No one noticed it at first.
Amid the panic, the calculations, the endless streams of numbers flooding the monitors, one detail slipped past the exhausted minds inside the space station.
Something was wrong with the asteroids.
"Sir…" a biologist said hesitantly, adjusting her glasses as she magnified one of the images. "These thermal readings don't make sense."
The head scientist turned. "Explain."
She tapped the screen. The asteroid's surface shimmered under false coloring—patches of green, faint but unmistakable.
"Organic heat signatures," she said. "They're… inconsistent with rock."
The room went still.
"That's impossible," someone muttered. "Asteroids are sterile."
"They should be," she replied. "But these aren't behaving like dead matter."
Another screen lit up.
High-resolution imagery from a probe that had been silently trailing one of the asteroids finally finished processing.
The image sharpened.
And then—
"What the hell is that?" someone whispered.
The asteroid wasn't smooth.
It was textured.
Veins ran across its surface like roots gripping soil. Fine hair-like filaments fluttered in the vacuum of space, reacting—not to wind, but to radiation.
Zoom in further.
Clusters. Bulbous nodes embedded deep into the rock, pulsing faintly, slowly… rhythmically.
Like a heartbeat.
A senior xenobiologist staggered back from the console.
"No," he said. "No, no, no…"
The head scientist's voice dropped to a whisper.
"You recognize it."
"Yes," the biologist replied, his hands shaking. "We've seen this cellular pattern before."
He brought up classified files—experiments buried under layers of red tape, denied funding, erased from public records.
Project Myco-H.
The room erupted.
"That project was shut down!"
"They said it was terrestrial!"
"They said it evolved on Earth!"
The biologist shook his head slowly.
"We were wrong."
He pulled up a molecular simulation.
The resemblance was undeniable.
"These asteroids aren't weapons," he said. "They're carriers."
A chill crept through the station.
"Carriers of what?" someone asked, though no one truly wanted the answer.
The biologist swallowed.
"Dormant spores," he said.
"Adaptive. Regenerative. Capable of bonding with human cells."
The same spores that, once exposed to Earth's atmosphere, could root into flesh instead of soil.
The same spores that didn't kill their hosts.
They changed them.
Silence stretched, heavy and suffocating.
Then a junior scientist spoke, voice barely audible.
"So the impacts…"
"…aren't meant to destroy cities," the head scientist finished.
He stared at the countdown timer ticking relentlessly toward December 30th.
"They're meant to seed them."
Far below, on Earth, people gazed up at the night sky, thrilled by news of a rare celestial event.
Eight brilliant streaks.
Eight falling stars.
No one realized they weren't watching rocks that would burn away.
They were watching
the beginning of a new species' arrival.
And somewhere, deep within one of the rescue camps—years before anyone would understand why—
A boy named Amitesh slept peacefully.
Unaware that the sky had already chosen him
..
..
..
Back to present.
I then get out of buliding with Zoey.
The training ground used to be a parking lot.
Now it was a cracked concrete arena surrounded by half-collapsed buildings, rusted cars, and one very irritated woman.
Zoey stood with her arms crossed, boot tapping against the ground in a steady tap… tap… tap, like a countdown to
Amitesh's funeral.
Amitesh swallowed.
"Uh… so," he said carefully, "what exactly are we training today?"
Zoey looked at him. Really looked at him. From head to toe.
"…Survival."
That was never a comforting answer.
Before he could respond, a familiar cold blue light flickered in front of his eyes.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZING TRAINING MODE]
User: Amitesh
Trainer: Zoey
Success Probability: 12.7%
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Optimism is a disease. Treatable, but painful.
"…Did it just insult me?" Amitesh muttered.
Zoey smirked. "Oh good. You can read it. Means it hasn't given up on mocking you yet."
She tossed something at him.
He barely caught it—two heavy metal weights, crudely welded together.
"Put those on your wrists and ankles."
Amitesh stared. "These are—"
"—too heavy?" Zoey cut in. "Yes. That's the point."
He strapped them on. The moment he stood straight, his knees buckled slightly.
Zoey didn't help.
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
Debuff Applied: 'Reality Check'
Movement Speed: –35%
Balance: Questionable
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Congratulations. Gravity has noticed you.
"Walk," Zoey said.
"…Walk where?"
She pointed to the far end of the lot. A broken streetlight leaned there like a judge waiting to pass sentence.
"Touch it. Come back. Don't fall."
"That's it?"
Zoey's smile widened just a little too much. "That's the warm-up."
Amitesh took one step.
Then another.
Every movement dragged, muscles screaming like they were personally offended by his life choices. Sweat formed almost instantly.
Halfway through, his foot slipped on loose gravel.
He barely managed to catch himself.
Zoey clapped once. Slowly.
"Wow. Still alive. Impressive."
[SYSTEM WARNING]
Heart Rate: High
Breathing: Ugly
Posture: Embarrassing
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Trainer shows no signs of mercy. Or affection.
