Chapter 0: A Bondless World
Bôngoshôr.
A land that pulses with the rhythm of earth, wind, fire, and water. Not in the form of gods or blessings, but as Essence Currents—invisible flows of force that thread through mountains, jungles, rivers, and even living beings. This is a world not of magic, but of Shôktibondhon—the Bond of Force.
To live in Bôngoshôr is to fight for your place in it. The weak toil in fields or vanish in tribal wars. The strong rule through martial power, cultivating their bodies and minds to align with the primal forces flowing through the land. But there are no temples, no divine beings, no heroes blessed from birth. Only the bondless, and the bound.
To bond with a Current is to step into a new path of evolution. Some walk with the Jholtôn (Fluid Flow), dancing like riverfish between the blades of war. Others ride with the Agniboron (Flame Form), burning their enemies and their own limits. The most feared among them twist with the Shôrbotôn (Sound Pulse) or the Chhayashôr (Shadow Thread), wielding resonance and deception.
Yet, each bond comes with a cost—of will, of pain, of identity. One does not control a Current. One becomes one with it.
And in a quiet corner of modern-day Dhaka, completely unaware of the world that awaits him, sat Ehsan Rahman, eyes half-closed, phone screen glaring against his face.
It was past midnight. His rented flat was silent except for the hum of the ceiling fan and the distant barking of stray dogs. His desk was cluttered—half-finished assignments, old headphones, a cracked teacup. A pair of boxing gloves hung on the wall, long untouched.
Ehsan had dropped out of university a year ago. Not because he lacked talent. In fact, he had too much of it—and not enough focus to apply it to anything.
He scrolled through yet another manhua on his phone, this one about a weak-to-strong protagonist who gains power through an ancient spirit beast. He chuckled under his breath.
"If only, man," he muttered. "If I had a system, I'd have three harems and a flying tiger by now."
As if mocking his words, his phone suddenly buzzed—not the usual vibration, but a low-frequency hum that made his fingers tingle.
A new icon appeared on his screen. One he didn't remember installing.
[BondLink – Initiate Synchronization?]
He stared, blinking. It wasn't part of the manhua. It wasn't a game. Just a plain, glowing prompt.
"What kind of prank malware is this?"
He tapped it.
The phone screen cracked—not visually, but with a ripple of distortion. His vision blurred. The air grew heavy. His ears popped like during a plane takeoff. The fan above him groaned, spinning slower… and slower… until everything stopped.
Not black.
Not white.
Just silence.
A second later, he fell.
Not from his chair, but into open space. Into wind. Into heat. Into a roaring surge of sensation that overloaded his senses.
He didn't know how long he was falling. But when he landed, it wasn't concrete that greeted him.
It was soil. Damp, heavy, and alive with warmth.
He gasped for breath. Not air-conditioned air, but something thick with the scent of grass, earth, and woodsmoke.
Around him stretched a jungle—dense, wild, filled with animal cries and insect hums. The moon above him was brighter than any he'd seen. The stars seemed… closer.
His phone was gone. His backpack was gone.
But a voice echoed in his mind.
[BondLink Activated.]
[Synchronizing user consciousness with local Worldstream: Bôngoshôr.]
[Welcome, Ehsan Rahman. You are now classified as: Unbound Wanderer.]
[Beginner Guide available.]
"What the hell…?" Ehsan whispered, stumbling to his feet.
Another message followed.
[Warning: You are in a Level 2 Wild Zone. No bonds detected. Physical attributes below local average.]
[Recommendation: Seek shelter. Initiate minor Current absorption immediately.]
And just like that, the system he'd joked about was real.
His heart pounded. The air buzzed with pressure, as if the jungle itself was watching him. Somewhere in the distance, something howled.
He was no longer in Dhaka. No longer in the world of megabytes and microwaves.
He was in Bôngoshôr.
A world of Essence Currents. Of clans and killers. Of powers earned by pain and fate twisted by force.
A world where only the bound survived.
World Notes (as explained by the system in later chapters):
Essence Currents: Invisible streams of elemental force that run through Bôngoshôr. Martial artists align with these to unlock techniques, enhanced bodies, and supernatural movement.
Shôktibondhon (Bond of Force): The process of forming a mental-physical-spiritual connection to a specific Current. This bond must be trained, refined, and evolved to grow stronger.
Rank Progression:
Initiate Walker: Can sense Currents, no bond formed.
Binder: First bond formed; minor essence manipulation.
Resonance Cycle: Can circulate essence throughout the body; basic techniques unlocked.
Middle Binding: Advanced body strengthening, essence control, and combat adaptation.
Source Flow: Essence begins to flow naturally within user; clan-worthy strength.
Harmonized Core: Fighter acts in harmony with the Current itself; battlefield shaper.
Force Conductor: Few reach this level. They are forces of nature, not men.
Ehsan's Journey Begins
Ehsan, completely untrained, unbonded, and unarmed, now must:
Learn to survive among beasts, bandits, and martial practitioners.
Bond with a Current—despite his modern mind not being "aligned" with any traditional path.
Use the BondLink System to unlock martial knowledge from simulated training modules, gain affinity boosts, and detect others with harem potential.
Gradually evolve from an outsider to a powerful martial force, attracting both allies and enemies.
And ultimately discover why the system chose him, and what his presence means for the fate of Bôngoshôr.