The morning light revealed the true extent of the destruction.
Sarnav stood at the top of the courthouse steps, looking out over what had once been downtown Kuala Lumpur. The skyline was unrecognizable. The Petronas Towers, those twin monuments to Malaysian ambition, were gone. One had collapsed entirely, the other reduced to a jagged stump that reached toward the sky like a broken finger.
Smoke rose from a dozen different locations across the city. Fires still burning, buildings still collapsing, the infrastructure of civilization slowly eating itself. The streets were choked with debris, abandoned vehicles, and things Sarnav didn't want to look at too closely.
And in the distance, visible even from here, was the crater.
It stretched across what had been the Bangsar district and beyond, a wound in the earth that looked like God had punched a hole through reality. The edges were glassed over, reflecting the morning sun in ways that would have been beautiful if they weren't so horrifying.
That was where his father had died. Somewhere in that crater, vaporized in an instant along with thousands of others.
No body to bury. No grave to visit. Just glass and ash.
"It's worse than I thought."
Sarnav turned to find Tan standing beside him, the big construction worker's face grim as he surveyed the devastation.
"How bad was your journey here last night?" Sarnav asked.
"Bad. Buildings collapsed everywhere. Fires. Monsters." Tan shook his head. "We lost eight people just getting from Bangsar to here. Would have lost more if my nephew hadn't awakened when he did."
"The one with metal skin?"
"Yeah. Kid's seventeen. Never been in a fight in his life. Last night he ripped apart some kind of shadow thing with his bare hands." Tan's voice was heavy. "World's fucked up when that's the only reason we're alive."
Sarnav didn't have an answer for that.
They stood in silence for a while, watching the smoke rise over the ruined city. Eventually, Tan spoke again.
"What's the plan?"
"Plan?"
"You're the one running things now, right? You and your mother. So what's the plan? We can't stay in that basement forever."
It was a fair question. The courthouse basement was a temporary shelter at best. Limited supplies, no real defenses, too many people crammed into too small a space. They needed something better.
"First priority is reconnaissance," Sarnav said, thinking out loud. "We need to know what's out there. Which areas are safe, which are dangerous. Where we can find food, water, medical supplies."
"I can help with that. My crew knows this city. Or knew it, anyway."
"Good. Pick some people you trust, form scouting teams. But don't go far, and don't engage anything you're not sure you can handle. Information gathering only."
Tan nodded. "What about the awakened? Some of them are getting restless. They want to do something."
"Tell them to wait. We need to understand what we're dealing with before we start making moves." Sarnav paused. "Actually, have all the awakened meet me in an hour. I want to know exactly what abilities we have available."
"You got it." Tan headed back inside, leaving Sarnav alone with his thoughts.
[LEADERSHIP ACTIONS DETECTED]
[FORMING ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE: +100 HARMONY ESSENCE]
[NOTE: CONTINUED LEADERSHIP WILL PROVIDE ONGOING ESSENCE BONUSES]
A hundred essence wasn't much, but it was something. And it confirmed what Sarnav had suspected. The system rewarded him for more than just intimate encounters. Building power, gathering followers, establishing himself as a leader. All of it fed into his cultivation.
Harem system with empire-building mechanics, he thought. Makes sense. Can't have a proper harem without the resources to support it.
Not that he was thinking about harems right now. That was future Sarnav's problem. Present Sarnav had more immediate concerns.
Like the breakthrough waiting to happen.
He pulled up his status screen.
[STATUS]
NAME: Sarnav Kish
REALM: Awakened (F-Rank)
CULTIVATION PROGRESS: 18,200 / 10,000 Essence
[BREAKTHROUGH AVAILABLE - FOUNDATION REALM]
HARMONY POINTS: 300
STAMINA: 67%
CONDITION: Fatigued, Needs Rest
Eighteen thousand essence, more than enough for Foundation realm with eight thousand to spare. But the breakthrough would leave him vulnerable for thirty minutes. He needed somewhere private, somewhere secure.
"System, what exactly happens during a breakthrough?"
[BREAKTHROUGH PROCESS OVERVIEW]
[PHASE 1: ESSENCE ABSORPTION (10 MINUTES)][Body enters meditative state. Essence is drawn from reserves and converted to physical/spiritual enhancement.]
[PHASE 2: BODY RECONSTRUCTION (15 MINUTES)][Physical form undergoes optimization. Enhanced strength, speed, durability, and sensory capabilities.]
[PHASE 3: CORE FORMATION (5 MINUTES)][Spiritual core manifests. Enables cultivation techniques, ability usage, and essence manipulation.]
