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KAVACH Headquarters, New Delhi, Bharat, May 28, 1943
Karna and Rudra exchanged determined glances before uncorking the ornate bottle. The shimmering liquid inside seemed to pulse with energy, casting a soft glow on their faces. They each took a deep breath and drank the potion, feeling its power surge through their bodies.
Karna, who already possessed the metahuman powers of telepathy and telekinesis, felt an immediate change. His dark brown eyes, always intense and thoughtful, now gleamed with a golden hue, reflecting his enhanced mental abilities. His hair, once a deep black, now had subtle streaks of silver, adding to his distinguished appearance. His facial features sharpened, giving him a more chiseled and commanding presence. His already strong jawline became more pronounced, and his cheekbones higher, adding to his masculine charm.
Rudra, with his power of temperature control, experienced a similar transformation. His eyes, which were a warm brown, now sparkled with a hint of icy blue, symbolizing his enhanced control over temperature. His hair, originally a rich black, now had a slight blue tint, reminiscent of the cold he could command. His facial features also became more defined, with a stronger jawline and more prominent cheekbones. His overall appearance exuded a rugged handsomeness, amplified by the newfound power coursing through him.
As the potion took full effect, both men stood taller, their physiques more muscular and imposing. Their skin seemed to glow with vitality, and their presence commanded respect and admiration. Aryan watched with satisfaction as his friends underwent their transformations, knowing that they were now even more formidable allies.
He also noted how the enhancement of their bodies was slightly affected in terms of appearance by their powers. Shakti and Nalini had not been affected in similar ways and only had gone through enhancements in their general appearances, as Aryan facilitated their whole racial change to High Human, which broke their racial limits and was more Demi-god level or High Elf level in terms of power. The race of High Human also had a very high ceiling in terms of power level; although the general power level was as previously mentioned, the higher levels of power ceiling matched a god in power, although the divinity was not present as it required special circumstances to have it.
Aryan himself, after being a High Human for almost nine years, had reached the power level of Silver Age Superman if only his physical powers were considered, as his body had been adapting to the various energies from all over the Omniverse. He just needed to know the circumstances of awakening his divinity, and he would achieve it.
Karna and Rudra, however, were still within the limits of the human race but at the peak of it. Perhaps that would change if he granted Karna a similar Kavach and Kundal, of his own creation, to the one Suryaputra Karna had in the times of Mahabharat.
He decided to talk to him later personally about this, as the whole racial change would make him an extremely long-lived race, and he had to ensure that Karna was fine with it.
Karna flexed his fingers, feeling the enhanced strength and agility in his body. "This is incredible," he said, his voice filled with awe. "I can feel the power coursing through me."
Rudra nodded, a confident smile spreading across his face. "We are ready for whatever comes our way, Director. Thank you for this gift."
Astra Lok, May 28, 1943
While Karna and Rudra underwent their transformations, Shakti and Nalini found themselves training their newfound abilities in a separate dimension created by Aryan for this purpose, named Astra Lok. This game-like space was designed to test their abilities and teamwork, filled with various monsters and enemies, which were inspired by various stories from Aryan's previous life, across 100 levels. These monsters were very realistic simulations in their make and feel, creating a sensation that they were real.
Shakti's beautiful green eyes glowed with blue light as she energetically darted through the first few levels with ease, her enhanced powers as well as cosmic and eldritch energy, which she now had access to, creating dazzling displays of light and power.
"Hehehe, Wow, Aryan has simply outdone himself creating such a fun and magical space," she said, laughing and enjoying a rare moment of enjoyment she felt after a long time while clearing the mobs on the lower levels of Astra Lok and bringing out her inner child.
"Hey, Varshu, let's have a race. Let's see who clears more mobs between us," she continued while playfully trying to provoke Nalini, who she sometimes called Varshu as a nickname between best friends, inspired by her superhero moniker Varshika.
Nalini, a few meters away from her, was calm and composed despite the provocation, and controlled the weather and natural elements with precision. Her originally beautiful black eyes were glowing with white light and her every move calculated and graceful, clearing her own share of mobs.
"Haah…calm down, will you? We are here to train our new powers, not play," she sighed and gently berated her friend and fellow sister engaged to the same man, with a hint of a smile from the enjoyment she felt inwardly in this space. Her training as a princess did not allow her to be as expressive in these situations, but she felt more and more grateful and loving towards Aryan for granting them access to such a place where she could be as free as possible.
"But…" Shakti said while finishing up the last mob and pouting in dissatisfaction.
"Ok, don't pout. Fine, let's have a race," Nalini said in a gentle way, seeing her friend like this and agreeing to her.
Shakti smiled sweetly in response to her victory and dashed ahead, bringing out her talwar and combining it with her powers, marching ahead with victory in their little competition in mind.
"Hehehe…..then I will go ahead. See ya"
"Haah…." Nalini sighed at her childishness and followed in the same way, bringing out her own magi-tech rifles and hurriedly following behind her, not intending to lose either.
As they progressed, the challenges grew tougher. Finally, they ended their competition as they reached the 50th level, with Nalini winning by a slight margin.
"Okay, we should end this race here and focus on teamwork," Nalini said, smiling sweetly at winning by a close margin due to her long-range expertise and ending the competition.
"Fiiine… but I will win next time," Shakti reluctantly said, fully intending to win next time.
At the end of the floor, they faced a formidable monster boss, a towering wyvern with scales as hard as steel and eyes that glowed with malevolent intelligence. Shakti grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Ready for some fun, Nalini?"
Nalini nodded, her expression serene but determined. "Let's show this beast what we're made of."
The battle was intense. Shakti unleashed waves of cosmic energy, her movements a blur as she danced around the monster, striking with pinpoint accuracy. Nalini summoned a storm, lightning crackling around her as she directed bolts of energy at their foe. The monster roared, its attacks fierce and relentless, but the two women were a perfect team.
Shakti's playful taunts and agile maneuvers kept the monster off balance, while Nalini's calm and strategic strikes steadily weakened it. Finally, with a combined attack of cosmic and elemental energy, they brought the beast down. It collapsed with a thunderous crash, the ground shaking beneath them.
Breathing heavily but triumphant, Shakti turned to Nalini with a grin. "That was exhilarating! Ready for the next level?"
Nalini smiled, her eyes reflecting her affection for Shakti and Aryan. "Always. Let's keep going."
They continued their journey through the dungeon, their bond and powers growing stronger with each challenge they faced.
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