### Chapter 15: Don't Disturb My Gaming
When **Vivaan Sharma's** gaze was suddenly forced away from his phone screen, his brows furrowed in frustration.
He had just seen a **Mutated Vigor Ant** rush at his avatar in-game, and if he didn't immediately react, the blood-colored figure on the screen would be torn apart. One mistake here and it was over—**"GAME OVER."**
Without even pausing to think, Vivaan's instincts kicked in. He turned sharply, reached out, and pressed his hand against **Riya Malhotra's** face, lightly pushing her away while muttering in a flat, impatient tone,
"Don't disturb my gaming."
Vivaan didn't even realize how much his strength had increased recently through cultivation. His body had become far stronger than before, while Riya—who hadn't cultivated at all—had the physical strength of an ordinary girl, maybe even less.
What was meant to be a gentle push turned into something far stronger. Riya was sent backward, stumbling before falling onto the carpeted floor with a soft *thud*.
"Pfft!"
**Kabir Sinha**, who was sitting nearby with a drink in hand, nearly spat out his wine. He burst into a short fit of coughing and laughter, half choking in amusement as he saw the scene unfold.
The entire room fell into stunned silence. The eight beautiful girls in the private lounge all turned their wide eyes toward Vivaan as if he were some kind of monster.
Riya sat on the floor, half stunned, half furious. Her disbelief soon turned into outrage. She glared at Vivaan, her face red from both anger and embarrassment.
"Why resort to violence? Serves you right to be single!" she snapped, her voice trembling.
Vivaan didn't even glance up. His attention was locked completely on his phone screen. His fingers moved rapidly, issuing commands as his avatar dodged, punched, and countered the oncoming swarm.
Riya's angry glare only made **Kabir** laugh harder. He leaned back on the sofa, a grin spreading across his face. *This guy's actually kind of interesting,* he thought.
Riya Malhotra was one of the most sought-after girls in this private club. Her mannerisms weren't as refined as the top-tier escorts from big cities, but her figure and face made up for it. Even Kabir, who had seen plenty of beautiful women, found Riya incredibly attractive. Yet, watching Vivaan shove her aside without a trace of interest amused him deeply.
*If it's not because this guy's completely dense toward women, maybe it's because of that Reva Rathore incident...* Kabir mused. *After getting beaten up by a woman like her, maybe he developed a fear of women altogether.*
Still chuckling, Kabir shrugged it off and returned to his own entertainment, drinking and chatting with the other girls.
Vivaan, on the other hand, remained glued to his game. The entire top floor of the club had been booked exclusively by Kabir for the night, providing them with absolute privacy and comfort—something Vivaan appreciated. The less noise and attention he got, the better.
For the next hour, Vivaan stormed through the **Ant Nest** in-game, slashing and punching his way through endless waves of enemies until he reached the area where he had previously encountered the **Silver-Winged Flying Ant**.
As he had expected, the mutated creature reappeared—its entire body covered in shimmering silver, its wings reflecting the dim light like blades of glass.
The Silver-Winged Flying Ant moved with terrifying speed. Even though Vivaan was ready this time, he couldn't last long. In a blur of motion, the ant's sharp claws pierced his avatar's chest. The screen went red—**"You Died."**
Vivaan exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing in thought.
*This creature's definitely powerful... but probably not at the Legendary stage yet. Killing it isn't impossible—but it'll need perfect timing and control.*
He replayed the battle in his mind. The Silver-Winged Flying Ant had Strength and Constitution equal to or greater than the **Mutated Vigor Ant**, and its speed far surpassed it. That combination made it incredibly hard to counter.
*My Rank 9 Vigor Divine Fist should be strong enough to injure it,* Vivaan thought, *but if I can't land a hit, all that power means nothing.*
Adding to his challenge was the dense swarm of ordinary ants in the nest. They weren't individually dangerous, but their sheer numbers restricted his movement, preventing him from dodging freely. In such tight quarters, the Silver-Winged Flying Ant had all the advantage.
*If I want to beat it, I'll need to strike the exact moment it comes close. But seizing that moment... that's not easy.*
Determined, Vivaan dove back into the game. The moment his avatar entered the Ant Nest again, he mentally reviewed his strategy, analyzing every potential opportunity to counterattack.
