CH 8 Prana Cultivation Part 2

"So", Shiva Asked, "How Was Your Experience? What Form Did Your Soul Space Take from The First Prana Baptism?"

"What Is Prana Baptism?" Rudra Asked Confusedly

"Prana Baptism Is A Phenomenon Termed as Such Because Of The Complete Transformation of Your Soul Space with The First Introduction of Prana into Your Body and Soul. This Transformation Only Takes Place Once, And the Form It Takes Is the Form It Shows for The Rest of Your Existence, I.E. The Growth of Your Body and Soul Will Be Depicted with The Form Your Soul Space Currently Has."

"Some People Get the Most Common Seven Chakras, Some Get Represented by A Plant or Tree, Some Get A Soul Plane Which Is One of The Rarest Forms of Representation. So, What Is Yours?"

"A World." Rudra Whispered.

"A What? I Didn't Get That Right Apparently." Shiva Asked Again

"My Soul Space Took the Form of a World." Rudra Verified "I Can Be Said to Be A Planet Surrounded by Seven Enormous Stars, Only One of Which Is Currently Lit and Giving Light. The Red Star That Is Currently Lit Has A Single Ring Around It."

Shiva Was Silent for A Long Time, Which Made Rudra Uncomfortable. "Why So Silent?" He Asked

"The More Exaggerated the Form of Prana Baptism, The More Powerful the Power They Get from It. However, It Also Increases the Risk. Each Stage Becomes Harder to Cultivate Compared to Average and Moreover, There Is Risk of Death During Each Existence Upgrade." Shiva Replied

"And You Little Brother, Have the Rarest of Them All, The Soul World Manifestation. Apart from Various Other Benefits It Provides, The Best Advantage of Soul World Is That After A Certain Point You Can Actually Develop It into A Personal World."

"Anyway, You Don't Need to Concern Yourself About It Currently Little Brother as It's All in The Future. Right Now, You Need to Get Rest as Its Already the Eve of Exams. If You Hadn't Woken Up Today Then We Would Have Been in Trouble. Good Thing Your Baptism Ended on Time."

"So Tomorrow It Is Then." Rudra Said Determinedly.

"Yup, So Get Lots of Rest and I Will See You Tomorrow Morning as We Leave for The Test Center. Oh, And Do Read Up About the Inhuman Academies, I Have Already Sent You the Necessary Documents for The Same in Your C.S. Alpha."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The Mortal and Inhuman Worlds Had Been Separated Since the First Moment They Were Born. In Current Times, Except For A Select Few Amongst Mortals Who Knew What Inhumans Truly Are, All of The Others Had Been Fooled Through Rumors And Various Entertainment Media.

This Was Partly Because Inhumans Wanted Privacy from The Mortals and Partly Because Of The True Purpose as To Why Inhumans Existed. The Inhumans Had the Responsibility of Safeguarding the World from Various Supernatural Forces. Though It Often Included Rogue Inhumans And Some Mutated Beings, It Wasn't the Chief Threat.

The Prime Mission of The Inhumans Was Safeguarding the Dimensional Border Between Their World and The Reverse World or Popularly Known as The Darkside. The Dark Side Was an Ever-Growing Dimension Formed from The Belief, Faith, Sins and The Supernatural Energy from The Real World That Had Collected Together and Formed Its Own Dimension. Infact, Inhumans Themselves Originated Because Of The Influence of The Darkside In the Real World. The Darkside Held Many Untold Monsters, Horrors and Even Dark Gods and Spirits.

But Inhumans Were Not Alone in The Struggle Against the Darkside. Many Gods and Heroic Spirits Supported Them and Had Imparted Various Knowledge to Them. With Such Support, Inhumans Managed to Create Various Academies for Training of The Next Generations of Inhumans. These Academies Were the Top Priority for Protection from Discovery by Mortals, Just Because the Technology and Knowledge in The Academies Were Beyond Anything Mortals Could Have Imagined Existed.

The Academies Were Segregated by Various Pantheons of Gods, And Hidden in Various Mysterious Hidden Dimensions That Overlapped with The Real World. These Had Been Constructed and Gifted by The Gods to The Inhumans.

These Dimensions Also Acted as A Seal to The Darkside, Siphoning Off Its Overflowing Powers into Various Smaller Parts That Could Be Managed and Sealed into These Dimensions. The Monsters Born from These Sealed Parts Were Used as Training for The Inhuman Academy Students.

All Academies Held Combined Tests to Choose the Most Talented Inhumans To Join Their Academies. Sometimes Exceptionally Talented Inhumans Were Even Contested Upon by Multiple Academies. The Training in Academies Let Them Become Inhumans Capable of Protecting the World.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The Morning Skies of The Next Day Seemed Clear and Beautiful to The Mortals, However A Hovercar Was Tearing Through the Skies at Phenomenal Speeds, Rushing Towards A Certain Destination. Inside the Car, Rudra Was Clutching the Seat in Worry with His Knuckles White as Shiva Cackled Madly as She Drove.

