Akash Varma's last memory was of rain.
Hyderabad's monsoon storm had rolled in without warning, sheets of water striking the world like silver needles. He remembered the feeling of weightlessness as the bus skidded. Remembered the flash of a collapsing overpass. Remembered the brief thought—
So this is how I die?
And then—darkness.
But the darkness didn't last.
In its place came a faint vibration… like the low hum of a cosmic engine warming up. A sensation of being stretched, dissolved, and woven back together. Akash opened his eyes.
A blood-red sky greeted him.
Not a metaphorical one. A literal red sky—the distinct hue caused by atmospheric contamination he had only ever read about in Swallowed Star.
His breath hitched.
"This… this is the post–Great Nirvana Earth."
He wasn't lying on a hospital bed or in some afterlife. He lay on a cracked rooftop of a half-destroyed apartment building, surrounded by old rusted railings and broken solar panels. The air smelled of metal and lingering beast aura.
The Great Nirvana disaster had ended not long before the start of Luo Feng's story. Humanity was just beginning to reorganize. The monsters created by the genetic virus roamed freely, and only proto–Fighter squads existed.
Reincarnation. Into this world.
Akash's heart pounded with a mix of fear and awe. He slowly sat up, touching his face and chest as if confirming his new existence.
He had a body around sixteen years old—healthy, slightly thin, but not weak. His hands were calloused slightly, suggesting basic manual labor. His clothes were worn military-grade fabric, too large for him, scavenged probably from an abandoned shelter.
Then the notification appeared.
A blue panel materialized before him.
[Multiverse Trading System – Initialization Complete]
Welcome, Akash Varma, Reincarnator. Your soul has been bound across Multiversal Causality. Trading permissions unlocked.
Akash didn't panic. He didn't shout or freeze like a typical light-novel protagonist.
He calmly exhaled.
"So it's a system after all. And not just any system… a multiverse trading one."
He stood and surveyed the ruined city below—broken highways, collapsed malls, forests reclaiming suburbs, and distant roars echoing across the landscape.
This Earth is a death zone. Luo Feng survived through luck and willpower. I will need more.
He focused on the panel.
"System, details."
The interface shifted instantly.
[System Functions]
1. Multiverse Marketplace Trade items, skills, knowledge, and resources from parallel worlds.
2. Appraisal Function Analyze anything you see.
3. Extraction Function Extract energy, material essence, or concepts from defeated beasts.
4. Trading Reputation (TR) Currency earned by completing trades, tasks, or missions. Used to purchase from the marketplace.
Current TR: 0
Akash's eyes narrowed in thought.
"This isn't a combat system. It's an economic and utility system."
But in a world where humanity struggled against monsters evolving at insane speeds, the ability to trade across universes was terrifyingly powerful.
He refocused.
First priority: survival.
Second: gain strength, enough to not die to a random horned boar or spider.
Third: locate a human settlement—likely one of the early Fighter bases before the Dojo of Limits rose to power.
A loud roar cut through his thoughts.
Something massive was approaching the building.
Akash crouched low and peeked from behind a solar panel.
A mutated wolf—nearly two meters tall at the shoulder—sniffed along the base of the ruined apartment. Its fur was bristled steel-grey, and its claws dug into concrete like it was soft mud.
High-level junior beast at least.
A creature like that could rip apart ten normal adults.
Akash quietly stepped back.
He wasn't a Fighter yet, not even close. In Swallowed Star terms, he lacked even the most basic genetic strengthening.
He scanned his surroundings.
A staircase leading down the building. Broken doors. Dust. And a shattered vending machine near the rooftop exit.
The wolf lifted its head suddenly, ears swiveling.
Akash felt his heartbeat accelerate.
He pressed a hand to the vending machine. "System—appraise."
[Object: Rusted Vending Machine]
Material: Steel alloy (contaminated) Functional Status: Broken Possible Extraction: 0.3 units of Metal Essence Trade Value: Low
Akash whispered, "Extract."
A faint white shimmer seeped from the vending machine, gathering into a small metallic orb in his palm. It pulsed with a soft glow like condensed moonlight.
[Metal Essence acquired]
TR +1
So even basic extraction could generate TR.
But the wolf's heavy steps were now climbing the stairwell.
Akash's eyes sharpened.
