Day Two.
Morning arrived bright and shameless.
The sun hung high in a cloudless sky, its warmth balanced by an early chill. A gentle wind moved through the ruins, carrying the scent of dust and distant grass. Everything felt perfect.
Which, Amitesh realized grimly, meant training was about to begin.
"If training didn't exist," he muttered, "this would be a great day."
"So," Gauri said cheerfully, stretching her arms, "Amitesh—ready for a date with gravity?"
She was still smiling when a shadow fell over them.
A long one.
Gauri froze mid-stretch.
Amitesh felt it instantly—the air changed. Not colder exactly, but heavier, like the world had decided to press down a little harder.
"…Why do I feel like I'm about to suffer again?" he murmured.
Zoey's voice came from behind Gauri.
"Date with gravity?"
Gauri flinched.
Slowly, she turned around.
Zoey stood there with her arms crossed, expression calm.
Too calm.
"I was joking," Gauri said quickly.
"Mostly."
Zoey didn't reply. Her eyes moved past Gauri—locking directly onto Amitesh.
He raised both hands weakly. "I didn't say anything. I was being bullied."
Zoey nodded once. "Good. Then you won't mind standing up."
Amitesh stared at her. "…Right now?"
"Yes."
He tried.
His legs trembled violently, like they were replaying yesterday's pain in high definition. He managed to rise halfway before his knees threatened mutiny.
That's when Gauri clapped her hands excitedly.
"Wait! Wait! Since it's Day Two—"
Zoey's eyes shifted toward her.
Gauri swallowed.
"…I want to help."
Silence.
The air itself seemed to pause.
The System flickered uncertainly.
[SYSTEM QUERY]
Additional Trainer Detected
Authorization Pending…
Zoey tilted her head slightly. "Help how?"
Gauri smiled with dangerous innocence. "I'll motivate him!"
Amitesh's eyes widened. "No. No, no, no—"
Zoey considered it.
Then—
"Fine."
The System chimed instantly.
[SYSTEM AUTHORIZATION GRANTED]
Secondary Trainer: Gauri
Warning: Efficiency may drop. Sadism may rise.
Gauri beamed. "Yay!"
Amitesh felt dread sink deep into his soul.
"Okay," Gauri said, skipping over to him. "Rule one: no sitting."
She kicked the ground near his leg.
"Up."
He stood.
Barely.
Zoey snapped her fingers.
The weight returned.
[GRAVITY FIELD ACTIVE]
Local Gravity: x2.5
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Day Two starts softer.
That is a lie.
Gauri planted herself in front of him, hands on her hips.
"Yesterday you survived because you were stubborn," she said. "Today, you move because I say so."
She pointed forward.
"Run."
"…Run where?" Amitesh asked weakly.
She smiled brightly. "Yes."
Zoey leaned against a broken wall. "Five laps."
Amitesh took one step.
Then another.
His body screamed in protest.
Gauri jogged backward in front of him, completely unaffected. "Come on! Pretend Zoey is chasing you!"
"That is NOT motivating!"
The System updated helpfully.
[SYSTEM SUGGESTION]
Imagined Threat: Zoey
Adrenaline Output: Increased
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Fear is a renewable resource.
Halfway through the second lap, Amitesh stumbled.
Before he could fall—
Flick.
Pain exploded through his skull.
"Hey!"
"No falling," Gauri said sweetly. "That's my help."
Zoey nodded. "Good correction."
Amitesh looked up at the sky. "System… please…"
System: Please specify request.
"…Mercy."
System: Request denied.
Mercy DLC not installed.
Gauri clapped again. "New part!"
She picked up a rusted metal rod and tossed it at him.
"Carry that."
"That's a PIPE."
"Yes!" she said proudly. "Extra weight!"
Zoey added casually, "Channel your energy while moving."
Amitesh nearly cried.
[SYSTEM CHALLENGE ADDED]
Condition: Movement under gravity + external load
Reward: Unknown
Failure: Vomiting (likely)
By the fifth lap, he collapsed to one knee—panting, shaking, but still alive.
Gauri leaned down, grinning. "See? I helped."