"Where Are We Going? And Do We Really Have to Risk Our Lives Like This Just to Reach There A Bit Early?!" Rudra Screamed at Her.

"Haha, You Don't Get It Little Brother, This Time the Center Is in The Divine City of Dwarka. It Is the Center Of the Most Advanced Technologies Available to Inhumans Even When Compared to Other Academies. The Vedic Pantheon Runs the Academy There, Aptly Named the Vedic Academy. Even If It Is Ranked Only Fourth in The Fighting Potential of Its Students, It Is the Only Academy That Has Never Even Had One Incident of Monster Outbreak from Its Seal of Darkside."

"This Achievement Is Owed to Its Phenomenally Advanced Technologies for Auxiliary and Defensive Methods. Moreover, The Quality of Life of The Residents There Is Unimaginably Good Due to The Various Auxiliary Skill Experts There. Anyway, You Will Know Once We Get There. Just Hold on Tight, I Can't Miss This Golden Chance When the Dwarka Is Finally Opened to Applicants and Their Guardians."

The Flew Over at A Rapid Pace, Crossing Vast Amounts of Distance Until They Reached the Sea Shore, Hundreds of Miles Away from Shiva's Island. The Only Structure Here Was an Enormous Resort Built on The Seashore. Other Than That, No Other Signs of Civilisation Could Be Seen No Matter How Far Rudra Looked.

"Haha, You Won't Find Anyone Here Except Inhumans Rudra" Shiva Explained "That Resort Is the Entrance Point to Dwarka; Hence A Barrier Has Been Set Up to Divert Away All and Anything Connected to Mortals. No Mortal Communication or Observation Technology Can Find Anything Here. In Fact, Funnily Enough, This Place Doesn't Even Exist on Their Maps."

Shiva Landed on The Parking Courtyard for The Resort and Then Dragged Rudra To the Entrance to The Resort. They Were Greeted by A Beautiful Girl in A Figure-Hugging Outfit at The Reception Near the Entrance.

"Hello, May I Enquire If You Are Here for Business or Pleasure?" The Receptionist Asked

"Both" Shivas Replied "This Boy Rudra Here Will Be Applying for The Test and I Am His Guardian."

"Understood" The Receptionist Replied as She Opened A Holographic Screen with A Wave of Her Hand. Rays of Light Emerged That Scanned Both Shiva And Rudra.

"Rudra Jokaen, Age 10, Prana Cultivator, Clan Affiliation None, Stat Average E+ ?!!" The Receptionist Was Shocked as To How Someone So Young Could Have Such High Base Stats "Ahem, You Are Qualified for Entrance. Since Your Communication Device Has Been Registered with Us, All Details of The Tests Will Be Given Directly to Your Communication Device."

"Next Is Shiva …. Lochlain…" The Receptionist Paled Upon Reading That "Uhm … Uhm…."

"Don't Worry About It" Shiva Gave A Sweet Smile, That Somehow Felt Like an Invitation to Hell to The Receptionist "No Need to Sweat That Much, I Am Just His Guardian Here. I Can Enter Can't I?"

"Yes Definitely!! Of Course!! Without Doubt!!" The Receptionist Nodded Like A Starving Chicken Pecking on Grains.

As Shiva And Rudra Passed the Entrance to Enter the Resort, The Receptionist's Legs Failed to Hold Her Up Anymore and She Collapsed on The Ground. After Controlling Her Trembling Hand, She Waved Her Hand to Summon Another Holographic Screen and Contacted A Certain Person. As Soon as The Person Appeared on The Screen, She Bowed Deeply in Respect.

"Hello Young Master" The Receptionist Said "I Have Found Another Possible Candidate for The Seven Heroic Shields. His Base Stats Are Phenomenal Despite the Fact That He Is Only 10-Year-Old. He Also Looks Well Trained and Definitely Has More Than A Few Skills at High Ranking. I Suspect He May Even Have A Transcendent Innate."

"Hmm, That Sounds Too Good to Be True." Voice of A Teenage Boy Came from The Screen "What Is the Catch?"

"…. He Is Being Guarded by The Nanotech Heroic Goddess." The Receptionist Said with Hesitation.

"What?!! Lochlain??" The Boy Was Shocked "Now That Is A Bummer. It Means That I Can't Directly Approach Him. Whatever, If I Can't Associate Him with Me Directly, Then I Better Make Sure He Is A Friend. Sigh, What Rotten Luck, I Found One Suitable Unaffiliated Candidate Yet I Can't Even Approach Him Currently. How Is It Going with The Candidates of The Agastya, Chandramukhi And Kaundanya Clan?"

"They Have Also Sent One Candidate Each to The Test Young Master"

"As Expected Then, At least They Will Assuredly Be in The Seven Shields. Hmm, Well We Will See How It Goes. What Is the Name of This Potential Candidate?"

"His Name Is Rudra Jokaen Young Master."

"Rudra Huh, I Guess I Will Meet You Soon Enough My New Friend. Hope You Can Impress Me!" Saying as Much the Connection Was Cut Off.