He wasn't a fighter, but he was strategic. Calm under pressure. And right now, the stairs were the wolf's only path.
He ran to the opposite side of the rooftop.
"System," he whispered, "show me the cheapest trade options."
The panel opened a new category.
[Low-Tier Marketplace – Items under 1 TR]
• Flash Pellet (Minor) – 1 TR A small bead that creates a blinding flash.
• Weak Adhesive Gel – 1 TR Sticky gel that slows small creatures; minimal effect on elite beasts.
• Rusty Tang Knife – 1 TR Sharp enough to cut wood.
A flash pellet.
Simple. Effective.
"Buy Flash Pellet."
[Flash Pellet acquired]
TR: 0
The wolf's head emerged onto the rooftop.
Its eyes immediately locked onto Akash.
He didn't waste a second.
He threw the flash pellet toward the stairwell entrance and turned away.
BANG!
A burst of white light exploded. Even with his eyes averted, Akash saw the glow through his eyelids.
The wolf howled in pain—stunned, blinded.
Akash sprinted.
Not toward the stairs.
But toward the building's emergency fire chute—a metal slide-like tube leading down the side. Most old Indian apartments had them, and apparently, some pre-disaster buildings here retained similar structures.
He leaped in.
The slide rattled violently as he shot downward like a bullet.
Behind him, the wolf roared, claws scraping at the rooftop.
He landed on the third floor, rolled, and forced himself up. Pain shot through his arms and back, but he kept moving. The hallway smelled like mold and rusted copper.
He searched for an exit to the lower floors—
THUD!
The wolf smashed down onto the level above, cracking concrete.
Akash found a shattered window, shoved aside broken curtains, and looked outside.
The ground floor was only ten meters down. Vines covered the walls like green ropes.
He grabbed one and slid down, friction burning his palms.
He hit the ground, stumbled, then regained balance.
The wolf's roar echoed again.
He couldn't stay here.
He sprinted through abandoned cars and overgrown pathways, ducking under fallen billboards.
The city was silent except for distant howls.
After several minutes, his breath steadied. He reached a collapsed flyover where broken concrete slabs formed a natural cave-like shelter.
Only then did he allow himself to rest.
Survival Priority Achieved: Escape Immediate Threat
He sat on a slab and opened the system again.
"System, long-term functions."
The interface shifted.
[Long-Term Growth Paths]
1. Become a Fighter: Use Extraction to strengthen your body. Trade for combat arts and weaponry.
2. Become a Psychic Master: Use system to trade for spiritual-strength training methods from other worlds.
3. Become a Multiversal Merchant: Focus on trading, reputation, resource accumulation.
4. Hybrid Path: Balance strength with trade-based growth.
Akash considered carefully.
Martial warriors in Swallowed Star needed intense physical training. Psychic masters needed talent and Willpower.
He didn't know his talent yet.
But he knew his mind.
He was calm. Analytical. Strategic.
Psychic Master path might be possible. But I need confirmation first.
"System, can I trade for spiritual-strength training manuals?"
Yes. But advanced manuals require high TR.
Good.
He looked at his hands.
If he could become a Spiritual Force user early—before Luo Feng even awakened—his potential would skyrocket.
But first, shelter. Food. Weapon. A safe route to a human base.
He activated the appraisal function and scanned his surroundings.
[Environment Appraisal]
Location: Ruined Sector-12, outskirts of Base City Jiang-Nan. Threat Level: Moderate. Nearest Human Settlement: 14 km east – Temporary Survivor Camp No. 3 Notable Hazard: Wandering wolf-type beast pack nearby.
There. A clear objective.
Go to the survivor camp.
On the way, gather TR. Extract essence. Trade for support items.
He stood, stretching his limbs.
His stomach growled loudly.
He laughed softly. "Food. First problem."
He scanned through the system shop.
Cheapest edible item: Compressed Nutrient Bar – 1 TR.
He had zero TR.
He needed to extract something.
He searched the area until he found a rusted crashed drone. Appraisal showed:
Possible Extraction: 0.2 Metal Essence
TR +0.5
Not enough.
He searched for more scrap. Broken street lamp. Back of a crushed taxi. An old electric meter box.
Each extraction gave tiny amounts.
Eventually—
[TR: 1.1]
"Buy one compressed nutrient bar."
A small silver-wrapped bar materialized in his hand.
