The moment Satya and Vayunanda jumped, reality screamed.
The wind twisted into fiery tendrils, trying to claw them back. The air thinned into nothingness. They were falling—not just through space, but through realms, memories, emotions.
> SYSTEM ALERT: TIME-SPACE ANOMALY DETECTED. GRAVITY SHIFT INITIATED.
> SYSTEM NOTE: Please tighten your dhoti, emotional instability detected.
The fall ended with a crash.
Satya landed on jagged stone, knees digging into glowing ember cracks. His palms burned as he pushed himself up. Vayunanda stood tall beside him, unaffected, his robe fluttering against unseen heat, divine aura crackling like lightning.
Before them stood Hell Gate Alpha-5, the first official Gate Satya would enter—a 5-star ranked Gate with a territory-based layout. The entrance was a circle of molten glyphs spiraling outward from a demonic statue that bled smoke.
The statue was grotesque, seven-eyed with no eyelids, its grin revealing hundreds of needle-thin teeth. Its arms were shackled with celestial runes, but its cracked stone skin suggested it had moved before. The demon carved into the gate was known as Chirok, the Forgotten Apostle—a gate-born spirit who once served a Fire Lord and devoured his master.
Satya stood up, wincing. "Is this... the inside of the Gate?"
Vayunanda didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pressed his palm against a floating sigil. The entire realm pulsed like a heartbeat.
"Welcome to Kaalgarh—The Eternal Burn."
Region Type: Magma Plains + Cursed Forest
Difficulty: High (5-Star)
Boss Presence: Unknown
Threat Type: Environmental + Sentient Monsters
Satya: "It feels like... the land is alive."
Vayunanda: "Because it is. Each Gate is a broken piece of reality—a wound in the world's soul. Monsters don't just live here... they are born of its pain."
As they moved deeper into Kaalgarh, molten rivers flowed beneath glassy terrain. Charred trees whispered forgotten names, and the sky rained ash like cursed blessings.
SYSTEM WARNING: ENEMY PRESENCE DETECTED.
SYSTEM SCAN: SNACK STOCKS DEPLETED. REWARD ON NEXT KILL – 1 MYSTERY TREAT.
Four shadows emerged from the red mist—Ashbound Predators.
These beasts were tall and sinewy, skin like volcanic glass cracked with glowing magma veins. Their eyes glowed blue—a strange contrast in a world of red. Their movements were almost spectral, warping between planes.
Type: Pack Demon Beasts
Attributes: High-speed, fire-resistant, stealth variant
Weakness: Water and Light-based attacks
Satya drew Krantivaal. The blade responded, flaring with sacred flame and humming as if eager to taste blood.
Satya: "Time to test this legend."
Vayunanda: "No. Time to let the legend test you."
[Battle: Satya vs Ashbound Predators]
The beasts charged. Satya parried the first, spun, and slashed through the second. Sparks erupted as Krantivaal clashed with hardened claws. But the third disappeared—reappearing behind him.
Too slow.
He winced, but Krantivaal reacted before him, bursting a wave of divine heat that disintegrated the ambusher.
SYSTEM BOOST: WEAPON SPIRIT 'KRANTIVAAL' HAS INITIATED PROTECTIVE MODE.
+10 AGILITY
+8 PERCEPTION
BONUS UNLOCKED: FIRE DODGE LEVEL 1
Satya (panting): "Thanks, buddy..."
SYSTEM RESPONSE: 'BUDDY? RUDE. I PREFER BLADE BHAI.'
Satya ducked as two more beasts lunged. He rolled, sliced upward, carving a glowing wound across one's chest. The final beast, clearly alpha, released a high-pitched scream that fractured the air—a sonic curse. Blood leaked from Satya's ears.
Vayunanda raised a finger. A streak of violet fire burst out, instantly vaporizing the cursed air.
Vayunanda: "You're welcome."
Satya: "Note to self—get divine earplugs."
SYSTEM UPDATE: STATS INCREASE
Strength: D ➝ C
Agility: D ➝ B
Magic: C ➝ B+
Stamina: D+ ➝ C
Reward: Donut (Maple Glazed – Insta-eat Only)
Mental Boost: +0.5 IQ (Brain now slightly smarter than a rock)
They pressed on, deeper into a canyon split by obsidian cliffs. Strange glyphs floated mid-air—puzzle locks, guarded by heat and memory.
