System:- ALERT
System:- Sixth Meridian… OPEN
System:- Seventh Meridian… OPEN
System:- Eighth Meridian… FORCEFULLY OPEN
System:- Ninth Meridian… FORCEFULLY OPEN
System:- Tenth Meridian… FORCEFULLY OPEN
Amitesh gasped.
A deep, bone-rattling pressure surged through his body—
not pain,
but something heavier.
Ancient.
Golden light seeped from beneath his skin.
One glowing circle appeared on his chest.
Then—
Both shoulders.
Both palms.
Both knees.
Both feet.
And finally—
His forehead.
Ten radiant meridian seals pulsed in perfect rhythm.
Thin streams of light shot out from each circle, weaving through the air like threads of fate, connecting every point together.
A complete circuit.
The ground beneath Amitesh cracked.
The air trembled.
His eyes snapped open—
irises glowing with layered rings of light.
Gauri's expression froze for a split second.
Then she smiled.
Gauri:- "Oh my…"
She brushed honey off her fingers, standing up slowly.
Gauri:- "Ten-Meridian Sage Mode."
"I didn't expect him to awaken it this early."
Zoey rolled her neck, knuckles cracking, eyes sharp with excitement.
Zoey:- "Good."
"Now it'll actually be fun."
Gauri stepped beside her.
Gauri:- "Agreed."
"Looks like we shouldn't hold back either."
The air shifted.
Gauri closed her eyes.
Zoey took a deep breath.
Their meridian points ignited—
mirroring Amitesh's formation, but denser… refined.
Two different energies bloomed.
One calm, vast, and ancient.
The other wild, sharp, and predatory.
Their glowing circuits flared to life.
System:- WARNING
System:- Multiple Sage-Class Signatures Detected
Amitesh slowly stood up.
For the first time—
He smiled back.
The moment Amitesh took a step forward—
Zoey vanished.
Not fast.
Not blurred.
Just gone.
Amitesh's instincts screamed.
He twisted—too late.
A knee slammed into his ribs.
The shockwave folded the air.
His body lifted off the ground before pain even registered.
Boom.
He crashed through the stone behind him.
Before he could breathe—
The ground beneath him liquefied.
Gauri.
Her hand was raised, two fingers lightly pointed his way.
Gauri:- "You're strong."
The meridian circuits around Amitesh flared, resisting—
Then collapsed inward.
His sage aura flickered.
Amitesh forced himself up, teeth clenched.
He punched.
The strike carried everything—
ten meridians, sage energy, raw will.
Zoey caught it.
With one hand.
The impact detonated outward, tearing the ground apart—
yet Zoey didn't move an inch.
She smiled.
Zoey:- "But you're sloppy."
Her elbow dropped.
Straight into his chest seal.
The glowing circle shattered like glass.
Amitesh choked.
Before he hit the ground, Gauri appeared behind him.
Two fingers tapped his spine.
Tap.
Every meridian screamed at once.
Light exploded out of his body—
then went dark.
Amitesh slammed face-first into the dirt.
His body refused to respond.
The circuits faded.
The glow died.
Silence.
Zoey stood over him, boot resting lightly on his back.
Zoey:- "Match over."
Gauri crouched beside Amitesh, calm, almost gentle.
Gauri:- "For someone who just
awakened ten meridians…"
She smiled softly.
Gauri:- "You survived three seconds longer than expected."
The System flickered weakly.
System:- CRITICAL CONDITION
System:- SAGE MODE… FORCEFULLY TERMINATED
Amitesh's vision blurred.
The last thing he heard—
Zoey laughing.
Zoey:- "Train harder."
Darkness took him.
.
.
Amitesh woke up gasping.
Not from pain—
from silence.
No system alarms.
No pressure in his veins.
No glowing circuits.
Just his room.
Familiar ceiling.
Familiar walls.
His body felt… heavy.
Like something fundamental had been taken out and replaced poorly.
He tried to sit up.
His muscles responded a second late.
A chill ran through him.
Amitesh:- "…System?"
No response.
A chair scraped softly.
Gauri was sitting near the window, legs crossed, calmly eating honey like nothing had happened.
Zoey leaned against the wall, arms folded.
