Chapter 8: Lies, Manuals, and Names Not Worth Remembering

The night sky above Vaikunth Dham was no longer peaceful. Smoke curled like sinister serpents from the cracks in the palace walls, and the ground still trembled with faint aftershocks from the wrath of Taarask.

But outside the shattered treasury doors, two soot-covered figures sat panting against a broken pillar—silent, shaken, and slightly singed.

Aryan slumped forward, arms resting on his knees, hair matted to his forehead with sweat and soot. His small frame trembled—not from fear now, but something heavier.

'I survived... but I lost everything.'

The System was the first to speak—voice dry, flat, and somehow still condescending.

System:

"Let me summarize the situation for the record: zero manuals obtained, zero treasures looted, 100% of treasury converted into a barbecue pit. Excellent work, kid. Just spectacular."

"Shut up…" Aryan mumbled, eyes burning. "Just shut up, for once."

Roshni, sitting beside him, coughed through the smoke and wiped dust off her cheek. "That was… that was insane."

Aryan didn't answer. He just stared into the dirt, fists clenched.

A few moments passed in silence.

Then came the quiet sob.

Not loud. Not exaggerated. Just the kind of frustrated, helpless crying that only six-year-old warriors with shattered hopes and an empty hand could understand.

"I didn't even get the manual..." he whispered. "I came all this way... and now I'll never advance past Chakra 1, Level 1…"

System:

"Oh, you're crying now? Great. First, you burned down the kingdom's ancient treasury, and now you want a sympathy badge? Should I play a sad flute in the background too? Or maybe just download despair.exe"

Roshni blinked, startled.

"Wait... you were here for a Chakra 1 Level 1 manual?"

He nodded without looking at her.

She bit her lip. 'He was crying over that? But he… he blocked all my attacks... he has that much power already.'

For a brief moment, her arrogance melted. Her small fingers reached into her robes and pulled out three slender scrolls—beautifully bound, stamped with a lotus insignia.

"You can… borrow mine."

Aryan looked up, stunned. "What?"

"They're basic manuals. Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. For Chakra 1. I already know them by heart." She gave a tiny smile. "Besides, I think you need them more than I do."

He stared at her, eyes wide.

'She's... helping me? But why?'

System:

"And just like that, fortune rolls again in your favor. What are you, a blessed cabbage in a previous life?"

Aryan quickly sniffled and tried to put on a calm, composed front. "I-I wasn't crying because I didn't have the strength. I just... I wanted to refine my base more. You know. Make it stronger. Foundation and all."

'Please believe it. Please believe it.' Aryan thinks in his mind begging for her to believe it 

Roshni nodded slowly, impressed. 'So he's one of those geniuses who want to make their base unshakable. He must already be at Level 4 or 5, and still wants to re-study Level 1?'

She didn't say anything aloud. Instead, she extended the scrolls, casual but careful.

He took them with both hands, reverently.

"Thanks... I owe you."

She shrugged, then stood up and dusted her robes. "We're even. I guess."

"Wait," Aryan said. "You never told me your name."

She froze for half a second. Then flashed a smile.

"Arya," she said quickly. "You?"

He blinked. 'Arya? That's so obviously fake...'

Still, he smiled back. "Rohit."

System:

"Seriously? Arya and Rohit? You two sound like the discount versions of main characters from a rejected romance novel."

'Shut up,' Aryan thought, biting back a grin.

They began to walk slowly along the stone path leading from the ruined treasury, barely illuminated by the moonlight.

"So, Arya..." he started carefully. "Why were you stealing from the palace anyway?"

She paused, tilted her head, and gave a shrug. "Poor family. Needed resources. Thought I'd get lucky."

"Ah... same." Aryan nodded quickly. "Trying to support my family. Big responsibilities."

System:

"Family? The only thing in your 'family' is your old hag of a grandpa and one braincell, and it's on unpaid vacation."

'I swear, I'll unbind you if you speak again.'

System:

"You can't. But I appreciate the spirit."

They walked together, the air still filled with faint crackles of the burning treasury in the distance.

"You know," Roshni said, casually now, "in a month, there's the Martial Arts Tournament."

Aryan blinked. "What?"

She smiled. "Didn't know? Every five years, the kingdoms host a regional martial arts tournament. Only those under the age of 10 and in any stage of Chakra cultivation can participate. The top 10 winners get a chance to enter the University of Nalanda."

He stopped walking.

"...Wait. Nalanda? The biggest university?"

She nodded proudly. "Only the best 10 get in. Princes, noble heirs, warrior families... and sometimes, lucky wildcards."

Aryan's heart skipped. 'So, if I… if I win that, I could get in too?'

She laughed softly. "I'm going to enter. And... I have a feeling you are too."

He blushed and looked away.

System:

"Aww. Romance or future rivalry blooming under war crimes and arson. Adorable enough for me to vomit blood"

"Anyway," Roshni said, voice casual again, "since you're already at such a high level, these manuals might be useless for you. But... maybe you're just revising the basics?"

Aryan nodded with a forced smile.

In his head:

'I've barely even unlocked Level 1, Novice stage. If she finds out, I'm toast.'

They finally stopped under a large banyan tree.

"Well," Roshni said, "I guess this is goodbye, Rohit."

"Guess so, Arya."

System:

"What a lovely pair of fake names and fake stories. If I had a heart, it'd be throwing up right now."

She turned, stepping gracefully into the shadows.

He watched her go, still holding the three scrolls, unsure if he had just been blessed by the universe or accidentally conned into something bigger.

Then, from inside his head—

System:

"You realize she probably thinks you're a prodigy, right?"

'I didn't mean for that!' Aryan talked to system in mind

System:

"So when you face her in that tournament, are you planning to impress her with 25kg of Novice strength?"

'...I hate you.' Aryan said

System:

"Feelings mutual, sweetheart."