Siddharth slowly regained consciousness.
At first, all he felt was exhaustion—deep and crushing, as though every bone in his body had been broken and reforged. His body lay sprawled on the cold wooden floor of his room, muscles aching fiercely.
"How long…?" he murmured.
Judging by the stillness of the night and the faint chill in the air, three to four hours must have passed since he lost consciousness.
He opened his eyes—
—and froze.
The room was completely dark. No lamp was lit. No moonlight entered through the narrow window.
Yet he could see everything.
The wooden walls, the cracks in the floor, even fine dust floating in the air—all of it was perfectly clear, as if the room were bathed in daylight.
"What…?"
Siddharth rubbed his eyes hard and blinked several times.
The darkness did not return.
Instead, his vision felt sharper than it had ever been.
"…I can see in the dark," he whispered, his heart pounding with excitement.
Unable to contain himself, Siddharth walked to the window and looked outside. His gaze landed on the ancient tree standing near the dormitory.
The moment he focused on it—
Information flowed into his mind.
Tree: Peepal
Age: 87 years
Condition: Healthy, minor insect damage on eastern bark
Siddharth staggered back, breath unsteady.
"This… this isn't normal."
He rushed toward the river flowing past the Gurukul grounds and knelt by the water's edge. His eyes locked onto a fish swimming calmly near the surface.
Instantly—
Species: Silver Carp
Weight: 0.7 kilograms
Gender: Male
Edibility: Suitable for consumption
Siddharth's hands trembled.
"I know everything… just by looking."
Heart racing, he stared at his reflection in the water.
This time, the information struck deeper.
Name: Siddharth
Age: 16
Cultivation: Shishya Rank 2 (Half-step from Rank 3)
Ability Acquired: All-Seeing Illusory Eyes
Understanding flooded his mind.
The All-Seeing Illusory Eyes granted him two terrifying abilities:
Absolute Analysis — by merely looking at an object, creature, or cultivator, he could understand its nature, condition, and basic information.
Illusory Gaze — anyone or any monster that made eye contact with him could be trapped in illusions, provided they were no more than five ranks above his cultivation level.
Mental-based abilities… at the Shishya realm.
Such powers were typically the domain of Rishi-rank cultivators and above.
Siddharth felt his shadow ripple faintly on the water's surface as he glanced at it—and instantly, he understood his own state.
"I'm only half a step away…"
Half a step from Shishya Rank 3.
For the first time since his parents' death, his cultivation path was no longer blocked.
Exhaustion finally overwhelmed him. Siddharth returned to his room and lay down, slipping into sleep with a faint smile.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The violent knocking jolted him awake.
"Siddharth! Open the door immediately!"
He sat up, heart tightening.
When he opened the door, two disciples in black robes stood outside—members of the Disciplinary Hall.
Behind them stood Garvit, his arms crossed, a cold and satisfied smile on his face.
"Where were you last night?" one of the disciplinary disciples demanded.
"In my room," Siddharth replied evenly. "Cultivating."
Garvit scoffed. "Lies."
He stepped forward. "I personally saw him sneaking out of the medicinal herb garden late at night."
"That is a serious accusation," the disciple said sternly.
Siddharth's eyes narrowed slightly. He already knew the truth.
He's framing me.
"What evidence do you have?" Siddharth asked calmly.
Garvit's smile widened. "Search his room."
The disciples entered.
Moments later, one of them bent down and pulled out a bundle from beneath Siddharth's bed.
Medicinal herbs.
Fresh. Rare. Valuable.
Siddharth froze.
He had never seen them before.
"Explain this," the disciplinary disciple said coldly.
Siddharth opened his mouth—
—and found no words.
He had no explanation.
"Take him to the Disciplinary Hall," the disciple ordered.
As they escorted him away, Garvit followed behind, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
Siddharth clenched his fists tightly.
This isn't over.