A hand suddenly landed on Shivaay's shoulder.
The unexpected touch brought him back to his usual expression. He turned his head and found Tanvir standing beside him, wearing the same mischievous smile as always.
"Hey, buddy. What did that cute girl write in the letter? Aren't you going to tell your bro Hailong?"
Hailong immediately looked at Shivaay with great interest. His eyes practically sparkled with curiosity.
"You want to know what was written on the letter?"
Hailong nodded without hesitation.
Shivaay glanced at the letter in his hand.
Then, without saying another word, he simply burned it.
The paper caught fire between his fingers, its contents disappearing into ashes before Hailong could even process what had happened. Shivaay casually turned away and began walking toward the crystal.
Hailong remained where he was.
For a few seconds, he stood completely speechless, his expression filled with genuine heartbreak.
"Tsk, tsk. That bastard doesn't know how to treat his friends."
Hailong looked toward Tanvir with a helpless expression.
"Tanvir, why did he do that?"
Tanvir patted Hailong on the shoulder as though comforting someone who had just suffered a great tragedy.
"What can I say? That bastard is just like that. He respects a girl's privacy a bit too much."
Hailong could only stare at Shivaay's back.
What kind of person was that?
He had just witnessed one of the most powerful fighters in the world destroy the curiosity of a grown man without even giving him an explanation.
Before Hailong could say anything else, Moon's voice once again spread throughout the arena.
"Now, players, there has been a change in the rules."
The smile on Moon's face remained unchanged, but something about her voice seemed slightly different.
"You may only wish for yourself. You may wish for a higher-ranked reward, but it must benefit only you. You can no longer make a wish that affects every player, unlike the previous one."
For a brief moment, the arena remained quiet.
Then Moon's body stiffened slightly.
It was subtle.
Almost impossible to notice.
She slowly looked to her left.
Then to her right.
Her eyes moved across the arena as though she had suddenly sensed someone watching her.
And then she found him.
Shivaay.
He was standing there, looking directly at her.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
Moon's teeth pressed together.
This human... I can't stand him.
She blinked once.
And when her eyes opened again, Shivaay was no longer standing at the altar.
He was directly in front of her.
Face to face.
For the first time, the players noticed something that should have been impossible.
A player was standing in midair, directly in front of a higher being, staring straight into her eyes.
The entire arena seemed to pause.
Below them, the national players immediately began murmuring among themselves.
"What is he doing there?"
"ये बंदा... ये बंदा तो ऑरा फार्म कर रहा है।"
(This guy... this guy is aura farming.)
"হালায় আবার অরা ফার্ম করতাছে।"
(This bastard is aura farming again.)
"Милашка опять строит из себя крутую."
(Cutie is acting tough again.)
"帅."
(Handsome.)
"傲慢な愚か者."
(Arrogant fool.)
The reactions quickly divided the crowd.
The female players were captivated by Shivaay's fearless attitude. Some admired his appearance, while others whispered excitedly among themselves.
The male players, however, were far less generous.
"Just you wait, womanizer. I'll beat the shit out of you."
Some praised him.
Some cursed him.
Some simply watched in amusement.
But none of them knew what was actually going through Shivaay's mind.
And perhaps that was what made the next moment so unexpected.
You see, sometimes the easiest thing in the world is to misunderstand a person's actions when you cannot see what lies inside their heart.
And that brings us to an important question.
If a person is willing to fight for complete strangers...
How far would he go for the people he truly loves?
A heavy sound jolted the entire arena.
It wasn't merely loud.
It carried enough force to make the surrounding air tremble.
Every player looked upward.
Even the countless eyes hovering in the empty space above the arena shifted their attention.
He had punched Moon.
Or rather—
He had punched the invisible barrier separating them.
His fist remained pressed against the barrier.
Moon's peaceful expression vanished.
"You filthy huma—"
That heavy sound echoed again.
Then again.
The entire arena began echoing with heavy impacts.
It sounded as though someone were repeatedly hammering against an enormous piece of stone.
Moon stared directly into Shivaay's eyes.
Only a barrier stood between them.
Yet the distance felt almost nonexistent.
The atmosphere became heavy once again.
