Hall se bahar nikalte waqt mujhko aisa lag raha tha jaise har diwar mujh par hans rahi ho. Aryan aur uske doston ne rasta roka hua tha. "Oye Null! Sunna hai tere liye special guards bulane pade? Itna bada zero hai tu ki machine hi hang ho gayi!" Aryan ne mere kandhe par dhakka diya.
Meine sar nahi uthaya. Mere dimaag mein abhi bhi wahi gehri, bhayanak awaaz goonj rahi thi—"Koi worthy mila." Maine Aryan ko nazarandaz kiya aur tezi se school ke piche waale purane khandar ki taraf nikal gaya. Mujhe akele rehna tha.
Jaise hi maine khandar ke bikhre hue pattharon par kadam rakha, waqt tham gaya.
Parindon ki chahchahat ruk gayi. Hawa jo abhi garam thi, barf jaisi thandi ho gayi. Achanak, mere pairo ke niche ki zameen kaanch ki tarah toot gayi aur mein ek gehri, kaali khaai (void) mein girne laga.
[System Message: Entering Trial Grounds]
[Environment: The Endless Void]
[Condition: Survival for 10 Minutes]
Main ek thandi aur chikni satah par gira. Charo taraf sirf andhera tha, siwaye ek purple dhund (mist) ke jo mere charo taraf ghum rahi thi.
"Kaun hai yahan?" Mein chilaya, lekin meri awaaz goonj kar wapas aa gayi.
Tabhi, andhere se do laal aankhen chamki. Ek nahi, do nahi... Hazaro! Yeh Void Crawlers the—ajeeb se bhediye jinake sharer se kaala dhuan nikal raha tha.
[Warning: Heart rate increasing.]
[Fear detected. Void Crawlers feed on your terror.]
Maine dekha ki jitna main darr raha tha, woh bhediye utne hi bade aur takatwar hote ja rahe the. Maine apni mutthi tight ki. Mere dimaag mein school ke wo saare saal yaad aaye jab mujhe kamzor samjha gaya.
"Nahi... ab aur nahi!" Maine dahaad maari. "Agar marna hi hai, toh dar kar nahi, lad kar marunga!"
Jaise hi maine apna darr chhoda, mere seene mein wahi purple roshni chamki. Ek invisible screen mere samne aayi:
[Hidden Passive Activated: Will of the Monarch]
[Effect: Resistance to Fear. Physical Strength +50% for 5 minutes.]
Ek Crawler ne meri gardan par jhapatta maara. Meine pehli baar itni tezi se react kiya. Meine side hokar Crawler ki gardan pakdi aur use zameen par de maara. Jaise hi maine Crawler ko chhua, mere haath se kaali nasein (veins) nikal kar us creature ke andar ghusne lagi.
"Yeh... yeh kya ho raha hai?" Maine dekha ki bhediye ki taqat mere andar beh rahi thi.
[Skill Gained: Energy Siphon (Passive)]
[Description: You take what is yours. You devour what is not.]
Ek ke baad ek, char bhediye mujh par toote. Meine unhe mukko aur laat se peeche dhakela. Har touch ke saath, mein aur zyada mazboot mehsoos kar raha tha. Mera shareer jo pehle dubla-patla tha, ab usme ek nayi chamak aur taqat aa rahi thi.
Lekin tabhi, ek Vishal (Giant) Shadow Knight andhere se bahar nikla. Uske haath mein ek badi si talwar thi jo sir katne ke liye taiyaar thi.
[Boss Alert: Void Guardian]
[Time Remaining: 01:45]
Main thaka hua tha, lekin meri aankhon mein ab 'Null' waali bebasi nahi thi. Mein dheere se muskuraya aur bola, "Aao... dekhte hain ki tumhari power mere andar kaisi lagti hai."
Void Guardian ne apni bhari talwar hawa mein lehrai. Jaise hi usne attack kiya, zameen kaanch ki tarah chitra gayi. Meine mushkil se apni jaan bachayi, lekin lekin fir bhi talwar ki pressure se hi mere chehre par ek chhota sa cut lag gaya.
"Processing complete..." Mere dimaag mein wahi thandi awaaz phir goonji.
"Power transfer successful. Harsh, mere command ka intezar karo."
Meine apna khoon poncha aur muskuraya. "Command ki zaroorat nahi hai. Bas batao ise khatam kaise karna hai!"
[System Prompt: Open your hands. Imagine the darkness as your servant.]
Maine apne dono haath aage failaye. Achanak, mere pairo ke niche ki zameen se kaali laptein (black flames) nikalne lagi. Woh laptein dheere-dheere mere dono haathon mein simat gayi aur ek Deep Purple Dagger (khanjar) ka roop le liya.
"Yeh hui na baat!"
Shadow Knight ne dubara attack kiya, lekin is baar mein bhaga nahi. Mein seedha us giant ki taraf lapka. Meine apni dagger se Knight ki talwar ko block kiya—ek aisi taqat ke saath jo ek 'Null' rank wale ke paas kabhi nahi ho sakti thi.
Clang!
Dagger aur Talwar ke takrane se poora void kaanp utha. Meine Knight ki tangon ke niche se slide mari aur uski peeth par wahi dagger ghonp di.
[Critical Hit!]
[Absorbing Guardian's Essence...]
Shadow Knight ek zordaar cheekh ke saath dhuein mein badalne laga. Par woh dhuan bikhra nahi, balki meri body mein ek cyclone ki tarah sama gaya.
[Trial Successful!]
[Title Earned: Ruler of the Void]
[System 100% Unlocked]
Achanak, ek tez roshni hui aur mein wapas wahi school ke khandar mein khada tha. Suraj dhal raha tha. Meine apne haath dekhe—mein pehle se zyada fit aur chust mehsoos kar raha tha. Meine apni screen kholi:
Name: Harsh
Class: Necro-Monarch (Unique)
Level: 5
Stat Points: 10 (Unassigned)
Tabhi piche se ek awaaz aayi, "Harsh? Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?"
Yeh Harsh ki class ki sabse hoshiyar ladki, Sia thi, jo ek 'Healer' system hold karti thi. Usne Harsh ke hath mein wahi purple dagger dekh li thi jo abhi dhire-dhire gayab ho rahi thi.
Sia ki aankhen fati ki fati reh gayi. "Harsh... tumhare paas toh 'Null' system tha... toh phir yeh kya tha?"
Meine thanda sa look diya aur bola, "Null hona bura nahi hai Sia. Null ka matlab hai... ek khali panna. Aur aaj se, apni kahani main khud likhunga."
Bhai, kya Harsh Sia ko apna secret batayega ya uski memory erase karne ki koshish karega? Agle chapter ke liye taiyar ho?