The bed pod stood quietly beside Ekant's bed.
Sleek. Minimal. Designed to look less like a machine and more like an extension of the bed itself. Soft internal lights pulsed faintly as technicians made final adjustments, their movements careful and efficient.
A gentle chime echoed.
"Setup complete," one of them said. "He can use it immediately."
Ken nodded in thanks.
Once they left, the room fell into a different kind of silence—one filled with expectation.
Tiyan leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, clearly holding something in.
Then he snapped his fingers.
"Since the bed pod is ready," he said, grinning, "let me explain some important details about the game."
Ekant turned his head slightly.
Speaking was still uncomfortable, so he raised a finger instead.
One finger up and then down.
It was a signal which meant go on.
Tiyan's grin widened.
"I will keep it minimal," he said quickly. "No spoilers."
He pulled a chair closer and sat facing Ekant, suddenly more serious than usual.
"First of all, the world structure," Tiyan began. "The game is based on 4.5 billions years of simulated life history. But players don't start from the beginning."
He raised a hand slightly, emphasizing the point.
"The game begins in the Fifth Era."
Ekant's eyes sharpened slightly.
"It's called The New Era," Tiyan continued. "An era where civilizations, powers, and races coexist… and clash."
He paused, choosing his words carefully.
"So far, players have discovered three supernatural paths."
He counted on his fingers.
"Magic."
"Cultivation."
"And Shinobi."
Ekant listened quietly.
"But," Tiyan added, lowering his voice slightly, "there's strong speculation that other powers exist."
"Just… no one's unlocked them yet."
Ekant's gaze flickered.
Hidden systems…
"All powers," Tiyan went on, "follow the same realm structure, but each realm is divided into mini-realms."
"Every mini-realm has nine levels."
He leaned forward.
"Right now, only three major realms are known."
He listed them clearly.
"Tempering Realm."
"Soul Realm."
"Foundation Realm."
Ekant absorbed every word.
"The strongest known NPC," Tiyan said, "is the ruler of the continent."
Ken raised an eyebrow slightly.
"He's at the Peak—Ninth Level—of the Foundation Realm."
Silence followed.
That single statement carried weight.
Tiyan relaxed back slightly.
"There are sects, academies, and guilds too," he continued. "They're important. Very important."
"As for monsters," he added, "they follow the same power structure as players."
"Weapons, treasures, artifacts—all graded."
He listed them methodically.
"Mortal Grade."
"Common Grade."
"Spirit Grade."
"And Earth Grade."
"Mortal being the lowest. Earth being the highest discovered so far."
Ekant's finger twitched slightly.
Tiyan noticed.
"Oh—also," he said, "when you create your profile, the system uses an advanced AI to recommend certain things."
"Many players swear those recommendations helped them massively."
He shrugged.
"I won't say more."
Then he straightened.
"Now—profile infrastructure."
He spoke slower now, clearer.
"Seven core sections."
"No—eight."
He corrected himself.
"Actually—eight."
He began listing them one by one.
"1. Name."
"You can choose anything."
"2. Path—Cultivation, Magic, or Shinobi."
"Only one will be shown. You choose."
"3. Bloodline."
"This one's complicated."
He scratched his head.
"It can show None, meaning no bloodline."
"Or Yet to Unlock, which means special conditions are required."
"If it's visible, it ranges from Common to Royal."
"Common bloodlines have four grades—Low, Medium, High, and Peak."
"4. Body / Physique."
"Mostly applies to cultivation."
"In rare cases, magic or shinobi users get one."
"Ranks are Mortal, Earth, and Sky."
"5. Legacy."
Tiyan paused here.
"No player has unlocked this yet."
"But NPCs claim it allows inheritance of powerful beings."
"Except—magic legacies can only be inherited by magic users."
"6. Essence."
"That's energy."
"Qi. Magical Energy. Chakra."
"Only one applies."
"It's shown numerically."
"Higher is better."
"7. Strength."
"That includes Physical, Mental, and Soul."
"Higher strength means higher damage potential."
"And finally—"
"8. Defense."
"Physical and Mental."
"Higher defense means higher survival."
Tiyan exhaled.
"And… that's it."
And Unknownly Ekant's sweet little brother forgot to mention that from 3 to 8 points in profile can be none, yet to unlocked, or numbers/name will appear if already unlocked which depended on the character's weakness or his winning possibility including Essence as one's body may not be able to sense it, obviously system decided that.
He glanced toward the bed pod.
"Looks like it's ready."
The pod emitted a soft glow, its internal cushioning adjusting automatically.
Ekant took a slow breath through his mouth.
His body still felt weak.
But his mind—
Clear.
Focused.
With careful movements, he shifted onto the bed pod. The surface adjusted instantly, contouring to his form, supporting his head carefully to avoid pressure on his nose.
The pod closed partially—not sealing him in, but enclosing him enough to isolate external noise.
Dhriti stood nearby, watching silently.
Ken placed a hand on Ekant's shoulder.
"Take it slow," he said.
Ekant nodded once.
The pod lights dimmed.
A soft pulse passed through his body—not unpleasant, not intense.
Then—
Darkness.
And a voice.
Clear. Neutral. Vast.
---
Ekant's consciousness drifted forward—
And the world responded.