...

  With a sudden jerk, Sangharsh seized Raghav by the throat and hoisted him against the wall, lifting him until his feet dangled helplessly above the ground.

  Raghav's hands instinctively clamped onto Sangharsh's wrist, a futile attempt to pry the grip loose.

  "If someone like you falls into the hands of my enemies, too much will be ruined. Better I end you right here, right now!"

  Coughing violently, Raghav felt a boiling heat surging through his body—a heat that turned his already red eyes into a deeper crimson. His legs thrashed in the air like a fish out of water. He made every effort to break Sangharsh's hold on his throat, but the grip didn't loosen even a fraction.

  As the hold tightened, Raghav's breath began to fail.

  『Is this a hand or a crocodile's jaw?! Think, Raghav, think! Do something! Or you're actually going to die at his hands!!』

  To have one's mind function in the face of death is the greatest of fortunes. But Raghav had to seize this fortune for himself; it wasn't going to be handed to him. He knew that much. He had to use his intellect to claim this fortune...

  『Think, Raghav, think!!! Use your brain!』

  In this desperate struggle for breath, what could he even think? His consciousness was slipping away with every passing second.

  "Wait!! I have... *cough... *cough... a proposal! Listen to... *cough... listen to me!!!"

  The grip tightened further.

  Raghav's fingernails dug into Sangharsh's wrist with such force that leaving scratches was inevitable.

  "You bloodthirsty bastard, just listen to me!!!"

  Raghav screamed as loud as he could, hoping for any change in the grip. His hope was realized. With a sinister smirk, Sangharsh loosened his hold. Enough for Raghav to breathe, but not enough to escape.

  Raghav remained suspended in the air, but he could finally draw breath. He spent a few moments coughing, which was only natural in such a state.

  "What kind of proposal?"

  The man with the cold eyes asked in an equally cold tone, sending a cold shiver through Raghav's body. At this moment, Raghav had to weigh every word carefully so that he could get the job done without risking his life.

  "Look! I haven't told you many things. Don't you want to know them? If you kill me, you'll never find out."

  Sangharsh's eyes watched him as if he were the most interesting object in the world, and perhaps, he truly was.

  "I won't tell you anything until I connect the dots myself. I need some time to understand everything. Right now, there is a lot I don't know. I promise, the day I piece it all together, I'll explain everything from the beginning."

  But perhaps that wasn't enough to loosen his grip. Sangharsh's eyes alone told him he wanted more. And when Raghav didn't say anything further, Sangharsh's grip on Raghav's neck tightened.

  "Hey, stop, you jerk!! I have one...*cough... one more proposal, listen to it first."

  "What?"

  Sangharsh raised one eyebrow and let the other remain in place. He was enjoying watching Raghav use his brain even in this situation. Very much so.

  "You said I have a fighter core. That means I-I'll get powers too."

  "Hmm. I told you."

  "Then I'll tell you what powers I have. I won't hide them! And I'll even help you if needed."

  Sangharsh's eyebrows shot up. Was it interest? Or some emotion he didn't quite recognize yet? Curiosity? Inquisitiveness?

  Regardless, he abruptly released his hold on Raghav's neck. The chocolate-eyed boy tumbled to the floor. Raghav had made a promise whose true cost he didn't yet grasp.

  "It would be better for you if you're telling the truth and keep your promise well."

  Leaning against the wall, Raghav massaged his throat. The crimson imprints of fingers wouldn't fade easily. Yet, the greatest joy Raghav felt was the fact that his life had been spared. His words worked just as he had hoped it would.

  "Yes! I-I won't break this promise. I swear on my life!"

  "Good! Because if you try to act too clever, next time my powers will swallow you whole, without even frying you first."

  Raghav nodded in agreement. But at the mention of being "fried," his stomach cramped. As soon as the threat to his life vanished, the first thing that entered his mind was hunger... and right then, his stomach growled loudly.

  For a moment, even Sangharsh was taken aback, but in the next second, he couldn't hold back his laughter.

  "So you're hungry? Why didn't you say so earlier? I wouldn't have beaten you so much."

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  "Why?"

  "Killing a hungry man is a sin."

  Hearing this, Raghav choked and began coughing.

  『A sin? Him?! Even a demon from hell would be terrified of this man's character!』

  "What an irony!"

  Raghav muttered to himself. He meant it for his own ears, but someone's hearing was exceptionally sharp. For now, Sangharsh chose to ignore it.

  "Come! Let me show you the way to your 'stomach worship'."

  The man in the brown trench coat used his telekinetic powers to open the door without touching it and walked ahead. At this point, Raghav was so hungry that he would have eaten poison if someone offered it. He had been beaten enough... now, it was time to eat.

  ?°?°?°?°?

  "Ma'am, the alarm and light issues have been resolved. Some researchers from our lab helped."

  Ketaki delivered the report, but the expression on Pranali's face as she looked out the window remained unchanged. She was as stoic as ever.

  "How much longer until the commandos squad arrives?"

  Pranali asked, still looking down.

