Abhay collapsed onto the cold floor, trembling with fear. From both sides, the black shadows were steadily advancing toward him. Shivering, he muttered, "Oh man... why are these ghosts after me?"
In a sheer panic, he extended a hand toward the shadow in front of him and pleaded, "Please... please, Mr. Ghost, don't eat me! I still want to live!"
Suddenly, a cold, oddly familiar voice echoed from the shadow. "There is no need for you to be afraid, Abhay. It's me."
Abhay froze at the sound of the voice. He watched closely as the dark silhouette slowly dissipated, revealing the form of a girl. Abhay was stunned. "Who are you? I've never seen you before. And you don't look like Vrinda at all."
The girl, wrapped in the fading shadows, had a faint red glint in her eyes. She smiled softly and said, "How could you know? After all, this is only our second meeting."
Abhay's confusion deepened. "Second meeting? When did we meet the first time?"
With a mysterious smile, the shadow replied, "Don't worry, we will meet again very soon."
Abhay was about to protest, "Soon? But I just..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the shadow struck the back of his neck with incredible speed. In the next instant, darkness consumed his vision, and he lost consciousness entirely.
The dark shadow then commanded another figure hidden in the dark, "Pick this boy up and send him to his room to rest."
Obeying the order, Vamika silently stepped out of the darkness, picked Abhay up, and laid him back on his soft bed.
The next morning, when Abhay opened his eyes, he immediately sat up with a jolt. Holding his head, he muttered, "Was last night's encounter a dream, or reality? Who was that dark shadow? And how did I get back to my bed?"
Thousands of questions swirled in his mind, but he had no answers. Just then, the wooden door creaked open, and Vamika—still playing the role of Vrinda—walked in carrying some folded clothes.
"Come on, Abhay," she said with a faint smile. "Your treatment is officially complete today. You've been granted permission to leave."
Abhay looked at the clothes in her hands and asked, "Alright, Vrinda, but are you giving me these clothes to celebrate my recovery?"
Placing the clothes on the bed, Vamika replied, "No, these clothes are for you to wear because you are going to meet someone very important."
Alarm bells rang in Abhay's head. "Who exactly am I supposed to meet?"
"You will find out soon enough," Vamika replied simply. "Now, drop the questions, put these on, and get ready. I'll be waiting for you outside."
Abhay inspected the clothes carefully, and his eyes lit up. These weren't ordinary patient garments. It was a premium black robe with a high collar. It came with a grey-black and silver sash, loose black dhoti-pants to wear underneath, and sturdy, studded leather boots.
When Abhay stepped out of the room wearing the outfit, Vamika couldn't help but stare at him for a moment.
Abhay was so thrilled with his new look that he was internally praising himself, "Man... don't I look exactly like an OP protagonist from a manga? This outfit is totally badass!"
Suddenly, the blue light of the System screen flashed before him:
[ Target: Vamika Aghor | Reaction: Attraction | +0.001 Mool-Ansh ]
[ Target: Vamika Aghor | Reaction: Greed | +0.001 Mool-Ansh ]
Seeing the System's bizarre notification, Abhay was taken aback. He asked himself, "Am I really looking that handsome? But what's with the greed?"
Vamika quickly averted her gaze, her face returning to its emotionless baseline. "You're ready. Let's go, we have someone to meet."
Abhay looked around the empty corridor. "But Vrinda... I mean, where is Vaidya Som?"
"He went to submit your report to his superior. Don't worry about him," Vamika answered flatly.
"Alright, let's go then," Abhay said, stepping forward.
The two of them walked through a long, open courtyard. In the center, various types of mysterious plants and herbs were growing. Abhay could feel a strange, pulsating energy emanating from them.
He immediately asked, "Vrinda, what are these weird plants?"
Pointing toward the soil beds, Vamika said, "This is our Herb Garden. We have been cultivating these here for many years."
Abhay was internally amazed. "These are some really bizarre plants. I've never seen leaves and flowers like this back in my world."
Moving past the garden, they walked by a massive hall. A pungent smell and thick smoke drifted out from the open arches. Covering his nose, Abhay asked, "Whoa, where is that intense smell and smoke coming from?"
Looking at the massive bronze cauldrons inside the hall, Vamika explained, "In those cauldrons, we keep fires burning day and night to refine herbs into expensive medicines and Pills."
"That's a very ancient and unique way to make medicine," Abhay said in awe.
As they headed toward the main exit, Vamika added, "Many youths come here to become disciples, just like me. Only after years of grueling hard work can one become a master."
Abhay's curiosity peaked. "Vrinda, how long have you been living here?"
Vamika paused for a moment before answering, "I shouldn't really say, but... it's been exactly forty years."
Abhay's eyes widened in shock. "Dayum! Forty years?! But you look like you're only seventeen or eighteen!"
Vamika replied casually, "I am currently at the Middle Stage of the Core Condensation Realm. Because of this, my lifespan has increased significantly, and I retain my youth."
"Core Condensation? What is that?" Abhay asked, finally getting interested in the magic system of this new world.
Assuming Abhay had lost his memory, Vamika patiently began to explain. "There are several Realms of Cultivation:
Body Refinement
Bone Forging
Meridian Opening
Energy Gathering
Core Condensation
Aura Manifestation
Spirit Awakening
Mortal Peak"
Vamika continued, "These eight stages depend heavily on a Cultivator's talent grade. If someone possesses 1st Grade talent, they can easily reach the 8th stage. But if someone's talent is 4th Grade or worse, just crossing the 1st or 2nd stage is considered a massive achievement."
Hearing all this, Abhay massaged his temples. "Man, just listening to this is making my head spin. Are there any stages beyond the Mortal Peak?"
Vamika stared at him. "Yes, there are. Any high-grade Cultivator who breaks through the Mortal Peak can reach the Divine Sense Realm. But an ordinary mortal like you shouldn't even dream of reaching there."
As they spoke, they stepped out through the massive outer doors. Immediately, a blinding light forced Abhay to shield his eyes with his arm. Slowly, as his eyes adjusted to the glare, he looked ahead...
And in the next moment, the ground seemed to slip from beneath his feet.
Right in front of him was a boundless, endless blue sky. But the shocking part wasn't the sky itself; it was the countless Giant Islands floating within it!
These massive landmasses were connected to one another by gargantuan, thick black iron chains, as if some ancient god had tethered them in the sky. Colossal buildings and palaces of bizarre, grand architecture stood upon every island.
Abhay's jaw dropped. "Fuck... am I dreaming? How are these islands floating in the air?!"*
Seeing his dumbfounded reaction, Vamika started laughing. "This might be completely new to you, but here, it's just a normal sight."
Abhay looked at Vamika with eyes full of desperate curiosity. "Can you please tell me how these massive mountains are defying gravity?"
Vamika replied strictly, "Calm down. If I sat down to explain all this to you, day would turn into night, and you still wouldn't understand a single word. Your mortal brain wouldn't be able to handle the sheer volume of information."
Abhay puffed his cheeks out like a pouting child. "Fine, don't tell me then!"
After walking a little further, Abhay turned around to look at the towering structure they had just exited. "Was that place a hospital?"
Vamika glanced back. "You could call it a hospital, but officially, it is our Sect's Healing Pavilion."
Abhay's mind was blown. "That terrifyingly huge building is just a hospital?!"
Vamika walked ahead, quickening her pace. "Come on, hurry up. We have someone to meet."
"Yeah, alright, coming," Abhay said, taking one last look at the breathtaking floating world before hurrying after Vamika.