The room was quiet, bathed in a soft, ethereal glow that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. The man lay still, his eyes closed, lost in the liminal space between dreams and waking. Slowly, he became aware of the world around him, the gentle hum of nature, and the faint scent of lavender in the air.
He opened his eyes.
For a moment, he lay there, staring at the ceiling, his mind a blank canvas slowly filling with the colors of consciousness. He blinked, feeling the weight of reality settle in, and exhaled deeply. His gaze shifted to the window, where morning sunlight filtered through the leaves of a tall, ancient tree just outside.
"Pushp," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, yet the spirit of the forest responded instantly.
A soft rustle sounded, and the air above a nearby flowering bush shimmered, coalescing into a translucent, floating interface of delicate vines and petals. The man's reflection hovered in the holographic display, a natural apparition of his own visage. Pushp's voice, calm and soothing, filled the room.
Sam took a deep breath, grounding himself in the moment. The events of the past few days had been a whirlwind, and he needed clarity, a sense of direction.
"Pushp," he began, his tone thoughtful, "show me my attribute panel."
The interface flickered, and the display transformed. A series of panels appeared, each one detailing different aspects of his being. His physical attributes, mental faculties, emotional states, and even spiritual insights were laid out before him, a comprehensive map of his existence.
Attribute Panel
Name: Sam Walker
Age: 33
Current Location: Pushp Lok
Owned Lok: Pushp Lok
Current Income: $200 million per month
Wealth: $75 billion
Welfare Value: 2,720,000
Welfare Contributions:
Selling honey produced in Pushp Lok: +250,000
Construction of schools in Khalpur and other Villages: +900,000
Funding village development projects: +550,000
Saving Durinia: +1,000,000
Initial Welfare Value: 20,000
Physical Fitness:
Enhanced due to consumption of products from Pushp Lok and Maha Lok
Rapid improvement due to stay in Maha Lok
Recovery and further enhancement due to Pushp Lok's healing capabilities
Superior strength, agility, and endurance maintained and improved
Current Mission: None
Completed Mission: The Hidden Guardian
Objective: Protect the vulnerable in Durinia and uncover the secrets of the abyssal threat.
Reward: Maha Vishwavidyalaya Inheritance Token
Key Assets:
Pushp Lok: A mystical realm with unique products (honey, medicinal plants) that can be sold on Earth
Company (Venom Pharmaceuticals, Pushp Essence, etc): Successfully managing the organized sales of Pushp Lok products
Map (Vishwa Vani): Used to navigate between worlds and detect hostile entities
Allies:
Pushp: The AI-like spirit of Pushp Lok, provides guidance and information
Nitin: Ally in Durinia, involved in rescuing the widow and her daughter
Anna: Key figure in managing the Umeed School and Khalpur village projects
Sam studied the panels, his eyes moving from one metric to the next. He noted the areas where he excelled and those that needed improvement. The numbers and percentages were more than mere data; they were reflections of his journey, markers of his progress.
"Pushp," he said after a moment, "why did my welfare value increase even during the time I was in a coma?"
"Sam, you being in a coma does not affect the accumulation of welfare value."
"Heck, even death does not affect the collection of welfare value. No matter your current status, any welfare that happens because of you will generate welfare value for you."
"Understood."
"However, it is still amazing that I somehow managed to accumulate so many welfare values overnight," Sam marveled.
Pushp interjected, "It was not overnight. This is the accumulation of over five years. You were the one who slept for five years and felt that it all happened overnight."
Sam gave a slight smile and said, "Don't be so hard on me, Pushp. Anyway, for me, it happened overnight."
Seeing that Sam still insisted, Pushp sighed and gave up on the topic. "Forget about that, Sam. Since you insist, we'll believe what you say. Now, tell me, what did that reward do to you? Why did you suddenly fall into a coma for five years?"
Sam's eyes darkened as he recalled the events. "It's a bit hazy, to be honest. One moment, I was receiving the reward, a token with the word 'महा' etched on it appeared in my hands, and the next moment, everything went black. When I woke up, I found out five years had passed."
Pushp leaned in, intrigued. "Do you remember anything unusual about the reward itself? Any sensations or odd feelings before you blacked out?"
Sam nodded slowly. "There was a strange energy... almost like a surge of power that I couldn't control. Knowledge and information flooded my mind. It felt overwhelming, like my body was being flooded with something it wasn't ready for."
Pushp frowned, deep in thought. "Sounds like there might have been more to that reward than we initially thought. Have you noticed any changes in yourself since you woke up?"
Sam hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, actually. I feel... different. Smarter, more alert. It's as if my senses have been heightened. But there are also moments where I feel disconnected, like a part of me is still asleep."
Pushp's curiosity was piqued. "We need to find out more about this reward and why it had such an impact on you. Do you remember who awarded it to you or any details about the token?"
Sam rubbed his temples, trying to recall. "There were a lot of books, and it was a huge campus. The reward appeared in my hands in an instant at an almost otherworldly speed. I can't remember it clearly, though."
Pushp's expression grew serious. "What happened to the token then? Do you know where it is? Because when I brought you in here there was nothing of that sort on your body at the time. And since you say that you saw books and you felt knowledge pouring into your head, do you remember any of it?"
Sam looked at Pushp, determination in his eyes. "Yes, I remember almost all of it. It's just there is a lot of it, and I need time to remember specific content, but I am sure that I remember everything."
Pushp nodded. "That's great. Since you remember that, it means that there is no big issue."
Sam smiled, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. "Thank you, Pushp. And I also have a feeling that I still have that token on me, just not in a physical form."
Pushp clapped as if putting a reassuring hand on Sam's shoulder. "We're in this together, Sam. We'll get to the bottom of this, no matter what it takes."
With that, the two friends set off on a quest to unravel the mystery, unaware of the challenges and revelations that awaited them.