The incident at the scrap yard had changed everything. People were whispering behind Arjun's back, but no one dared to mock him anymore. Arjun, however, didn't care. His focus was entirely on the ticking clock in his vision.
[Current Silence Streak: 48:12:05]
[Muteness Level: 1 (Progress: 45%)]
[New Stat Unlocked: Perception +10]
Every hour of silence felt like a heavy weight on his tongue, but his body felt lighter than ever.
That night, as Arjun walked through the outskirts of the city, the air suddenly grew cold. The familiar scent of ozone and rotting meat filled his nostrils. He stopped. His Eye of the Silent flared to life without him even trying.
Ahead, in a derelict construction site, three figures were huddled over something. They weren't human. They were Void Hounds—beasts that had slipped through the Rifts. They were preying on a wounded Hunter who lay paralyzed on the ground.
The Hunter, a young woman in silver armor, was trying to reach for her sword, but her arm was broken.
Arjun knew he should run. He was just a scrap-yard worker. But his System reacted.
[Emergency Quest: Silence the Predators]
[Objective: Kill the Void Hounds without making a sound.]
[Reward: Skill Upgrade & Shadow Dagger.]
[Failure: Permanent loss of 'Phantom Whispers'.]
Arjun gripped a rusted rebar lying nearby. He didn't scream a battle cry. He didn't even breathe loudly.
He activated [Phantom Whispers].
The world slowed down. Arjun became a blur. The first Void Hound didn't even realize he was there until the metal bar pierced its throat. It died in a silent spray of black mist.
The other two hissed, their red eyes searching the darkness. Arjun stood perfectly still, blending into the shadows. He realized that as long as he stayed quiet, his presence was almost impossible to detect.
He moved again. Left. Pivot. Strike.
The second hound fell. The third one, the Alpha, lunged at him with claws like razors. Arjun felt a sting as the claw grazed his shoulder. He wanted to shout in pain, but he bit his tongue, his eyes glowing with a cold, blue light.
He grabbed the Alpha's neck and slammed it into a concrete pillar.
[Quest Completed!]
[Silence Maintained.]
[Level Up! You are now Level 5.]
[Reward: 'Dagger of the Void' added to Inventory.]
Arjun stood over the dead beasts, his clothes torn. The wounded Hunter looked up at him, her eyes wide with shock.
"Who... who are you?" she whispered, coughing blood. "Did you... did you just kill three Void Hounds without a sound?"
Arjun looked at her. He didn't answer. He simply reached into his pocket, pulled out a bandage he always carried, and tossed it to her.
Without a single word, he vanished into the night.