The moment the five friends returned to their hostel room, exhaustion pulled them straight onto their beds. The small room was bathed in the soft, cool glow of neon lights, while the distant, shimmering lights of the futuristic city outside filtered through the window like scattered stars. The faint hum of the campus at night blended with the occasional sound of floating holographic advertisements drifting far below.
Krish sat up straight on his bed and said, "You guys go take a shower first. Mahi and I will go later. Don't even think about sleeping in these dirty clothes."
Laksh closed his eyes, letting out a tired sigh. "You go first, man. I'm really exhausted today."
Yug immediately teased him with a grin. "You just ate and you're already tired? What kind of person are you, brother?"
Laughter filled the entire room. Laksh laughed along and finally raised his hand to quiet everyone. "Guys, today's class was genuinely draining. So much information got crammed into my brain all at once."
Mahi nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Laksh is right."
Rudra lay sprawled on his bed and declared dreamily, "If I awaken a Yellow or Purple rank talent, my life will be set. I'll become a Strength user and beat monsters one by one."
Krish gently interrupted in his calm voice, "Don't overthink it so much right now. We only have two days left. If you keep worrying like this, Laksh will start stressing again."
Everyone burst into laughter once more. Laksh smiled softly and said, "I'm not stressing anymore. I've thought about it a lot. Whatever happens, I'll accept it. Even if my talent doesn't awaken, I won't leave the university. I'll stay with all four of you — even if it means remaining a normal student."
The four friends nodded together in unison. Their bond ran so deep that the mere thought of being separated felt painful to each of them.
Yug quickly changed the subject, trying to lighten the mood. "Hey guys, today's cafeteria food was actually amazing. What do you all think?"
Rudra replied instantly, "Yeah, it was really good. But I didn't see that senior in the cafeteria today."
Krish recalled thoughtfully, "You're right. He didn't show up at all. By the way, what was his name? We never even asked."
Laksh stretched lazily and said, "Yeah, next time we meet him, we'll ask."
Krish and Mahi headed off to take their showers. The other three rested for a while. Once everyone had freshened up, the five friends gathered in a circle on Laksh's bed and began reading about the history and basic knowledge of Soul Experts on their mobiles.
Mahi suddenly read something on the screen and said, "Hey guys, it says here that even killing E or D-rank monsters can sometimes drop a Rare skill stone."
Laksh looked at him. "So what's so surprising about that?"
Mahi frowned in confusion. "But Professor Meera said Rare stones only come from C, B, or higher-rank monsters."
Laksh explained patiently, "There are always exceptions. It also depends on the species — the probability of certain skill stones varies. Professor Meera didn't have much time, so she probably couldn't explain every small detail."
Mahi nodded, satisfied. "Got it."
Krish spoke with visible excitement. "If my Intelligence stat comes out the highest and I become an Elemental Expert like Professor Meera, then my life will be completely set, guys."
Laksh gently corrected him. "Hey idiot, it's not that simple. First, your Intelligence stat has to be significantly higher than the other stats so you fall into the Intelligence user category. Only after that, by completing certain special tasks or hidden requirements, can you unlock advanced classes like Mana User, Spirit User, or even Dark Mana User. Professor Meera started as an Intelligence user, but after fulfilling a hidden requirement she became a Mana user and now works as an Elementalist."
Krish asked curiously, "So by completing requirements, I can change my user class?"
Laksh shook his head. "The main class doesn't change, but secret, special, or hidden sub-classes within that class get unlocked. For example, Professor Meera is a Mana user but she only uses elemental powers. There are many hidden classes, but I only know a little bit from the history and religion books I've read."
The five friends continued gathering more information late into the night. Suddenly, a breaking news alert flashed on Rudra's phone. He shouted loudly, "What the hell is this?!"
All four leaned in to look at the screen.
**Breaking News:**
The famous Black Pagoda Temple has been immediately closed to public entry. According to sources, there is a high possibility of powerful monsters appearing there. Four Soul Saint level experts and one Soul Divinity level expert have been assigned to handle the situation. Among the four Soul Saint experts is a descendant of the renowned Chandela family. Soul Divinity expert Mr. Malik will personally oversee the operation.