  "Hardly two hours, Ma'am!"

  Pranali took a deep breath and turned toward Ketaki, her eyes silently conveying a weight of responsibility.

  "How many weapon mechanics do we have?"

  "There are sixteen present in this shift."

  Pranali's gaze returned to the window. Below, on the fifth-floor bridge, soldiers were still firing continuously under Anirudh's command. The front was holding for now, but Pranali could sense more powerful energies... energies far greater than those of the low-level snow mannequins.

  "Tell everyone to immediately repair the old electric guns in the store. I want sixteen repaired rifles every hour. Also, ask any Guilds willing to fight these monsters to assist the soldiers."

  Ketaki nodded at Pranali's orders and hurried out of the office. Pranali's eyes remained fixed on the distant, loud growls.

  "The Medium-level monsters are coming. The second wave will be far more dangerous,"

  Pranali said to herself. She immediately summoned a Kaalminar employee dressed in white with blue stripes.

  "Yes, Ma'am?"

  "How is that boy?"

  "Him? Ma'am, he is currently in your dining room. He's eating."

  Pranali gestured for him to leave. For some reason, a small smile touched her face upon hearing that. However, she shook her head and refocused on her work.

  ?°?°?°?°?

  One plate...

  Two plates...

  Three plates...

  Four plates...

  A total of fifteen empty plates sat on the table.

  The two employees were looking at the boy with astonishment and confusion as he finished plate after plate.

  They didn't know how many years he had been starving or how much more he could consume. Although the cold was slowly creeping into the Kaalminar, the aroma and warmth of the food seemed to shield Raghav from the chill.

  Idli Sambar, rotis, puris, delicious spicy curries, various vegetables, and the incomparable Chole Bhature. The array ranging from Paneer to dry vegetable dishes was mouth-watering. From Kadhi and rice to Aloo Parathas... the peas and cauliflower were magical. Nearby sat coconut chutney, peanut chutney, and tomato chutney... and on the right side of the table lay the sweets—from Rasgullas to Barfi, and Laddoos to Gulab Jamun. (Indian Dishes)

  [A/N: Ah! My mouth is watering too :p *Ahem...]

  Raghav was eating as if his stomach were a bottomless pit. He only left the meat dishes untouched; he didn't like them.

  "One more plate!"

  After devouring the sixteenth plate, Raghav ordered a seventeenth, making the employees break into a sweat. Both employees scrambled away toward the kitchen. Raghav licked his plate clean, set it aside, and waited for the next one.

  Creekkk...

  Creekkk...

  The strange sound of the table scraping made Raghav suspicious. He thought it might be termites, but then...

  Creeeeeek...

  This time the sound was much louder, forcing Raghav's attention. He followed the noise and realized it was coming from beneath the table.

  Just as he leaned down to see what was making the noise, a creature leaped onto his face. It was nearly as large as his own face.

  Raghav didn't flinch or move, it was as if he had become accustomed to these sudden attacks. But this creature was small, covered in thick fur, and felt incredibly soft and fluffy.

  Raghav picked it up by its ears and set it on the table. Its large, blue eyes were beautiful to him.

  "What are you?"

  Shaking the snow off its body, the creature stood on all fours. It stuck its tongue out at Raghav, much like a pet dog would to its master.

  "Oh! You're quite cute."

  When Raghav reached out to stroke its head, the creature bit him. Fortunately, Raghav's reflexes were sharp, and he pulled his hand back before the creature could do more damage.

  "Ow! You little devil!"

  The boy frowned to show his anger, but quickly softened. The creature looked at him with large, sorrowful eyes, as if crushed under a mountain of guilt. Raghav couldn't help but laugh, it looked like a cuddly bundle of cotton.

  "Alright, alright! You're forgiven. Now tell me, do you want something to eat?"

  Seeing Raghav laugh, the creature shook its ears as if saying yes. Raghav looked at the plates, they were sparkling clean. Not a single grain remained.

  But it seemed the creature didn't need those. Sniffing the air, it reached the plates of meat that Raghav had left untouched.

  The creature lunged into the meat plate like a human diving into a swimming pool.

  In the blink of an eye, the creature finished four plates of meat and let out a burp. Now, only bones remained on the plates.

  Raghav was speechless for a moment! What could he possibly say? Was that even necessary? He had never seen anyone eat so fast.

  "Oh! Haha! So you like this... okay... okay..."

  Internally, Raghav felt a bit uneasy and rubbed his forehead at the creature's eating habits. But he couldn't resist the magic in those large eyes.

  Soon, the two employees returned with new plates of food for Raghav and set them on the table.

  "Look at this! I found a little friend clinging to the table!"

  Raghav said with a smile. The two employees looked at each other in surprise, then at Raghav.

  "Forgive us, Mr. Raghav! But we don't understand."

  "Look here!"

  Raghav pulled the creature hidden in his lap and held it out toward the employees. Their eyes widened in pure horror.

  "...!"

  In that instant, both screamed in unison.

  To be continued...