He noticed the Nagalok.
It was different from the floor above.
This one looked older and less luxurious.
The structures were more rough, the stone worn by time.
Yet compared to the older Nagalok, it felt pale—clean, but lacking depth.
The Nagas here were different.
Their scales carried unfamiliar patterns.
Some were lighter, others marked with sharp lines.
The variation was obvious.
Different clans, Arjun thought.
Here too, some Nagas were offering Prapti.
Would different clans offer different powers?
He lost in thought went toward naglok.
Arjun moved closer to the Nagalok boundary.
He scanned everything he could, then slowly extended his hand forward.
A sudden shock pushed him back.
It wasn't strong enough to force him to his knees but it was enough to warn him.
So humans can't enter, he whispered.
He stepped away.
He moved away from the stall.
But the Nagas noticed.
One of them leaned toward another and whispered,"Has the leader weakened the barrier for now?"
The other Naga scoffed."Are you a fool? The barrier is at its strongest."
"If anyone tries to pass a hand—or even a part of their body through it," he continued quietly, "it will incinerate them completely."
The first Naga stiffened.
Slowly, he turned his gaze toward Arjun.
Fear flickered across his expression.
Who was he?
There was a market here.
Unlike the previous one, this market felt deliberate—organized.
The Nagas here looked prepared, as if this place existed for moments like this.
Numerous stalls were set up, all managed by Nagas.
They sold maps, locations, and services.
Living in the depths, they possessed information no surface dweller could easily obtain.
Nothing was free.
Participants were required to complete tasks assigned by the Nagas.
The more dangerous the task, the better the reward.
Arjun noticed something important.
Most tasks were limited to Layer One or Layer Two.
Very few even mentioned deeper descent.
As he moved forward, several Nagins approached him.
Their appearance was striking, their presence confident.
Nearby, Arjun noticed someone arguing at a stall.
It was the same man who had challenged him during registration and lost.
"I don't want to make a Shakti vow," the man said.
"If not," the Naga replied calmly, "what will i do if you escape without paying?"
"I can pay Niksha," the man insisted.
"For now," the Naga said, "we accept only Shakti vows—bound to a single demand."
Arjun noticed how the man hesitated.
No one nearby volunteered.
A Shakti vow was not a small matter.
If broken, it could drain one's Shakti completely—or kill them.
Arjun moved on.
This market existed to attract desperation.
Some Nagas offered mantras to locate valuable items.
Using them, one could hear faint sounds guiding them toward objects.
Arjun felt the temptation—but stepped away.
He would not bind himself here.
As he moved deeper into the market, he noticed a place with no crowd.
No participants lingered near it.
The task marker read: Beyond Level Ten.
Arjun closed his eyes once, then looked again.
He hadn't misread it.
Level Ten.
It was obvious why no one was there.
Most people barely reached Layer Two.
Very few went beyond Layer Three.
He stepped closer.
A nearby Naga scoffed.
"Don't bother," he muttered. "That one's mad."
"Layer Ten?" another said. "No one has gone beyond Layer Five in years."
Arjun approached the stall anyway.
An old Naga sat there frail, his scales dull with age.
"Leave," the old Naga said sharply. "If you're here to mock me, I've had enough today."
"I'm not here to mock you," Arjun replied.
"Then tell me," Arjun said, "what lies beyond Level Ten?"
The old Naga froze.
After a long pause, he spoke.
"Level Ten is a lie."
Arjun exhaled and turned away.
So it had been nothing after all.
"Wait," the old Naga said quickly.
"I wrote Level Ten because we don't know the true depth," he continued."The information is real. The number is not."
Arjun turned back, confused.
"What I'm about to say concerns something far deeper," the old Naga said.
"I don't know which level exactly."
He paused.
"Vijay Dhanush."
Arjun's breath caught.
He steadied himself. "Are you certain?"
Judging from his reaction, the old Naga smiled faintly.
"The only bow said that can rival Gandiva," he said.
"Not only that mandalas of Ashtapada mantras. Remains of ancient legends. Bones touched by karma."
Arjun felt a chill.
Then it clicked.
"How deep are you talking?" Arjun asked.
"I don't know," the old Naga admitted. "I've only seen it in dreams."
"I've mapped what I could."
Dreams.
Arjun's thoughts stirred.
Don't hesitate go lower.
A voice echoed in his ears the same voice he had heard when he was twelve.
The same one that had saved him from execution months ago.
He stepped back.
He touched his temple trying calm himself after hearing that voice.
"But what do you need?" Arjun asked instead.
The old Naga hesitated.
"An old yellow lotus," he said quietly. "From the depths of Layer Two."
"I need it."
Arjun nodded.
He left the market.
The reward tempted him.
But he told himself the truth.
The old Naga might be lying.
Or worse—
telling the truth about something no one could reach.
He decided descend further.