Arjun returned to his apartment, his shoulder bleeding slightly from the Void Hound's scratch. He didn't use a med-kit. Instead, he sat in total darkness, watching the timer in his vision.
[Current Silence Streak: 52:45:30]
[Muteness Level: 1 (Progress: 88%)]
[Warning: Your scent has been marked by the Void.]
He realized that the more he killed, the more the monsters would hunt him. But there was a strange thrill in it. For the first time, he wasn't the victim; he was the predator.
The next day at the scrap yard was different. A sleek, black hover-car pulled up. Out stepped the young woman he had saved—the Hunter in silver armor. Her name was Vanya, a Rank-B Hunter from the prestigious Sky-Heavens Guild.
"I'm looking for someone," she announced, her voice echoing through the yard. She held up a piece of Arjun's torn jacket. "He doesn't speak. He moves like a ghost."
Arjun's heart hammered against his ribs. He continued dismantling a reactor, his back turned to her. He couldn't speak, or he'd lose his streak.
"Is it him?" Rohan whispered, pointing toward Arjun. "He hasn't said a word in two days."
Vanya walked up to Arjun. The air around her was heavy with mana. "You," she said, narrowing her eyes. "Why did you leave last night? You saved my life."
Arjun didn't look up. He just kept working.
Suddenly, the ground began to vibrate. Not a normal earthquake—it was a High-Level Breach. A massive portal began to open right in the middle of the scrap yard. The sky turned blood-red.
"Everyone, evacuate!" Vanya screamed, drawing her sword.
But it was too late. A Colossal Iron-Crusher—a Level 20 boss—stepped out of the rift. One swing of its massive arm sent Vanya flying through a metal wall. The workers ran in terror.
Arjun stood alone. He felt a cold buzz in his mind.
[Hidden Mission Triggered: The Guardian of Silence]
[Objective: Defeat the Iron-Crusher without breaking your streak.]
[Hidden Reward: Unlocks 'Whisper Mode'—Talk through telepathy.]
Arjun dropped his tools. He summoned the 'Dagger of the Void' he had won. The blade was made of pure darkness, absorbing the light around it.
He didn't scream. He didn't charge with a roar.
He simply stepped forward. To everyone else, Arjun seemed like a madman walking toward certain death. But in his eyes, he could see the boss's core pulsing with a bright red light—the ultimate weakness.
'Ten seconds,' Arjun thought, gripping his dagger. 'I just need ten seconds of absolute silence.'
He activated [Phantom Whispers] and vanished.