Laksh's face turned worried. "A few days ago, Birla and Mahakal Temples were also closed to the public, but no reason was given."
Krish thought for a moment. "Yes, that was two or three months ago. Those places have since reopened."
Laksh spoke seriously, "I don't understand what problem the monsters have with temples. Why are they suddenly targeting temples more than hospitals or populated institutions? If they wanted to attack humans, they could do it during the day when crowds are present. What's the point of going at night?"
Rudra and Yug looked at Laksh. Yug asked, "So what are you trying to say? Are the monsters trying to get something from the temples?"
Laksh hesitated before replying, "I was just thinking… no one goes to temples in the dark. If they wanted to attack, they could have done it in daylight. So is there something inside the temples that attracts monsters?"
Krish nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. And the Black Pagoda will probably reopen soon since a Soul Divinity level expert is going there."
Laksh looked at everyone and asked, "Krish, what do you think? Is the Soul Power we're being given just evolution… or is it actually power granted by God?"
Krish thought for a while and answered honestly, "I personally can't confirm anything. But if it was pure evolution, shouldn't it have happened to everyone at the same time? Maybe our genes were stronger, so it took longer and the effect was weaker. Still, when I think about the Soul Trinity level, it feels like there might be some divine connection. It hasn't been confirmed yet whether the Soul Trinity level even exists."
Laksh said, "Yeah, that's exactly what troubles me. If Soul Trinity exists, then it's connected to divinity. Otherwise, it's pure evolution."
Mahi interrupted, "Enough discussion for tonight. Let's sleep now. Tomorrow is the last day of basic lectures."
The five friends lay down on their respective beds and slowly drifted off to sleep.
The next morning at exactly 8:00 AM, all five friends were already fresh and ready. Surprisingly, Yug had woken up by himself today.
Yug laughed proudly. "See? Today no one had to wake me up, and I still got up on time."
Krish smiled. "Today is your lucky day. Come on, let's not be late."
They reached the university. The atmosphere in the classroom today felt noticeably different — quieter, more serious. Every student sat silently because this was the final day of basic lectures. Everyone was eager to hear what new information Professor Meera would share.
At 9:02 AM, Professor Meera entered the classroom. In her calm, composed voice she said, "We will continue from where we left off in the previous days. And at the end, if anyone has any doubts, feel free to ask."
There was no restlessness in the class today. Everyone listened in complete silence. No one wanted to miss even a single word.
When only fifteen minutes remained until the end of the lecture, Professor Meera asked, "Today is the fourth and final day of basic lectures. If anyone has any doubts, ask now."
Laksh immediately raised his hand. "Professor, there are nine expert levels in Soul Power (excluding Soul Trinity). Could you tell us something about the sub-levels?"
Professor Meera turned on the holographic screen and began explaining, "When we become Soul Users, we can level up from 1 to 90. Every ten levels correspond to one expert level.
- 1-10 → Soul Evolver Expert
- 11-20 → Junior Soul Evolver
- 21-30 → Senior Soul Evolver
- And so on, until 81-90 → Soul Divinity Expert.
Each expert level contains five sub-stages. Every sub-stage consists of two levels. For example, in the Soul Evolver level:
- Sub-stage 1 → Levels 1-2
- Sub-stage 2 → Levels 3-4
- …
- Sub-stage 5 → Levels 9-10
The most important point is this — at each expert level, we can choose one passive skill and one active or ultimate skill. In the first three sub-stages, we focus on cultivation, increasing proficiency, and building affinity. In the last two sub-stages, choosing a passive and an active/ultimate skill becomes mandatory."
Professor Meera gave a clear example to help everyone understand, then concluded, "I hope the basic concepts are clear now. Tomorrow we will meet in the university's academic hall for the talent checking examination."
Professor Meera switched off the screen and left the classroom. The students gradually began filing out as well.
The five friends returned to their room. Today they had packed food from the cafeteria. They ate together, discussed some basic knowledge for a while, took showers, and finally went to sleep.
Tomorrow would be the most important day of their lives — Talent Awakening Day.
---