To proceed, Satya had to unlock a memory sealed within the Gate itself. A memory... not of his, but of someone else.
MEMORY SEALING: ACCESS GRANTED TO "THE FALL OF RAVANIK THE MAD"
Satya was pulled into a vision:
He stood as a bystander to a past event. A city of gold, floating over lava. A warrior screamed as he fell—Ravanik, wielder of forbidden Ether magic, betrayed by his own Gate-born army.
The traitors looked like molten giants—skin of obsidian, mouths stitched shut, wielding serrated weapons that whispered regrets. They dragged Ravanik into the molten pits. His last words echoed:
"This Gate... was never ours to rule."
The vision ended. He gasped, eyes flickering with residual flame.
Satya: "Was that real?"
Vayunanda: "These Gates are also graves. They remember everyone who died inside them. Including heroes. Including traitors."
Satya touched the glyph with new understanding, and it dissolved, allowing passage.
SYSTEM REWARD: ICE CREAM (Choco Lava Flavor) – MENTAL STRESS -2%
As they passed into the final zone, they reached a cliffside that opened into a burning coliseum. Towering spires of flame circled a blackened arena. Chains hung from the sky, holding fire-leeches that shrieked endlessly.
On the throne sat a giant clad in bone armor—The Ember Tyrant. His armor was fused with dragon bones, his eyes twin furnaces, and from his back emerged skeletal wings wreathed in cursed fire.
SYSTEM BOSS DETECTED: THE EMBER TYRANT – RANK 5
SPECIAL PERK: FLAME SUPPRESSION AURA – REDUCES OPPONENT FIRE MAGIC BY 50%
His voice rumbled like tectonic plates grinding.
Ember Tyrant: "Another insect... come to burn?"
Satya: "He's the Gatekeeper?"
Vayunanda: "Yes. Kill him, or this Gate reopens again... stronger, meaner, and possibly with more tax paperwork."
The beast rose, hammer in hand. Flames erupted. Even the lava recoiled in fear.
Satya (to himself): "You wanted power, Satya... show them. Show yourself."
He stepped forward. Krantivaal blazed.
SYSTEM INITIATED: FINAL TRIAL OF GATE KAALGARH
REWARDS ON COMPLETION: EXP + SKILL SHARDS + RANDOM EMOTE + 1x Divine Cookie (Rarity: Epic)
Vayunanda (smiling): "Don't die, apprentice. I've only just started mocking you."
Satya: "Not planning to. I haven't even tried that divine cookie yet."
And the battle for Kaalgarh began.
The moment Vayunanda smiled, the ground trembled. Not from fear. From recognition. The lava parted. Flames danced to make way, as if bowing to a god. Satya's breath caught. Something ancient stirred. The sky cracked—thunder without clouds. A chill ran down his spine, not from fear, but from awe.
Vayunanda had entered battle mode.
His robe ignited—not burned, ignited. Threads of divine fire wove through the fabric, forming runes that shimmered in the air like orbiting mantras. His eyes turned golden. Not glowing—shining, as though twin suns had taken residence.
SYSTEM ALERT: SUPREME ENTITY LEVEL 1 DETECTED. ENGAGING AUTO-PROTECT MODE FOR USER (SATYA).
"Woh... bhagwan hai kya?" Satya whispered.
"No," Oorja replied with a grin. "But he trained with them."
From the ruins ahead, the army of Kaalgrah spilled forth. Not ten. Not a hundred. One thousand soldiers. Each was clad in charred bone armor, wielding rusted swords that screamed with every movement. Their faces—some human, some demonic, some long-forgotten gods—morphed and twisted. Eyes hollow. Mouths stitched. Torsos fused with beasts. They were abominations, born of pain and hatred.
And leading them stood the Gatekeeper of Kaalgrah—a 12-foot-tall monstrosity with twin horns that curved into spiral gates. His chest bore the symbol of the first Hell Gate—the black sigil of Chirok. His armor was fused from crushed stars. Around his neck hung hundreds of hands, a grotesque necklace made of trophies from challengers long dead.
He pointed his cleaver toward Vayunanda.
"You... you are not permitted to enter the Gate. You belong to the higher halls."
Vayunanda smiled calmly. "I go where my student walks. Now burn."
He raised his hand.
The sky shattered.
From above, a flame meteor the size of a temple crashed into the frontlines, vaporizing fifty soldiers instantly. Screams erupted—not of pain, but shock.