He ate slowly, every bite flooding him with warmth and energy.
He then heard rustling.
A mutated rat—about the size of a rabbit—approached the open clearing ahead.
Its teeth glowed faintly. A low-level beast, but still dangerous to normal humans.
Akash's eyes sharpened.
He needed TR.
And meat.
"System," he whispered, "scan that rat."
[Mutated Rat – Junior Level]
Weakness: Spine, underbelly. Combat Prediction: Kill possible with sharp weapon and correct angle. Risk: Moderate. Possible Reward: 0.4 Beast Essence Trade Value: Medium.
Akash took a deep breath.
He didn't have a weapon.
But he had rubble.
He picked up a fist-sized rock, weighed it, and steadied his breath.
"Just like cricket bowling," he muttered.
He stepped forward quietly.
The rat twitched.
Akash threw the stone with all his force.
CRACK!
The stone struck the rat's spine. It screeched and collapsed, twitching violently.
Akash ran over and slammed a second rock into its skull—swift, decisive, strategic.
He wasn't a fighter, but he understood survival.
He wiped sweat off his forehead and activated extraction.
A soft reddish energy drifted from the rat's corpse into his palm.
[Beast Essence acquired]
TR +2
TR: 3.1
Progress.
Akash exhaled deeply.
His mind remained calm, but excitement flickered beneath.
This is real. I can grow stronger. I can survive.
He looked toward the east. The survivor camp was still many kilometers away.
He picked up a rusted crowbar from the rubble—better than bare hands—and continued walking through the ruins.
Along the way, he extracted essence from broken structures, defeated two more mutated rats, and avoided a horned boar.
By the time he reached the outskirts of the survivor camp, the sun was setting.
Smoke rose from the camp. Guards wearing patched armor stood on makeshift walls.
A teenage girl at the gate yelled, "Identify yourself!"
Akash raised his hands peacefully.
"Survivor. Alone. No infection symptoms."
She studied him, then lowered her spear.
"You're lucky. A wolf pack passed nearby a few hours ago."
Akash forced a tired smile. "I know. I escaped from one."
Her eyes widened. "You survived that? Without a weapon?"
He simply nodded.
Calm and strategic. Always.
Inside the camp, refugees huddled under tents. A pot of soup boiled over a fire. Children cried. Old men repaired makeshift barricades.
Humanity, broken but not defeated.
A man wearing a faded military jacket—the camp leader—approached.
"You look young. But your eyes… not like others."
Akash replied politely, "I'm just trying to survive."
The leader nodded approvingly.
"Settle here for tonight," he said. "Tomorrow, a supply convoy from the Jiang-Nan Base City is expected. If it arrives safely, they might take in a few survivors."
Akash's heartbeat quickened.
A direct route into Base City Jiang-Nan.
Into the world where Dojo of Limits and Thunder Dojo would rise.
Where Luo Feng would one day train.
Where opportunity waited.
As night settled, Akash sat by a small fire, absorbing the warmth.
He opened his system panel again.
[TR: 5.3]
Enough for early investments.
"What options do I have for mental training?" he asked softly.
The system displayed new items.
• Basic Meditation (Crossworld Variant) – 3 TR Improves spiritual sensitivity. Foundation-level.
• Focus Crystal (Temporary) – 2 TR Boosts concentration for 10 minutes.
• Minor Neural Stabilizer – 5 TR Improves brain signal clarity; small boost to spiritual growth.
Akash's eyes narrowed.
Spiritual strength was the key to Psychic Master.
He bought Basic Meditation Manual.
A rush of information flooded his mind—breathing methods, visualization techniques, mental pathways.
He felt his mind sharpen instantly.
Then he asked for one more appraisal.
"System. Evaluate my spiritual potential."
The response came slowly, like the system was deeply analyzing.
[Spiritual Potential: Above Average]
Compatible with Psychic Master Path. Recommended Direction: Mental Force Awakening.
A calm smile touched Akash's lips.
He wasn't a genius like Luo Feng.
But he didn't need to be.
He had the Multiverse Trading System.
He had strategy.
He had a second life.
Under the blood-red night sky of the post–Great Nirvana Earth, Akash Varma closed his eyes and began his first meditation.
Faint ripples of spiritual force stirred around him—weak, but present.
A beginning.
A path opening.
A new star rising in the darkness.