Once again, the mysterious voice echoed—
"Just as martial arts are divided into different realms,"
the voice was grave,
"magic too is divided into various levels."
"The first level of magic is called the Primary Level.
Each level is further divided into three stages—
Low Stage, Middle Stage, and Advanced Stage."
Abhimanyu listened attentively.
"There are levels in martial arts as well,"
the voice continued,
"but the difference is this—
a single martial arts realm has nine stages,
whereas magic has only three."
"The Low Stage of the Primary Level—
this is where a person learns what magic truly is,
how magic is born,
and what its fundamental principles are.
At this stage, it is also determined
which element lies dormant within you."
"The Middle Stage—
where one learns how to use magic:
attacking with fire,
defending with water,
striking enemies down with lightning,
or melting into the shadows."
"The Advanced Stage—
where the true application of magic in battle is taught."
Abhimanyu was not merely listening to words—
he was witnessing the world hidden behind them.
As the voice continued speaking,
he felt himself drifting into an entirely different realm.
Different spells…
Different forms of magic…
Fire emerged from nowhere,
water surged into existence,
lightning crackled through the air,
and somewhere, a warrior vanished in the blink of an eye—
only to reappear moments later.
These visions quickened his breath.
Then the voice spoke again—
"Your city is far too small.
There are no great warriors here.
And as far as I can tell,
even in your entire kingdom,
there may be no one who possesses the kind of power
I am speaking of."
After a brief pause, the voice added—
"All of this is possible through martial arts as well…
but that path is far more ruthless."
Then the voice grew even more serious—
"If you wish to learn magic,
you will need certain items—
the red flower of Datura,
Red Ginseng,
and a Fire-Devouring Stone."
Hearing this, Abhimanyu fell into deep thought.
After a moment, he spoke softly—
"Very well…
Tomorrow I will go to the market and obtain all these items.
But… please tell me more about this world.
How vast is it?
How many powers exist within it?
And… most importantly—
who was my mother?
Why did she give me this book?
How did she obtain it…
and what do you know about her?"
The voice turned cold—
"You do not need to know these things yet.
When the time comes, everything will reveal itself."
"As for your mother…
I know nothing about her.
I have been imprisoned within this book for years.
I am neither alive
nor a soul.
I am merely a fragment of this book—
unable to appear,
unable to wield power.
I can only guide you toward the right path."
With that, the voice fell silent.
Abhimanyu remained quiet for a while, then said—
"Then at least tell me about this world—"
"No,"
the voice interrupted him.
"Not yet."
The very next moment, the book vanished before his eyes.
And Abhimanyu—
fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.
The next morning, he woke up early and headed straight for the market.
But today, everything felt different.
It seemed as though everyone was staring at him.
Until yesterday, the eyes that looked at him were filled with respect—
today, there was no hope in them.
Just yesterday, people used to say—
"The village chief's son will one day become the greatest warrior.
He will take the Saini family beyond Indore."
But today…
Those eyes held only disappointment—
and faint mockery.
Abhimanyu said nothing.
He neither met anyone's gaze nor offered any explanation.
Silently, he reached the main market
and bought all the items the mysterious voice had mentioned.
Returning home, he opened the book.
This time, there was no voice.
Only words—
"Which element you awaken
depends upon your soul."
Reading further, he found—
"To identify your element,
a Magical Soul Stone is required.
If it is unavailable,
it can be created through a special method."
Below were listed—
the same three items.
Following the book's instructions,
Abhimanyu began mixing them together.
The moment all three items combined,
a strange fragrance spread throughout the room.
It was not sweet…
yet it touched the heart.
His eyelids grew heavy.
As instructed, he lifted the bowl.
His hands trembled.
He did not know
what would happen after drinking it.
But this was the only way to keep hope alive.
At last…
He closed his eyes and drank it.
The very next moment—
fire surged through his body.
It felt as though thousands of needles were piercing him at once.
His entire body trembled in agony.
His scream was trapped in his throat.
And darkness—
slowly,
began to spread all around him.
Abhimanyu slowly began to regain consciousness.
Yet it did not feel as though he was returning to his body—
rather, it felt as though he had entered another world.
He clearly sensed that he was not seeing anything outside—
he was witnessing his own soul.