Both looked perfectly fine.
Too fine.
Amitesh:- "You—"
His voice cracked.
Zoey cut in immediately.
Zoey:- "Don't move."
He froze.
Not because she ordered him—
but because his instincts screamed that moving was a mistake.
Gauri sighed and stood up, walking closer.
She tapped his forehead—right where the tenth meridian seal had been.
Amitesh flinched.
Gauri:- "Still sensitive."
"As expected."
Amitesh:- "…Why?"
His hands clenched the bedsheet.
Amitesh:- "Why did you crush me like that?"
Zoey pushed herself off the wall.
Her expression wasn't mocking now.
It was serious.
Zoey:- "Because you forced the tenth meridian."
A pause.
Zoey:- "And lived."
Amitesh frowned.
Amitesh:- "Isn't that good?"
Gauri shook her head slowly.
Gauri:- "The tenth meridian isn't power."
"It's permission."
She met his eyes.
Gauri:- "Permission for something else to look back at you."
The room felt colder.
Gauri:- "When you forced it open, your body stabilized—"
"but your existence didn't."
She placed her fingers lightly on his chest.
Amitesh felt it.
A faint… echo.
Like a heartbeat that wasn't his.
Amitesh:- "…What did I do?"
Zoey answered this time.
Zoey:- "You rang a bell."
Silence.
Zoey:- "Systems heard it."
"Old ones."
"Broken ones."
"Things that shouldn't even be aware of humans."
Gauri nodded.
Gauri:- "If we hadn't crushed your sage mode immediately—"
"something would've answered."
Amitesh swallowed.
Amitesh:- "Then why does my body feel wrong?"
Gauri's expression softened.
Just a little.
Gauri:- "Because there's a consequence."
She raised one finger.
Gauri:- "The tenth meridian never fully closes once forced."
Zoey continued.
Zoey:- "Right now, it's dormant."
"Sealed."
"But—"
She leaned closer.
Zoey:- "Under extreme stress… fear… or desperation…"
Amitesh felt it again.
That echo.
Zoey:- "It will open on its own."
Gauri smiled faintly.
Gauri:- "And next time—"
"You won't be alone when it does."
Weak. Careful.
System:- STATUS UPDATE
System:- TENTH MERIDIAN — IRREVERSIBLE TRACE DETECTED
System:- WARNING: Amitesh HAS BEEN MARKED
Amitesh's breath hitched.
Amitesh:- "…Marked by what?"
Gauri and Zoey exchanged a look.
Zoey smirked.
Zoey:- "That's why we crushed you."
Gauri leaned down, whispering:
Gauri:- "Because if you're going to be hunted—"
"You need to learn how to survive being powerless first."
The lights flickered.
Somewhere far away—
Something stirred.
Amitesh lay flat on the cold ground, staring at the pale sky through his window.
Great, he thought bitterly.
Hunted by mushroom-headed monsters, crippled by my own power, and surrounded by two walking disasters who call this "training."
He swallowed.
"Who… who will hunt me?" he asked aloud, even though part of him already knew the answer.
Gauri didn't soften her tone. She never did when things mattered.
"For some reason, the mushroom heads prioritize cultivators. Anyone with active meridians lights up like a signal flare to them."
She gestured vaguely toward the distant camp.
"That's why Zoey and I stay out here most of the time. If we stay near civilians, they become collateral."
Amitesh's chest tightened.
So even standing near people makes me a danger now.
Nice upgrade. Ten meridians, ten problems.
"Oh," he muttered. "That… feels bad."
He planted his palms against the ground and pushed.
Pain exploded through his body.
"Ouch—ouch—ouch!" He collapsed instantly, breath knocked out of him.
"Why is it so hard just to stand?!"
Gauri looked down at him like a disappointed instructor.
"Because Ten-Meridian Sage Mode isn't some party trick."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"It rewrites your body. Muscles, bones, nerves—everything gets torn apart and rebuilt."
Amitesh clenched his jaw.
So this pain isn't a side effect.
It's the price.
"Then why are you fine?" he demanded, turning his head toward her.
"Because my thirty-six meridians are already open."
No pride. No boasting. Just a fact.
