Morning light broke over the survivor camp like a thin blade cutting through darkness. Smoke rose from dying embers, and exhausted refugees packed their few belongings, ready for the convoy's arrival.
Akash Varma stood calmly at the entrance, crowbar strapped to his back, eyes alert. His mind felt different after last night—sharper, deeper, almost humming with invisible energy.
His Mental Force Awakening was still weak, more like a candle than a flame.
But even a candle in darkness was a weapon.
The camp leader approached, armor mismatched and dented. "Convoy should be here soon. Stay close. They won't wait if we're slow."
Akash nodded. "Understood."
He scanned the area silently.
Birds avoided the surrounding trees. No distant roars. No tremors in the soil.
Good. At least the morning is calm.
"Ah! They're here!" someone shouted.
A line of armored trucks and makeshift military jeeps appeared from the east road, dust swirling behind them. Their sides bore faded marks—
Jiang-Nan Base City – Temporary Logistics Corps
Dozens of armed escorts marched alongside: some with rifles, some with spears, all wearing helmets salvaged from old police units.
The caravan stopped at the camp entrance. A tall man with a rugged beard stepped down from the lead jeep.
"Gather the survivors! We leave in five minutes!" he barked.
The camp stirred with hope.
Akash adjusted his grip on his crowbar. He couldn't help smiling faintly. Jiang-Nan Base City… the first stepping stone of humanity's rise.
The teenage guard girl, Lian, approached him shyly.
"You're riding in the same truck as me. Our camp leader arranged it."
He nodded. "Okay."
She looked at him curiously. "You look different today… more focused."
"Bad dreams," he lied politely.
No need to reveal his awakening.
Not yet.
The Convoy Moves
The convoy rattled across broken highways, wheels crunching gravel and monster bones scattered like white stones. Destroyed shops, burned vehicles, and claw marks on buildings marked the scars of the Great Nirvana.
Akash sat inside a cramped cargo truck with Lian and about twenty other survivors. The engine hummed beneath them.
For the first thirty minutes, everything was calm.
Then—the system voice whispered in Akash's mind.
[Warning: Beast Aura Detected]
Threat Level: High Species: Unknown Variant Distance: 800 meters Approaching rapidly.
Akash's expression hardened.
A beast with a high threat rating? In this region?
The soldiers around him had no idea.
He knocked lightly on the driver's cabin.
The escort soldier opened the window. "What is it?"
"A strong beast is approaching. Fast."
The soldier blinked. "How do you know?"
"I can feel vibrations," Akash lied calmly. "Something big is moving."
The soldier frowned but nodded. "We'll alert the captain."
Minutes later, the convoy slowed slightly.
But it wasn't enough.
A thunderous roar ripped through the sky, so loud the trucks vibrated.
Then—
BOOM!
A massive shape landed on the cracked road ahead, sending shockwaves through the convoy.
The leading jeep skidded sideways.
Survivors screamed.
Akash's eyes widened in shock.
That thing…
Standing in the middle of the road was a Tiger-Class Mutant Beast—a rare variant created early after the Great Nirvana.
Four meters tall. Six meters long. Muscles like armor plates. Black stripes etched with faint crimson light. A crown-like bone structure grew from its forehead.
Its aura pressed down like a physical weight.
Lian grabbed Akash's sleeve. "W-What is that?!"
"A variant I've never seen," Akash murmured. "Stronger than any early human squad can handle."
The convoy captain shouted orders. "ALL TROOPS! FORM DEFENSIVE SQUARE! PROTECT THE SURVIVORS!"
Soldiers scrambled into formation.
The beast lowered itself.
Its eyes locked on— —not the soldiers.
But the trucks carrying survivors.
Akash's stomach tightened.
It's an intelligent eater. It targets the weak first.
The beast roared again—
—and charged.
The earth shook.
Soldiers opened fire.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Bullets tore into its hide… and bounced off.
Not even a scratch.
Akash clenched his jaw. "Guns won't work. Its defense is too high."
The captain yelled, "Spearmen, front! Hold the line!"
The beast crashed into the spear formation.
CRACK!
Men flew like rag dolls.
Blood sprayed the air.
Lian gasped, covering her mouth as a soldier's body slammed into the truck's side.
Akash stepped outside.
His heart was pounding—but not from fear.
Something inside his mind began vibrating.
My Mental Force… reacting?
The beast's aura was so immense that even his newly awakened spirit felt pressure.
Yet that pressure sparked something in him—a primal instinct.
A desire to push back.
To fight.
To survive.
The beast turned, preparing for another charge.
The captain yelled desperately, "Clear the path! We need to retreat!"
Too late.
The beast was already sprinting straight toward the cargo truck carrying Akash and Lian.
