As Raj entered the hall, he noticed his parents sitting on the sofa, in deep conversation. They looked up briefly and smiled acknowledging his presence. His little sister Suma emerged from her room already dressed in her school uniform, her hair neatly tied.
Suma glanced at Raj and raised her small fist instinctively, but then she paused. "Oh, yeah," she said with a disappointed look. " I forgot I promised yesterday I wouldn't hit you." She let out a small sigh before shrugging, "Anyway I have to go to school."
Without waiting for a reply, Suma rushed over to Raj giving him a quick peck on his cheek. "Bye, Amma and Nanna!" she shouted as she darted out of the house with her usual boundless energy.
Raj watched her go, feeling the warmth of their sibling bond. Even though Suma could be a handful, her affection never failed to brighten his day. With Suma gone, the house was suddenly quieter, Raj turned his attention back to his parents, wondering what conversation they'd been having.
Raj smiled unknowingly as he walked over to the sofa where his parents sat, eager to get more clarification about the upcoming rifts and strange visions he'd experienced.
Samba and Sruthi exchanged surprising glances as they observed him approach. They could see the change in their son as his newfound strength and vitality were evident. Both felt a surge of pride and happiness.
Samba spoke first, still amazed. "We expected it would take more than five full days to absorb the effects of the divine fruit. In fact, we were just discussing how to balance the time so you could get the maximum benefit from it. But here you are having absorbed it in just one day."
Sruthi, however, looked more concerned. "Didn't we tell you to refine it slowly?" she said softly as she checked Raj's body for any injuries." There was no need to rush. We didn't want you to feel any unnecessary burden."
"I didn't mean for it to happen so fast," Raj admitted. "I was planning to refine the fruit slowly, taking small bits. But before I realized it, I had consumed the whole divine fruit, and all the energy was absorbed."
Samba looked at him with both pride and seriousness." It's good your body handled it well, but rushing things sometimes be dangerous. You're fortunate you managed to refine it properly. If your foundation wasn't strong, you could have been seriously harmed."
Sruthi leaned in, her face filled with concern." We told you to talk it slow for a reason, Raj. The energy from such fruits is potent. If your body couldn't handle it, the outcome could have been disastrous."
Raj gave her a reassuring smile." I know, Amma. It was intense but I stayed focused through the whole process. I didn't want to worry you. But there's something else. After I absorbed the energy, I saw some strange visions." He recounted the vivid visions as he tried to change the topic, especially focusing on the final scene with the golden weapon and the cracking of space.
Samba who was smiling turned his face serious." Raj, this is something very few experience, especially at your level. Most of what I'm about to tell you is reserved for those who've reached higher ranks, usually around level 35 or when they're in universities. So, listen carefully."
With that, both Samba and Sruthi released their domains covering the entire living hall.
Samba continued, "After Gods and Demons started giving their blessing again, most of the ancient knowledge about them disappeared. We found fragments of records in some of the more dangerous rifts and have been piecing them together ever since. These visions you experienced, especially the war one might be of great significance. You can gain contribution points from Union for these visions"
Raj perked up at the mention of contribution points, thinking about the value they held. "Wait, I can report my visions for contribution points?" he asked, feeling a little less burdened by the intense visions he had endured.
Samba nodded. "Yes, sharing information like this with Union can earn you contribution points. And as for the weapon you saw -The golden ball with a long pole- it might be a Gada, a divine weapon used by several gods."