Aryanvaat's stomach gurgled—not from hunger, but from something very different.
It felt like an elephant had kicked over a cauldron inside his gut. He clutched his belly, eyes wide as he stumbled a few steps back.
ARYANVAAT:
"Oi, what's crawling inside me?! Did that potion have bugs?! Is this how cultivation starts?!"
His voice echoed across the small courtyard, but only the birds and rustling leaves replied.
And, of course—
[SYSTEM]:
Relax, gastrointestinal prodigy. That's just your body starting to circulate chakra. For the first time in your life.
Try not to pass out from success.
Aryanvaat froze.
ARYANVAAT:
"You mean... it worked?! I'm really not chakra-deficient anymore?!"
[SYSTEM]:
Correct. The potion didn't just fix your chakra deficiency—it also gave you +10 Chakra stat points.
Side effects may include sudden breakthroughs, divine jealousy, and accidentally becoming overpowered.
ARYANVAAT:
"...Stat points can be changed with potions?! Since when?!"
[SYSTEM]:
Since never. Stat points are permanent once chosen.
I have no idea how this happened. That wasn't even a mortal-grade item. It was a divine-tier elixir—something only top-tier cultivators use to survive tribulations.
And you got it... because someone dropped it.
Aryanvaat blinked. He looked at his tiny hands, then at the sky.
ARYANVAAT:
"...Do I thank the heavens or apologize?"
[SYSTEM]:
Maybe apologize. Loudly. And with fireworks.
He took a breath. His body felt light, tingly—like something had unlocked. He wasn't sure what chakra was supposed to feel like, but if this was it? He liked it.
Suddenly, a slurred voice cut through the breeze.
GRANDPA GANPATH:
"Aryan! Are ya talkin' to yer imaginary fairy again?"
Ganpath stumbled into the courtyard, gourd swinging at his hip, red-nosed and barefoot. He squinted at the glowing window.
GRANDPA GANPATH:
"Wait... is that a hic~ sta~ts scre~en? Holy hangover! You got a floating screen?!"
ARYANVAAT:
"Y-Yeah! But only I can see it, so—"
Ganpath's eyes narrowed.
GRANDPA GANPATH:
"Don't lie to me, boy. I used to have one too! Damn thing ran off twenty years ago when I hit peak intelligence and lost my marbles!"
Aryanvaat blinked.
ARYANVAAT:
"...Wait, you had a system?!"
[SYSTEM]:
He speaks the truth. Ganpath: former user. All stat points allocated to Intelligence. Went mad by all the knowledge. Record-holder for fastest burnout.
Frankly, I still have PTSD from his vocabulary.
GRANDPA GANPATH:
"I can smell it in m' knees, Aryan... yer gonna be—hic—a full-blown cultivator or a cabbage, I can't tell... Sit down, yeah, cross yer legs... or arms? Nah, legs... Breathe! Real deep—take in the air! Or was it dirt? I used to sniff dirt... pretty sure that helped once..."
Aryanvaat blinked, then obeyed. He sat down, closed his mouth... and opened his eyes wide.
ARYANVAAT:
"I'm meditating with eyes open."
[SYSTEM]:
That's... not how it's done.
Why are you—
Before it could continue, a new window shimmered to life.
[SKILL GAINED: INSIGHT (LVL 1)]
— Enables detection of chakra levels in individuals up to one realm higher.
(Current limit: 2nd Chakra Realm.)
[SYSTEM]:
...WHAT.
You just got a skill by meditating incorrectly.
What even ARE you?!
ARYANVAAT:
"Cool! I got a skill by doing the wrong thing! What if I meditate while standing on one leg next?!"
[SYSTEM]:
Why not juggle flaming swords while you're at it, you divine glitch?!
Just then, the sky darkened.
A sharp wind cut through the trees. Clouds twisted like angry serpents overhead. A divine presence descended upon the world like a hammer.
Far above, sitting on a throne of thunderclouds, a furious deity stared down.
INDRA (seething):
"There he is. The child who dared max out a stat. The second one."
He clenched his fist. Lightning coiled like serpents around his arm.
INDRA:
"I smote the last one. I will smite this one too."
He raised his palm. Thunder roared like a thousand drums. A bolt of divine lightning crackled to life, bright enough to blind the sun.
INDRA:
"Let balance be restored—"
GRANDPA GANPATH:
"...Is it just me, or is the sky looking cranky?"
ARYANVAAT:
"...Uhh, grandpa? MOVE!"
But it was too late.
CRACK—KABOOOOOM!
Lightning tore through the sky, aimed perfectly at Aryanvaat's heart—
—and missed.
By three feet.
It slammed into Grandpa Ganpath.
ARYANVAAT:
"GRANDPA!!!"
The blast sent dust flying in all directions. Aryanvaat coughed, shielding his eyes. When the smoke cleared...
Ganpath stood.
Straight. Glowing. Hair electrified into a majestic mane. Eyes crackling with power.
[SYSTEM]:
...That hit Ganpath.
Wait. WAIT.
The lightning burned away the madness. His synapses realigned. His mind is functioning.
The old coot is... back.
GRANDPA GANPATH (eyes glowing):
"Woah. I can think again..."
He looked down at Aryanvaat with something different in his gaze. Sharpness. Control.
ARYANVAAT:
"Grandpa?"
GRANDPA GANPATH:
"Aryan... My brain... it's working."
He looked at his hands. Flexed his fingers. Smiled.
GRANDPA GANPATH:
"Time to be a teacher again."
Aryanvaat grinned.
ARYANVAAT:
"You'll train me?"
GRANDPA GANPATH:
"I'll make you the most ridiculously unstoppable, statistically broken freak this continent's ever seen."
Far above, Indra sat frozen on his stormy throne.
INDRA:
"I missed?!"
He stared at the smoldering old man standing where Aryanvaat should've been.
INDRA:
"...How did I miss?! I AM THE STORM."
A hiccup echoed behind him.
He turned.
A radiant woman strolled into view, clad in a shimmering sari, eyes sparkling like stars... and a half-empty wine bottle in her hand.
LADY LUCK:
"Hic~ You had one job, Indra..."
She grinned.
LADY LUCK:
"And my boy passed with flying colors!"
Indra's jaw dropped.
INDRA:
"...You rigged the shot?!"
LADY LUCK:
"HIC ~ He's got maxed Luck, remember? I couldn't not help."
Indra fell to his knees.
INDRA:
"...I hate this timeline."