The room was silent—too silent for Agilan's mind. The questions that had been simmering inside him were now boiling over. Raiden sat on the opposite chair, elbows on his knees, fingers interlocked. His usual calm expression looked heavier today.
Agilan exhaled sharply.
"Raiden… where did the council even come from? Who are these people?"
Raiden didn't answer immediately. His jaw tightened, his eyes drifting to the window where the night sky glowed faintly over Tamil Nadu. When he finally spoke, his voice was low.
"They weren't formed to protect humanity."
Agilan leaned forward.
"Then what were they formed for?"
Raiden's eyes hardened.
"To protect an association. Their association. The Blood Reaper Association."
Agilan froze.
Ananya, who had been standing near the wall, slowly turned to Raiden.
"Blood… Reaper?"
Raiden nodded once.
---
THE TRUTH UNFOLDS
"Many years ago," Raiden began, "there was an S-Rank named Valla Arkaelian—a hunter with power rivaling the top 2 in Asia."
Agilan frowned.
The name felt heavy, ominous.
Raiden continued.
"He created an association called the Blood Reapers… and later forced himself into the Apex Council through influence, money, and political manipulation."
Ananya crossed her arms.
"What kind of association name is Blood Reaper? Sounds like a cult."
Raiden gave a humorless smile.
"Because that's what they are. A cult with licenses."
He stood and pulled a file from his bag—thick, red, and stamped with the government seal.
Raiden tossed it onto the table.
The pages slid open.
Agilan saw pictures.
Weapons.
Drugs.
Corpses.
Illegal shipments.
Raiden tapped a photo—containers filled with narcotics originating from Chennai ports.
"The Blood Reapers control the drug supply chain. They arm gangs in Tamil Nadu. They extort civilians. They even fund organized crime. And the Chief Minister turns a blind eye because they receive protection money."
Agilan felt his chest tighten.
"But… the government is supposed to protect people."
Raiden shook his head.
"Not when an association feeds them billions.abd hunts monsters in dungeon gate to make government blind..."
Agilan's hands curled into fists.
---
WHY THEY WANTED AGILAN
Raiden sat back down.
"You want to know the real reason they came looking for you?"
Agilan swallowed.
"Yeah."
Raiden's eyes softened with pity.
"Because to them… you're not a hero. You're a weapon."
Agilan's throat tightened.
Raiden continued, voice heavy.
"The council doesn't want you to protect humanity. They want you to protect their throne."
Ananya's expression turned bitter.
"So everything… all that Scout talk about humanity's survival… was lies?"
Raiden nodded.
"Valla Arkaelian wants to drag you into Blood Reaper Association. Use you as their final trump card. A monster they can control."
Agilan didn't speak.
His mind screamed—but his voice couldn't.
Raiden looked at him sadly.
"You were chosen not because you're special… but because you're powerful enough to be useful."
---
THE NAME THAT SHATTERS TRUST
Agilan managed to speak.
"But… Chief Seung-Ho… he always guided me. He trained me. He—"
Raiden raised a hand.
"Seung-Ho has two associations."
Agilan froze.
Ananya blinked.
"What? Two?"
Raiden nodded.
"Apex Association… and secretly, Blood Reaper Association."
The words felt like a dagger in Agilan's chest.
Raiden added quietly:
"And he supports Blood Reaper far more."
Agilan stared at the floor.
Everything he believed in…
Everything he trusted…
Everything he endured…
Was now a lie.
Ananya stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"Agilan… breathe…"
But breathing suddenly felt impossible.
---
A NIGHT OF QUIET PAIN
Later that night, Agilan lay on the bed in the small Apex guest room.
Vinod and Shalini sat beside him.
Neither knew what happened, but they could feel something was wrong.
Shalini spoke first, softly.
"Agi… you look tired… are you okay?"
Agilan forced a smile.
"I'm fine… just a long day."
Vinod elbowed him lightly.
"Bro, if you die suddenly, who will buy me chicken biriyani?"
Agilan blinked, then laughed—just a small one, but real.
Vinod grinned proudly.
"See? You still laughing means you're not fully depressed yet."
Shalini smiled too, warmth returning to her eyes.
The room fell into quiet comfort.
Slowly, Vinod's head dropped onto a pillow.
Shalini's breathing softened.
And the two fell asleep.
Agilan stared at the ceiling.
Y-Therax's voice echoed in his mind.
"You can summon your molded beings…
You consumed them…
You forged them…
You are more than a hunter."
Agilan sat up slowly.
A soft glow flashed before his eyes.
---
THE SYSTEM RETURNS
FLESH CODEX — NOTIFICATION
> New Feature Upgrade: Flesh Forge - MkII
Craft • Merge • Reshape • Evolve
> Daily Quest: Completed
Reward: Juggernaut Army (S-Rank)
A choice appeared:
[ Do you want to claim the Juggernaut Army? ]
Yes / No
Agilan whispered:
"Claim."
The air vibrated.
CONGRATULATIONS.
You have obtained: JUGGERNAUT ARMY — ♾️ Molded Soldiers.
His heart pounded.
Y-Therax's voice whispered again.
"You are the humanity's last flesh…
Protect them."
Agilan closed his eyes.
"I will."
---
SCENE CHANGE — BLOOD REAPER ASSOCIATION
Chennai — A skyscraper built of black steel pierced the night sky.
Blood Reaper Association Headquarters.
Inside, red-lit hallways stretched like veins through the building.
Hunters walked quietly—trained, disciplined, dangerous.
In the top floor throne room, a man sat on a massive chair carved from obsidian.
Tall.
Silver hair.
Red eyes like poison.
A cruel smile cutting across his face.
Valla Arkaelian.
Two councilors kneeled before him.
"Sir," one spoke carefully, "Agilan Shaktivel resisted our proposal. Raiden interfered."
Valla chuckled.
"Of course he did. Raiden is loyal to Apex… not knowing Apex belongs to me anyway."
He stood, cape flowing behind him.
The second councilor trembled.
"Should we… forcefully acquire the boy?"
Valla glared at him.
"No. Not yet."
He walked to a giant hologram on the wall—Agilan's profile.
A picture of him that the mold was fused in Agilan heart in hospital.
Then a scene cuts to terrorist.
A picture of his fleshy transformed arm.
A picture of the destruction he caused against the terrorist.
Valla touched the screen with fascination.
"Ah… what a masterpiece. What a perfect body. What an evolution."
He smirked.
"Humanity worships hunters.
Hunters worship strength.
And strength… will soon worship me."
The councilor swallowed.
"Sir, should we eliminate Raiden?"
"No," Valla said smoothly. "Let him live. His existence will make Agilan angrier. And anger fuels evolution."
He turned away.
"Prepare the Crimson Ravager."
The councilors stiffened.
"S-Sir? The Crimson Ravager haven't been released in years—"
"Do it."
A red alarm flashed.
Doors slid open.
And monstrous figures stepped out—twisted human-beast hybrids covered in crimson bone armor.
The Crimson Ravager.
Each one S-rank level.
The councilors bowed quickly.
"We will mobilize them, Lord Valla."
Valla walked toward the balcony overlooking Chennai.
The city lights reflected in his blood-colored eyes.
"Soon… when Agilan finally breaks… he will come to me."
His smile widened into something inhuman.
"And when he stands before me… the world will witness the birth of the Blood Reaper's true king."
The air around him darkened, pulsing like a heartbeat.
He whispered:
"I am… the Blood Monarch."
Outside, thunder cracked—though the sky was clear.
Inside the building, every hunter felt a shiver crawl up their spine.