Chapter 23: The Backdoor of the Void
The laughter of the Ten-Headed King echoed through the communication mirror, a sound like grinding tectonic plates. Ravana knew the leverage he held. Vikram stood frozen, his fist inches from the Pillar of Ego, the violet-white fire of L11 Strength singing the air.
[ SYSTEM WARNING ]
Karmic Deadlock: The destruction of the current Pillar will trigger a chain reaction in the Chamber of Delusion.
Casualty Probability (Parents): 99.9%.
Debt Status: -49,995 Punya (Speed Debuff Active).
"You are a craftsman, boy," Ravana's image sneered from the mirror. "You know that every masterpiece requires a sacrifice. Will it be your mission, or your blood?"
Vikram didn't answer. His L10 Intellect was processing a million variables a second. He wasn't looking at the mirror; he was looking at the floor. Specifically, he was looking at the Prana-Lines that fed the lab.
The Hidden Blade Gamble
"I am a craftsman, Ravana," Vikram whispered. "And a craftsman never uses the front door when the ventilation is more efficient."
Vikram activated Eye of Truth (L8). He ignored the physical walls and looked at the Space-Time Fabric of the Patala Labs. Because the labs were built using ancient Asura technology, they weren't just rooms; they were folded pockets of space.
"There," Vikram spotted a "Thin Point"—a spatial seam where the Laboratory of Ego and the Chamber of Delusion were actually touching in the fourth dimension.
The Breach of the Seam
Vikram didn't punch the pillar. He turned 180 degrees and punched the Empty Air.
"SHUNYA-BHEDANA!" (Void-Piercing!)
With L11 Strength, Vikram didn't hit a physical object; he hit the spatial coordinate. The air tore like wet silk. A jagged, glowing rift opened in the center of the lab, revealing the interior of the Chamber of Delusion on the other side.
He saw his parents, Kashyap and Sumati, tied to the obsidian base of the Third Pillar. He also saw the guardian of that room: Vajramushti, a four-armed Asura general with skin made of diamond-hard chitin.
The High-Speed Rescue
[ DEBUFF ALERT ]
Weight of the World: Speed is capped at L5.
Kaala-Gati: Unavailable due to Punya Debt.
Vikram lunged through the rift. Even at half-speed, he was a blur to a normal eye, but to General Vajramushti, he was visible. The Asura General roared, swinging two massive maces at the incoming Sage.
"You dare enter my domain, worm?"
Vikram didn't have the speed to dodge perfectly. He took a glancing blow to his shoulder, the chitin mace shattering his Kavacha of Vayu and cracking his collarbone.
[ HP: 82% ]
Condition: [Internal Bleeding].
Vikram ignored the pain. He reached his parents, his fingers flashing as he cut their bindings with the Whisper of Kalindi.
"Father! Mother! Into the rift! Now!"
Kashyap, still carrying the residual L9 Strength from Vikram's earlier transference, grabbed Sumati and leaped back through the spatial tear just as it began to destabilize.
The Counter-Trap
Vikram stood alone in the Chamber of Delusion. The rift behind him snapped shut. He was now trapped in the third lab, separated from the Pillar of Ego, and facing an Atirathi-rank General while his speed was halved.
[ TARGET IDENTIFIED ]
Name: General Vajramushti.
Rank: Atirathi (Level 62).
Specialty: Physical Invulnerability.
"You saved them," the General laughed, his four arms tensing. "But you trapped yourself. And look... the Pillar of Ego is still standing. My King is still immortal. And you? You are just a bleeding boy in a locked room."
Vikram looked at his sword. Then he looked at the General. A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face.
"You think I'm trapped in here with you?" Vikram's aura shifted from Indigo to a dark, destructive Violet. "I just moved the battle away from my parents so I don't have to hold back."
Vikram is in a 'Negative Punya' debt, injured, and facing a physical powerhouse. But he no longer has to worry about collateral damage.
The Debt-Clearer: Sacrifice your Rank B Sword to the Akasha Shop to instantly clear your Punya Debt and regain your L11 Speed.The Pure Brute: Use L11 Strength to engage in a raw wrestling match, aiming to use the General's own body as a projectile to shatter the Pillar of Delusion.The Karmic Gamble: Use Charm (L10) to try and "Convert" the General's chitin-skin into soft lead by pointing out his hidden Paap, making him vulnerable to a single strike.
The Second Head of Ravana is still laughing. How will the Sage silence him?