[TOTAL DURATION: 30 MINUTES]
[WARNING: HOST WILL BE UNCONSCIOUS AND DEFENSELESS DURING THIS PROCESS]
[RECOMMENDATION: SECURE LOCATION, TRUSTED GUARD, NO INTERRUPTIONS]
Thirty minutes of being completely helpless. In a building full of people he'd just met, some of whom had tried to attack them only hours ago.
He needed to find somewhere better.
The courthouse had multiple levels. Most of them were damaged, but there might be a room somewhere that was intact and isolated enough for his purposes. And he could ask his mother to stand guard. She wasn't awakened, but she was the one person he trusted absolutely.
"Sarnav."
Speak of the devil. Mythili emerged from the building, two cups of something hot in her hands. She offered one to him.
"It's not real coffee. Someone found instant packets in one of the offices. But it's warm."
Sarnav took the cup gratefully. The liquid inside was weak and slightly burnt-tasting, but she was right. It was warm. That counted for something.
"Thanks."
They stood together, drinking their not-quite-coffee, watching the ruined city come to life in the morning light. Survivors were emerging from other buildings now, small groups of people picking through the debris, calling out for others, trying to make sense of what had happened.
"I need to do something," Sarnav said eventually. "Something related to my abilities. It'll take about thirty minutes, and I'll be... vulnerable during that time."
Mythili looked at him sharply. "Vulnerable how?"
"Unconscious. Defenseless. I need somewhere private and someone I trust to make sure I'm not disturbed."
"What exactly are you doing?"
"Cultivation breakthrough. Think of it like..." He searched for an analogy that would make sense. "Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. My body needs to transform, and I can't control it while it's happening."
"And after?"
"After, I'll be stronger. A lot stronger. Better able to protect everyone here."
Mythili considered this. "There's a judge's chambers on the third floor. The door was still intact when I checked earlier, and it locks from the inside. I can stand guard outside."
"That works."
They finished their drinks in silence, then headed inside.
The judge's chambers were dusty but intact.
A heavy wooden desk dominated the room, flanked by bookshelves filled with legal texts that would never be used again. The window was cracked but still in one piece, letting in enough light to see by. Most importantly, the door was solid oak with a deadbolt that actually functioned.
"This is good," Sarnav said, checking the corners. No other entrances. No way for anyone to sneak in. "I'll lock the door from inside. Don't let anyone in for any reason. If there's an emergency, knock three times and I'll try to wake up."
"Try?"
"I'm not sure how aware I'll be during the process. The system says unconscious, but I don't know if that means completely out or just mostly."
Mythili didn't look happy about any of this, but she nodded. "Thirty minutes. I'll keep track."
"Thanks, Mom."
She paused at the door. "Be careful. I just got you back. I'd rather not lose you too."
"I'll be fine. This is supposed to make me better, not worse."
"That's what they always say right before something goes wrong."
She left before he could respond. The door clicked shut behind her, and Sarnav threw the deadbolt.
Alone.
He sat down on the floor, crossing his legs in what he hoped was a proper meditation pose. The cultivation novels always made a big deal about posture and breathing during breakthroughs. He didn't know if it actually mattered, but it couldn't hurt.
"System, I'm ready to begin the breakthrough."
[BREAKTHROUGH INITIATION CONFIRMED]
[CONSUMING 10,000 HARMONY ESSENCE]
[REMAINING ESSENCE: 8,200]
[BEGINNING PHASE 1: ESSENCE ABSORPTION]
[HOST CONSCIOUSNESS WILL BE SUPPRESSED IN 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...]
The world went white.
He was floating in an ocean of light.
There was no up or down, no beginning or end. Just endless luminescence stretching in every direction, warm and welcoming and utterly alien.
Where am I?
[INTERIOR MINDSCAPE]
[THIS IS A REPRESENTATION OF YOUR SPIRITUAL CORE]
[CURRENTLY FORMING]
A voice, but not a voice. The system, communicating directly into his consciousness.
So this is what breakthrough feels like.
[AFFIRMATIVE]
[MOST CULTIVATORS DESCRIBE IT AS TRANSCENDENT]
[YOU ARE HANDLING IT BETTER THAN EXPECTED]
I've read enough novels to have some idea what to expect.
[GENRE SAVVINESS CONTINUES TO BE YOUR PRIMARY ADVANTAGE]
Something was forming in the light. A shape, coalescing from the luminescence like a pearl forming in an oyster. Sarnav watched as it grew, solidified, took on definition.