The metal beneath their feet trembled violently.
"Move!" Akash shouted, pulling Lian away.
The beast leaped—
—and slammed into the truck like a living cannonball.
The entire vehicle lifted off the ground and rolled sideways.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM—CRASH!
Akash shielded Lian as they tumbled.
When the truck finally stopped rolling, metal creaked dangerously.
Screams filled the air.
Akash forced himself to move, dragging Lian from the wreckage.
"W-We need to run," she stammered.
"No," Akash said, voice surprisingly calm despite the chaos. "Running will only make it chase you. Stay behind the truck. Don't move."
Lian hesitated. "What about you?"
Akash stepped forward.
Toward the beast.
The tiger-variant had turned its enormous head toward them.
Even injured soldiers quivered at its presence.
The ground under Akash seemed to pulse with the beast's heartbeat.
I can't win in physical combat. My Mental Force isn't strong enough for telekinesis yet… but maybe—just maybe—I can trigger a reaction.
He inhaled deeply.
His Spiritual Sea trembled.
His awareness expanded.
He felt the world—the beast's murderous aura, the cries of soldiers, the panic in Lian's breath.
He raised his hand slightly.
System… give me anything. Any edge.
The system chimed.
[Emergency Trade Unlocked – Battle Response]
Available for limited time:
• Minor Telekinetic Burst (One-time Skill) – 6 TR A single blast of concentrated mental force. Power depends on user's spiritual sea.
His TR was 9.3.
He didn't hesitate.
"Buy."
A surge of heat erupted in his mind.
The world sharpened into crystal clarity.
The beast roared and lunged again—its massive claws extended, enough to slice his body in half.
Time slowed.
Soldiers screamed warnings.
Lian shouted his name.
Akash whispered:
"…Burst."
A shockwave exploded from his body.
Invisible.
Silent.
But overwhelmingly powerful.
WHUM—!!!
The air trembled as a mental force wave slammed into the charging beast's skull.
Its head jerked back violently.
The beast stumbled mid-air— —lost balance— —and crashed into the road, carving a crater.
BOOOOOOM!
Dust shot upward like a volcanic eruption.
Everyone froze.
Silence fell.
The soldiers stared wide-eyed.
"What… what was that?!"
"Did an artillery strike hit it?!"
The captain looked at Akash as if seeing a ghost. "Kid… what the hell are you?"
Akash didn't answer.
He stared at the fallen beast.
It wasn't dead.
But it was stunned—just for a moment.
Enough.
Akash grabbed a fallen spear from the ground and sprinted forward.
For the first time, his body felt light—as if the mental burst freed his muscles, flooded them with adrenaline.
He reached the beast's head.
Its left eye was cracked open—vulnerable.
Aim. Focus. Strike.
He drove the spear into the eye with all his strength.
SKRRK!
The spear pushed through the socket.
The beast convulsed.
It let out a final, earth-shaking roar—
—and collapsed entirely.
Dead.
Akash stepped back, chest heaving.
The convoy stared in pure disbelief.
Lian covered her mouth, tears in her eyes—not of fear, but relief.
The captain slowly walked toward Akash.
"You… you saved us all. That beast would've slaughtered the entire convoy."
Akash wiped sweat from his forehead.
"I only did what was necessary."
The captain's voice cracked:
"That was more than necessary. That was a miracle."
Akash simply looked at the massive corpse.
"Let me extract its essence."
The captain nodded weakly. "After what you did? It's yours."
Akash placed his hand on the beast.
"System—extract."
Red and golden essence swirled upward like smoke drawn into his palm.
It felt… heavy, thick with power.
[High-Grade Beast Essence acquired – 3.5 units]
TR +12
TR Total: 21.3
Mental Sea Expansion: +35%
Spiritual Force Strength: Noticeably increased.
Akash staggered for a moment.
His Spiritual Sea shone brighter— —the white spark now a small glowing orb.
Not full telekinesis. But close.
Very close.
Lian ran to him, grabbing his arm.
"You're alive… thank goodness…"
Akash smiled faintly. "I said I'd be careful."
The convoy began repairs.
The soldiers inspected the beast corpse, shaking their heads in awe.
The captain approached Akash again. "I don't know what kind of power you used… but you're coming with us to Jiang-Nan. You're not an ordinary survivor."
"I know," Akash said softly.
He looked at the road ahead.
Toward Jiang-Nan Base City.
Toward the Dojo of Limits.
Toward his future.
Today, he had fought a monster beyond early human capability.
Today, he had shown the first sign of the power he would eventually wield.
The Multiverse Trading System hummed quietly in his mind.
Akash Varma took a slow, measured breath.
The path of a Psychic Master had begun.
And today was the day the Earth trembled before him.