---
The encrypted message burned on Arjun's screen.
"Rohan Desai has left Azure Peak Sect. Destination unknown. Estimated cultivation: Energy Adept (Peak). He's coming early."
Eighteen months instead of two years. Rohan was moving faster than expected.
Arjun stared at the message for exactly three seconds. Then he smiled.
"Meera."
She appeared beside him instantly—silent, attentive. "Master?"
"Our timeline just shortened. Rohan's left the sect. He's coming."
Meera's expression didn't change, but her eyes sharpened. "How long?"
"Unknown. He's Energy Adept Peak now. By the time he arrives, he could be Energy Master. Maybe higher."
"That's... problematic."
"No." Arjun turned from the window. "That's predictable. Protagonists always accelerate. They get lucky breaks, hidden opportunities, masters who appear at exactly the right moment. It's their nature."
"And our response, Master?"
Arjun's smile widened. "We accelerate too."
He walked to his desk, opened his tablet, began reviewing files. Varma Industries was solid. Vikram Desai was in prison. Desai Holdings was being dismantled by authorities. The Desai name was ruined across Valdris.
That's step one. Destroy his support network.
Step two: Build mine.
"System. Current point balance."
[POINT BALANCE: 41,700]
Forty-one thousand. Enough for two Tier 3 draws. Or one Tier 4, if he saved a little more.
Tier 4 gives better rewards. But I need power now.
"Meera. If Rohan arrives in six months as an Energy Master, can we defeat him?"
Meera considered carefully. "With our current strength? No. You're Initiate Stage 8. I'm Energy Adept Peak. One Energy Master could defeat both of us simultaneously."
"And if we had two more Energy Adepts? Three?"
"Still unlikely. The gap between Adept and Master is exponential, not linear."
Arjun nodded. He'd studied cultivation theory—Kavya's books were useful. One Energy Master could fight ten Energy Adepts and win.
So I need either:
· My own Energy Master (Tier 4 or 5 draw)
· Multiple Adepts with special abilities
· Something that negates the gap entirely
"System. Tier 3 draw. Now."
[TIER 3 DRAW: 20,000 POINTS]
[PROCESSING...]
Blue light filled the room. When it faded, a figure stood before him.
Tall. Male. Late twenties. Dressed in simple traveler's clothes. His eyes were sharp, assessing, and his stance screamed military training.
[SUMMON: CAPTAIN DHANANJAY REDDY]
[TIER: GOLD (ENERGY ADEPT — PEAK)]
[SPECIALTY: MILITARY TACTICS, SQUAD COMMAND, INTELLIGENCE GATHERING]
[LOYALTY: 100%]
The man bowed. "Master. I am yours to command."
Arjun studied him. Military bearing. Disciplined. Exactly what he needed.
"Captain. Your expertise?"
"Twenty years in Valdris special forces. Retired as operations commander. I've run intelligence networks in three continents. I know how to find people who don't want to be found."
Arjun's smile returned. "Good. Because I need you to find someone."
"Rohan Desai?"
"Eventually. First, I need you to find everyone connected to him. His teachers. His allies. Anyone who might help him when he arrives. And then I need you to make sure they can't."
Captain Reddy's eyes gleamed. "Understood, Master."
[EMOTION DETECTED: ANTICIPATION]
[SOURCE: CAPTAIN REDDY]
[INTENSITY: MODERATE]
[POINTS GENERATED: 800]
[NEW BALANCE: 22,500]
---
Three weeks passed.
Arjun trained. Every morning, every evening. The Seven Stars technique worked faster than the manual promised—or maybe the system was boosting him secretly. By week three, he reached Initiate Stage 9.
One more stage to Energy Adept.
Meera trained Leela. The girl was improving rapidly—natural talent combined with desperate motivation. She could now hold her own against Meera for three minutes before losing.
Captain Reddy built his network. Former military contacts. Intelligence assets. Informants across Valdris and into Sylvaris.
The reports came daily.
"Rohan Desai spotted in Sylvaris border town. Purchased cultivation resources. Heading west."
"Rohan Desai met with retired Master Wei Chen. Possible training arrangement."
"Rohan Desai disappeared from surveillance. Last seen entering ancient ruins."
