The sun crept lazily into the sky over Vaikunth Dham, casting golden light across the village. Cows mooed in the distance. Birds chirped with divine annoyance. And a six-year-old boy sat cross-legged in front of a drunk old man who reeked of fermented mangoes and danger.
Aryanvaat Rishaan blinked. "So… I just sit like this and become powerful?"
"Ha! If only it were that easy," Grandpa Ganpath slurred, dramatically flopping onto a rock that might have once been a shrine. "You're lucky, boy. When I was your age, the only thing that opened was my mouth—screaming from a tiger bite!"
Aryan gulped. "There were tigers?"
"Well, I bit it back," Grandpa muttered, stroking his long white beard with excessive pride.
[SYSTEM: Booted and regretting life decisions.]
>> User Status: Still somehow alive.
>> Cultivation Progress: 0%
>> Passive Skill Gained: "Tenacity of a Cockroach" — not real, just a joke.
SYSTEM:
Ugh. You again. And what's this? A drunk sage as your mentor? Great. Just great. I was promised a prodigy. Instead, I get a toddler and a booze barrel.
"Did you say something?" Aryan looked around.
"I didn't," Grandpa replied, scratching his ear.
"I did," the System grumbled in his mind. "But apparently I'm still invisible to everyone else. What joy."
Grandpa Ganpath straightened with the wobbling dignity of a monk trying not to fall off a buffalo. "Today, my dear bottle of destiny, I will teach you about the first and most important chakra in your entire cultivation path—Moolādhāra."
Aryan tilted his head. "Is that like… moong daal?"
SYSTEM:
I'm uninstalling myself.
"No, no, child!" Grandpa laughed, slapping his thigh. "Moolādhāra! The Root! The foundation! The pee of the soul!"
"…The what?" Aryan asked-
"I mean the base. The root. Like roots of a tree! Not actual—never mind."
SYSTEM:
Correction: Moolādhāra, the Root Chakra, governs your physical strength and stability. It's the base of all cultivation. Without mastering this, you're basically a wobbly scarecrow trying to wrestle elephants.
"That sounds painful," Aryan mumbled.
The Seven Levels of the Root Chakra
"Listen well," Grandpa said, raising a crooked finger like a prophet, "There are seven levels in the Moolādhāra realm. Each level brings you closer to becoming a proper cultivator. Each step is a slap to your former self!"
Aryan's eyes lit up. "Can I start Cultivation by slapping myself now?"
"Mentally, boy! Mentally!"
SYSTEM:
He's not entirely wrong. But prepare to be underwhelmed by his explanations. Watch and cringe.
1. Prathama Pāda – The First Step
Grandpa spread his arms. "When you first step onto the path, you are like a baby deer! Wobbly. Weak. You can maybe lift 10–15 kg. Enough to… carry a bucket of water without spilling it on your feet."
SYSTEM:
Reality check: A true novice at Prathama Pāda can punch with about 25 kg of force—just enough to dent wood or bruise someone mildly. Congratulations, you're slightly more dangerous than a paperweight.
2. Dvitiya Pāda – The Second Step
"Now," Grandpa bellowed, nearly falling off the rock, "You've walked two steps into greatness. Your body begins to harden. Your punches? They start to leave real marks. You can even punch through a mud wall!"
SYSTEM:
Actual data: Around 40 kg of force. Enough to crack bones if you catch someone off guard. Punch a clay brick hard enough and it might break… or you might. Still a coin toss.
3. Tritīya Pāda – The Third Step
"This is when the body finally begins to match the mind," Grandpa declared, voice suddenly serious. "A boy becomes a youth. A weakling becomes… a dangerous weakling."
SYSTEM:
Power level: Around 60 kg of force. A punch could leave a dent in sheet metal. Could bend iron bars with enough effort. Very impressive—if you ignore that real cultivators punch mountains.
4. Chaturtha Pāda – The Fourth Step
"Now comes the true leap," Grandpa whispered, as if revealing a state secret. "This is when most give up. The energy doesn't flow smoothly. But if you push through…"
SYSTEM:
You'll finally start being taken seriously. Expect around 75 kg of punching force, and possibly the ability to rip tree roots from the ground or smash a log in half. Not bad, monkey boy.
5. Pañchama Pāda – The Fifth Step
"This," Grandpa said, standing dramatically with arms raised, "is where the heavens begin to take notice!"
SYSTEM:
False. They don't.
"Your strength? Magnificent. Your body? Steel. You could bend iron bars with your hands!"
SYSTEM:
...Finally something true. Around 85–90 kg of force. This is where cultivators can start breaking stone walls with a few strikes. Villagers might call you a 'young master' if you don't trip over your own robes.
6. Ṣaṣṭha Pāda – The Sixth Step
A sudden gust of wind blew across the field.
Grandpa's tone grew hushed. "Only a handful reach this level, Aryan. Most break before they get here. And those who don't… often wish they had."
"Why?"
"Because here, you must break the shackle that binds the body. It's like trying to snap a chain using your soul."
SYSTEM:
Dramatic, but accurate. This is the infamous wall. A cultivator at this level might hit with 95–98 kg of force—enough to punch a hole through a thin steel sheet. But to rise further, they must unshackle their inner root… through pain, pressure, and sheer will.
7. Saptama Pāda – The Seventh Step
Grandpa fell silent. For once, no theatrics. Just a nod.
"This… is where you become more than human."
SYSTEM:
...Hard agree.
Aryan leaned forward. "What can I do then?"
Grandpa's voice dropped. "You punch. And metal breaks. You kick, and stone shatters. You grip the earth, and the earth remembers."
SYSTEM:
Around 100+ kg of force. Punch through steel. Kick through boulders. You are no longer just a man—you are a warning.
"Now listen here," Grandpa said suddenly, tapping Aryan's forehead. "This is just the beginning. The second chakra—Svādhiṣṭhāna—is something else entirely. People who reach that can summon energy outside their body. Manifest chakra into weapons. Fly, maybe. Burn villages. Drink clouds. I don't know, it gets wild."
Aryan blinked. "Will I become one of them?"
Grandpa stared long and hard.
Then: "Only if you stop falling asleep during lectures."
SYSTEM:
Warning: Second Chakra users are exponentially more dangerous. If Moolādhāra users break walls, Svādhiṣṭhāna users collapse houses. Be afraid. Be very afraid, but still they can't just straight off fly you can ease that one for yourself until you met a above seventh chakra user.
Suddenly, a glowing ripple passed over Aryan's forehead.
[Ding!]
Passive Skill Gained: "Focused Mind (Lv. 1)"
Effect: Increases meditation clarity and chakra absorption speed by 5%.
Trigger: Listening deeply and understanding chakra explanation under distraction.
"Wait. What the—?" the System flared.
SYSTEM:
He got a passive skill?! Just for listening to that drunken lecture?!
SYSTEM:
I want a refund. I want a restart. I want to uninstall myself and file spiritual bankruptcy.
Aryan blinked. "Did I do something?"
SYSTEM:
Yes. You existed. And somehow… the universe rewarded it.
Grandpa Ganpath looked proudly at Aryan. "Remember, child. The path of cultivation isn't just about strength. It's about patience, understanding, and lots of falling down."
SYSTEM:
And somehow, despite everything… you're still ahead of the curve. I hate this timeline.
Aryan smiled. He didn't understand half of what just happened.
But somehow… he felt like he'd taken his first real step.