The morning light spilled over the hills as Shyam Baba watched Shiva prepare his satchel — hammer, sword, a few herbs, and the faintly glowing ring on his finger.
The tattoos on his hands shimmered in rhythm, the right pulsing ember-red, the left gleaming with wind-like silver.
"You've grown stronger," Baba said, voice deep and steady. "And more restless."
Shiva looked up, smiling faintly. "Guess sitting still for twenty-one days wasn't my thing."
Baba chuckled softly. "Then it's time you moved again. Your next path lies east — to the Choti Patandevi Temple. A Shaktipeeth of the old goddess. The winds carry her whispers still."
Shiva straightened, sensing the gravity in Baba's tone. "What will I find there?"
Baba's eyes turned distant. "Answers. And trials. The goddess does not open her vaults easily. But if you are chosen, you may find another fragment of what you seek — the ancient scroll."
Shiva nodded, tightening the strap across his shoulder. "Then I'll return with it."
The old sage simply said, "Go in silence. The Devi watches those who carry the fire and the wind."
The journey to the temple took two days.
The closer he came, the quieter the forest grew. Trees leaned inward as if in reverence — or warning. The temple itself stood carved into the face of a mountain, half-ruined, yet alive with faint blue symbols that pulsed with divine energy.
As Shiva stepped onto the cracked courtyard, the Interface flickered.
....
[Location: Shaktipeeth — Choti Patandevi Temple]
[Warning: Residual Divine Energy Detected]
[System Note: High Combat Potential in Area]
....
He barely had time to read before the air split open with a roar.
A figure emerged from the shadows — tall, bare-chested, skin the color of smoke. His eyes blazed red, and in his hand was a blackened trident.
"Who disturbs the rest of the Goddess?"
Shiva stepped forward cautiously, hammer ready. "I'm not here to desecrate. I'm looking for something — a scroll."
The man's grin was cruel but ancient. "Then prove your worth, mortal."
The name burned through the air like thunder.
"I am Bhairava — the Guardian of the Devi's Gate."
The fight was brutal.
Bhairava moved like lightning, his trident clashing against Shiva's hammer, then his sword. Sparks scattered across the temple floor. Shiva's tattoos flared — fire and wind moving as one.
But Bhairava was faster, each strike testing his balance, his focus.
"You rely too much on your strength", the guardian growled. "The sword demands precision, not rage".
Blow after blow, Shiva adjusted — breathing, flowing, adapting.
Finally, when Bhairava's trident came down in a sweeping arc, Shiva parried it perfectly — not with force, but timing. His sword hummed, slicing through the air like the wind itself.
The guardian stepped back, eyes narrowing — then smiling.
"You learn fast."
The trident vanished in a cloud of ash.
....
[Skill Progression: Sword Wielding → Lv.3]
[Trait Acquired: Fluid Precision]
....
Bhairava's form shimmered, his voice now calmer, almost proud.
"You have the spark of balance. Agni and Vayu walk with you."
He turned, gesturing toward the sanctum beyond.
Inside the dark chamber, an altar waited — and upon it, a half-burnt scroll piece glowing faintly gold.
Shiva approached reverently, the Interface pulsing again.
....
[Item Acquired: Ancient Scroll Fragment — (2/108)]
[Language: Unknown — Sanskritic Root Detected]
....
As he picked it up, Bhairava's voice echoed once more.
"Take this and remember the Devi. But you are not yet whole, boy. Learn the chant that guards the heart."
He raised his hand, tracing symbols in the air. The temple glowed faintly as the words settled deep in Shiva's consciousness.
"Om Aim Hreem Kleem Chamundayai Vichche."
The Navarn Mantra. The chant of the Great Goddess.
When Shiva repeated it under his breath, his whole body vibrated — the tattoos flaring brighter, his aura deepening.
....
[New Skill Unlocked: Navarn Mantra — Basic Invocation Lv.1]
[Effect: Spiritual Resistance and Focus Amplified]
....
Bhairava's shadow began to fade, merging with the pillars.
"When next we meet, you'll carry the weight of ten."
Shiva stood in silence, the wind whispering through the broken roof.
"Ten?" he murmured.
But Bhairava was gone.
Only the faint hum of the Devi's blessing lingered.
As Shiva stepped out of the temple, the Interface glowed once more.
....
[Level Up: 4 → Confirmed]
[Attributes Updated]
....
He smiled faintly, looking toward the distant hills.
"Time to go home."
The voice of the Ashen Ram rumbled softly within him.
"And tell him the flame has been tested."
The Azure Deer laughed lightly.
"And survived."
Shiva began his journey back to the hut — the sacred chant still echoing in his mind.
End of Chapter 16