A sphere. Small at first, then expanding. Its surface swirled with colors he didn't have names for, patterns that shifted and changed like living things.
[SPIRITUAL CORE MANIFESTING]
[THIS IS THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR CULTIVATION]
[ALL FUTURE GROWTH WILL BUILD UPON THIS BASE]
The sphere pulsed once, twice, three times. Each pulse sent waves of energy through the mindscape, through Sarnav's consciousness, through what he somehow knew was his physical body even though he couldn't feel it anymore.
What determines the quality of a spiritual core?
[MULTIPLE FACTORS]
[ESSENCE QUALITY, MENTAL STATE, NATURAL TALENT, SYSTEM ASSISTANCE]
[YOUR CORE IS FORMING AT ABOVE-AVERAGE QUALITY]
[NOT EXCEPTIONAL, BUT SOLID]
Above average. I'll take it.
The sphere was stabilizing now, its surface smoothing out, its colors settling into a deep blue-purple that reminded Sarnav of the void hound core he'd collected. Not the same, but similar. Touched by the same dimensional energy that had changed the world.
[PHASE 1 COMPLETE: ESSENCE ABSORPTION]
[BEGINNING PHASE 2: BODY RECONSTRUCTION]
[THIS PART MAY BE UNCOMFORTABLE]
Define uncomfortable.
[IMAGINE EVERY CELL IN YOUR BODY BEING BROKEN DOWN AND REBUILT SIMULTANEOUSLY]
That sounds extremely uncomfortable.
[CORRECT]
[BEGINNING NOW]
Pain.
Not the sharp pain of an injury or the dull pain of exhaustion. This was something else entirely. A full-body experience that went beyond mere sensation into something almost spiritual. Every fiber of his being was being unmade and remade, optimized and enhanced, pushed beyond human limits into something new.
Sarnav would have screamed if he had a mouth. Would have thrashed if he had a body. Instead, he just existed in the pain, riding it like a wave, waiting for it to end.
This is cultivation, he thought through the agony. This is the price of power.
The novels never really described it properly. They talked about breakthroughs like they were moments of triumph, flashes of insight, easy ascensions to greater strength. They didn't mention the feeling of being torn apart at the molecular level.
[PROGRESS: 25%]
[REMINDER: THIS IS THE FIRST AND EASIEST BREAKTHROUGH]
[FUTURE BREAKTHROUGHS WILL BE MORE INTENSE]
More intense than this?
[SIGNIFICANTLY]
Wonderful.
[PROGRESS: 50%]
The pain was changing. Not lessening exactly, but evolving. What had been pure agony was becoming something else. Growth. Transformation. The caterpillar dissolving in its cocoon, preparing to emerge as something new.
[PROGRESS: 75%]
Sarnav could feel his body now, distantly. Feel the changes happening. Muscles densifying. Bones strengthening. Nerves rewiring themselves for faster response times. It was like being rebuilt from the inside out by a very efficient and very unconcerned surgeon.
[PROGRESS: 100%]
[PHASE 2 COMPLETE: BODY RECONSTRUCTION]
[BEGINNING PHASE 3: CORE FORMATION]
The pain faded. In its place was a strange sensation of fullness, of potential, of power waiting to be unleashed.
The sphere in his mindscape pulsed again, brighter this time. Sarnav felt a connection forming between it and himself. Not just observation anymore, but integration. The core was becoming part of him, as fundamental as his heartbeat or his breath.
[SPIRITUAL CORE STABILIZING]
[CONNECTING TO PHYSICAL FORM]
[ESTABLISHING CULTIVATION PATHWAYS]
Energy flowed through him. Not essence this time, but something different. Purer. The spiritual equivalent of blood, carrying power from his core to every part of his being.
[PHASE 3 COMPLETE: CORE FORMATION]
[BREAKTHROUGH SUCCESSFUL]
[WELCOME TO THE FOUNDATION REALM, HOST]
The white light faded. The mindscape dissolved. Reality rushed back in.
Sarnav opened his eyes.
He was still sitting on the floor of the judge's chambers, but everything was different. Sharper. Clearer. He could see individual motes of dust floating in the light from the window. Could hear his mother's heartbeat through the solid oak door. Could smell the traces of coffee still lingering on his breath from an hour ago.
His body felt lighter. Stronger. Like he'd been carrying invisible weights his whole life and someone had finally taken them off.
He stood up, and the motion was fluid in a way that surprised him. No stiffness, no aches, no lingering fatigue from the night before. He felt like he could run a marathon without breaking a sweat.
Status.