Zoey stepped forward. "For someone with one day of training," she said, "you're not useless anymore."
Amitesh looked up. "…Is that a compliment?"
"Yes."
The System chimed softly.
[DAY TWO LOG]
Assist Trainers: Questionable
Pain Level: High
Growth Rate: Accelerating
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Regrettably impressive.
Gauri high-fived Zoey.
Zoey allowed it.
Amitesh watched in horror. "…They're bonding."
The System replied nothing.
That somehow made it worse.
Amitesh was still on one knee when Zoey spoke again.
"Gauri," she said, "step back."
Gauri pouted. "Aww. I was just getting warmed up."
"Exactly."
That made Amitesh nervous.
Gauri hopped back and sat on a broken wall, swinging her legs like this was pure entertainment.
Zoey crouched in front of Amitesh until they were eye level.
"Listen carefully," she said. "This isn't kindness."
"…I noticed," he rasped.
"You think I let her help because she enjoys it," Zoey continued. "That's only half true."
"I enjoy it a lot," Gauri waved.
Zoey ignored her.
"You react differently to her than to me," Zoey said.
"Because she's not trying to kill me?"
"Wrong," Zoey replied calmly. "Because you don't fear her."
[SYSTEM ANALYSIS MODE]
Psychological Variable Detected
"When I apply pressure," Zoey said, tapping the ground, "your body enters survival mode. Fight or break."
She placed two fingers lightly on his chest.
"When she pressures you," Zoey continued, nodding at Gauri, "your mind stays active. You complain. You argue. You adapt."
"He also makes funny faces," Gauri added.
"That too," Zoey allowed.
Amitesh blinked. "So… her teasing isn't just cruelty?"
"It's controlled chaos," Zoey said. "You stay conscious under stress. That matters more than raw endurance."
[SYSTEM INSIGHT CONFIRMED]
Cognitive Load: Maintained
Emotional Stability: Surprisingly High
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Annoyance stabilizes the user.
"You don't grow by being protected," Zoey finished. "You grow by being pressured without breaking."
The System updated quietly.
[SYSTEM PASSIVE PROGRESS]
Condition Met: Mental Stability Under Stress
Unlock Progress: 62%
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Continue irritating the user for optimal results.
Gauri jumped up. "Did you hear that? I'm officially part of your training plan now!"
Amitesh groaned. "This is the worst news I've heard all day."
Zoey turned away. "Rest," she said. "Tomorrow, we combine everything."
Amitesh stared at the sky. "…Why does that sound like a threat?"
The System answered first.
System: Because it is.
After Three Long Hours
[SYSTEM STATUS UPDATE]
Current Level: Body Tempering — Middle Stage
Second Meridian: Opened
Improvement Rating: Impressive
Amitesh lay flat on the ground, unmoving.
"…I survived," he whispered.
The System did not disagree.
Day Three
Combined Training
Pain woke him up.
Not sharp pain.
Not sudden.
It was the deep, dull ache of a body that had been rebuilt overnight without permission.
Amitesh lay on the cold ground, staring at the pale morning sky. When he tried to move, his muscles answered with a unified no.
But beneath the soreness—
something was different.
When he inhaled, he felt it.
Ki.
It no longer drifted aimlessly through his body. It moved.
Slowly. Heavily. Like a thick stream being forced through narrow channels.
He focused inward.
From his lower abdomen, a warm current rose—his core pulsing faintly. The ki climbed his spine in uneven waves, hesitating at tight points, then forcing its way through with a burning pressure.
So this is circulation…
Yesterday, the energy had been wild. Explosive.
Now it followed paths.
Meridians.
Some were open—smooth, responsive.
Others felt like rusted pipes, scraping painfully as ki pushed through.
When the flow reached his chest, that strange second rhythm returned.
Thump.
Thump-thump.
Two heartbeats.
His breathing faltered.
Before panic could form—
"Good. You're awake."
Zoey's voice.
Amitesh groaned. "That's not good. That's a warning."
Gauri appeared in his vision upside-down, leaning over him with a grin. "Morning! You drooled a little."
"I was cultivating," he muttered.
"That explains the face," she nodded.
