Chapter 26: The Living Records of Dharma
The Astra-Snipers released their strings. Fifty beams of concentrated solar heat, each capable of melting a mountain, streaked toward the Stasis Sphere of Rishi Markandeya. Meghanada watched with a twisted grin, his hand already forming the mudra for a Chaos-Mantra.
"If I cannot have the present, boy, I will burn the past!" the Prince shrieked.
But Vikram was already moving. He didn't use a shield. He didn't use a sword. He tapped into his L10 Intellect and the ancient resonance of the room.
The Library Hack: Awakening the Itihasa
"System," Vikram's voice was a low vibration that resonated with the golden scrolls. "Invoke the Prana-Sanchara (Life-Infusion). Use the Saraswati-Stone as a conductor!"
[ MANTRA-HACKER (L2) ACTIVATED ]
Action: Animating the Golden Scrolls.
Cost: 50,000 Punya.
Current Punya: 50,005.
As the beams of heat were inches from the Rishi, the library exploded into motion. Thousands of golden scrolls flew off the shelves, unfurling like the wings of a thousand birds. They didn't burn; they absorbed the heat. The sacred Sanskrit ink on the parchment began to glow, turning the beams into flowing streams of liquid light.
[IMAGE: Thousands of scrolls swirling like a protective tornado around the Sage]
The scrolls didn't just defend; they transformed. They coalesced into Vidya-Dutas (Knowledge-Messengers)—warriors made of glowing paper and ancient ink. They moved with the grace of the poets who wrote them, wielding swords made of solid light.
The Massacre of the Snipers
The Astra-Snipers didn't even have time to reload. The Paper-Warriors moved through the air like sharp-edged autumn leaves. Every time a paper-blade touched a Rakshasa, it didn't just cut their flesh; it rewrote their Karmic history, temporarily stripping them of their combat levels.
[ SYSTEM MESSAGE ]
Status: 50 Snipers neutralized.
Karmic Gain: +25,000 Punya.
The Duel of the Two Princes
Meghanada stared in horror as his elite unit was dismantled by animated stationery. "Cursed... you are a cursed child!"
He lunged at Vikram, his hands wreathed in Maya-Fire. But Vikram met him mid-air. With L11 Speed, Vikram was no longer a human; he was a phenomenon.
Kaala-Gati triggered.
00:01... Vikram walked through Meghanada's flame-defense.
00:02... He grabbed Meghanada's throat with L11 Strength.
00:03... He looked the Prince in the eye. "You call me a blacksmith. You're right. I'm here to forge your end."
00:04... He delivered a Vajra-Mushti strike directly into Meghanada's Manipura Chakra (Navel).
00:05... Time resumed.
CRACK.
Meghanada was sent flying through the library walls, crashing through three layers of reinforced stone before landing in the outer courtyard of the palace. His Maya-Core didn't just crack this time; it shattered like glass.
The Secret of the Tenth Head
Rishi Markandeya finally opened his eyes. The white light in the room intensified.
"You have saved the memory of the world, Vikram," the Rishi said. "Listen closely. The First Pillar—the one that holds the Tenth Head—is not in the labs. It is the Throne of Ravana itself. It is forged from the Sands of Time. To destroy it, you must use a weapon that does not belong to time."
The Rishi's form began to fade. "Go to the palace. Rama is at the gates, but the King is waiting for you."
[ NEW QUEST: THE FINAL ASCENSION ]
Objective: Reach the Throne Room.
Punya Balance: 75,005.
The Gates of Gold
Vikram emerged from the subterranean depths. He stood in the main courtyard of Lanka. To his left, the South Gate was collapsing. Rama and Lakshmana were visible, their arrows turning the sky into a rain of golden light. Hanuman was a giant, crushing the palace ramparts with a mountain.
But standing on the highest balcony was Ravana. His remaining heads were roaring in unison. He held a massive hourglass that was flowing Upward.
"You're too late, Sage!" Ravana's voice shook the heavens. "The Sands of the First Age are flowing! I am rewriting the moment you were born!"
The World-System is beginning to glitch. Vikram's parents are starting to fade from his memory as Ravana rewrites history.
The Time-Strike: Use the 75,000 Punya to buy the [Astra of the Unchanging Moment] to freeze your own history so you don't vanish.The Dashanana Leap: Use L11 Speed and L11 Strength to jump straight to the balcony and punch the Hourglass, attempting to break the 'Machine of Time.'The Call to the Avatar: Use your Charm (L10) to link your soul with Lord Rama, combining your Strength with his Divinity to fire an arrow that pierces through Time itself.
The end of Volume 2 is here. How will the Iron Sage face the King of Time?