### **Chapter 1: The Death and Rebirth of a Conqueror**
**Mumbai, 2025**
The city was alive, but Gautam Varma felt dead inside.
He moved through the neon-lit streets of Mumbai, his mind heavy with frustration. He was a man out of place in this modern world—a dreamer burdened with visions of a glorious Bharat, united and powerful. But here? Dreams meant nothing. Corruption ruled, divisions deepened, and his ideals were drowned in the noise of politics and greed.
Raindrops fell, splashing onto the pavement as he walked deeper into the maze-like alleys. A flicker of movement caught his eye. Before he could react, a sharp pain exploded in his back. His knees buckled, blood pooling beneath him.
Through blurred vision, he saw the silhouette of his killer—face hidden beneath a mask, blade dripping red.
"Who...?" Gautam gasped, but the only answer was silence.
The city's lights faded as darkness crept in, but a strange warmth filled him. His heartbeat slowed, but his mind remained awake, alert, *alive*.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the void.
**[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]**
**[The Wheel of Reincarnation has chosen you.]**
**[Do you wish to fulfill your destiny?]**
Gautam's fading consciousness clung to the words. "Yes," he whispered. "I want to return… as a king. I will unite Bharat."
The voice deepened, almost reverent.
**[Wish Granted.]**
**[Reincarnating…]**
A blinding light swallowed him whole.
---
### **Maurya Empire, 3rd Century BCE**
The cries of a newborn echoed through the royal palace of Pataliputra. Emperor Ashoka, the mighty Chakravarti, stood beside his queen, Devi. The midwives gasped in awe—the child they had delivered bore strange markings on his chest, patterns resembling ancient symbols.
Devi cradled the infant, but instead of crying, the baby opened his eyes wide—deep, intelligent, and filled with something… ancient.
Ashoka leaned in. "This boy… he carries the soul of a warrior."
The queen smiled softly. "His name shall be **Vikramaditya**."
But within the baby's mind, Gautam was very much awake. His memories were fragmented—his death, the voice in the void, and now, this.
**[SYSTEM ONLINE]**
**[Welcome, Vikramaditya. Son of Ashoka the Great.]**
**[Reincarnation Level 1 Unlocked.]**
**[Special Ability: Sovereign's Will — The power to command loyalty and shape the destiny of nations.]**
His infant body was fragile, but his soul was burning with ambition. The system wasn't just a tool—it was his path to creating **Akhand Bharat**, a united subcontinent stretching from the peaks of the Himalayas to the southern tip of Lanka.
**[New Quest Unlocked: Forge the First Empire.]**
**[Objective: Begin the foundation of Akhand Bharat. Reward: Unlock Skill — Strategic Vision.]**
Vikramaditya smiled. No longer bound by the limitations of his past life, he now had the tools, the knowledge, and the power to shape history.
But deep within, he also felt darker urges—a lust for power, for conquest, and the desire to crush those who would stand against him. If anyone dared to invade his lands, they would face merciless retribution. His enemies would be broken, their kingdoms burned, and their legacies erased.
This was just the beginning.
And this time, he would not fail.