NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28: The Aftermath – A World in Turmoil
The jungle was still. The once fearsome Abyssal Drake, a creature that had nearly ascended to S- rank, lay motionless, its colossal body sprawled across the shattered ruins. A faint glow of golden mana leaked from the massive wound in its skull, the remnants of an interrupted evolution dissipating into the air like mist. The silence that followed was eerie, unnatural. The creatures of the jungle—monsters that had roamed these lands unchallenged—had felt the death of an apex predator. They knew instinctively that something unprecedented had just occurred.
Ankush took a slow, measured breath, lowering his rifle. His arms felt slightly numb from the sheer force of the final shot, but his expression remained calm. The battle had pushed him, but not to his limits. If anything, it had been a test—a glimpse into what awaited him in the higher realms of power. He exhaled, letting the tension leave his body as his system interface flickered into view, displaying the aftermath of the kill.
[Kill Confirmed – Level 20 Abyssal Drake (Evolving) (A+ to S-)]
- EXP Gained: 5,242,880,000
- Mana Stone Dropped: 1 (S- Tier)
- Corpse Loot: Abyssal Drake's Hardened Scales, Abyssal Core, High-Purity Mana Essence
- Unique Drop: [First Ever Guild Building Token]
Ankush's eyebrows slightly furrowed at the sheer EXP gain. Even with his 100,000,000x EXP requirement, this was an astronomical amount. If he had been following a regular leveling system, this one battle alone would have pushed him into the hundreds of levels. But his system demanded an absurd amount of experience, making even this monumental gain a mere fraction of what he needed. Still, it was progress.
His eyes, however, locked onto something else entirely.
A Guild Building Token?
The moment his gaze fell upon the unique drop, the air around him seemed to thrum with unseen energy. Unlike regular system notifications, this wasn't just a message for him alone.
It was a world-altering event.
---
[WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT!]
"The first-ever Guild Building Token has dropped!"
"System Condition Unlocked: A Guild Building Token will only be granted to those who solo kill an S- rank or higher monster!"
"The world's first Guild City foundation is now possible!"
"A new era of civilization expansion has begun!"
---
The moment the announcement flashed across every awakened's interface, chaos erupted across the world.
Governments, guild leaders, and corporate overlords froze in place, their minds reeling at the implications of what had just been revealed.
Guilds had always existed in the modern awakened world, but they had been restricted to established city-states, forced to operate under existing infrastructure. A Guild Building Token changed everything. It meant that for the first time in history, an individual had the power to establish a completely new guild city from scratch—a safe zone in the wild, deep within uncharted monster-infested territory.
No country had ever been able to expand beyond the safe walls of human civilization. The jungles, the deeplands, the unknown zones—all of them had been left to rot in the hands of monsters, deemed too dangerous to reclaim. But now, this token allowed one person to create a bastion in the wilderness—a territory where monsters could not attack, where a city could be built from nothing, free from governmental control.
And there was only one such token in existence.
---
[The Global Reaction – A World in Chaos]
In the United States, the President of the Awakened Federation slammed his hands on his desk, veins bulging at his temples as he shouted orders to his intelligence officers. The Pentagon was already mobilizing, demanding to know the identity of the person who had obtained the first Guild Token.
In China, the Supreme Guild Council called for an emergency meeting, every elite hunter and military strategist gathered in a locked room. Their top priority was simple—find this person and recruit them, or eliminate them before they became a threat.
In Japan, Korea, and Europe, the top guilds were in a frenzy, their communication channels flooded with speculation. The name of the mysterious hunter who had solo-killed an S- rank monster was still unknown, but they all knew one thing—whoever it was now held the power to reshape the world order.
Back in India, within the secretive chambers of the Military Awakened Division, several high-ranking officers stared at the announcement in shock. Their intelligence network had always been behind compared to other nations, but now, they were at a crossroads. Had an Indian hunter truly achieved this first? If so, who? And how had they remained hidden for so long?
---
[Ankush's Reaction – The Decision to Retreat]
Ankush watched the world announcement with an unreadable expression. His thoughts moved rapidly, analyzing every possible outcome. He had expected some sort of reward for taking down an S- ranked monster, but this? This was beyond what even he had anticipated.
The implications were staggering. This token wasn't just an item—it was a declaration of power, a ticket to sovereignty. He could build a fortress in the jungle, an independent city-state that no government could control. The mere existence of this token would drive the world into madness, and that meant one thing—he had to lay low.
There would be guild leaders, mercenaries, assassins, and governments scrambling to track him down, offering alliances, threats, and deals in an attempt to get their hands on this power. If he revealed himself too soon, he would be swallowed whole by the world's greed.
A faint smirk played at his lips.
Let them search. Let them panic.
He had no intention of revealing himself just yet.
His gaze shifted toward the dense jungle ahead. There was more to explore, more power to claim, more secrets buried in this untamed land. But for now, it was time to return home.
His mission here was complete.
Ankush took one last glance at the Abyssal Drake's corpse before turning away. His rifle rested against his back, his body blending into the shadows of the jungle as he began his silent retreat. The world may have just learned of his existence, but they were still blind to his identity.
And that was exactly how he wanted it.