Amitesh slowly shifted his gaze to Zoey.
His eyes screamed: Please don't say something worse.
Zoey met his look and smiled faintly.
"Twenty-seven."
Amitesh let his head fall back against the ground.
"Ahhh… why does it always have to be like this?" he groaned.
I risk my life, shatter my limits, nearly die—
and they're still so far ahead it's not even funny.
"Don't whine," Gauri snapped. "You'll reach us eventually."
Then, more quietly—almost thoughtfully—
"If you survive."
That did not help.
Amitesh forced himself upright into a cross-legged position.
Fine. If I can't move, I'll heal.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, focusing inward.
Ki responded instantly—bright, dense, powerful.
Yes. I've got it.
He guided it toward the damaged meridians—
—and it scattered like mist.
His breath hitched.
What? No—again.
He tried once more, pushing harder.
Same result.
The ki refused to obey.
"Huh?" He opened his eyes, panic creeping in. "Why isn't it working?"
Zoey crouched beside him, her voice calm—too calm.
"That's why I told you not to move."
She tapped his chest lightly with two fingers.
"Your meridians haven't finished forming yet. They're unstable. Forcing ki through them right now would tear them apart again."
Amitesh went pale.
"And," she added casually, "this kind of damage can't be healed with ki anyway."
He stared at her.
"Then… how?"
"Like a normal human," Zoey said. "Slowly."
Normal.
The word felt unfamiliar now.
"So," he asked weakly, "how long will that take?"
Gauri hummed, resting a hand on her hip.
"When I first activated it, I was bedridden for ten days."
She tilted her head, studying him.
"You pushed it longer than I did. So… fifteen days, maybe."
"One week," Zoey said instantly.
Gauri turned sharply.
"Huh? And how exactly do you know that?"
Zoey's eyes flicked over Amitesh—his breathing, posture, skin tone.
"Healing rate is abnormal. Pain response is high, but cellular recovery is fast."
She straightened.
"He'll be fine in a week."
Amitesh blinked.
She just diagnosed me like a machine.
"So…" A hopeful grin spread across his face.
"That means no more training?"
"For a while," Zoey said.
"Yes!" Amitesh cheered weakly, raising a fist before immediately regretting it. "Hurray—ow."
Gauri clicked her tongue.
"Ah, man. The fun was just starting."
She turned away, scanning the treeline.
That's when Zoey's expression changed.
The air shifted.
Her hand slowly moved to the hilt of her weapon.
"…Gauri," she said softly. "We're not alone."
Amitesh felt it then.
A faint pressure.
Not killing intent—
but something wrong.
From the forest, the sound of wet footsteps echoed.
Then—
A silhouette stepped into view.
A humanoid shape.More taller then some trees.
Its head swollen and uneven, like layered fungus.
Veins of pale light pulsed across its surface.
Amitesh's stomach dropped.
Mushroom head.
Gauri smiled—but it wasn't playful this time.
"Looks like they smelled you already," she said.
"Congratulations. You're officially bait."
Amitesh swallowed hard, unable to move.
One week of rest, he thought desperately.
I didn't even get one hour.
Zoey stepped forward, calm and lethal.
"Don't worry," she said.
"You're injured."
The creature twitched.
"That means," she continued, eyes glowing faintly,
"we don't have to hold back."
They get out building.
Zoey and Gauri moved first.
No hesitation.
No warning.
They disappeared into the jungle like shadows slipping off the world.
Amitesh's heart hammered.
"Wait—"
His voice came out useless.
He dragged himself toward the broken structure nearby, gritting his teeth through the pain. Every movement screamed, but he forced it anyway. He reached a shattered window frame and pulled himself up just enough to see.
I can't help.
So I'll watch.
I'll learn.
The jungle trembled.
Then—
A sound tore through the trees.
Not a roar.
Not a scream.
A wet, vibrating shriek that rattled his bones.
The giant mushroom head emerged.
It was massive—twice the height of a human, its swollen cap cracked with glowing veins. Each step crushed soil and roots alike. Its presence alone made the air feel thick, suffocating.
Amitesh froze.
That thing… is hunting me.
The creature twitched—and launched itself forward.
The ground exploded beneath its charge.
