Chapter 10: The Unison of the Fifty
The Vritra-Shadow, now a colossal serpent of writhing ink, towered over the ritual pit. Its presence was a localized collapse of Dharma. The grass beneath it turned to grey ash, and the very air felt like it was being inhaled into a void.
[ BOSS ENCOUNTER: VRITRA-SHADOW ]
Timer: 00:54... 00:53...
Status: Critical Instability.
Note: The entity is attempting a 'Karmic Supernova' to take the valley with it.
Vikram stood between the dying embers of the fire and the fifty disciples who were just now opening their eyes. They were confused, their Prana drained to the brink of death. If the Asura detonated now, their souls would be shattered, ending their cycle of reincarnation forever.
Vikram looked at his blade, then at his classmates. He knew he couldn't do this alone. Even with MAX Intellect, a single spark cannot fight a vacuum.
The Commander's Grace
Vikram sheathed his sword. He turned his back on the towering serpent, facing the fifty disciples instead. His Charm (L10-MAX) flared, emitting a soft, golden radiance that acted as a spiritual anchor for the panicked students.
"Look at me!" Vikram's voice wasn't a shout; it was a command of the soul. "The Guru is free, but the Shadow remains. You have been drained, but your hearts are still pure. I don't need your strength. I need your Voice."
One by one, the disciples—the same ones who had mocked Vikram for having "Zero Prana"—looked up. They saw a boy who stood as a pillar of light against a mountain of darkness.
"Chant with me," Vikram commanded. "Not for your lives, but for the River Kalindi. Not for power, but for the Dharma. Gayatri... Begin!"
The Lasso of Light
Vikram began the chant, his Dhi (L10) acting as the conductor for fifty disparate souls.
"ॐभूर्भुवःस्वः..."
As the disciples joined in, the Karmic System began to vibrate.
[ SYSTEM EVENT: DHARMIC SYNC ]
Condition: 50 Souls chanting in Unison.
Multiplier: x50.
Effect: The individual Prana-streams are weaving into a Sudarshana-Jala (The Web of Vision).
From the hearts of the fifty students, golden threads of light erupted. They didn't hit the serpent; they wrapped around it. Every time the serpent tried to lash out, the collective Punya of the students pulled it back.
The Vritra-Shadow shrieked, its dark mass being constricted by the golden lattice of the mantra.
The Final Punya Loan
[ TIMER: 00:10 ]
Vikram looked at the shop. He had 5 Punya left.
"System," he thought, his eyes glowing with a silver-white Tejas. "I have protected the forge, healed the Sentinel, and saved fifty lives. Grant me a Karmic Debt Loan. I will pay it back with the Asura's soul."
[ KARMIC DEBT INITIATED ]
Loan Granted: 50,000 Punya.
Penalty: If the target is not destroyed, your Charm will be reset to L0.
Purchase Confirmed: [One-Time Brahmastra Fragment: The Needle of Brahma].
The Erasure
A tiny, insignificant-looking sliver of crystal manifested in Vikram's hand. It didn't glow. It didn't hum. It was a point of absolute, mathematical silence.
Vikram used Flash-Step (L7). He didn't run; he appeared directly above the serpent's head, held in place by the golden lasso of his friends.
"To the void you go," Vikram whispered.
He touched the crystal to the serpent's forehead.
There was no explosion.
Instead, the world turned white. The black serpent didn't break; it simply ceased to exist. The ink-colored smoke, the jagged scales, the poisonous aura—it all dissolved into the fundamental light of the Treta Yuga.
[ BOSS DEFEATED: VRITRA-SHADOW ]
Karmic Reward: +100,000 Punya.
Loan Repaid.
Net Punya: 50,005.
Title Gained: [The Savior of the Gurukul].
Attribute Level Up: Eye of Truth L5 ➔ L7.
The New Dawn
The violet fire in the pit died out, replaced by a gentle, warm ember. The Blood Moon receded, the crimson stain washing away into a clear, star-studded indigo.
Guru Bhargava, now fully conscious, sat up and looked at his favorite student. He saw the B-Rank sword, the glowing aura, and the deep wisdom in the ten-year-old boy's eyes.
"Vikram," the Guru said, his voice trembling. "The scriptures said a child of the forge would balance the scales... but I did not think I would live to see it."
Vikram looked at his Karmic System. He was now a Rathi in power, with 50,005 Punya in the bank and a village that worshipped the ground he walked on. But as he looked toward the horizon, his Eye of Truth (L7) saw something new.
Deep in the South, toward the capital of Lanka, ten massive pillars of dark energy were rising into the sky.
[ MAIN QUEST UPDATED ]
Title: The Ten Crowns of Ego.
Objective: Travel to the Southern Seas.
Current Goal: Reach Atirathi rank (Level 60) before the eclipse.
Vikram has saved his home, but the world is waking up to his presence. How shall he prepare for the journey South?
The Royal Path: Use the 50,000 Punya to buy a [Golden Vimana] and fly to the King's palace to demand an audience and an army.The Hermit Path: Spend the Punya on Basic Attributes (Strength, Speed, Reaction) to hit L10-MAX and travel alone through the dangerous forests.The Teacher Path: Use the Punya to Build a New Gurukul in the village, training the 50 disciples to become his personal army of 'Dharma-Knights.'
Where does the Iron Sage go next?