[STATUS]
NAME: Sarnav Kish
REALM: Foundation (D-Rank)
CULTIVATION PROGRESS: 8,200 / 50,000 Essence to Core Formation
PHYSICAL STATS:
STRENGTH: 25 (+13)
AGILITY: 28 (+16)
ENDURANCE: 30 (+18)
SPIRIT: 45 (+20)
CHARM: 15 (+3)
LUCK: 12 (+2)
NEW ABILITIES:
- ESSENCE SIGHT: Can perceive cultivation levels and energy signatures
- FOUNDATION BODY: +50% physical capabilities, enhanced healing
- ABILITY SLOT x1: Can use one bonded partner ability for 10 minutes (requires bonding)
DAILY ESSENCE CAP: 25,000
CONDITION: Peak Health
D-rank. He'd jumped from F to D in a single breakthrough, skipping E entirely. His stats had more than doubled across the board. He could see essence now, perceive the energy that had changed the world.
And he had an ability slot. Empty for now, but waiting to be filled once he formed his first bond.
Three knocks on the door. His mother's voice, muffled but audible even through solid oak.
"Sarnav? It's been thirty-five minutes. Are you alright?"
He walked to the door and unlocked it. Mythili stood on the other side, worry written across her face. The worry shifted to surprise as she took in his appearance.
"You look... different."
"Different how?"
"I don't know. More solid somehow. Like you were slightly out of focus before and now you're sharp." She studied him with that judicial gaze. "The transformation worked?"
"Yeah. I'm D-rank now. Foundation realm."
"What does that mean in practical terms?"
Sarnav considered the question. "It means I'm about twice as fast and twice as strong as I was before. It means I can sense other awakened and gauge their power levels. It means I heal faster and can take more punishment." He paused. "It means I might actually be able to protect people now instead of just surviving."
Mythili nodded slowly. "Show me."
"Show you?"
"Demonstrate. I want to understand what you're capable of."
Fair enough. Sarnav looked around the hallway, spotted a chunk of concrete debris that had fallen from a damaged ceiling. Maybe fifty pounds worth.
He walked over, crouched down, and lifted it with one hand.
It felt like nothing. Like picking up a pillow. He tossed it lightly from hand to hand, then set it down.
"Before the breakthrough, that would have been a struggle," he said. "Now it's trivial."
Mythili's eyes widened slightly. "What else?"
Sarnav focused on his new Essence Sight ability. The world shifted, gaining an overlay of colors and patterns that hadn't been there before. His mother was surrounded by a faint gray aura, the absence of cultivation energy. Normal human, unawakened.
He looked down the hallway, toward the stairwell. Other auras were visible through the walls, some gray like his mother's, others tinged with color. The awakened.
"I can see who's awakened now. Even through walls." He pointed toward the basement. "There are about fifteen awakened down there right now. Different colors, different intensities. I think the colors indicate elemental affinities and the intensity shows power level."
"That's useful."
"Very." He let the Essence Sight fade, the overlay disappearing. Using it wasn't tiring exactly, but it was distracting. He'd need practice to maintain it comfortably. "We should get back. I want to assess our awakened properly and start planning next steps."
They headed downstairs together.
The basement had changed in the time he'd been gone.
Someone had organized it. Sleeping areas in one corner, medical station in another. A makeshift kitchen where people were preparing food from scavenged supplies. Even a children's area where the younger survivors were being kept entertained by a woman telling stories.
Civilization, rebuilding itself one small piece at a time.
"Your mother's work," Tan said, appearing beside him. "Woman's a natural organizer. Had this place running like a proper shelter within an hour."
Sarnav wasn't surprised. Mythili had spent decades managing courtrooms, staff, and complex legal cases. A hundred and twenty-seven survivors were just another logistical challenge.
"What about the awakened? Did you gather them like I asked?"
"Over there." Tan pointed to a group sitting near the main entrance. "Fifteen total, not counting you. Range from E to F rank, mostly support abilities. Only a handful with real combat potential."
Sarnav activated his Essence Sight as he approached the group. Colors bloomed around each person.
Hafiz glowed with crackling yellow energy. Lightning affinity, E-rank. Stronger than last night, probably from the combat experience.
Madam Chen radiated steady brown. Earth affinity, also E-rank. Her stone skin ability was more developed than he'd realized.
Marcus, the gang leader from last night, burned with a dull red. Enhancement type, E+ rank. Close to D-rank actually. The strongest awakened they had besides Sarnav himself.
The others were a mix. Fire affinity here, water there. A couple with mental abilities, one with some kind of sensory power. Most were F-rank, barely above baseline human.