Arjun read each report, filed it away, adjusted his plans.
Ancient ruins. That's where protagonists get their power-ups.
"Captain. The ruins he entered—what's their history?"
Reddy pulled up files. "Ancient cultivation battlefield, Master. Seven hundred years old. Many strong practitioners died there. Legends say their techniques and treasures remain."
"And protagonists always find them." Arjun nodded. "Track the exits. All of them. When he comes out, I want to know immediately."
"Yes, Master."
---
One evening, Arjun sat with his daughters for dinner.
The atmosphere had changed over the past month. Less tension. More laughter. The girls had settled into their roles.
Leela talked excitedly about her training. "Meera says I'll reach Initiate Stage 3 by next month! She says I have natural talent!"
Kavya quietly mentioned a book she'd found—Desai Family History. "Dad, the Desais weren't always criminals. They were respected merchants a generation ago. It was Rohan's father who turned to... to the bad things."
The bad things that got him killed by the original Arjun.
"Keep researching," Arjun said. "Knowledge is power."
Riya played a new composition—haunting, beautiful. "I call it 'Waiting for Dawn.' It's about... about hoping someone comes home."
Anya bounced. "I climbed the water tower today! I could see the whole city!"
"Anya, that's dangerous—" Tara started.
"I was careful! And Meera was watching!"
Diya had nursed a injured pigeon back to health. It sat on her shoulder, cooing softly.
And Ishani watched Arjun throughout dinner, saying nothing.
After the meal, she followed him to his study.
"Dad."
"Yes, baby?"
"The man you're looking for. The Desai boy." She climbed onto his lap. "He's going to come here, isn't he?"
"Yes."
"And you're going to stop him."
"Yes."
Ishani was quiet for a moment. Then: "Dad, can I tell you something?"
"Always."
"Sometimes, when I look at people, I see... colors. Around them. Mom had gold. You have... silver and red. Tara has blue. Leela has orange."
Arjun went very still.
Ishani can see something. Aura? Emotional states? Something beyond normal perception.
"And the Desai boy? What color do you think he has?"
Ishani closed her eyes, concentrating. "I don't know. But when you talk about him, I see... purple. Dark purple. Like a bruise."
Anger. Pain. Vengeance.
"Thank you, baby. That's very helpful."
Ishani hugged him. "I want to help, Dad. Like Leela trains and Kavya reads and Riya plays. I want to help too."
Arjun held her tight. "You are helping. More than you know."
[EMOTION DETECTED: LOVE, PURPOSE]
[SOURCE: ISHANI VARMA]
[INTENSITY: PROFOUND]
[POINTS GENERATED: 3,500]
[NEW BALANCE: 26,000]
---
Two months after transmigration, Arjun reached Energy Adept.
The breakthrough came at dawn. He sat in meditation, following the Seven Stars technique, when something inside him shifted. Energy flooded his meridians—warm, powerful, alive.
When he opened his eyes, the world looked different. Sharper. Brighter. He could hear conversations three floors down. Smell breakfast cooking in the kitchen. Feel the pulse of the city around him.
[CULTIVATION PROGRESS]
[REALM: ENERGY ADEPT (INITIAL)]
[ABILITIES: ENHANCED SENSES, BASIC ENERGY MANIPULATION, INCREASED SPEED/STRENGTH]
[TIME TO NEXT REALM: APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS (WITH DAILY PRACTICE)]
Six months to Energy Adept Peak. Then who knows how long to Master.
Too slow.
"System. Tier 3 draw."
[TIER 3 DRAW: 20,000 POINTS]
[PROCESSING...]
Another flash. Another figure.
This time, a woman. Early thirties. Dark hair, sharp features, dressed in healer's robes. She carried a medical bag and moved with quiet confidence.
[SUMMON: DR. SANJANA KRISHNAN]
[TIER: GOLD (ENERGY ADEPT — INITIAL)]
[SPECIALTY: MEDICAL GENIUS, POISON EXPERT, BIOLOGICAL ENHANCEMENT]
[LOYALTY: 100%]
She bowed. "Master. I am honored."
Arjun studied her. "Medical genius?"
