha.
"Pachaas saal... unhone mujhe ek kutte ki tarah kaata, mujh par experiments kiye," usne socha. Maut uske liye khauf nahi, sukoon thi. Lekin kismat ko kuch aur hi manzoor tha.
Achanak, machine ki lambi beeping sound goonji aur sab shaant ho gaya. Par agle hi pal, uski aankhein khuli. Nazara badal chuka tha. Wo wahi mard tha, par jism ek nannhe bacche ka tha.
"Main wapas aa gaya hoon... un darindon ke paida hone se bhi pehle," usne apne nanhe haathon ko dekhte hue socha. Uske andar gusse ki nahi, balki ek thandi viraani ki aag thi.
Krur Kismat ka Khel
Waqt ne karwat li. Hero ki maa guzarr gayi, aur kuch hi samay baad uske baap ka saya bhi sar se uth gaya. Ghar ke bahar rishtedaron ka jamaoda tha, jo uske bhai-behenon ko lekar ja rahe the.
"Ye baccha shrapit hai!" Ek rishtedar ne nafrat se uski taraf ungli uthayi. "Pehle apni maa ko khaya, phir baap ko. Is manhoos se door raho!"
Hero wahan khada raha. Uski aankhon mein koi aansu nahi tha, na hi koi gham. Usne sapaat lehje mein kaha, "Le jao unhe. Kamzor log jhund mein hi achhe lagte hain. Mujhse mera bojh chheenne ke liye tumhara shukriya."
Murdon ka Jungle
Shehar se teen kilometer door ek bhayanak jungle tha, jise log 'Forest of Carcasses' kehte the. Zameen par charon taraf takreeban 40 se zyada monsters ki laashein bichi hui thi. Khoon ki boo hawa mein ghuli thi.
Hero wahan khada tha, uske haath kohni tak khoon se sane hue the. Achanak, uske dimaag mein ek neeli screen chamki.
[System Notification: PRANA-SUTRA INITIALIZED]
[Ability Unlocked: ESSENCE REAPER – Har maut se milegi Shakti aur Vidya.]
Usne apne khooni haathon ko dekha aur uske chehre par ek thandi muskan aayi. "Toh ab is duniya ka naya niyam main likhunga. Har maut meri kamyabi ki ek nayi seedhi hogi."
Clan ka Apmaan
Clan meeting hall mein aaj bhari bheed thi. Jaise hi Hero ne andar kadam rakha, wahan maujood logon ne nafrat se zameen par thuka.
Aaj Clans selection test hone ke liye Naam likhava rhete aur vho jata hai aur raaste mein
"Oye Shrapit!" Ek ameer gharane ke ladke ne rasta roka. "Yahan kyu aaya? Teri jagah kachre ke dher mein hai, hamare beech nahi!"
Usne hamla kiya, lekin Hero ki raftar kisi saaye se bhi tez thi. Agle hi pal, hall mein haddi tootne ki karkash awaaz goonji. Hero ne us bully ka haath aise angle par moda jahan dard sabse zyada hota hai.
"Cheekho mat..." Hero ne uske kaan ke paas jhuk kar dheere se kaha. "Abhi toh maine tumhe maara bhi nahi hai. Jaan se maarna mana hai, par zinda narak dikhana toh allowed hai na?"
Teen Din ka Survival Hunt
Survival hunt shuru ho chuka tha. 47 bacche jungle mein chhod diye gaye the. Pedon ki tanyon par 'Assassin Mentors' saaye ki tarah un par nazar rakhe hue the.
Hero akele ghaney jungle ki taraf badh raha tha. Use yaad tha—apni pichli zindagi mein usne suna tha ki yahan ek High-Level monster aaya tha jisne sabka katle-aam kar diya tha.
"Wo monster mere liye 'Reward' hai... aur baki sab mere liye sirf 'Kachra'."
Raat ke andhere mein usne ek team ko akele hi dhool chata di. Mentors ki nazron se bachta hua wo ek purani gufa mein dakhil hua. Saamne ek vishal aur bhayanak 'Two-Faced Snake' fofkaar raha tha.
"Wahan hai... wo crystal mera hai."
Hero tezi se lapka aur saanp ke piche jaakar uski gardan par ek zordaar sword attack kiya. Par saanp ki khaal kisi chattan jaisi sakht thi; us par koi khas damage nahi aaya. Palat kar snake ne apni bhari-bharkam poonch (tail) se palatwar kiya. Hero ne hawa mein hi khud ko twist karke us attack ko Dodge kiya.
Zameen par utarte hi Hero ne apni puri taqat sameti aur snake ke jism par ek ke baad ek Full Force Punches barasane shuru kar diye. Snake har baar hamla karta, par Hero ki raftaar ke samne wo nakaam tha. Gusse mein aakar snake ne apne dono muh khole aur Zeher ka attack (Poison spray) kar diya.
"Ab waqt aa gaya hai," Hero badbadaya. Usne apna Chakra apni sword ke saath fuse kiya. Talwar neeli roshni se chamakne lagi.
Lightning ki speed se wo snake ke piche pucha aur ek zordaar Sword Slash maara. Is baar talwar ne snake ke ek sar ko dhad se alag kar diya. Snake dard se bilakh utha, par Hero ne mauka nahi gavaya. Usne apni sharirik hadon (limits) ko paar karte hue ek aur kadi chot ki aur dusra sar bhi uda diya.
Ladhayi bhayanak thi, par Hero jeet chuka tha. Tabhi ek naya system notification chamka:
[Notification: New Skill Gained – SOUL PLUNDER]
(Permission: Agar aap apne dushman ko jaan se maarte hain, toh aap uski koi bhi ek skill copy kar sakte hain.)
[System: Skill Copied – RANK 5 POISON REDUCTION. Leveling Up...]
Saanp ka bacha-kucha zeher Hero ke jism par gir raha tha, par ab wo be-asar tha. Hero ne gehri saans li aur andhere mein dekh kar kaha:
"Ab zeher mera rasta nahi rok sakta."