"What level is this guy?!" Satya blinked in disbelief.
SYSTEM NOTE: SUGGESTED ACTION – STAND BACK, COLLECT LOOT LATER.
Phase One: Vayunanda vs 1000 Soldiers
Vayunanda moved like a whisper. One moment, he stood still. The next, ten soldiers exploded in a perfect circle around him. His attacks weren't flashy—they were divine precision. He touched one soldier's helm. It turned to gold, then exploded into stardust.
He walked through the battlefield, unhurried, leaving behind a trail of silence. Where his foot landed, flames cooled. Where he looked, time slowed.
One soldier roared, activating a curse sigil. A death chain shot out. Vayunanda caught it—between two fingers—and yawned.
"Childish," he said.
He reversed the curse.
The soldier screamed as his body inverted itself, becoming part of the very chain he launched.
"He just... turned him into furniture," Satya muttered.
"Yup," Oorja replied. "And that chain is now a comfy couch."
Meanwhile: Satya vs Demonic Shadow Wolf Pack
Ten demonic wolves charged from the left flank. Their bodies were shadows bound by flame. Their growls twisted into incantations—Hex Magic.
"Let's dance," Satya said through gritted teeth.
He spun Krantivaal. The blade glowed. Sacred flame danced. He activated his new passive:
SYSTEM SKILL: SPIRIT EDGE – IGNITES WITH EVERY STRIKE, +25% BURN DAMAGE
He leapt, slicing the lead wolf across the snout. It howled, cursed, then detonated.
SYSTEM UPDATE:
Strength: C ➝ B
Agility: B ➝ B+
Reward: Rasgulla Popper (Heals 10%)
Magic Resistance: +2%
Comment: You now smell slightly delicious. Be careful of hungry demons.
Using the momentum, Satya flipped over the next beast. As it lunged, he shouted, "System, release Biryani Mode!"
SYSTEM DENIED. You are not yet 'Rice-Worthy'.
Oorja facepalmed. "This is what I work with."
Phase Two: Ember Tyrant Enters
From the back of the ruined throne, the air turned molten. The Ember Tyrant walked forward. The battlefield froze. His skin was obsidian cracked with fire. Each step he took solidified magma. His hammer dragged behind him, leaving trails of melted metal.
"The Tyrant walks. All shall kneel," the Gatekeeper declared.
Even Vayunanda stopped.
"That's the boss?" Satya asked.
"No," Oorja said. "That's the boss's boss."
The Tyrant lifted his hammer and slammed the ground.
A shockwave turned two hundred soldiers into red mist—even allies.
"This world is flame," the Ember Tyrant roared. "Let me return you to ash."
He stared at Vayunanda.
"I remember you... from the war of gods."
"I forgot you already," Vayunanda smirked.
Final Phase: Supreme Clash
The battlefield cleared. Soldiers paused. Even demons sensed something divine.
Vayunanda vs Ember Tyrant.
They clashed.
Hammer met flame palm. The shockwave tore the sky. Meteors rained. Rivers boiled.
Vayunanda kicked the Tyrant into a cliff. The mountain collapsed.
The Tyrant roared. Wings expanded. He rose—faster, hotter.
"I AM ETERNAL FIRE!" he screamed.
"I taught fire how to burn," Vayunanda replied.
He unleashed a Nova Strike—a divine technique where time froze for three seconds. In that moment, he landed 108 strikes.
The Tyrant fell.
One knee.Then both.
"Impossible..." the Ember Tyrant gasped, weak.
Satya, eating a donut on the side, muttered, "This is better than anime."
SYSTEM: FINAL STRIKE DETECTED. BOSS HP: 1%Satya's Assist Option Available. Use [Flamebind Lasso]?
"Let's finish this together," Satya said.
He jumped.Krantivaal glowed.He screamed—
"FOR BHARAT!"
He landed the strike.
SYSTEM: BOSS DEFEATED. HELL GATE KAALGRAH – CLEARED.Rewards:
Divine Cookie (Power Boost: +10%)
Title Unlocked: "Ash Walker"
XP Gain: +35,000
Skill: Flamebind Lasso Lv.1
Bonus: Mystery Box (??? contains one cursed teddy bear?)
Satya, panting and exhausted, muttered, "We did it."
Vayunanda looked ahead. "That was just Gate One."
"I'm not ready," Satya groaned.
Oorja shrugged. "Well, too bad. Because the next one's underwater."