"Top of my class at Zephyria Medical Academy. Specialized in cultivation-related injuries and poison crafting. I can heal your people—or hurt your enemies."
Poison. Against a protagonist with protagonist luck? Risky. But useful.
"Welcome, Doctor."
[EMOTION DETECTED: GRATITUDE]
[SOURCE: DR. SANJANA]
[INTENSITY: MODERATE]
[POINTS GENERATED: 900]
[NEW BALANCE: 6,900]
---
That afternoon, Captain Reddy returned with news.
"Master. Rohan Desai emerged from the ruins three days ago. His cultivation has increased significantly."
"To what level?"
"Unknown. But witnesses describe him as... different. Stronger. More confident. He's heading toward Valdris, but taking a circuitous route. Stopping at towns. Meeting people."
Building alliances. Gathering resources. Doing what protagonists do.
"Captain. I want dossiers on everyone he meets. Names, backgrounds, weaknesses. By the time he reaches Valdris, I want to know more about his allies than he does."
"Yes, Master."
"And Captain—start identifying which of them can be turned. Bought. Blackmailed. Whatever it takes. I want his network to be mine before he even arrives."
The Captain's eyes gleamed. "A wise strategy, Master."
---
Three more months passed.
Arjun trained relentlessly. By month five, he reached Energy Adept (Mid). His speed and strength had doubled. He could leap between buildings. Punch through walls. Sense energy signatures from blocks away.
Meera trained Leela. The girl reached Initiate Stage 7—remarkable progress for someone with only six months of training. She could now fight evenly with bronze-tier summons.
Kavya discovered something important.
"Dad! Look at this!" She burst into his study, clutching an ancient text. "The Desai family—they weren't just merchants. They were guardians of something. A seal. An ancient prison holding something dangerous."
Arjun took the book, read quickly.
Seven hundred years ago, the Desai family was entrusted with guarding the Seal of Malachar—a prison containing a demonic cultivator who nearly destroyed Aeloria. The seal requires a Desai bloodline descendant to maintain it. If the bloodline ends, the seal breaks.
Arjun's mind raced.
Rohan is the last Desai. If I kill him, the seal breaks. Something terrible gets released.
But if I don't kill him, he kills me.
"Kavya. This is huge. Keep researching. Find out what happens if the seal breaks. And find out if anyone else knows about this."
Kavya nodded, face serious. "I will, Dad."
[EMOTION DETECTED: PRIDE, PURPOSE]
[SOURCE: KAVYA VARMA]
[INTENSITY: SIGNIFICANT]
[POINTS GENERATED: 2,100]
[NEW BALANCE: 9,000]
---
That night, Arjun gathered his inner circle: Meera, Captain Reddy, Dr. Sanjana.
"The Desai family secret," he told them. "Rohan isn't just seeking revenge. He's the last guardian of an ancient seal. If he dies, something worse escapes."
Meera's eyes widened. "Then we cannot kill him."
"Correct. At least not directly. If the seal breaks, we face a demonic cultivator instead of a revenge-driven protagonist."
Captain Reddy frowned. "Can we capture him? Imprison him? Make him maintain the seal against his will?"
"Possible. But protagonists don't get captured. They escape. They turn the tables. They use their captors' plans against them."
Dr. Sanjana spoke quietly. "There are other options, Master. Poisons that don't kill but incapacitate permanently. Drugs that control the mind. Biological agents that—"
"No." Arjun's voice was firm. "I have lines. Mind control, permanent incapacitation of an innocent—he's not innocent, but he's also not a monster. Not yet. I won't become one to defeat him."
Silence.
Then Meera: "Then what do we do, Master?"
Arjun leaned back, thinking.
Rohan is coming. He wants revenge. He has protagonist luck. He's the last of his bloodline, guarding an ancient seal.
If I kill him, I release something worse.
If I don't kill him, he kills me.
There has to be a third option.
"Captain. How long until he reaches Valdris?"
"At his current pace? Four months. Maybe five."
"Good. That's enough time."
"For what, Master?"
Arjun smiled—cold, calculating.
"To change the game entirely."
---
The next morning, Arjun made his second major move.