Zoey moved.
She didn't dodge.
She stepped into it.
In one smooth motion, she vanished from where she stood and reappeared beside the monster, her foot slamming into its leg with a sound like stone shattering.
The giant staggered.
Zoey didn't stop.
She struck again—fist, elbow, knee—each blow precise, ruthless, perfectly placed. Not wasted strength. Not wasted motion.
She's not fighting, Amitesh realized.
She's dissecting it.
The mushroom head swung wildly, its massive arm crashing through trees.
Zoey ducked under it effortlessly.
Her blade flashed.
Once.
The monster's movement stuttered.
It howled—higher, sharper—its body spasming as its balance collapsed. It dropped to one knee, the earth cracking beneath its weight.
Amitesh's breath caught.
One strike.
She crippled it with one strike.
"Too slow," Zoey said calmly.
The words weren't taunt.
They were verdict.
The creature tried to rise.
Gauri appeared behind it.
No sound.
No warning.
Her hand pressed against the back of its head.
For a split second, nothing happened.
Then the glowing veins across the mushroom cap went dark—one by one—like lights being shut off.
The giant froze.
Its scream died in its throat.
And then it collapsed forward, motionless, shaking the ground as it fell.
Silence swallowed the jungle.
Amitesh stared, chest heaving.
That was it.
No struggle.
No mercy.
Zoey stood over the fallen body, completely unbothered.
"Notice," she said, not looking back, "how it attacked."
Amitesh flinched.
She knows I'm watching.
"It rushed blindly," Zoey continued. "High power. Low control."
Gauri wiped her hand absently.
"They rely on pressure and fear. Against weaker cultivators, that's enough."
Zoey turned slightly.
"Against you, it would have worked."
Amitesh's fingers dug into the window frame.
She's right.
I would've panicked.
"But," Zoey added, "power without structure is just noise."
She stepped away from the corpse.
"When you fight," she said, "don't think about winning."
Her eyes flicked toward the building.
"Think about ending."
Amitesh swallowed hard.
So this is the gap.
Not strength.
Control.
Gauri glanced back with a crooked smile.
"See? Training never really stops."
Amitesh exhaled slowly, pain forgotten for a moment.
I'm weak.
I'm injured.
But I saw it.
And next time—
I won't just be watching from a window.
.
.
By evening, they were back in his room.
The fading sunlight painted the walls orange, the day finally loosening its grip.
Gauri stretched her arms lazily.
"We'll eat with you today."
Amitesh didn't even open his eyes fully.
"Okay," he replied in a tired, almost
boneless voice.
They sat in a loose circle on the floor. The food was warm, familiar—simple but comforting, just like always.
Amitesh took a bite.
Then paused.
…Huh?
He chewed again.
Why does it taste so pale?
Almost like there's no flavor at all.
Zoey, on the other hand, looked impressed.
"Wow," she said, crunching happily. "These black carrots are really good. Nice texture."
Amitesh blinked.
"That's just my luck," he said flatly. "I'm the one who found them."
So why can't I taste anything properly?
The thought lingered, uneasy, but he pushed it aside.
As they continued eating, a soft,
hesitant voice came from the doorway.
"Bhaiya… are you busy?"
A small face peeked in.
Riya tilted her head, gripping the doorframe with both hands.
Amitesh's expression softened instantly.
"No, I'm free," he said. "Come in."
Her face lit up like a lamp.
She hurried over, tiny footsteps quick and eager. In her hands was a small tin box, dented at the edges like it had been treasured for a long time.
"Can you open this?" she asked brightly. "I want to see what's inside."
"Hm? Sure."
Amitesh took the box and opened it.
Inside were small, dark-brown, round pellets—hard and glossy. They looked harmless. Almost like candy.
"Wow!" Riya's eyes sparkled. "Candy! Can I eat it?"
She reached out.
Amitesh gently caught her wrist.
"Wait," he said softly. "Let me check first."
He brought the tin closer and smelled it.
His eyes widened just a little.
Oh no.
Ginger candy.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
There's no way she can handle this. It's way too spicy for her.
He looked back at Riya and smiled apologetically.
"Sorry," he said. "I don't think you can eat this."
Her smile wavered.
