In the dim lobby of the Royal Treasury, silence held its breath.
Marble floors shimmered under moonlight seeping through stained glass windows. The guards had just completed their rotation, and for the next few minutes, the corridor would be unsupervised. A perfect time for sneaky business.
Not that Aryan was sneaking well.
Creak.
The sound of his sandal brushing against the floor echoed like thunder.
'Why is this place so quiet? Is this how palaces sound?' Aryan wiped the sweat from his brow and peeked around a pillar.
System: "I've said this before, and I'll say it again—I want a refund. You're the only user I've seen who trips over silence."
'You're just mad because I didn't ask your permission to break into a royal vault.'
System: "Permission? Son, I wasn't built to babysit juvenile delinquents. I was built to guide geniuses!"
Aryan sighed, creeping forward. His objective was clear: acquire a 1st Chakra Level 1 good-quality manual—enough to push him from Novice to Perfection. Then he'd aim for First Chakra Level 2. That was the plan. Short. Illegal. Straightforward.
Except…
From the corner of the room, a small figure in a sleek black outfit dropped silently from a ceiling vent.
She landed in a crouch, her long braid flicking over her shoulder like a whip.
PrincessRoshni, fifth daughter of King Rudrayan, age six, prodigy, and a 1st Chakra Level 3 martial artist—was here for a different reason. Unlike Aryan, she wasn't sneaking into the treasury by accident or desperation. She had come for a specific goal: to steal the manual of a 1st Chakra Level 4 cultivator—for the martial arts tournament.
She narrowed her eyes as she noticed a boy already inside.
A spy? A rival? A dumb guard's kid playing dress-up?
She didn't wait to ask.
Aryan turned toward a slight sound—and barely ducked a foot flying toward his head.
"Wh—Whoa!" he yelped, rolling back just in time.
The punch that followed missed his nose by a whisper. Aryan, by sheer instinct—or fate's perverse sense of humor—shifted his stance and raised an arm. Her knuckles crashed into his forearm. Pain bloomed.
System: "What are you, the luckiest cabbage in the garden?! That block had no technique, no timing, and yet—it worked!?"
The girl spun low, sweeping his legs. Aryan jumped. A knee came flying up toward his chest, but he twisted sideways, letting it graze past him.
Strike.
Dodge.
Block.
Duck.
Aryan's breath quickened. He wasn't fighting—he was surviving.
Princess Roshni leaped back, breathing steadily, her small fists raised in practiced form.
"…Who are you?" she asked coldly.
Aryan wiped a trickle of sweat. "I could ask the same thing! Why are you kicking me?!"
She narrowed her eyes. "You're not wearing a guard uniform. So, you're not supposed to be here."
"Yeah? Neither are you!"
System: "Ah, perfect. Two little criminals arguing about jurisdiction. Let's just hope the dragon doesn't decide to mediate."
Roshni didn't move. Her sharp gaze scanned Aryan. His balance, his reactions… they weren't polished. But they had landed.
He'd blocked every attack.
Impossible, unless—
"You're here for the Elixir of Agni Flame, aren't you?" she asked finally.
"Huh?"
"Or maybe the Silver-Forged Chakra Ointment? I heard the inner vault has two vials left."
Aryan blinked.
System: "Say yes. Don't look dumb. Say something smart—"
"I… I'm here for a manual."
System: "You absolute walnut."
Roshni tilted her head. "What manual?"
"Just a Level 1 good quality one," Aryan mumbled, embarrassed.
"Huh…" She stepped back, eyeing him curiously now. "You must already be in a Chakra stage if you're here for that."
Aryan blushed.
'I barely made it to First Chakra… and she thinks I'm some prodigy?'
System: "You know what? I'll allow that one. Let her stay delusional."
After a long moment of silence, Roshni sighed. "Well, I'm not here to stop you. I was planning to get something stronger myself. But since you seem… competent," she said, with a reluctant shrug, "I have a proposal."
Aryan blinked. "A proposal?"
"Temporary alliance. You don't slow me down. I don't slow you down. We both get what we want and leave quietly."
System: "This is how great friendships are forged. Through violence, suspicion, and felony."
Aryan looked at her extended hand. He hesitated, then shook it.
"Deal."
As they tiptoed down the corridor together, Roshni began whispering casually.
"Did you know the Martial Arts Tournament is next month?"
"No?"
"It's held every five years. Everyone under the age of ten can participate—so long as they've entered a Chakra stage. Even princes from other kingdoms join. They're strong… I heard one of them already reached First Chakra Level 6."
Aryan whistled low. "That's… intense."
"If you place in the top ten, you get a spot in the University of Nalanda," she added, glancing at him. "You probably already knew that."
Aryan grinned awkwardly.
'I didn't even know what Nalanda was until three seconds ago.'
System: "Good news! You've learned more in five minutes with this girl than in five days with me."
Aryan scratched his head. "You think I'll qualify?"
Roshni gave him a side-eye smirk. "Considering you blocked my attacks without breaking a sweat… yes. Definitely."
Aryan coughed.
'I almost peed from fear.'
The Guardian Awakens
Just as they reached the large circular chamber housing the vault, a deep rumble shook the walls.
Both froze.
A slow heat crept through the air. The lanterns lining the walls flickered out one by one.
Then—
ROOOOAAARRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!
From the shadows behind the inner gate, a monstrous shape stirred. A pair of glowing red eyes opened, illuminating the hallway like molten suns.
The ground cracked as a scaled claw slammed forward.
Taarask, the Chakra 2 Stage 7 Dragon-Half Beast, uncurled its massive form from the vault's protective altar. Its teeth glistened with flame, and smoke coiled from its nostrils.
Aryan's legs trembled.
Roshni's face went pale.
System: "…Well, congratulations. We're now locked in a vault… with a giant fire-breathing lizard who definitely skipped breakfast."
Aryan gulped.
"Any bright ideas?"
System: "Yes. Step one: Don't die. Step two: Regret your life choices."