Rudra walked through the college corridors like any other student. But inside, he was different now. He had power. Not brute strength or weapons—but something scarier.
He had the truth. The system. The shadows.
Everyone was talking about Kabir Mehra's arrest. Some called it justice. Some called it divine punishment. But no one knew who was behind it.
And Rudra? He was already thinking of the next move.
[Current Sin Points: 2,870][Next Unlock at 4,000 Points – "Dominator's Eye" Skill]
But just as he turned the corner—
"Rudra."
A voice called out.
He stopped.
His mind sharpened instantly.
That voice wasn't scared. It wasn't weak.
It was calm. Confident.
And feminine.
He turned.
A girl stood in front of him. Long black hair, a pair of sharp eyes, and a slight smirk playing on her lips.
She wasn't beautiful in the usual way. She was something else.
Dangerous.
"I'm Ira Kashyap," she said. "Top in psychology. Secretary of Student Council. And the only one who noticed something strange about Kabir's downfall."
Rudra blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I saw the rooftop recording," she said. "The way it was timed. The angle. The method. It wasn't random. It was planned."
Rudra didn't answer.
She stepped closer.
"I like puzzles, Rudra. And I think... you're the biggest one in this college."
He smiled. "Or maybe you just read too many detective novels."
Ira raised an eyebrow. "Maybe. But I'll figure you out."
She turned and walked away.
Rudra watched her go.
[Alert: Target Identified – Ira Kashyap. Trait: High Intelligence. Potential Threat: 65%. Potential Ally: 80%.]
He chuckled. "Interesting."
Meanwhile… in the System's Realm
[Shadow Network: Activated.][Searching for Recruits in 10km radius...]
Rudra had unlocked a new feature: Shadow Network.
It allowed him to connect with people who were skilled but ignored by society. Hackers, loners, outcasts, geniuses… people like him.
[Candidate Found: Alias – ByteGhost. Real Name – Kunal.][Age: 17. Hacker. Lives in Basement. IQ: 152. Status: Bullied. Broken. Dangerous.]
Perfect.
Rudra messaged the contact anonymously.
"Want to get revenge on the world that forgot you? I have a mission."
The reply came instantly.
"Who are you?"
"The one who sees you."
A pause. Then—
"Tell me more."
A Night Meeting
That night, Rudra met ByteGhost at a broken warehouse.
Kunal was a thin guy, messy hair, scared eyes—but fast fingers and a brilliant mind.
Rudra handed him a phone. "Inside this is your first target. An NGO chairman who's embezzling funds for orphans."
Kunal's eyes lit up. "I'll expose him. Just give me 24 hours."
"And one rule," Rudra said. "No one must ever trace anything back to me."
Kunal grinned. "You're scary, bro. I like it."
[Side Mission Activated: Cleanse the Corrupt NGO][Reward: 800 Sin Points + First Shadow Ally]
The Next Morning
Rudra sat under a tree, watching students walk by. Some were still buzzing about Kabir. Others talked about Ira. Some were already talking about a new leak—an NGO scandal going viral online.
But Rudra was watching someone else.
A boy named Aryan.
He was being bullied by a group of rich kids. Pushed. Slapped. Forced to shine shoes as a "punishment for being poor."
No teacher helped.
No student cared.
Rudra stood up and walked toward the group.
"Hey."
The bullies looked up.
"Who are you?" one of them said, annoyed.
Rudra smiled. "Your karma."
He punched the leader in the stomach—fast, clean, hard.
The boy collapsed, groaning.
The others moved, but Rudra's voice stopped them cold.
"Touch me," he said, "and every single video of your secret parties will go live in 10 seconds. Try me."
He held up his phone, screen already on a hacking app.
They froze.
Rudra leaned in. "Now apologize. To Aryan."
They hesitated, then did it.
Aryan's eyes were wide. "Why… why did you help me?"
Rudra just smiled and walked away.
[Hidden Mission Completed – Act of Silent Justice.][+150 Sin Points. Reputation: Fear +2, Awe +1]
Back in His Room
[Shadow Network Growing: ByteGhost is working. New recruit scanning available after 48 hours.]
Rudra lay on his bed, thinking.
There was no rest now.
He was building something.
Not just revenge.
Not just power.
A world where the villain isn't always wrong—and the righteous aren't always pure.
And slowly, people were starting to notice him.
Some with fear.
Some with hope.
And one… with curiosity.