After another hour of attempts, Vivaan once again faced the Silver-Winged Flying Ant.
When the creature swooped down from above, Vivaan launched his **Vigor Divine Fist**, hoping to strike first.
But the ant twisted in midair at the last possible second. With unnatural agility, it avoided the punch entirely, darting behind his avatar and slicing through its neck in a flash of silver.
*"GAME OVER."*
Vivaan tried again—and again—and again. Each attempt ended in failure. The Silver-Winged Flying Ant was simply too fast, too agile. His **Vigor Divine Fist** couldn't even graze it.
The only time he managed to land a hit was when he used **Inch Punch**—a technique he had practiced for precision and explosiveness at close range. When the ant had darted in too close, he had instinctively used Inch Punch, and it connected.
Unfortunately, the attack hadn't been strong enough. Inch Punch wasn't a Primordial Energy Skill; it lacked the amplification needed to truly injure the creature.
*If only I could combine the raw explosive power of Inch Punch with the energy of Vigor Divine Fist... then I wouldn't need to swing so wide. I could unleash the same strength instantly, the moment it comes close.*
Vivaan paused, his mind racing. *Wait... my in-game character mirrors me exactly. If I can master a hybrid of both techniques in reality, it should work in-game too.*
Realizing this, he exited the game, locked his phone, and stood up. Then, he began to experiment physically—testing how to deliver **Vigor Divine Fist** using the same compact principles as **Inch Punch**.
It was not easy.
Vigor Divine Fist was designed as a wide, powerful strike that required a large movement to gather force. Inch Punch, however, focused on sudden, explosive power within a few centimeters. Merging them was like trying to combine thunder and lightning into a single instant.
But Vivaan was stubborn. He kept practicing, his movements sharp and precise, even as sweat formed on his brow.
Hours passed.
When **Kabir** finally woke from his nap, the first thing he saw was Vivaan repeatedly throwing punches in the corner of the room. At first, Kabir assumed his friend was just stretching after hours of gaming. But after watching for two more hours and realizing Vivaan hadn't stopped, curiosity got the better of him.
He squinted, tilting his head. *That's... Inch Punch? But the movement's all wrong. Way too much recoil, not nearly enough explosive force.*
After a minute, Kabir lost interest. He waved his hand dismissively and went back to his drink.
Meanwhile, Vivaan kept pushing himself. His focus was absolute. The world around him faded into silence; only the rhythm of his breathing and the motion of his fists mattered.
---
Two days before the **college entrance examinations**, Vivaan was still at it—his arms sore, his knuckles bruised. But his spirit was unwavering. He could feel himself getting closer to understanding the balance between the two techniques.
He hadn't mastered it yet, but he could sense that he was on the right path.
When the day of the exams finally arrived, time seemed to blur. The first three days were filled with written tests—mathematics, literature, and other ordinary academic subjects.
On the morning of the fourth day, Vivaan met up with **Kabir Sinha** again. Their teacher **Arvind Rao**, the professor , handed them their candidate passes.
"Remember," Arvind said with his usual calm tone, "the combat test is where the real competition begins. Keep your focus."
Vivaan nodded silently.
The **combat test** took place in a **dimensional zone**, as it did every year. Since no two zones were exactly the same, each district's exam was slightly different.
For students from **Guide City**, the combat test venue was none other than **Guide Ancient City**—a historic area that had been turned into a dimensional zone decades ago after a violent dimensional storm had torn open a rift in space.
Even now, traces of that storm remained. Strange energies pulsed through the ancient ruins, and many mysterious creatures lurked within its boundaries.
The students lined up at the gates of the zone, waiting for their turn to enter. Some were nervous, others excited. Vivaan stood quietly among them, his mind calm but sharp.
He flexed his fingers unconsciously, feeling the subtle power of his newly refined technique—still incomplete, but full of potential.
This time, it wasn't about proving himself to anyone else. It wasn't about showing off or winning praise.
It was about one thing alone: **the game he played wasn't just on a screen anymore. It was real.**
And as always—Vivaan Sharma hated being disturbed while gaming.
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