Zoey stepped forward. "Stand."
Amitesh sighed and pushed himself up.
This time—
he didn't collapse.
His legs trembled, yes. His muscles screamed.
But the ki moved with him, reinforcing joints, wrapping fibers like invisible bands.
The moment he stood fully—
Zoey snapped her fingers.
The world compressed.
[GRAVITY FIELD ACTIVE]
Local Gravity: x3.5
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Day Three does not believe in mercy.
Amitesh's knees bent instantly.
But the ki reacted.
Instead of dispersing, it sank—flooding downward into his legs. Heat exploded through his thighs, calves, feet. The pressure was unbearable, yet stabilizing.
He stayed upright.
Barely.
Zoey's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Good," she said.
Gauri clapped. "Ooo, he didn't fall!"
"Don't praise yet," Zoey replied. "Now comes the combination."
Amitesh swallowed. "…Combination of what?"
Zoey looked at Gauri.
Gauri's smile turned feral.
"Everything."
The System flickered.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT]
Day Three Training Mode: Combined Hell
Modules Activated:
• Gravity Suppression
• Continuous Movement
• Ki Circulation Control
• Psychological Interference
Good luck.
"First," Zoey said calmly, "maintain circulation."
She tapped his chest.
"Do not let the ki pool. Do not let it explode. Cycle it."
Amitesh closed his eyes.
Inhale.
Ki gathered at his core.
Exhale.
He forced it outward—down his legs, up his spine, across his shoulders, back into the center. The loop burned like fire scraping skin from the inside.
Then—
Gauri stepped directly into his personal space.
"Second," she said sweetly, "don't ignore distractions."
She flicked his ear.
"What are you—"
Thud.
The gravity spiked.
Amitesh nearly screamed as the ki circulation faltered. The flow stuttered, pressure slamming into his chest.
Zoey's voice cut through sharply. "Don't stop."
He gritted his teeth and pushed.
The ki surged again, smoother this time—responding faster, obeying him instead of resisting.
Gauri circled him like a predator.
"Hey," she said suddenly. "You're thinking too much."
She poked his side.
His concentration wavered.
The ki bucked violently.
Pain lanced through his meridians like glass.
The System chimed without sympathy.
[SYSTEM WARNING]
Circulation Instability
Meridian Damage Risk: Rising
Zoey's tone hardened. "Control it."
Amitesh roared—not out loud, but inside.
He stopped fighting the pain.
Instead, he rode it.
He guided the ki through the burning points slowly, carefully, like forcing breath through crushed lungs. Each completed cycle widened the pathways slightly—agonizing, but permanent.
The pressure eased.
The second heartbeat synchronized.
Thump.
Thump.
The flow stabilized.
Zoey nodded once. "There."
Gauri blinked. "…Oh. That was actually cool."
Amitesh laughed weakly. "Don't encourage her."
"Too late," Zoey said.
She stepped back.
"Now," Zoey continued, "movement."
Gauri's grin returned. "Run."
Amitesh stared. "Under this gravity?"
"Yes."
"With this circulation?"
"Yes."
"And with you involved?"
Gauri leaned in. "Very yes."
He ran.
Every step crushed him downward. The ki rushed instinctively to wherever strain appeared—knees, ankles, spine—reinforcing, tearing, rebuilding.
His body burned.
His mind screamed.
And somehow—
he didn't break.
The System updated in real time.
[SYSTEM LIVE LOG]
Ki Circulation: Forced Stabilization
Meridian Expansion: Ongoing
Mental Load: Extreme
Adaptation Speed: Abnormal
Zoey watched silently.
Gauri jogged beside him, humming.
"You know," she said, "you complain less today."
Amitesh gasped. "I'm… saving oxygen."
"Proud of you."
Hours passed.
By the time he collapsed again, the ki no longer scattered.
It flowed.
Slow. Heavy. Controlled.
Zoey stood over him.
"This is combined training," she said. "Body. Energy. Mind."
"You fail one," she continued, "you fail all."
[DAY THREE PROGRESS]
Ki Circulation: Established (Basic Loop)
Body Tempering: Advancing
Second Meridian: Stabilized
Overall Assessment: Dangerous Growth
Amitesh lay there, chest rising and falling.
