Chapter 12: The Calm Before the Storm
I stood alone in the middle of an unfamiliar landscape, a vast expanse of grass stretching endlessly into the horizon. The cool breeze that swept through the air brought a sense of calm, yet the scene before me was surreal. In the distance, a solitary silhouette stood, seemingly waiting. I knew I had strange dreams, but this one was the strangest by far. My entire body was covered in bulging veins, so pronounced they looked ready to burst. The most bizarre aspect was the nine circles that lined each of my collarbones, with a large circle prominently centered on my chest. Despite the oddity, I couldn't help but think I looked pretty cool in my head.
Instinctively, I began to walk toward the distant figure, believing they held the solution to whatever this dream meant. But as soon as I took my first step, I found myself abruptly back in my bed, staring up at the ceiling.
It had been three weeks since my breakdown at the altar, and in that time, I'd watched the trading group's influence shrink further. It was painful to see, knowing that once the group was gone, I'd lose not just a livelihood, but my purpose. Yet, I still had one task to accomplish—to collect the resources my brothers needed to become powerhouses.
I'd entered hunter school the very day I turned 18 and stayed there for three years. At first, I'd held onto hope that I might awaken some sort of constitution, but that hope eventually faded. Constitutions, I'd learned, were nothing more than mutations, a byproduct of being born in an environment rich in mana. There were countless constitutions, each named according to its most significant effects—those that enhanced elemental manipulation, for instance, were named accordingly, like Fire Overlord, while others were named based on the skills they amplified. The sheer variety of constitutions made the decision to become an avatar a crucial one.
A hunter's status window displayed the current state of their constitution and its effects, which is why it was essential to understand and manage one's mana before choosing a constellation. I knew this, and so, for the remainder of my time at school, I poured all my energy into learning about monsters, their uses, and the effects of various fauna on the body. I amassed an enormous amount of data, some concrete, others speculative. I then used this knowledge to acquire all sorts of resources, confident that I could make my brothers better hunters than most at their rank. The resources were expensive, but I was certain they'd be worth it.
I got out of bed and headed downstairs after washing up. The dining room was filled with my family, but the atmosphere was heavy, the air thick with unspoken worries. We all knew we were about to enter a difficult period.
As I took my seat at the table, I couldn't help but notice how tired and haggard my mother looked. Her usually warm, lively eyes were now puffy and red, evidence of sleepless nights and countless tears shed in worry. The stress of our situation had clearly taken a toll on her, and it broke my heart to see her this way. My mother had always been the pillar of strength in our family, but now, she seemed weighed down by the burden of our uncertain future.
I sat down and quietly ate my breakfast. Sensing that no one was eager to start a conversation, I broke the silence. "I think I'll be stopping the collection of any more resources," I said.
My family looked at me curiously, prompting me to explain. "Honestly, it's not that I don't want to keep collecting, but it's no longer efficient. I've used up almost all the liquid funds I had to gather these resources, and I've obtained almost everything that can be acquired. Any further collection would just lead to repetition, and I'd rather save some funds to acquire something truly rare later on."
My father nodded thoughtfully before speaking. "You can rest today. Your uncle and I are going to meet with the investors of Aditya Group to discuss the handover of our group and the compensation we'll be receiving. Your brother will be going to Shivam to settle the differences and enmity, so he doesn't bother us anymore."
Raj's voice was grim as he added, "Shivam has almost recovered from his injuries and is probably thinking of trying to kill us so that we don't pose a threat to him later."
"Well, you're on your way to becoming a rank 5 hunter. That alone will keep him from feeling secure," I said, almost unconsciously.
"Okay, enough of that kind of talk first thing in the morning," my mother interjected, her voice serious. But I could sense her worry beneath the surface. It wasn't death that scared her; it was the thought of what might happen to us. Every day, I could hear her crying when she thought no one was listening.
Shivam, too, had to consider whether he was willing to cross a line with Raj. Targeting Raj was out of the question for him—Raj was one of the few hopefuls who could reach rank 7 and become a domain bearer. He also had some form of contact with Monkey Saint, even if it was just a single conversation. Sometimes, things like that mattered.
Right now, no one knew what the future held. All we could do was pray and hope that Aditya Trading Group was reasonable enough not to push us too far.