Chapter 24
At the reception hall.
As Om went to receive his parcel, the receptionist—a simple-looking lady in an army-style uniform—greeted him with a polite smile.
"Hello, Master Om. Are you here for your parcel?"
Om nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
She slid a tablet toward him. "Please sign here."
He placed his finger on the scanner. The moment his fingerprint sealed the input, the parcel clicked. Faint glowing lines spread across its matte surface, then hissed as the lock disengaged. Om opened the lid.
Inside was a drum.
An hourglass-shaped frame, polished blackwood lined with golden inlay. Two strings crossed its narrow waist, embedded at each end with glowing gems—one deep blue, the other crimson. The moment Om touched it, a soft vibration echoed through the air.
It wasn't just a tool. It pulsed like a living thing.
[Seismic Drum recognized.]
[Weapon registered.]
[Capabilities: Sonic/Seismic Emission. Effective range: 40 meters.]
[Effects: Shockwaves. Terrain disruption. Crowd disorientation.]
He gently lifted the weapon and strapped it across his back. It was lighter than expected—but the air around it felt heavier, like space bent ever so slightly in its presence.
Back in his room, Om placed the Seismic Drum on the floor and sat cross-legged before it.
"Zero," he called.
[Yes, Master Om.]
"Simulate a battle scenario against Raj using current parameters."
[Simulation initializing… Opponent: Mr. Raj]
[Inheritance: God of Death — Yama.]
[Territory: Yama-Lok.]
[Weapon: Whip (effects unknown).]
[Abilities: Summon skeleton army, shadow control, enhanced physical stats.]
[Warning: Inheritance power discrepancy. Battle probability—negative outcome estimated at 91.6%. Proceed?]
"Yes," Om said quietly. "Run it."
The room around him faded. The soft lights dimmed. Walls transformed into the wide, featureless expanse of a virtual battlefield.
Across the simulated plain, Raj stood casually—arms loose, a grin plastered on his face.
"All right, Om," he said in a cheerful voice. "Show me what you've got."
Om gripped the Seismic Drum and struck both strings sharply.
THUMMMMM.
A deep, concussive wave shot forward, tearing across the ground and shattering simulated stone. Raj's figure blurred—then flickered behind him.
Too fast.
Om turned just as a skeletal hand burst from the ground and grabbed his ankle. Another latched onto his wrist. Within seconds, the ghostly outline of an army surged forward—dozens of skeletons armed with dull blades and burning eyes.
He struck again. THRUMM. The ground shattered, and several skeletons cracked apart, their fragments flung wide.
But Raj was gone.
"Too slow," his voice whispered behind Om.
A skeletal fist drove into Om's ribs. The simulation blinked red.
[Simulation terminated. Outcome: Defeat.]
Again.
He reset the scenario.
Tried a lateral quake pattern this time—moving across the simulated terrain in a circular rhythm while sending pulses to destabilize Raj's footing.
Still too slow.
Raj blinked through the shadows, emerged from a skeleton's ribcage, and drove a bone spear through Om's shoulder.
[Simulation terminated. Outcome: Defeat.]
Third time.
He opened with a high-frequency blast aimed at disorienting Raj. Simulated Raj staggered—but then grinned and raised both hands.
The ground split open beneath him.
From the chasm, lava surged upward, and with it emerged a massive obsidian throne, wreathed in dark flame. Jagged spikes ringed the rising stone platform, sharp and raw. Stairs extended from the molten bed, spiraling upward to the towering seat of power
"Yama-Lok."
Om's footing trembled as the very space around Raj warped. The drum's tremor grew weaker inside the rising influence of the Territory.
[Territory Activated: Yama-Lok]
Raj sat on the throne, expression calm—sovereign, unmoved.
A wave of shadows spilled from him like a tide. The skeleton army returned, stronger, more coordinated. Every step they took cracked the ground.
Om cracked the earth again to hold them back. Another blast. Another shockwave. But then—
Silence.
Time bent. The sky turned gray, muffled, soundless.
Om blinked.
0.7 seconds of delay.
[Simulation terminated. Outcome: Defeat.]
By the sixth simulation, sweat clung to Om's brow.
He sat perfectly still as the seventh loaded.
Same result. Variations in strategy made no difference.
Raj adapted. Instinctively. Precisely.
[Seventh Simulation Terminated. Outcome: Defeat.]
[Analysis: Opponent uses territory to control rhythm. Skeleton army delays movement while main body executes high-speed precision strikes.]
Om stared at the dark, blank room. The Seismic Drum sat beside him, gently vibrating in the silence.
He exhaled slowly.
"I can't win even after my enhancement," he whispered.
[Affirmative. Current configuration lacks counter to 'Territory' control and overwhelming numbers.]
Zero paused. Then, almost gently:
[However, current data shows behavioral hesitations from the real Raj—particularly against you. Emotional variables may reduce real-world efficiency.]
Om shook his head. "I'm not going to rely on emotions."
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling.
So far, the drum offered pure force—quake pulses, sonic disruption—but not precision. Not the kind needed to win against someone like Raj.
Zero's voice returned.
[Would you like to enter conceptual mapping mode?]
Om raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"
[We combine the Seismic Drum's pattern resonance with the broken inheritance's symbol matrix. Experimental.]
Om's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Let's begin."
The simulation chamber darkened further. The Seismic Drum rose slightly into the air, suspended by an unseen force.
And for the first time, the Sanskrit symbols began to glow faintly along Om's arms.