But fifteen awakened was fifteen awakened. It was something to work with.
"Alright," Sarnav said, getting their attention. "I know most of you don't know me. I know some of you probably don't trust me. That's fine. Trust takes time, and we haven't had much of that."
"What do you want?" Marcus asked, arms crossed. His posture was challenging but not hostile. Testing, more than threatening.
"I want to survive. Same as all of you. And I think we've got a better chance of doing that together than apart." Sarnav paused, letting that sink in. "Right now, we're a collection of strangers hiding in a basement. That's not going to work long-term. We need to become something more."
"Like what?"
"Like a faction. An organization. A group with structure, purpose, and the strength to hold territory and protect our people."
"And you're in charge of this faction?" Marcus's tone was skeptical.
"Someone has to be. I'm open to suggestions if you've got someone better."
Silence. Marcus held his gaze for a long moment, then snorted. "You've got balls, I'll give you that. Same thing Tan said earlier."
"Balls aren't the only qualification," Madam Chen said dryly. "But competence matters too. And last night, you showed both."
"So I'm proposing a trial period," Sarnav continued. "Give me one week. One week to prove I can lead, to establish us as a real faction, to make us stronger and safer than we are now. If I fail, we can revisit the leadership question. If I succeed, we continue building."
"What about your mother?" someone asked. "She's been giving orders too."
"My mother handles civilian matters. Organization, logistics, internal affairs. I handle awakened matters. Combat, defense, cultivation. We work together, but our areas don't overlap."
It was a clean division of authority. The kind of thing that made sense to people used to hierarchies and chain of command.
"One week," Marcus said finally. "But I want to be involved in the planning. I'm not following blindly."
"Done. Anyone else?"
Hafiz raised his hand. "What's the first step?"
"First step is assessment. I need to know exactly what each of you can do. Abilities, limitations, potential synergies. Then we figure out optimal team compositions for different scenarios. Defense, scouting, combat, resource gathering."
"You've thought about this a lot," Madam Chen observed.
"I've read about it a lot. Most cultivation stories follow the same basic patterns. Form a group, establish roles, build strength through cooperation. The theory is well-documented." He smiled slightly. "Now we get to test if it works in practice."
The meeting continued for another hour. Sarnav learned that their fire awakened could produce flames but not control them well. That the water user could only manipulate existing water, not create it. That one of the mental ability users could project emotions but not read them, making her better suited for morale than combat.
Piece by piece, he built a picture of their capabilities.
It wasn't much. Fifteen awakened, most of them barely past baseline, with abilities that were still developing. Against a D-rank monster, they'd be slaughtered. Against a real faction with established cultivators, they wouldn't last five minutes.
But it was a start.
[FACTION FORMATION INITIATED]
[NAME: PENDING]
[LEADER: SARNAV KISH]
[MEMBERS: 127 (15 AWAKENED)]
[TERRITORY: KUALA LUMPUR HIGH COURT (TEMPORARY)]
[RANK: UNRANKED]
[ESTABLISHING A FACTION PROVIDES ONGOING ESSENCE BONUSES AND UNLOCKS NEW SYSTEM FEATURES]
[RECOMMENDED NEXT STEPS:]
[1. NAME YOUR FACTION]
[2. ESTABLISH PERMANENT TERRITORY]
[3. RECRUIT MORE AWAKENED]
[4. FORM FIRST INTIMATE BOND TO UNLOCK HARMONY NETWORK POTENTIAL]
The fourth recommendation made Sarnav pause. He'd been so focused on survival, on leadership, on practical matters, that he'd almost forgotten about the other aspect of his system.
The harem aspect.
Not now. There was too much else to deal with. But eventually, he'd need to address it. The system's power scaled with bonds, and bonds required... well, bonding.
Later, he told himself. One crisis at a time.
"Alright," he said, addressing the group. "First priority is scouting. I want teams out within the hour. Two awakened per team, plus two unawakened support. We need to map a five-block radius around this building. Safe routes, danger zones, resource caches, other survivor groups."
"And if we find other awakened?" Hafiz asked.
"Observe and report. Don't engage unless you have to. We're gathering information, not starting fights."
Marcus nodded approvingly. "Smart. Know the terrain before you make moves."
"Construction 101," Tan added. "Survey before you build."
The teams formed up and headed out. Sarnav watched them go, feeling the weight of responsibility settling on his shoulders.
One hundred and twenty-seven lives depending on him. Fifteen awakened looking to him for guidance. A ruined city full of monsters and desperate people and god knew what else.
Day One had just begun.