The forest behind Shyam Baba's hut was older than the city itself.
Its trees twisted skyward like forgotten prayers, roots sinking deep into bones of earth long cooled.
And within that silence — Shiva trained.
Each swing of his hammer cracked the morning air.
Each slash of his sword carved wind into rhythm.
Steel, breath, focus.
Over and over.
For seventeen days.
He trained until his palms bled, until his ribs screamed, until even the Ashen Ram's warmth in his veins began to pulse with exhaustion.
In daylight, the hammer sang.
At dusk, the sword hummed.
At night — silence and meditation, where his mind would blur into the rhythmic chant of Gayatri.
His breath became mantra.
His thoughts became still water.
Even the Interface had grown quiet — only faint green pulses reminding him it still watched.
Then came the eighteenth dawn.
He awoke before the sun. His body ached, but something in the air felt wrong.
The wind trembled — birds silent, insects gone.
Then the familiar mechanical whisper pierced the silence:
[System Alert: Unidentified Energy Signature Detected – 0.4 km North]
[Classification: Beast Entity]
[Threat Level: Moderate–High]
[Caution: Host Synchronization Reactivity – Rising]
Shiva opened his eyes. The Ashen Ram tattoo on his right hand flared faint green — not in warning, but in recognition.
"Another one…?" he murmured, tightening his grip around Vajra-Agni.
He followed the pulse.
Through the mist, the forest opened into a grove — sunlight dripping through the branches like molten gold.
There, standing in the clearing, was a deer.
But this was no creature of peace. Its hide shimmered with silver light, and from its hooves rose faint blue sparks each time it stepped. Its antlers glowed faintly — like carved crystals channeling breath itself.
It looked at Shiva — and the world slowed.
[Beast Identified — Azure Deer]
[Element: Wind]
[Behavior: Territorial / Adaptive]
Shiva exhaled slowly. "Alright, let's dance."
The deer moved first.
A blur of light and air — faster than his eyes could track.
He barely blocked the first strike; the shockwave sent him spinning into a tree.
Bark splintered. His ribs groaned.
[HP: 73 → 46]
[Kinetic Absorption: Active (11%)]
He slammed Vajra-Agni into the earth — absorbing the next impact and redirecting it upward in a pulse of green fire.
The explosion tore through the grove, smoke twisting like serpents.
But when it cleared, the deer was gone.
"Too fast," he hissed.
A shadow flickered to his left.
The deer rammed — lightning fast — gashing his arm before vanishing again.
"Damn—!"
His right hand burned; the Ashen Ram's tattoo pulsed violently, like a second heartbeat.
Then he felt it — the rhythm of the forest, the rush of the wind.
He closed his eyes and let instinct take over.
Not sight — but pulse. Flow.
When the next gust shifted, he moved first.
The hammer met the deer's antlers mid-charge, and the collision cracked the air like thunder.
The creature staggered, hooves digging into earth. Shiva followed through — his sword Vajra-Vāyu slicing the wind, catching the creature's flank.
The deer stumbled, breathing raggedly, eyes wide with defiance — not fear.
Its antlers dimmed. Its body trembled, but it didn't fall.
Neither did Shiva.
He was down to one knee, bleeding, lungs on fire.
His hammer slipped from his grip, sinking into the soil.
[HP: 18 / 120]
[Energy Reserves: Critical]
[Recommendation: Disengage]
He looked at the creature — equally broken, yet alive.
Two survivors of a battle neither fully understood.
The deer lowered its head slightly, antlers brushing the earth. For a brief second, its eyes reflected the same green glow that pulsed in his palm.
"…You're not my enemy, are you?" he whispered.
The Interface flickered, faint static bleeding through the letters:
[Optional Link Detected — Synchronization Possible]
[Status: Pending Mutual Consent]
But Shiva couldn't move anymore.
His vision blurred — the world tipping sideways.
The last thing he saw before darkness swallowed him was the deer, still breathing beside him.
Alive. Watching.
The wind in the grove slowed.
The trees stopped swaying.
And the forest exhaled — quiet once more.
Somewhere deep inside the Interface, faint code stirred.
[Host Vital Signs: Stable]
[Beast Entity Vital Signs: Stable]
[Link Probability: 87%]
[Awaiting Conscious Authorization…]
The green glow faded into the still dawn.
And the grove, once silent, began to breathe again.
End of Chapter 13