Chapter 11: " Shunnya:- investigation 2"
"Front way, first step—Snow Sculpture!"
"Wait, wait! We're not here to fight you!" a man shouted as he and several others stepped out from the trees and bushes they'd been hiding in. They all wore black outfits—different styles, but all marked with the Association insignia, But he was too late.
A white light shot toward them from Shunya's hand like an arrow—swift and blinding. It missed them by inches and struck a nearby tree. Within five seconds, the entire tree turned into a perfect ice sculpture.
Everyone froze in fear, but the man still managed to speak, his voice trembling.
"We're from the Association, here only to help you and the village! I'm 0822, and Director 0098 said he'll arrive in five minutes!"
"I know you're from the Association," Shunya said coldly, turning away. "Go help the villagers—they're the ones who need you right now."
"Yes, but another unit has already been sent to help them," 0822 said quickly. "However, HQ reports that Karnol is too strong—no human can defeat him. We're here to assist you in defeating and capturing him—"
"We don't need your help," Shunya interrupted, even colder now. "Just come after one hour to collect his body."
"No, bu—"
"And my attack wasn't for you," Shunya added sharply, cutting him off. "It was for them. Capture them—and him too."
Without another word, Shunya ran toward the port.
"Wait, sir! I'll help you!" Gilbo said, stepping forward, but before he could move, an Association member grabbed him.
"If you want to help, then stay where you are," the man said firmly. "You won't be harmed if you stay silent."
"If that attack wasn't for us, then who was it for?" 0822 muttered, frowning. "Check that tree."
He pulled out his VAD and made a call. The receiver picked up immediately.
"This is 0098 from the Association. Who's speaking?"
"Director, this is Captain 0822. Shunya refused our offer to help and ran toward the port without proper conversation—and he even attacked us before we could introduce ourselves."
"You must've been hiding and following him, right?" 0098 replied, his voice stern. "Didn't I tell you not to do that? He doesn't like stalkers. But still, I doubt he'd attack you for no reason. There must be another explanation."
Just then, one of the men checking the tree called out. "Sir! I found two men—they look like bandits, armed with swords and bows—but I don't think they're alive. He froze them solid. If I apply any force, they'll shatter into pieces!"
"Leave them," 0822 said, still speaking to 0098. "Sir, we found—"
"I already heard," 0098 interrupted. "Leave them. Some monsters will take care of the remains. Help the villagers as fast as you can and move out. I'll send another unit to deal with Karnol. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir," 0822 said, ending the call. He turned to his men. "Break the frozen bodies, check for other bandits nearby, then move toward the village—fast!"
On the other side, Shunya had reached the port, dragging a bundle of captured bandits behind him. They were all weak—he hadn't needed to use much force.
He looked toward Vibho and Karnol, who were still fighting, then at Mira, who was crying, and Valmo, who sat wounded on the barrels.
Then Karnol shouted, "Ver-Dan — Human Barrier!"
A white barrier instantly surrounded him.
"So, that's Mira, and that's Karnol. He also has a Ver-Dan—a barrier type, huh? But why is Vibho fighting without using any techniques or special attacks?"
Shunya stared at the fight for a moment. "Ah, I see. Vibho's using him as a punching bag to test his strength. Looks like I'll watch a bit longer… see how much he's improved."
(Same scene from Chapter 7)
"Oh, how touching," Karnol mocked. "My eyes are full of tears—I might start crying! But don't worry, I'll kill you all here. And in your village, my men will slaughter everyone and loot everything. No one will be left alive to tell the tale!"
"Looks like it's time to wrap it up," Shunya said quietly. "Let's take a closer look at how his Ver-Dan works… before my mood changes again. I'm feeling lazy now." With that, he jumped into the battlefield.
(Same scene continues in previous chapters when Shunya first time enters the battle)
Next Morning — In the Restaurant
The next day, Shunya was still in his room. Vibho was eating breakfast with Mira at one of the tables, while Grandma, Grandpa, and others were talking to Hina at another.
"Didn't Shunya say he was hungry yesterday evening? But he didn't eat anything all day," Mira asked quietly.
"Shunya sometimes skips meals—it's normal for him," Vibho replied between bites. "He only eats when he really needs food, or when something special's made."
"Okay, if you say so," Mira said softly. "You said you have brothers, right? How many—and are they all hunters like you?"
"I have four brothers," Vibho said proudly. "We grew up together, and we all became hunters on the same day. Our dream is to become the best—not just one of the best, but the best. Number one. And I want to become the strongest hunter!"
"What!?" Mira gasped. "Do you know how hard it is to become that? You'd have to be number one in the entire world! It's impossible for people like us—from a small island. Even becoming official hunters is just a dream. We're happy just being small, unofficial ones."
"It's not impossible," Vibho said, smiling confidently. "I'll become one someday—just watch me."
"Yep, he will," said a familiar voice.
Shunya appeared silently beside them and sat down. But this time, his tone wasn't cold—it was warm and calm.
Everyone was startled—not just because he had entered so quietly, but because his voice had completely changed. The cold, distant man from yesterday was suddenly speaking like a normal person.
"Shunya, do you want to eat?" Vibho asked.
"No, I'll eat after my work is done. You finish first," Shunya replied, then looked toward Mira and Hina. "Thank you for taking care of Vibho. I hope he didn't cause you any trouble," he added, joining his palms respectfully with a small nod.
"No, he didn't cause any trouble," Hina said kindly, returning the gesture. "And you don't need to thank us—you helped us far more than we can repay."
"You don't have to be modest," Shunya said, smiling lightly. "I know how he is. If we're not around, he'll just eat, sleep, or run around for fun like a fool. So really—thank you."
"He didn't do anything like that," Hina replied with a gentle laugh. "We're thankful to him, actually. He saved Mira twice, so thank you."
"Do you want something to eat or drink—tea, coffee, cold drinks?" she added.
"No, not now. I still have work to do. But please gather your grandpa and whoever is leading the village right now. Wait for me here at lunchtime," Shunya said warmly, then left.
"Okay," Mira replied.
Lunchtime
Vibho had gone out with Grandma and Mira to help the villagers who were still in shock—and to buy some supplies.
Meanwhile, Hina, Grandpa Val, Valmo, and a few village men were waiting quietly for Shunya in the restaurant.
"Sorry for the wait," Shunya said as he entered. "If you have questions, please ask them after mine." He looked toward Mira. "I want to ask you about the first time you met Karnol, and what he wanted from you. Can you tell me about that?"
"Yes," Mira said softly. "It's been almost sixteen years since I first saw him—with my father—at the South Gate, where he was newly appointed as Tax Collector and Guard of the island. Because the south and west sides are closest to the mainland, he always stayed there. He was kind, helpful, and gentle to everyone. He could be strict when someone broke the rules, but no one doubted him. Everything went smoothly for seven months.
"But in the sixth month, someone named Gilbo came to the island and introduced himself as our Supervisor. He said he'd be in charge of all notices and letters from the Kingdom. If we needed anything, we had to submit applications through him—and he'd decide whether our requests were approved or denied.
"If we refused their orders, we'd be punished under their law. And if the Kingdom demanded something, Gilbo would send the orders to Karnol, who would enforce them. Anyone who disobeyed would be treated as a traitor and executed.
"He also started increasing taxes by ten percent every month.
"But the real problem started when we stopped paying the Safety Tax to the Kingdom after three months of overtaxing. Since we'd been safe and never attacked, we didn't see the point. We weren't rich—we were just a small, peaceful island.
"So we stopped paying. And that's when the bandits came—out of nowhere."