The dragon's wings beat like thunder, carrying them thousands of feet above the world. Clouds shredded around its scales as it cut through the sky, every movement shaking the air itself.
Below them, the jungle of Vaikunth Dham was nothing more than a carpet of green. Rivers curled like silver snakes, villages were dots of smoke, and mountains loomed on the horizon.
Aryan clung to the dragon's neck as if his soul depended on it. "Three… thousand feet in the air… yup, this is fine. Totally safe. No chance of falling to my doom." His knuckles were white, his teeth chattering even though the air was warm.
Ganpat, meanwhile, spread his arms wide like a madman, hair whipping in the wind. "Aaaaaah! Freedom! This is better than wine!"
Zhang Xuan sat cross-legged near the dragon's back spikes, silent, steady, his eyes closed like he was meditating through the storm. To Aryan, it looked unnatural. "How is he not panicking?! He's sitting like we're in a damn rickshaw ride!"
The dragon snorted, smoke trailing from its nostrils, as if insulted.
Aryan leaned closer, forcing a laugh. "Sooo… uh, Zhang, right? Guess we should… get to know each other? Y'know, since we're not dying… yet."
Zhang Xuan opened one eye, unimpressed. "…Speak, then."
Aryan swallowed, suddenly aware of the weight in his chest. "Back in my village… I—I saw it get destroyed. Everything I knew, burned to ash by some masked figure." His fists clenched. "I don't know who they were, or why… but I'll never forget that moment."
A silence hung for a second.
Then—
System:
[Correction: You do know who. His name is Aditya Raj. The same guy who wiped the floor with you.]
Aryan twitched. "…Shut up."
System:
[Reminder: He beat you so bad, your bones still file complaints at night.]
Aryan's face turned red. "I SAID SHUT UP!"
Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow. "…Are you shouting at me or the wind?"
Aryan laughed nervously, waving his hands. "N-nothing! Nothing at all!"
Zhang Xuan finally opened both eyes, his gaze sharp. "Since you told yours… I'll tell mine."
His voice carried no hesitation, no jokes—only iron. "My family's name is cursed. Every venture, every step, every breath—it ends in disaster. My parents were cut down in a bandit raid. My master was crushed under a collapsing cliff. My friends…" His lips pressed tight. "…all gone."
The wind howled between them, but his voice stayed calm, steady, like a blade being drawn. "I survived. Not because fate saved me. Because I trained until my hands bled. Because I refused to die when everything said I should. That's why I'm going to Nalanda. Not for safety. Not for recognition. To become the strongest sword user alive—so that no curse, no misfortune, can ever chain me again."
Aryan blinked. "…"
System:
[Comparison Report: Zhang Xuan = tragic hero, training to become strongest swordsman in existence. Aryan = attending Nalanda because a girl told him to.]
Aryan's shoulders slumped. "…Thanks for the reminder."
System:
[You're welcome. I live to serve… and mock.]
Aryan puffed his cheeks, frustration boiling. "Fine! If you're so amazing with your sword and your training and your destiny, then… then teach me something! I need to get stronger too!"
Zhang Xuan frowned. "You? Stronger? You can't even hold your balance without screaming."
Aryan's face darkened. "That's not fair! I'm at Chakra 1, Stage 3 already!"
Zhang Xuan's eyes widened a little. "…At your age?"
Aryan brightened. "See! Not useless!"
System:
[Correction: Not only that. You're already carrying chakra reserves equal to a Chakra 2, Stage 2 cultivator. Ten times the average brat your age. You're basically a walking calamity pretending to be weak.]
Aryan froze. "…Wait, what?"
System:
[Yeah, you're a monster. And you're asking for more chakra skills. What's next, you wanna fistfight another dragon?]
Aryan muttered weakly, "I mean… it wouldn't hurt…"
System:
[…Did I just say that out loud? I'm mocking myself now. Who am I talking about? Oh right—the kid petting a pet dragon. Guess you do need more power.]
Aryan buried his face in his hands, groaning. "I hate you so much."
Zhang Xuan tilted his head, staring. "You really are insane, aren't you?"
Ganpat stretched, yawning. "Insane, lucky, cursed… doesn't matter. What matters is—this is only the beginning, lads. You'll either be legends… or disasters."
The dragon roared beneath them, splitting a cloud in half as the horizon widened with endless possibilities.