Chapter 5: The Rise of Power and the Rift Lord

Arjun slowly opened his eyes, his body aching from the ordeal he'd just been through. The sterile smell of the medical wing in the Suryastra Clan's HQ filled his nose, and the light above was harsh. His limbs were heavy, but deep inside, he felt a new energy—stronger, more potent than before. He didn't have time to process the change because the door creaked open, and in stepped the Clan Leader, flanked by senior members.

Their faces were stern.

"What happened in that portal, Arjun?" the Clan Leader asked, his voice calm but sharp. "How did you survive?"

Arjun shifted, his mind racing. He could still feel Kal's presence lingering inside him, but he knew this wasn't the time to reveal everything. He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "I fought off some monsters, but after that... it's all a blur. I don't really remember how I got back."

The Clan Leader studied him, his eyes narrowing just slightly. He didn't seem fully convinced, but he let the matter drop—for now. Arjun could feel the tension in the room, the unspoken suspicion hanging in the air, but they left without pressing him further.

After the interrogation, Arjun was allowed visitors. The first to arrive was Vikram, his expression a mix of relief and guilt. Arjun could see it in his friend's eyes—Vikram blamed himself for not being able to pull him out of the portal.

"I thought we lost you out there," Vikram said quietly, his voice weighed down by the emotion he was trying to suppress.

Arjun tried to lighten the moment, though his body still throbbed with pain. "I'm not that easy to take down."

Vikram chuckled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. As more of Arjun's family and friends entered, the mood in the room became more intense. His mother, eyes red from crying, barely held herself together as she hugged him, tears threatening to fall again. Arjun could see the toll his disappearance had taken on all of them, and for the first time, he truly felt the weight of his actions. He wasn't just risking his life for power—he was risking the peace of everyone who cared about him.

Later that evening, when the visitors had left and the HQ was quiet, Arjun tried to rest. But just as his body began to relax, a sudden surge of chakra ripped through him. It felt like fire coursing through his veins, and the energy overflowed, pulsing out into the HQ. He gasped, gripping the sheets, struggling to contain it.

The instructors, who had been in another part of the building, felt the chakra flare instantly. They exchanged shocked glances and rushed toward the medical wing.

"This is too much chakra for a Dharamveer," one instructor whispered.

The other instructor nodded, worry creasing his brow. "We need to re-evaluate him. Something has definitely changed."

Despite his reluctance, Arjun agreed to undergo a chakra re-evaluation the next day. He stood in the Chakra Chamber, feeling a knot of nervousness tighten in his chest. The instructors and several clan members watched him closely as the process began.

As the chakra readings climbed, Arjun could feel Kal's power flowing through him again, amplifying his own energy far beyond what he thought was possible.

The lead instructor's voice cracked as the final reading appeared on the screen. "His chakra levels... they're off the charts."

The Clan Leader, who had been observing from the back, stepped forward, his face pale with shock. "He's not just Dharamveer anymore... He's Maha."

The room fell into stunned silence. Maha rank was legendary—reserved for only the most powerful hunters in existence. Arjun, a teenager who had only just begun his journey, had somehow ascended to the top tier.

Later, alone in his room, Arjun lay on his bed, his mind racing. How could this be happening? He had felt different since merging with Kal, but Maha rank? It felt unreal. As his thoughts spiraled, Kal's voice echoed in his head, pulling him back to the present.

"You've grown stronger," Kal said, his voice steady. "But this is only the beginning."

Arjun's fists clenched. "What more do you want from me?"

Kal's tone darkened. "To prepare. Your world is about to face a threat far greater than anything you've seen."

His cryptic words left Arjun uneasy, but before he could respond, the connection faded, leaving him alone in the silence once more.

Just as Arjun tried to calm his mind, an explosion of energy tore through Bharatpur. The city trembled as a massive rift opened in its heart, spewing dark energy. The air buzzed with power, and the hunters of the Suryastra Clan sprang into action.

"It's a Maha Rift!" one of the leaders yelled, his voice urgent. "We have to mobilize immediately!"

But even the seasoned hunters were unprepared for what emerged. From the rift stepped the Rift Lord, a being of immense power, flanked by an army of high-ranked monsters. Despite the clan's best efforts, the Rift Lord easily overpowered them, his energy dominating the battlefield.

Vikram and the clan's top fighters fought bravely, but the Rift Lord was too strong. Hunters fell left and right, and just as the Rift Lord prepared to deliver a fatal blow to Vikram, a blur of movement appeared.

Arjun, still recovering but unable to ignore the overwhelming energy from the rift, had pushed himself to act. His Maha-ranked chakra carried him swiftly to the battlefield, and just as the Rift Lord's attack was about to strike Vikram, Arjun appeared, blocking the blow with a single, glowing hand.

Vikram, wide-eyed and breathless, stared at his friend. "Arjun? How are you even standing right now?"

Arjun turned to face the Rift Lord, his own energy flaring, a determined calm settling over him. "Stopping this," he said simply.

As the remaining hunters watched, Arjun stood between the Rift Lord and the ruins of the battlefield, his chakra radiating with the unmistakable power of a Maha-ranked hunter.

The real battle was about to begin.