In a corner of his existence—
there was a place
where his body did not exist,
only his consciousness.
Deep darkness surrounded everything.
No ground,
no sky,
no direction.
Abhimanyu thought to himself—
"Is this… that place?"
Is this… the world of my soul?
But… how will I know which element I have awakened here?
Lost in these thoughts, Abhimanyu suddenly noticed something faintly glowing within the darkness.
Very far away…
Almost invisible.
He was startled.
Slowly, he moved toward it.
With every step he took closer, the glow became clearer.
At first, it was no bigger than a pea.
Then it grew to the size of a berry.
And then—
gradually expanding—
it became as large as a clenched fist.
When Abhimanyu finally reached it, his eyes widened in shock.
Before him floated a purple sphere—
pulsating violently,
as if a living power were trapped within it.
And right beside it—
was another, much smaller sphere.
Red in color.
It was far smaller than the first one, yet…
it radiated a different kind of heat and intensity.
Abhimanyu stood frozen.
Two?
How could there be two?
His heart began to pound.
The book had clearly stated—
every person can awaken only one element.
Then what were these two?
At that very moment, a familiar voice echoed from all directions.
Not from outside…
not from within…
but as if it were observing every particle of his existence.
"You are extremely fortunate, boy…"
There was astonishment in the voice.
"Millions fail to awaken even a single element.
And those rare few who do awaken one
are considered extraordinary."
"Among magical elements, Lightning
is one of the rarest.
Rare… among the rare."
Abhimanyu's breath caught in his throat.
"But you…"
the voice slowed,
"you have awakened both Lightning and Fire."
Abhimanyu's mind trembled.
"It appears that Lightning is your primary element,
while Fire is your secondary element."
"In my era as well,"
the voice sighed deeply,
"only a handful of humans ever awakened two elements."
"But…"
its tone turned grave,
"none of them survived."
Abhimanyu's heart thudded violently.
"When two elements awaken together,
they clash with one another—
and that collision gives birth to a catastrophic explosion."
Fear coursed through him.
But then the voice continued—
"However…
today, I am witnessing something for the first time."
"Your two elements are not equal in strength.
Lightning is overwhelmingly powerful,
while Fire is comparatively weaker."
"Normally, this is never the case.
Both elements are usually equal."
"But this imbalance…"
the voice paused,
"this very imbalance became your salvation."
"Had they been equal in power,
you would not be alive right now."
Abhimanyu was drenched in sweat.
Fear…
and along with it,
a deep sense of relief.
For the first time, he truly realized
how close he had come to death.
Then the voice spoke again—
"Do not delay.
Begin your training from today itself."
"This path is long,"
there was firmness in the voice,
"and in our land, there is a saying—
when the road is long,
one must prepare to battle rivers first."
"You will need struggle,
courage,
and above all—
passion."
Abhimanyu remained silent.
Then the voice revealed something new—
"By the way…
you are also skilled in martial arts."
"Your body is built for it.
In my era, martial arts were nearly insignificant.
Those who failed to learn magic
walked that path."
"But you…"
there was a faint smile in the voice,
"you are made for both."
"When you grow powerful,
you will need something to show the world."
"Magic cannot always be revealed openly…
so let martial arts be what the world sees."
Abhimanyu absorbed every word.
He quietly sat down cross-legged
and began to understand his elements
as described in the book.
Once again, the voice spoke—
but this time,
Abhimanyu did not need to hear it.
It echoed directly within his mind—
"The path you have chosen
is ten times harder
than that of an ordinary warrior."
"If you stop midway,
you will either remain a normal human
or become nothing more than a minor fighter."
"But…"
the voice resonated,
"if you complete this path,
the world will remember your name."
With those words,
the voice dissolved into the darkness.
And Abhimanyu—
stood alone before his destiny.
Before him now lay not just one path,
but countless unseen turns—
each capable of changing his fate.
How will he walk this journey?
What trials and terrifying challenges await him?
Will he be able to master both
Magic and Martial Arts—
two opposing forces—together,
or has destiny carved a different road for him?
The answers to all these questions
remain hidden within the womb of the future.
Every step Abhimanyu takes
will bring him closer to the truth—
or push him deeper into the darkness of destruction.
All these mysteries will be unveiled…
in the next chapter.