"Ding! You possess two imperial bloodlines within you. One belongs to the Maurya Imperial Lineage, and the other belongs to the Gupta Imperial Lineage. Please select which bloodline you wish to undergo the Legacy Trial for."
"Warning! The Legacy Trial can only be attempted once. Upon failure, all qualifications to inherit a legacy will be permanently revoked."
"Legacy Trial? Maurya Imperial Lineage? Gupta Imperial Lineage?"
At that moment, Arjun Verma stood in a gray, fog-covered space. Hearing the announcement, confusion filled his mind—he had no idea what was happening. The last thing he remembered was holding the crystal before losing consciousness, and now he had awakened here.
Even though he didn't understand what a Legacy Trial truly was, when he heard the words 'Gupta Imperial Lineage,' his expression darkened. His fists clenched tightly, and his teeth ground against each other. Even if he lived another lifetime, he would never forget what had happened on that rainy day. His heart was filled with hatred and disgust toward that bloodline.
From what he knew, that lineage came from his father's side. That meant the Maurya Imperial bloodline must have come from his mother.
Without hesitation, Arjun made his choice.
"I choose the Maurya Imperial Lineage."
"Selection complete!"
A massive altar, nearly a hundred meters tall, slowly materialized before him.
It was constructed from dark, ancient stone. Each step was roughly twenty-five centimeters high and half a meter wide. The altar stretched upward endlessly, disappearing into the clouds, radiating an aura of age, power, and authority.
As Arjun stepped onto the first step, he immediately felt a heavy pressure descend upon his body.
At first, the pressure was manageable. But with each step he climbed, the weight increased, pressing down harder and harder.
By the time he reached halfway, his entire body was drenched in sweat. His legs trembled violently, barely able to support him. His vision wavered, and he looked as if he could collapse at any moment.
Yet, Arjun gritted his teeth and forced himself forward.
Step by step, he climbed.
Soon, illusions began to appear around him.
Enchanting women with mesmerizing beauty reached out toward him, their voices soft and alluring. Then came visions of immense wealth, towering power, and absolute authority.
For most people, such temptations would have been irresistible, trapping them within their desires.
But Arjun's heart remained cold and unmoved.
He continued forward without hesitation.
Finally, after enduring immense hardship, he reached the top of the altar.
At that moment, his mind became incredibly clear.
Suddenly, countless scenes flooded his vision.
They depicted the rise and fall of the Maurya Empire.
It began with Chandragupta Maurya, who rose from humble beginnings to establish a vast empire.
Then came the era of Bindusara, who expanded and consolidated the empire's strength.
Then, the reign of Ashoka, who unified the subcontinent and ruled with unmatched authority before embracing a path of transformation.
And finally, the gradual decline that led to the empire's fall.
The scenes unfolded like a grand historical epic before Arjun's eyes.
The rise of the empire made his blood surge with excitement.
The fall filled him with a deep sense of sorrow.
Suddenly, a strange sensation erupted within him.
His blood felt as though it had ignited.
It was as if a flame burned within his body, spreading outward—but instead of pain, it brought warmth and comfort, like soaking in a hot spring on a cold winter day.
Slowly, Arjun opened his eyes.
A figure stood before him.
Dressed in regal attire with a golden aura, the man radiated overwhelming authority and dominance. His presence alone felt like it could suppress the world.
He was Chandragupta Maurya.
Chandragupta observed Arjun for a moment before a faint smile appeared on his face.
"I leave this empire in your hands."
With those words, his figure slowly faded away.
In his place, a violet cube emitting a soft glow appeared at the center of the altar.
Although Arjun had expected something like this, he still felt a sense of shock.
The bloodline within him belonged to an empire that had once unified the land.
Now, it was his responsibility to bring it back to life.
After a brief pause, Arjun stepped forward and picked up the violet cube.
The moment he touched it, a wave of dizziness swept over him.
In the next instant, he found himself standing in a dense forest.
The trees around him were enormous—hundreds of meters tall and over ten meters thick. Their dense foliage blocked out nearly all sunlight, leaving the forest dim even during the day.
The shapes of the trees were strange.
Some resembled twisted human forms, others looked like beasts. Their expressions seemed frozen in agony, struggle, or ferocity.
Combined with the darkness, the entire forest felt eerie and unsettling.
Arjun hadn't expected to appear in such a place.
After obtaining the legacy, he had received a stream of information.
Looking down at himself, he found that he was dressed in coarse hemp clothes and simple cloth shoes—nothing more.
Following the system's instructions, he opened his status interface.
Name: Arjun VermaTitle: NoneProfession: NoneAchievement Points: Commoner (0/200)Race: HumanAge: 21 (100)
Stats:Strength: 5Intelligence: 8Constitution: 4Agility: 6
Cultivation: Stage 0Cultivation Technique: NoneSkills: None
Equipment: Coarse Cloth Clothes, Cloth Shoes, Coarse Cloth Pants
After examining his stats, Arjun realized that his Strength and Constitution were relatively low. These stats directly reflected his real-world body. The more he trained physically, the stronger his stats would become—and vice versa.
The world he had entered was called the Heaven Awaken World.
It was tens of times larger than Earth.
Only his soul had entered this world—his physical body remained in reality.
Time also flowed differently here.
One day in the real world equaled three days in this world.
Even death was not permanent.
If he died here, he wouldn't truly die—but he would be unable to re-enter for ten days and would lose all his levels, equipment, and skills.
More importantly, this world was extremely dangerous.
Aside from humans, there were countless other races and terrifying magical beasts.
Normally, newcomers would be transported to a system-designated main city.
However, due to the Legacy Trial, Arjun had been placed in this wilderness instead.
Without wasting time, he searched the area and found a concealed mountainous region.
Taking out the violet cube, he pressed it against the ground.
A system voice immediately sounded:
"Would you like to use the Legacy Stone?"
"Yes!"
The cube emitted ripples of light.
A formless energy spread outward, covering an area of one square kilometer.
In the next instant, everything within that area—trees, grass, flowers—vanished.
The land became flat and smooth.
Then, structures began to appear.
A thatched cottage with two rooms appeared first, with the words [Village Hall] displayed above it.
Next, another thatched cottage with a furnace and a hanging flag appeared—[Smithy].
Then came a small building filled with simple garments—[Tailor Shop].
Another cottage stocked with various medicinal bottles—[Medicine Shop].
A circular brick platform labeled [Origin].
And finally, another thatched structure containing five stone tablets—[Profession Change]