Those countless eyes above them seemed to turn their attention toward Shivaay.
The pressure of being watched by thousands of eyes—and perhaps by beings far beyond the understanding of ordinary players—became almost suffocating.
[WARNING]
[Advising player to stop.]
Shivaay didn't stop.
Moon's expression hardened.
"Do you think a filthy human like you can break this barrie—"
Her words stopped.
The barrier cracked.
A fracture spread across its surface.
Then another.
And another.
Shivaay's expression remained unchanged.
The barrier finally shattered into countless pieces, falling through the air like fragments of broken glass.
Shivaay looked at Moon.
"There is no barrier now."
He reached forward and grabbed her by the neck.
Moon's eyes widened.
The instant his hand closed around her throat, the countless eyes above them seemed to focus entirely on him.
They no longer looked curious.
They looked hostile.
[WARNING]
[Advising player to stop.]
[WARNING]
[Advising player to stop.]
Then another.
And another.
The warnings continued to appear before Shivaay.
Yet he didn't release her.
Instead, his grip tightened.
Moon's face gradually reddened as she struggled against his hand, her fingers gripping his wrist in an attempt to free herself.
The pressure from those countless eyes became even heavier.
Yet Shivaay continued to hold her.
[SYSTEM]
[Initiating player safety protocol.]
Two system windows appeared behind Shivaay.
From within them emerged several chains and shackles.
They wrapped around both of his wrists before pulling his arms backward.
Shivaay's grip finally loosened.
Moon immediately stumbled backward, placing both hands around her neck as she struggled to catch her breath.
Shivaay fought against the restraints.
The more he pulled, the tighter the chains became.
His expression darkened.
"Bitch, I promise you. Next time I will rip those wings apart, and there will be no chains to stop me."
His eyes remained fixed on Moon.
"But firstly, I will wish for your biggest nightmare. Try to stop me, bitch."
For a moment, Moon simply stared at him.
Then—
[SYSTEM]
[Deactivating player safety protocol.]
The chains vanished.
Shivaay immediately began falling.
Moon didn't waste a second.
A blue system window appeared before her.
Her hands moved quickly as she began typing.
Her expression had lost its previous confidence.
"I wish..."
Her fingers continued moving.
Then Moon looked down.
A second ago, Shivaay had been falling.
Now he was standing at the altar again.
He was already there, ready to claim his wish.
Moon's fingers moved even faster.
"The next wish can be granted without any restrictions."
The system responded.
[DING]
[Player's wish has been granted.]
Shivaay stepped down from the altar.
Hailong immediately approached him and grabbed his shoulder.
"Shivaay, what's wrong with you? What are you planning?"
"Nothing's wrong."
Shivaay's eyes shifted toward Tanvir.
His expression became slightly more serious.
"Tanvir, if I ask you for something, will you give it to me?"
Tanvir didn't hesitate.
"What do you want? Just say it once."
Shivaay pointed toward the altar.
"Go to the altar."
Tanvir looked at him for a moment.
Then he walked forward.
Step by step, he approached the altar.
The moment he stepped onto it, something changed.
Tanvir could feel them.
Those countless eyes.
From the very bottom of the arena to the empty space high above, every single one seemed to be staring directly at him.
For the first time, Tanvir hesitated.
His body instinctively wanted to move backward.
But Shivaay's voice came from behind him.
"Tanvir, never look back. Always move forward."
Tanvir's hesitation disappeared.
He continued forward.
He reached the crystal and placed his hand against its surface.
The moment his skin touched it, the crystal began glowing with a strange golden-blue light.
An icy sensation travelled through his spine.
Then the system appeared.
[DING]
[Player, make a wish.]
Shivaay stood behind him.
His voice was calm.
"Repeat after me."
Tanvir waited.
"I wish..."
"I wish."
"All the beings who are connected to this game..."
"All the beings who are connected to this game..."
"Gaines Xlxoyit Zoxxcrw."
"Gaines Xlxoyit Zoxxcrw."
[DING]
[Player's wish has been granted.]
Happy independence day to all the Indians.
Enjoy your day.
मित्र लड्डू दबाके पेलना
please don't get offended.