PATH TO ORIGIN
CHAPTER 8 : PREPARATION
EARTH , INDIA – DELHI
11 MAY 2023 , TIME 11:20 AM
As the clock struck 11:20 am, the sun's rays pierced through the morning mist , illuminating the landscape with a radiant glow . Amidst the picturesque scene stood an abandoned house, its windows shattered , its like walls weathered by time .
In the dim light of the abandoned house, seven boys huddled together, their faces etched with worry and fear. Some sat on old, tattered furniture while others paced nervously. Among them lay a boy, his pale face contorted in pain, blood seeping from a wound on his head.
Desperation hung heavy in the air as his friends frantically tried to stem the bleeding, tearing fabric from their own clothes to fashion makeshift bandages. They whispered words of encouragement, their voices trembling with uncertainty.
Outside, the wind howled, rattling the windows and sending shivers down their spines. But inside, their focus was solely on their injured companion, their determination to save him unwavering.
As they worked tirelessly to stabilize him, a sense of unity enveloped the group. Despite the darkness that surrounded them, their bond remained unbreakable, a beacon of hope in the face of adversity.
" is Karan going to be fine " says Mudit while seeing Karan who was lying on the floor after the consequences of the previous battle . others only got minor injuries so they were healed pretty quickly and even Aryan whose hands were broken because of using unreasonable amount of stats was totally recovered because of his skill.
"hope so " Param replies while bandaging Karan .
" don't you dare die Karan" says Sanyam while tears in his eyes.
"Don't be hopeless Sanyam , he'll be fine and I'm sure of it" says Aryan .
Then we see Shubham who was sitting beside Karan then he covered Karan's head with bandages and applying medicine on it " ok so now blood won't come out of his head , now he only needs rest for a while I've already applied basic healing magic so I don't think it will be a major problem" .
As the group gathered around to listen to Shubham's update on Karan's condition, a wave of relief washed over them. Shubham's words reassured them that their friend was out of danger and on the path to recovery. They exchanged grateful glances and comforting pats on the back, knowing that Karan would be back with them in no time.
With a weight lifted off their shoulders, Sanyam and others decided it was time to take a break. They found a quiet spot to rest, allowing themselves a moment to process the events of the past few days and to recharge for whatever lay ahead .
11 MAY 2023 , TIME 11:59PM(GIZA TIME = 8:29PM)
As the clock struck 11:59 pm, the night sky was adorned with the splendor of the full moon, casting its ethereal glow upon the world below. Karan lay beneath the celestial spectacle, his eyes drawn to the radiant moon hanging in the skies above.
In the quiet stillness of the night, something extraordinary happened. The moonlight seemed to intensify, cascading down upon Karan with a gentle yet powerful force. He felt an inexplicable warmth suffuse his body, as if every beam of moonlight was a healing touch.
To the amazement of Sanyam, who lay beside him, Karan began to levitate from the ground, his body enveloped in a shimmering aura. Sanyam's eyes widened in disbelief as he witnessed Karan's injuries, sustained from a recent accident, miraculously begin to mend before his very eyes. The once bleeding wounds now closed seamlessly, leaving no trace of their existence.
Stunned by the surreal sight unfolding before them, Sanyam hurriedly woke their other friends, urging them to witness the magical moment. As they gathered around Karan, bathed in the moon's luminous glow, a sense of wonder and joy filled the air.
"b ..beautiful" says Sanyam with a disbelief in his eyes .
Then Karan opened his slowly and gently descended on the floor . then he spoke "uhh where am I " then he notices Sanyam in front of him "Sanyam you ….WAIT!! , where are we and where is Khushi , how did we come here ? we were in President's house just a while ago" Karan started speaking without a break " I'm so confused" .
After seeing Karan safe and healed in front of them Sanyam and Aryan hugged Karan without giving a explanation very tightly .
"WAIT!!...WHAT?" Karan in disbelief responds . " I .. I can't breath you idiots"
"ah , sorry about that we were just worried about you " Sanyam responds with a chuckle
"eww, that's so gayish " Karan responds
After some time Sanyam explains the whole situation to Karan which mainly consisted of how they barely escaped from President's house and when they were injured and both Sanyam and Karan passed out how they were rescued by Mudit and others .