He called another press conference. This time, the room was even more packed. His reputation had grown since destroying Vikram Desai. People wanted to see what he'd do next.
Arjun took the stage. Calm. Confident.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Three months ago, I exposed corruption in Valdris business community. Today, I'm announcing something bigger."
He pressed a button. Screens lit up with maps, documents, ancient texts.
"The Desai family—yes, that Desai family—has been hiding a secret for seven hundred years. They are the guardians of the Seal of Malachar. An ancient prison containing a demonic cultivator who nearly destroyed our world."
Gasps from the audience.
"Rohan Desai, the last of his line, is currently traveling toward Valdris. He seeks revenge against me for his father's crimes. But if he dies—if the Desai bloodline ends—the seal breaks. And we all face the consequences."
Cameras flashed. Journalists shouted.
"What are you saying, Mr. Varma?"
Arjun looked directly at the cameras.
"I'm saying that Rohan Desai is not my enemy. He's a pawn in a larger game. And I'm inviting him—publicly—to meet with me. To talk. To find a solution that doesn't end with either of us dead and a demon loose on the world."
Pandemonium.
[EMOTION DETECTED: SHOCK, AWE, FEAR, HOPE]
[SOURCE: 300+ JOURNALISTS, MILLIONS WATCHING LIVE]
[INTENSITY: EXTREME (COLLECTIVE)]
[POINTS GENERATED: 45,000]
[NEW BALANCE: 54,000]
---
The message went viral within hours.
Across Aeloria, people debated: Was Varma telling the truth? Was the Desai family really guarding an ancient seal? Was Rohan Desai a hero or a threat?
In Sylvaris, a young man watched the broadcast in a crowded tavern.
Rohan Desai.
He was nineteen now. Tall, broad-shouldered, with eyes that had seen too much. His cultivation was Energy Adept Peak—one breakthrough away from Master.
Around him, travelers whispered.
"Is it true? Is he really the last guardian?"
"Varma's playing games. He killed Rohan's parents. Now he's trying to manipulate public opinion."
"Or maybe he's telling the truth. The ancient texts mention Malachar."
Rohan listened, expression unchanging.
When the broadcast ended, he stood, walked outside, and activated his communication device.
A woman's face appeared—his contact in Valdris, one of the few allies he'd made.
"Rohan. You saw?"
"Yes."
"Varma's clever. He's turned public opinion against you before you even arrive."
Rohan was silent for a moment. Then: "No. He's done something else."
"What?"
"He's given me a choice." Rohan's eyes hardened. "I can come as an avenger—kill him, break the seal, release a demon. Or I can come as something else."
"Something else?"
"A guardian. Like my family was supposed to be." He looked toward Valdris, toward the city where his enemy waited. "Varma's not trying to defeat me. He's trying to recruit me."
Silence.
Then: "Will you go?"
Rohan thought about his parents. Their deaths. The years of training, of pain, of single-minded focus.
He thought about the seal. The demon. The millions who would die if he failed.
He thought about Arjun Varma—the man who'd destroyed his family, now offering him a way out.
"Yes," he said finally. "I'll go. But not as his enemy. And not as his ally."
"What then?"
Rohan's smile was grim.
"As his equal. We'll see who's really playing games."
---
Three weeks later, a message arrived at Varma mansion.
Hand-delivered. No return address. No identifying marks.
Arjun opened it in his study, Meera and Captain Reddy watching.
One sentence:
"The Azure Peak pagoda. Seven days. Come alone."
No signature. But they all knew who sent it.
Captain Reddy frowned. "A trap, Master."
"Probably."
"You're not going alone."
"Yes, I am."
"Master—"
"Captain." Arjun's voice was calm. "Rohan could have attacked already. He's had months. Instead, he's asking for a meeting. Alone. That means he's thinking. Considering. And thinking opponents are the ones you can negotiate with."
Meera stepped forward. "At least let me accompany you secretly. Within range. If something goes wrong—"
"No." Arjun shook his head. "If he senses you, the trust is broken. And right now, trust is the only weapon I have."
He looked at the message again.
Seven days. Azure Peak pagoda. Alone.
The protagonist and the villain, meeting without armies.
This should be interesting.
[CHAPTER 2 END]
---