The sky was clear for once.
No monster alarms. No thunder threats. No dramatic training duels happening in the courtyard.
Just sunshine, chirping birds, and the occasional weird cloud shaped like a sword.
Shunya lay on the grass behind the dorm building, hands behind his head, eyes half-closed.
He had survived another round of training. Barely.
"I can't tell if this world is trying to help me or kill me," he muttered.
"Both," said a soft voice.
He looked up to see Vikoria sitting beside him, wearing her usual quiet expression. She had brought a small basket filled with wrapped rice balls and two cups of cool barley tea.
"Hey, thanks again," Shunya said, grabbing a rice ball without shame. "You've fed me more than the system ever has."
She gave a small nod, then sat down with her hands resting neatly on her lap.
They chewed in silence for a while.
Then Shunya blurted out, "Okay seriously though… what's the deal with this world?"
Vikoria blinked. "The deal?"
"I mean the rules. The systems. I don't get how anything works. People throw punches and explode mountains. Old men with beards can fly by sneezing. And don't get me started on the monkey who taught sword style last week."
"Oh, Master Lu?" she asked.
"Yeah! He called me 'Young Sprout' and kicked me into a tree!"
Vikoria giggled quietly.
"Well," she said, "you need to understand the structure. The power rankings follow a very simple path."
Shunya looked at her like she had three heads.
"Nothing here is simple," he grumbled.
---
Vikoria held up a finger.
"There are five main power levels:"
1. Easy
2. Normal
3. Hard
4. Rare
5. Extreme
"Each level is split into three small stages—Low, Mid, and High. For example, someone might be 'Mid Normal' or 'High Hard.'"
Shunya blinked. "So I'm…?"
"Low Hard," she said gently.
"…Wait. That sounds like a difficulty setting in a bad mobile game."
She tilted her head. "It kind of is."
He stared at her.
She sipped her tea calmly.
"And what about money?" he asked. "Because I'm broke. Like spiritually and physically."
Vikoria smiled faintly and pulled out a coin pouch.
"This city uses the ancient Ashokan system," she said, carefully laying out four coins.
1. Kārṣāpaṇa (Copper coin)
2. Śatamāna (Silver coin)
3. Suvarṇa (Gold coin)
4. Niṣka (Platinum coin, rarely seen)
"Twenty Kārṣāpaṇa makes one Śatamāna," she explained. "Ten Śatamāna make one Suvarṇa. And five Suvarṇa equal one Niṣka."
"So platinum is the big boss coin."
She nodded. "Most ordinary cultivators make about two to three Śatamāna a week… if they're lucky."
Shunya slumped. "I have zero of all of those."
"Actually," she said, "I… applied for support money on your behalf."
He looked at her. "Wait. What?"
"You're technically a 'stranded otherworlder under temporary adaptation,' so the city gives a beginner stipend."
From her pouch, she handed him a tiny slip of paper with stamped red ink.
Support Approved:
Recipient: Shunya (Hard – Low)
Monthly stipend: 5 Śatamāna + 2 meal tokens
Please survive responsibly.
Shunya stared at it.
"I'm officially a government bum now," he muttered.
"You'll get used to it," Vikoria said gently.
They sat in the grass again.
The breeze was kind.
Birds flew overhead.
Shunya looked at the coin pouch, then at the slip of paper.
"I still don't get how any of this works," he said. "But… thanks. Seriously."
Vikoria smiled, not looking at him. "You're welcome, Shunya."
[New Quest Unlocked: "Spend Your First Śatamāna Responsibly!"]
[Hidden Flag Detected: "Bond Level - +5 Vikoria"]
[Bonus Title Gained: "Financially Fragile Cultivator"]
Shunya flopped back onto the grass again.
"This world is so messed up," he muttered.
But he was smiling.