Night wrapped the city in silence, broken only by distant traffic and flickering streetlights.
Mohit sat cross-legged on his bed, eyes closed, breathing slow and controlled. Thin streams of invisible energy flowed around his body, drawn carefully into his meridians. But instead of growing stronger, part of that energy leaked backward — the curse of his reverse cultivation defect.
A faint pain pressed behind his chest.
Still losing… slowly, he thought.
He opened his eyes and clenched his fist.
"I need stability before power," he whispered to himself.
Just then, his phone buzzed.
Arjun: Bro… something weird outside my colony. Two vans parked for 20 minutes. No plates.
Mohit's instincts flared.
Mohit: Stay inside. Lock doors. Don't go near windows.
Another message came almost instantly.
Meera: I feel energy disturbance near North Road. Someone scanning again.
Mohit stood up.
"They've started moving," he muttered.
He slipped on his jacket and quietly exited his house, jumping across rooftops toward North Road. The air felt heavy — like invisible tension stretched across the city.
Near an abandoned parking structure, he felt it.
A sharp fluctuation.
Three unfamiliar energy signatures.
Not weak.
Not normal humans.
Mohit crouched behind a concrete wall, suppressing his aura completely. His heartbeat slowed. His senses sharpened.
Voices echoed faintly.
"He's nearby," a rough voice said.
"Tracker needle reacted," another replied.
"Careful. If he's awakened, he could fight back."
Hunters.
So Ira was right…
Mohit slowly peeked around the corner.
Three men stood near a van, wearing dark jackets. One held a small glowing device pulsing faint blue light.
A tracking artifact.
They weren't searching randomly.
They were hunting awakened energy traces.
Mohit's mind raced.
If they catch someone from school…
He pulled out his phone and typed quickly.
Mohit: Stay indoors. No energy usage. If anyone feels danger, message me immediately.
Suddenly, one hunter turned sharply toward Mohit's direction.
"Movement," he said.
Mohit vanished instantly, leaping upward and rolling across the rooftop. A faint scanning wave passed through the air where he had been seconds earlier.
"Target moved! South side!"
The chase began.
Mohit sprinted across rooftops, controlling every movement, keeping his energy sealed. He didn't want to reveal his true strength — not yet.
But the hunters were fast.
One leaped across a five-meter gap effortlessly.
Not normal humans.
A small metal object flew past Mohit's shoulder and embedded into the wall, releasing a weak binding pulse.
Capture tools…
Mohit flipped backward, landing smoothly behind an air-conditioning unit. His eyes sharpened.
I can't keep running forever.
He gathered a thin thread of energy into his palm — minimal output, just enough.
When the first hunter landed on the rooftop, Mohit struck the ground.
The concrete cracked lightly, sending a shockwave through the hunter's legs, knocking him off balance.
The second hunter fired a stun pulse — Mohit rolled sideways, feeling the air ripple past his face.
The third hunter charged directly.
Fast.
Strong.
Mohit met him head-on — a clean palm strike against the man's chest.
The hunter flew backward, crashing into a wall but not unconscious.
Mohit felt the backlash instantly.
A sharp drain inside his core.
His reverse cultivation defect reacted violently.
His vision blurred slightly.
Too much output…
The first hunter recovered and activated his device again. "Confirmed awakened. Capture priority!"
Before they could advance, a sudden burst of freezing air swept across the rooftop.
Ice formed under their feet.
A silver blur landed between Mohit and the hunters.
Ira.
"Told you hunters move fast," she said calmly.
With a swift motion, she slammed her foot into the ground. Ice spikes erupted upward, forcing the hunters to retreat instantly.
"Fall back!" one shouted.
They leaped off the rooftop and disappeared into the shadows.
Silence returned.
Mohit exhaled slowly, steadying his breathing.
"You followed me," he said.
Ira glanced at him sideways. "No. I followed the hunters. You were just the prize."
Mohit smirked faintly.
"Thanks."
Ira studied him carefully. "Your control is impressive. But your energy flow is unstable."
Mohit didn't deny it.
"I noticed your power dropped after one strike," she added. "That's dangerous in prolonged fights."
"I know," Mohit replied quietly.
Ira crossed her arms. "Then you'll need a breakthrough method. Something compatible with abnormal cores."
Mohit's mind stirred.
"Do you know something?"
"There's a place," Ira said slowly. "An abandoned underground research zone near the canyon. Strange energy patterns. Unstable, but unique."
Mohit's eyes sharpened.
"Could fix my defect?"
"Or kill you," Ira said honestly. "No guarantees."
Mohit looked toward the dark sky.
Danger.
Opportunity.
Growth.
This was the path of cultivation.
"Send me the location," he said.
Ira smiled slightly. "Thought you'd say that."
Far away, the hunters regrouped inside their van.
One spoke into a communicator.
"Target confirmed awakened. High control. Possible defect."
A distorted voice replied:
"Excellent. Escalate to Phase Two. Send the Beast Unit."
The hunt had only just begun.