"…Am I allowed to die later?"
Gauri laughed. "We'll schedule it."
Zoey turned away.
"Rest," she said. "Tomorrow, we refine."
Amitesh closed his eyes.
The ki continued to move—
even as he slept.
Amitesh lay flat on his back, chest rising and falling slowly.
The ki still moved inside him, looping again and again, no longer wild—but not fully obedient either.
"…Hey, System," he whispered.
System: Acknowledged.
"What are these… meridians?" Amitesh asked. "And how many do I have open?"
There was a brief pause.
Then—
[SYSTEM EXPLANATION]
Meridians are biological–energetic pathways.
They exist between muscle fibers, along nerves, and around organs.
"When ki moves without meridians," the System continued
"it causes damage, leakage, or uncontrolled strengthening."
Amitesh winced. "So… like yesterday."
"Correct"
The System's tone remained neutral.
Meridians regulate:
• Ki flow direction
• Energy density
• Stress distribution
• Growth efficiency
The image in Amitesh's mind sharpened—his body not as flesh alone, but as a network of narrow channels, some smooth, some jagged, some completely sealed.
"How many are there?" he asked.
Total Meridians: 108
Standard for Human Cultivation Framework
"…And how many have I opened?"
There was a pause—just long enough to make him uneasy.
Current Status:
Open Meridians: 5 / 108
Amitesh blinked. "Only five?"
"Yes"
"That felt like hell."
Accurate assessment.
The System continued, unbothered.
Opening meridians early causes extreme pain because:
• Pathways are undeveloped
• Tissue resistance is high
• Neural adaptation is incomplete
"…And people normally open them when?" Amitesh asked quietly.
Under safe conditions:
After years of body conditioning.
With guidance.
And without gravity x3.5.
Amitesh stared at the sky.
"…So I'm doing this wrong."
Correction:
You are doing this inefficiently.
The ki surged gently through his open pathways, warm now—almost familiar.
However—
Early meridian activation results in:
• Higher future capacity
• Stronger structural reinforcement
• Abnormal growth curves
Amitesh swallowed. "In normal words?"
System:-You will suffer more now.
You will surpass others later.
He laughed weakly. "That sounds like something Zoey would say."
Trainer Zoey Influence Detected.
Behavioral Pattern: Confirmed.
Amitesh closed his eyes as the ki continued its slow circulation.
"…Five down," he murmured.
The System replied calmly.
103 remain
For some reason—
That didn't scare him.
It excited him.
Suddenly—
The System flickered.
The familiar yellow-gold light twisted, deepening into a strange purple hue edged with soft pink, like a sunset bleeding into night.
Amitesh's breath caught.
The pressure in the air shifted—not heavier, not lighter—warmer.
Concerned.
Then a voice emerged.
Not mechanical.
Not neutral.
A woman's voice, soft and unmistakably worried.
"Just let me see him."
The ki inside Amitesh reacted instantly, rippling in confusion.
"Oh my…" the woman continued, her voice tightening. "What have you done? Is this really how you treat your—"
The System cut in sharply, its tone no longer calm.
System: No, sister-in-law.
Please do not say that.
And do not speak—this violates protocol.
"I don't care," the woman replied without hesitation.
Amitesh's heart skipped.
"S-System?" he asked carefully. "What is going on?"
For half a second, the purple-pink light wavered.
Then—snap.
The System's color reverted instantly to its usual yellow-gold, cold and orderly.
System: Nothing.
Please forget the previous interruption.
"…Forget?" Amitesh echoed.
System: Correct.
But the ki inside him hadn't forgotten.
It pulsed uneasily, like it had recognized something it wasn't supposed to.
Amitesh stared into the empty air.
"…System," he said slowly, "you're hiding something."
There was no immediate reply.
Only the quiet hum of the golden interface—
steady, controlled—
and just a fraction too fast.
Somewhere, deep beneath the layers of rules and restraints—
someone was watching him.
And for the first time since training began,
Amitesh felt it clearly.
The System wasn't just observing him.
It was protecting him—from something else.