"Huh? Why?" Her voice trembled, on the edge of tears.
"Because," Amitesh said gently, "people eat this when they have a cold."
Before Riya could respond—
"Huh?" Gauri leaned over. "I didn't know people eat candy when they're cold."
She reached out and snatched the box from his hands.
"Give it here."
Before Amitesh could stop her, she tossed one of the balls into her mouth.
For a second—
"Hm," Gauri said. "It's sweet."
She nodded approvingly.
"See? It tastes fi—"
"Just wait for the sugar layer to end,"
Amitesh said calmly.
A beat passed.
Then—
"Cough—cough!"
Gauri froze.
Her eyes widened. Her mouth went dry instantly.
"Ah—! It's too spicy!" she gasped, small tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "What is this?!"
"Ginger candy," Amitesh replied evenly.
He turned to Riya and lowered himself to her level.
"So?" he asked softly. "Still want to eat it?"
Riya shook her head as fast as she could.
"Nope."
Satisfied, she turned around and scampered out of the room, mission abandoned.
Gauri glared at Amitesh, still recovering.
"You did that on purpose."
He leaned back, finally smiling a little.
"Maybe."
Zoey, quietly observing the entire scene, took another bite of food.
"…You really are bad at lying," she said.
Amitesh stared at his plate again.
The food still tasted faint.
Almost empty.
And for some reason—
That bothered him more than the pain ever did.
Night settled in gently.
The room was dim now, lit only by a small lamp and the fading warmth of the evening. Gauri had already stretched out near the wall, half-asleep. Zoey sat by the window, sharpening her blade with slow, rhythmic movements.
Amitesh lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
Still no taste.
He swallowed.
Earlier, he'd blamed it on exhaustion. On pain. On shock.
But now—
everything was calm.
And yet, the dullness remained.
Food isn't tasteless, he thought.
I am.
He closed his eyes and focused inward, carefully this time. No ki movement. No forcing. Just awareness.
Something answered.
Not pain.
Not warmth.
A presence.
Deep in his chest.
Amitesh's breathing slowed.
…That wasn't there before.
It felt dense. Heavy. Like a seed buried too deep to pull out. Not hostile—but not human either.
His mind flashed back to the bloody road.
The shattered mushroom head.
The exposed core.
The moment it had dissolved into light—
—and vanished.
A cold realization slid into place.
The core didn't disappear.
His fingers twitched.
It stayed.
Inside me.
A faint pressure pulsed once, slow and deliberate.
Then—
His sense of taste dulled further, as if someone had turned a knob just a little.
Amitesh's throat went dry.
It's not hurting me, he realized.
It's… integrating.
At the window, Zoey suddenly stopped sharpening.
"…Gauri," she said quietly.
Gauri opened one eye.
"What."
Zoey didn't look back.
"His presence changed."
Silence filled the room.
Amitesh slowly sat up.
"You can feel it too?" he asked.
Gauri straightened now, her expression serious for once. She looked at him—really looked.
"…So it's started," she muttered.
"Started?" Amitesh repeated. "Started what?"
Gauri exhaled slowly.
"The mushroom head core doesn't just give power."
Zoey finally turned, her eyes sharp.
"It adapts."
Amitesh's heartbeat thudded louder.
"Adapts… how?"
Gauri stepped closer, crouching in front of him.
"It dulls unnecessary human senses first. Taste. Smell. Eventually pain."
Amitesh clenched the blanket.
"That doesn't sound bad," he said weakly.
Zoey's voice cut in, calm and merciless.
"It decides what is unnecessary."
The room felt colder.
"It's learning from you," Zoey continued. "And you're learning from it. That's why the mushroom heads are drawn to you now."
Amitesh swallowed hard.
So I'm not just prey.
I'm bait.
And a signal.
Gauri met his eyes.
"If you don't keep your sense of self grounded," she said quietly, "it won't stop at taste."
Amitesh stared at his hands.
They looked normal.
They felt normal.
But somewhere inside—
Something ancient was listening.
Growing.
And for the first time since gaining power, Amitesh felt fear—not of death—
—but of becoming something else.
Outside, deep in the jungle, a distant pulse answered.
As if something had noticed.