Chapter 20 – Shockwave
Nikhil breathed deeply, eyes closed, mind steady.
Nikhil (thought):
(Open system… The cheat code is planted… After reaching my 500 zombie kill mark, transfer killing points to teammates too.)
The system window opened in front of his vision, glowing faintly.
Suddenly—
A massive series of explosions tore through the deep forest.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!BOOOOOMM!!
The forest ground trembled violently. Sparks of fire leapt into the air. Trees shivered under the pressure wave.
Everyone standing behind Nikhil jumped in shock—hearts racing.
For a moment, it felt like the whole world was thundering.
Then—
SYSTEM: Zombies kill requirement reached. 500/500
The explosions continued echoing through the forest like distant thunder.
Nikhil (thought):
(Finally… I can choose a magic power.)
The interface popped up.
[CHOOSE MAGIC POWER]
Nikhil stared at the option choose any magic and ability .
Nikhil (thought):
(I could choose anything… but I have to think of the future… the war… the escape routes… battles where speed means survival… Astral Slip.)
He locked his selection.
Energy rushed through his body—his heartbeat slowing, then quickening.
Behind him, everyone looked stunned.
They finally understood.
Nikhil had planted explosives in every cave, every tunnel, every deep hole they crossed.
A silent mass-kill plan.
A cheat.
And it worked.
Now it was their turn.
---
Granting Powers to the Team
Nikhil focused on Damini and Janvi first.
SYSTEM:Transfer 1000 Kill Points → Damini and Janvi
Nikhil (thought):
(Well, I noticed about Damini and Janvi from the real world that they both sometimes say the same words and almost think the same… so I have to give powers according to this… and the best option is Unspoken Pact.)
A fiery aura burst across Damini's and Janvi's bodies for one second—then faded.
They gasped softly.
SYSTEM:Power Granted
---
Next—Harsh.
Nikhil (thought):
(Well for Harsh... hmm... I know he plays Kabaddi, so I have to give something related to that... Para Lock fits him... Done.)
---
Next—Pallavi.
Nikhil (thought):
*(Her voice is softer than any girl… so the power must be according to her voice… so it will be Frequency.)
Done.
---
Next—Hemant.
Nikhil (thought):
(I don't know much about him, but I already decided to give him Harmonic Buff.)
Done.
---
Only Aditya and Janit remained.
---
Aditya's Choice
Aditya already had his points.
He smiled.
Eyes sharp.
Aditya:
"Flashbreak."
The system confirmed—energy rippled across his skin.
---
Janit's Turn
Nikhil focused on Janit.
He decided instantly.
Nikhil (thought):
(Half Strength Absorption.)
He pressed confirm.
But—
SYSTEM ERROR:
Ability already taken.
User: Unknown
Location: Unknown
Nikhil froze.
He stood up sharply from the rock he was sitting on. Eyes widened with suprises. He panic.
Nikhil (thought):
(Someone else… someone reached 500 zombie kills before us… someone already chose Half Strength Absorption… someone dangerous.)
He swallowed hard.
No time to think.
He gave Janit a new power.
Half-Bound.
Accepted.
Done.
Nikhil turned around.
---
The Team Reacts
They all stared at him.
Silent.
Eyes wide.
Now they understood why Nikhil had been disappearing into caves.
The explosives.
The killing points.
The trick.
For a minute, no one said anything.
Complete silence.
Everyone was shocked.
Surprised.
But not Aditya, because he already knew this.
---
Damini (with calm tone):
"I think we should go… it's getting dark."
Everyone nodded.
They moved their chariot toward the castle.
---
Scene Shift – Damini
Damini's expression looked calm, but her eyes showed surprise and shock.
Flashback.
Many days ago.
After everyone returned from the Zombie Boss incident.
As their chariot passed through the market—
Citizens who once laughed at them for allowing girls to go into battle now stood silent.
Surprised.
Shocked.
Disbelieving.
Confused.
Their eyes moved toward the boys candidates.
They all looked injured.
Two boys were unconscious.
Then their eyes shifted toward the girl candidates.
They wiped blood from their swords.
They looked less injured.
Citizens whispered among themselves, forming their own opinions—
That the girls saved the boys.
That they were wiping blood from their swords, meaning they had also fought and achieved something.
Flashback ended.
---
Damini (thought):
(After that, citizens started praising us and using us as idols for their girls.)
Damini smiled slightly.
Then she looked at her palm.
Her palm was covered in sweat.
Damini (thought, calm):
(So this is how Nikhil killed the Zombie Boss, the rabbit creature, and now thousands of zombies… yeah, this is an effective way to reach the zombie killing point.)
She looked at Nikhil.
---
Harsh looked at Nikhil.
His thoughts were full of amazement.
Harsh (thought):
(I knew it. Nikhil had a plan about this… and we have finally gotten magic powers.)
---
Aditya looked at Nikhil with a blank expression.
Aditya (thought):
(Well, I saw Nikhil use boom many times… so this is the cheat code Nikhil was talking about.)
---
Pallavi and Janvi had the same thought, full of surprise.
(thought):
(I didn't think he was this capable.)
---
Janit looked at the forest.
Surprise filled his expression and eyes.
Janit (thought):
(How is this possible… I never thought we could reach the killing requirement this way… but how does this even work? Killing points can be transferred??)
---
Hemant's jaw tightened.
Hemant (thought):
(This is why Nikhil was so confident… because he found a cheat code… is there a more effective way? I don't think so… Nikhil is leading us… and now we have magic abilities… at first I thought he wasn't leading us well… but I was wrong.)
---
They finally reached the castle.
Everyone got down from the chariot.
Without saying anything to each other, they went to their own rooms.
They were all tired.
---
Nikhil entered his room.
---
Night
After some time—
Aditya entered Nikhil's room.
Aditya:
"That was genius—using explosive traps to reach 500 kills. But… why were you shocked?"
Nikhil lay on his bed, exhausted.
Nikhil (low voice):
"Because… someone else reached 500 kills before us. When I tried giving Janit Half Strength Absorption, the system said it was already taken."
Aditya's eyes narrowed.
Aditya say with curious tone :
"So someone else used a better strategy… faster… deadlier."
Nikhil say with Exhausted tone :
"Yeah."
Nikhil looked drained.
Frustrated.
Unsettled.
Something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
---
Scene Shift – Beyond Bharat
The vision zoomed out—
Beyond the forest…
Beyond Vijayanagara…
Beyond the world.
A massive planet—giant, impossible—hung in space.
Around it—
Four smaller planets revolved, including the one where all candidates lived.
Five worlds orbiting a single core world.
Around the giant planet—
Countless spaceships floated in formation.
Some massive.
Some tiny.
All armed.
All waiting.
Inside—
A chamber bathed in red light.
Two beings stood there.
Silhouettes.
Black eyes.
Red pupils burning like fire.
SYSTEM data floated above them.
---
First Being:
Attack Power: Error
Endurance: Error
Potential: Error
Speed: Error
Attack Speed: Error
Intelligence: Error
---
Second Being:
Attack Power: Error
Endurance: Error
Potential: Error
Strength: Error
Speed: Error
Attack Speed: Error
Intelligence: Error
---
SYSTEM collapse.
System can measure humans....not monsters.
They watched silently.
Waiting.
Smirking.
---
Chapter End