"Ahh shit I still can't believe we lost " says Rakshit
"Karan , there is one more thing it is kind of a bad news" says Aryan
"What is it ? " Karan questions
"looks like we have to wear mask forever from now because we are branded as troublemakers and criminals by government " Aryan answers
"Uhhh , Sanyam you lied to us , you said we were the strongest then how came we lost " says Parakshit
"how is that my fault " says Sanyam . there seems to be building a tension among them
"you said that in India there is no Player among them who is stronger than Karan , and how come Karan lost he is a descended of a f*cking GOD" Param says with anxious look .
" ya , I mean I don't know how Khushi passed out when she single handedly defeated us , maybe she overexerted herself to reach that stage . we were lucky this time but not forever" says Mudit
" I ..I…seriously don't know I myself can't figure out the possibility of us losing to Khushi, and I'm damn sure she is also level 1 since the game isn't started yet and nor does she posses skills similar to Aryan , and I don't know what is that mysterious energy she was using" says Sanyam
" Ya I also noticed that it was crimson red and even her fighting style was like that it is not her first time using it " says Aryan
Karan was silent throughout the conversation and didn't utter a single word and was constantly gave a cold look to others . well Sanyam and other noticed Karan reaction.
"hmm , that red energy somehow boosted her power and she also infused it on her weapon too , and because of that red energy her weapon didn't burn even when I was using hell fire , I don't what could it be , what is that energy?" says Sanyam
"ITS CHAOS ENERGY" suddenly they hear a voice from their behind then we see a very small and cute like figure which is at size of a hand and small looking person was wearing coat pants and black shoes it was none other than a chibi form of …..
"Azz its you , and you're so small what is this form" says Aryan
"haha , you recognized me PLAYER Aryan , its one of my form , in this form I can make multiple clones of myself so that I can have conversation with Players , it looks like you were having a pretty interesting conversation without me" says Azz
"hahha no Mr Azz it isn't something worth mentioning" says Sanyam with a chuckle
"no no I'm seriously interested PLAYER Sanyam , the thing you witnessed in your previous battle was Chaos energy " says Azz
"CHAOS ENERGY" says Aryan
"yes Chaos energy , I don't know how PLAYER Khushi figured out its use but it was pretty interesting to see , even GODS were shocked to see that there is someone who know how to use Chaos energy even you guys were amazing that you were able to hold a Chaos energy user " says Azz with a satisfied look on his face .
"GODS are watching us " says Rakshit
"surely they are PLAYER Rakshit" says Azz
"wait , Mr Azz then can you also teach us to use Chaos energy too " says Parikshit
"sorry but I can't since I'm only a helper I can't interfere in the game , you have to figure out its use yourself" says Azz
"Hmm , fair enough then what is your purpose for coming here" says Sanyam
"oh ya I almost forgot about that thanks for reminding I came here to inform you all the tower is finally opened and the healing that PLAYER Karan received was because of it . so you can attempt it now or if you want or you can try to do it later on its your choice " says Azz with a excited look on his face .
"oh so it's finally the time , so are there any rules or we just have to go with the flow" says Sanyam
" Yes there are some rules first is that you can attempt the tower alone or even with thousands of people together . there you all will be granted a main mission which you have complete , there are some class related quests according to your skills but its not necessary to complete but if you don't complete main mission it will be taken as a failure and you will consequences " says Azz with a hand on his chin
"What consequences ? , is there a time limit also ? " Aryan questions
"yes PLAYER Aryan there is a time limit you have to complete first floor in 11years or it will be considered failure and after that on your planet earth , dungeons will be formed which you have to clear in fixed time or there will be a outbreak which will destroy your whole planet and after that you can attempt first floor again , and peace is never an option if you are thinking that you're safe for next 11 years then you're wrong because there will be a time PLAYERS from other floor invade this place , and if they got a mission to destroy you and your people and that will be the end of your race so you don't have any choice but to climb the tower " says while Azz with a wicked smile
" we already know that , that there is nothing that can be normal called in this ruined world so is there anything you wish to say " says Karan who was silent the whole time .
