Arjun Malhotra had been restless ever since that haunting vision. The image of his future clung to him like a dark shroud, and the words of the disembodied voice echoed in his mind, filling him with unease. He sat at the edge of his bed, his heart heavy with fear, unable to shake the feeling of impending doom.
Hours had passed since he had seen that terrifying glimpse of his destiny, and now he was haunted by it. His hands trembled as he tried to focus on something—anything—that might distract him from the dread creeping into his bones. But no matter how much he tried to calm his mind, the anxiety persisted.
Suddenly, the system screen materialized in front of him, its usual cold, calculated tone breaking the silence.
System: "Why are you afraid, Arjun? Did you see something in the future that has unsettled you?"
Arjun, startled by the question, took a deep breath. "I didn't just see the future. I heard a voice… a voice that spoke of terrible things."
The system's neutral voice inquired, System: "What did you hear?"
Arjun's hands clenched into fists as he relived the moment in his mind. He hesitated for a moment, then began to recount everything he had witnessed, every dark word spoken by the mysterious voice. The image of himself as a villain, the final boss of this world, lingered like a nightmare he couldn't escape. His future self had spoken of making the world a better place but at the cost of countless lives. The sheer madness of it all shook him to his core.
Once he finished, there was a long silence, and then the system responded. System: "So, this is what has frightened you? Don't worry, Arjun. I'm with you. There's nothing to fear. We can change the future together."
Arjun scoffed, his voice bitter. "System, if you had heard that voice, you wouldn't be so calm. It was… something else. It was like I wasn't even myself anymore."
System: "Let's not dwell on this too long. You have more immediate concerns. How about we focus on something that can help you? Do you want to upgrade the system?"
Arjun's mind raced, still struggling to shake off the fear that had latched onto his soul. "How many system upgrade points do I even have right now?"
System: "You currently have 4,048 SU points. The system upgrade will cost you 4,000 SU points. If you wish to proceed, you can upgrade by clicking here."
Without thinking much, Arjun sighed and muttered, "Fine. Let's do it."
System: Your system is now upgrading…
There was a moment of silence, the screen flashing with data and codes as the system underwent the upgrade. After a few tense seconds, the screen displayed a new message.
System: "Update complete."
1. Previously, you could receive rewards from penalty missions, but that is no longer the case.
2. You will now receive site missions, which are more significant and offer better rewards.
3. You can now level up by completing missions, and the rewards for main missions have been significantly increased.
4. You now have the ability to combine different abilities. Combining abilities will cost you 1,000 system points, but some abilities cannot be combined—details on that will be revealed later.
The next system upgrade will cost 8,000 SU points."
Arjun frowned. "That's it? What's with the penalty mission reward removal? I wasn't really hoping for that kind of change. What if I need the points?"
The system immediately responded, pulling up a new set of data. System: "Your dungeon hunting mission consists of completing 10 dungeon gates. The dungeons are located around the world:
1. Frostspire Depths – Antarctica
2. Abyssal Aqueduct – Egypt
3. Inferno's Ascent – United States
4. Araneum Abyss – Australia
5. Verdant Labyrinth – Brazil
6. Stormforge Depths – Norway
7. The Abyssal Vault – United Kingdom
8. Ratkin Warrens – New Zealand
9. Emberwing Sanctum – China
10. Eclipse Abyss – India.
Arjun's eyes narrowed at the mention of the final dungeon. "Eclipse Abyss… isn't that the same place my parents…?"
System: "Yes. The Eclipse Abyss dungeon in India holds the key to avenging your parents' death. But remember, the mission must be completed step by step. You cannot jump ahead."
Arjun swallowed hard, his throat tight. The mention of his parents brought back a flood of painful memories. His parents had been killed in a mysterious incident connected to the dungeon, and ever since, Arjun had been seeking answers—seeking revenge.
"What kind of rewards are we talking about?" he asked, his voice low.
System: "Completing all nine dungeons will grant you the following rewards:
• 30,000 System Points
• 15,052 SU Points
• 100 Lottery Spins
• 100 Healing Potions
• 100 Mana Recovery Potions
• 100 Strength Potions
Tool:
• Ignis Luminaris
Abilities:
• Soul Renewal
• Abyssal Breath
• Thermal Resilience
• Crimson Impalement
• Soulbreaker Fist
• Incisive Water
• Dust Storm
• Satta Agacchati
Arjun's heart raced at the mention of the abilities. Each one sounded more powerful than the last. But even with the allure of these rewards, his thoughts remained focused on the final dungeon—Eclipse Abyss.
"This mission," Arjun muttered, his voice laced with bitterness, "it's more than just a mission, isn't it? It's about avenging my parents. I'll finally get my revenge."
The system responded calmly, System: "Yes, but remember, vengeance is a dangerous path. The Eclipse Abyss is not like the other dungeons. It is where your destiny will collide with your past."
Arjun nodded, his hands tightening into fists. "I know. But I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes."
A silence hung between him and the system for a moment, the gravity of his resolve sinking in. After a while, he finally spoke again, "Tell me about the abilities. You haven't explained all of them yet."
System: "The details of the abilities will be revealed after you complete the dungeon hunting mission. Until then, you will need to focus on preparing."
Arjun grimaced. "Prepare? How can I prepare when I don't even have enough money? What am I supposed to do now?"
System: "Simple. Sell whatever useless rewards and items you have accumulated so far. Use that money to prepare yourself for the journey. And… I suggest you set aside some money for your sister as well."
Arjun's mind raced. His sister. He had almost forgotten about her in the chaos of his own fears. She relied on him, and he had always promised to protect her. No matter how dangerous his path became, he couldn't abandon her.
"I'll sell whatever I have," he said, his voice softening as he thought of her. "I'll make sure she's taken care of before I go."
System: "That would be wise. You must also prepare for the journey. You will depart next week."
Arjun nodded, a heavy sigh escaping his lips. "Fine. One week. I'll be ready."
He picked up his phone and opened his messages. His fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before typing a reply to Riya.
"I can't meet you next week. Something's come up. Sorry."
He hit send and tossed the phone onto his bed, leaning back against the wall. The weight of everything pressed down on him-his future, his family, his responsibilities. There was no turning back now. The dungeons awaited him, and with them, the answers he had been searching for.
But deep down, a nagging fear still lingered. The vision of the future, that voice-was it a warning, or was it inevitable?
As the system's screen blinked off, Arjun clenched his fists, the fire of determination burning in his eyes. He wasn't the villain of this story. He refused to be.
But one question haunted him still: What if the future couldn't be changed?