Chapter: A Serpent's Encounter
Bhoumik's body was heavy, his limbs weighed down as though shackled by unseen chains. His eyelids fluttered, resisting the urge to open. A sharp pain coursed through his body, his senses slowly returning after three days of unconsciousness. When he finally forced his eyes open, darkness surrounded him. The air was damp and cold, a faint scent of stone and earth in the atmosphere. His mind reeled, struggling to piece together his last memory—a vague recollection of collapsing inside a cave, overwhelmed by exhaustion.
As his eyes adjusted to the dimness, he sensed something—something large and alive. A faint rustling sound echoed in the space, sending a chill down his spine. Then, out of the shadows, a pair of glowing purple and dark eyes appeared, their gleam cutting through the darkness like knives. They belonged to a massive serpent, its dark, scaled body coiled ominously in front of him.
Instinctively, Bhoumik's heart skipped a beat, his muscles tensing as fear threatened to paralyze him. The serpent's presence exuded an overwhelming aura of power and danger. But Bhoumik wasn't one to panic easily. Even as terror tried to take hold, his mind raced, searching for any possible way out of this predicament. His sharp intellect told him that running or fighting wouldn't work—his chances against a creature of this size were slim to none.
As the serpent's head moved closer, Bhoumik stepped back, his foot catching on the uneven cave floor. He fell, his hand scraping against the cold stone ground, leaving a small but painful cut. Blood dripped from the wound, staining the ground beneath him. He winced but kept his eyes on the serpent, refusing to let it see any more fear than necessary. Yet, inside, he was preparing for the worst, considering every possible escape, every slim chance of survival.
The serpent, however, didn't attack. Instead, its gaze was fixed on the spot where Bhoumik's blood had fallen. A strange silence filled the cave as the serpent's eyes dilated, its massive body tensing. Bhoumik, sensing something had shifted, remained perfectly still.
The serpent sniffed the air, and then, much to Bhoumik's surprise, it recoiled slightly, as if startled. Its eyes were still locked on him, but there was no longer the same predatory hunger. Instead, there was something else—fear.
The serpent's thoughts raced. "This human... his blood... How can this be?".The creature's thoughts echoed through its mind, panic rising within it. "Even I, who carry the most ancient bloodline of the primordial serpents, feel fear from his blood. This human's bloodline is far stronger than anything I've encountered. But it's sealed... even he doesn't seem to be aware of it."
The serpent pondered its next move. Revealing this knowledge to Bhoumik could be dangerous, both for him and for the serpent itself. After all, a human with such a bloodline could potentially become a force to be reckoned with, if he ever awakened that power. The serpent resolved to keep this secret and instead offer its allegiance.
The serpent's massive head loomed over Bhoumik, its purple and dark eyes glowing ominously as it finally spoke. Its voice was deep but unmistakably feminine, echoing through the cave like a slow rumble.
"Hey, human," the serpent's voice cut through the air, startling Bhoumik out of his thoughts. "What are you doing in this place?"
Bhoumik blinked, shocked. He had read about mythical creatures capable of speech, especially in ancient texts, but experiencing it firsthand was entirely different. His heart pounded in his chest, but he fought to keep his voice steady.
"Who's there?!" he demanded, looking around, still expecting to see a person step forward.
The serpent slithered closer, its enormous head now directly above him. "I am the one speaking, human. I am the serpent in front of you."
Bhoumik's eyes widened in disbelief. His mind whirled as he tried to process this. A talking serpent? It wasn't unheard of in mythological tales, but this was far from the realm of fantasy. He steadied himself, trying not to let his shock show.
"You... can talk?" Bhoumik asked cautiously, his voice low.
The serpent's tongue flicked out, tasting the air. "I can. Does that bother you?"
"No, no," Bhoumik quickly replied. "It's just... unexpected. Are you going to kill me?"
The serpent gave a low, rumbling laugh, its eyes narrowing. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done so the moment you entered this cave. Eating a mortal like you would do me no good."
"Mortal?" Bhoumik's curiosity piqued at the word. "What do you mean by 'mortal'? And can you tell me where I am?"
The serpent's head tilted slightly, as if studying him. "Do you truly not know where you are? Do you not know of cultivation, human?"
Bhoumik hesitated. How could he explain his situation to a talking serpent? His mind returned to his previous life—the technology, the science, his engineering career. But that life felt like a distant memory now. He had somehow crossed into another world.
"Well... what if I told you I'm not from this world? I don't belong here. I just... appeared."
The serpent's eyes widened, its thoughts racing. *"Not from this world? How could a human like him traverse the boundaries of worlds?"* She stared at him in silence for a moment, her thoughts concealed behind those glowing eyes.
"And how did you end up here, then?" the serpent asked, her voice holding an edge of suspicion.
Bhoumik closed his eyes, trying to remember. He could recall Mount Kailash, the strange fruits, the portal... but beyond that, his memory blurred. The image of the vertical eye and the merging of blood was faint, slipping through his thoughts like sand through his fingers.
"I... don't know," Bhoumik finally admitted, frustration creeping into his voice. "I just know I don't belong here. One moment I was in my world, and the next, I woke up here."
The serpent regarded him with a long, unreadable stare before speaking again. "First, tell me your name, human."
"My name is Bhoumik Pal," he replied, his voice steady.
"I am Maya," the serpent said. "This place you find yourself in, Bhoumik, is the Frozen Continent—one of six continents in this world. You are in the world of cultivation now, and this is the second largest continent."
Bhoumik's mind raced. He had read countless cultivation novels, but hearing this from the mouth of a giant serpent made it feel unreal. His life had just taken a complete turn, and the reality of this new world was beginning to sink in.
He looked up at Maya, determination settling in his chest. "So... I'm in a world of cultivation? Then, tell me everything I need to know. If I'm going to survive here, I need to learn."
Maya's eyes glimmered with a mixture of curiosity and amusement. "This human is different. His bloodline is more powerful than he realizes, but he has no idea of the forces at play within him."
She coiled her body slightly and nodded. "Very well, Bhoumik. I will tell you everything you need to know. But know this—your journey in this world will be long and perilous. You will need more than just knowledge to survive."
Bhoumik met her gaze, his eyes unwavering. "I'm ready."
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