"Ahh, yes there is SIR Karan " says Azz with a huge smile
"Ahh , not again " says Karan while covering his whole face and Sanyam and others were laughing at the whole scene
"So first of all I know you've done your own research on STATUS WINDOW which is very commendable that you were able to find out everyone on this world everyone is considered a Awakeners even if they don't posses a skill , but there are more to it , firstly your stats that you already know , now you don't need any communication device because of STATUS WINDOW communication feature , then there is a NEWS section which will keep you updated about tower's working even you can also post news . now there is a thing which is the most important in whole game . which is money " says Azz with a smirk
"Wait money , then I guess we are fucked " says Parakshit
"why's that " says Azz with a confused face
"We are poor , even if we combine our money we will still be poor " says Param
"fair enough" says Aryan with awkward face
"NO!!, I'm not talking about your stupid and weak earth currencies , Tower grants you a currency which is more expensive than your whole planet and by using that you can either buy weapons or elixers and some essentials or you can sell items which were earned by you " says Azz
"What is that currency called " Sanyam questions
" ORIGIN CRYSTALS , since you all are beginners you all will be granted 100 of these which you can spend according to your needs , you can even exchange these crystals with others , oh looks like I have to go see you tomorrow " says Azz after a while disappears from the scene
" Sweet!!" then Sanyam and others open Store to see what they can buy but 99% of things are level restricted and then they found " ahh see these Beginners level weapons , I guess we can buy these " says Param
"see the price , one sword is worth over 120 crystals , even if we combined our money all of us won't get equal share and we won't be able to get a decent armor " says Aryan
When Mudit was scrolling through store he found something and got a idea
" I have idea guys " says Mudit
"What is it " everyone questions
" see there is material called RED IRON on store and it can be used in crafting and its only worth 3 crystal per piece , so why don't we …." Says Mudit
"wait are we going to fight with iron bricks , just to save some money " says Karan
" NO you idiot , Mudit I understood what you are trying to say " say Rakshit
"then kindly explain me too" says Karan
"hahha, its simple he wants we buy these things and I make a weapon and armor for you guys with my skill " says Rakshit
"then I'll add one more thing why don't we spend all our money to purchase RED IRON to make weapons and sell it at a decent price in store so that others can also afford a weapon while filling our own pocket with their money " says Sanyam with a smirk
"hehe , we think alike Sanyam" says Aryan
" hmm, yes lets buy it all " says Mudit
"then the stuff you make for us should be best " says Karan
"Don't worry about that , now help me while I craft it for you guys , first collect a lot of water , for flame we can't use Sanyam's skill since its too hot , I don't need hammer , chisels anvil ,sets and other things as I get it for free with my skill , just help me in minor issues , and I also got to know one more thing about my skill that if we someone use a weapon crafted by me , then I will get 0.5% of their total Exp , so I don't need to go in tower "
"don't worry I'll contact Ayush to take care of this matter" says Aryan
12 MAY 2023
TIME : 9:27AM , INSIDE THE ABANDONED HOUSE
"AHH, My back " says Rakshit
"
In the dimly lit workshop, the rhythmic clang of metal against metal echoed through the air. Rakshit, a skilled blacksmith, had been toiling away for hours, his hands deftly shaping weapons and armor with a combination of traditional craftsmanship and magical skill.
As the night wore on, the strains of labor began to weigh heavily on Rakshit. The muscles in his arms screamed in protest, and his eyelids grew heavy with exhaustion. But still, he persisted, fueled by a sense of duty and dedication to his craft.
Hour after hour passed, the forge roaring with heat as Rakshit poured his energy into his work. The magic he wielded made the process smoother, enhancing his craftsmanship and allowing him to create truly remarkable pieces. But even magic had its limits, and as dawn approached, Rakshit found himself drained and weary.
With trembling hands, he finally set down his tools, the last piece of armor completed. But as he attempted to rise from his workbench, a wave of pain washed over him, every muscle in his body protesting the hours of exertion without rest. Collapsing to his knees, Rakshit let out a cry of anguish, tears mingling with sweat on his furrowed brow
After a while Sanyam and others arrives at the scene and says " Thank you for your effort Rakshit, you may rest now"
"Finally at peace" Says Rakshit before collapsing
"Hehe, let's leave for the tower" Says Shubham while he was applying low heal on Rakshit
"Hmm, I guess the time has come" Says Aryan in a very calm tone
"Are you all ready " Says Sanyam
"Yes" Says everyone
Then everyone says aloud
"OPEN STATUS WINDOW, TOWER TELEPORT "
Chapter end