When Amitesh finally touched the pole, his hands were shaking.
"Can I rest now?" he called out.
Zoey tilted her head. "You didn't hear me say stop."
"…You didn't say anything."
"Exactly."
She snapped her fingers.
The air shifted.
A pressure slammed down on Amitesh's body, forcing him to one knee.
"What—?!"
"Intent," Zoey said calmly. "Mine. Learn to stand under it."
Amitesh clenched his teeth, trying to push up.
His arms trembled violently.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
External Pressure create
Local Gravity: x1.26
Source: Me aka the system GOD.
Recommendation: Cry?
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Pride detected. Strength not found.
"I can't—!" he gasped.
"Yes, you can," Zoey replied. "You just don't want to."
She stepped closer, eyes sharp.
"In this world, hesitation kills faster than monsters."
Amitesh growled and forced himself up inch by inch, legs screaming, lungs burning.
He stood.
Barely.
Zoey withdrew the pressure instantly. He collapsed backward onto the ground, chest heaving.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then she tossed a bottle of water at his face.
"Drink. Ten seconds."
He gulped it down.
"Ten," she said.
He barely finished before—
"Up."
"…You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Zoey didn't deny it.
"Now," she said, "punch me."
Amitesh froze. "Excuse me?"
She stepped into range. "No powers. No tricks. Just you."
"That's suicide."
She leaned in, voice low. "Then don't miss."
[SYSTEM QUEST UPDATED]
Objective: Land a hit on Zoey
Reward: ???
Failure Penalty: Pain
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Statistically speaking, this was a bad idea.
Amitesh swung.
Zoey vanished from in front of him.
A sharp tap hit the back of his head and he face-planted into the concrete.
"Too slow," she said.
He pushed himself up again.
Another punch.
Blocked. Countered. Swept.
Down again.
By the fifth fall, his vision was spinning.
By the tenth, his body moved without thinking.
On the eleventh—
His fist grazed her sleeve.
Silence.
Zoey looked at the torn fabric, then at him.
Slowly, she smiled.
"Good."
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
Hit Registered
Damage Dealt: 0
Psychological Impact: Significant
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Trainer approval detected. Please do not let it go to your head. It will be removed.
Amitesh collapsed flat on his back, staring at the ruined sky.
"Am I… done?"
Zoey turned away. "For today."
He laughed weakly. "That's it?"
She glanced over her shoulder.
"No," she said. "That's just Day One."
Zoey sighed, like a teacher disappointed in a slow student.
"Again."
Amitesh staggered to his feet, wiping sweat from his eyes. His arms felt like they were filled with wet sand.
"I am going again," he protested. "My body just hasn't received the memo."
Zoey raised one hand.
Flicked her fingers.
Snap.
Nothing happened.
For exactly half a second.
Then—
The world slammed down on him.
Amitesh's knees smashed into the concrete, spiderweb cracks spreading under the impact.
"Gah—!"
His chest felt like a mountain had been dropped on it. Breathing turned from difficult to optional.
[SYSTEM AUTHORIZATION RECEIVED]
Trainer Privilege Detected
[GRAVITY MODIFICATION ACTIVE]
Local Gravity: x3.2
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Flick confirmed. Obedience enforced.
"WHAT DID YOU—"
His sentence ended as his face kissed the ground.
Zoey looked mildly impressed.
"Oh good," she said. "It responded faster this time."
Amitesh tried to push up.
His arms folded instantly.
"Zoey," he wheezed, voice muffled against the concrete, "I think… the planet hates me."
She crouched beside him, elbow resting on her knee.
"No," she corrected. "The planet is neutral. The System, however…"
The blue light flashed again, almost smug.
[SYSTEM STATUS]
User: Amitesh
Current Condition: Pancake
Bone Integrity: Holding (barely)
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Adapt or remain part of the scenery.
Zoey tapped his forehead with one finger.
"Feel that pressure?" she asked. "That's killing intent, gravity, and your own weakness having a meeting."
"I didn't… agree… to this meeting…"
"You did," she said calmly. "When you chose to survive."
She stood and flicked her fingers again.
Snap.
The weight doubled.
Amitesh let out a strangled sound as his vision blurred.
[GRAVITY UPDATED]
Local Gravity: x4.0
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Trainer appears satisfied. User does not.
"Don't pass out," Zoey warned. "If you do, I'll wake you up and we'll continue."
"That's— not— encouraging—"
"Good."
She crossed her arms.
"Now listen carefully. Stop fighting the gravity."
Amitesh laughed weakly. "You want me to accept being crushed?"
"I want you to sink," she said. "Then push back."
He clenched his jaw, forcing his mind to stay sharp as his body screamed.
Instead of resisting blindly, he adjusted his breathing. Slowed it. Felt the weight. Let it settle.
Something inside him shifted.
Not strength.
Control.
His fingers dug into the cracked concrete.
Slowly—painfully—his chest lifted a few centimeters off the ground.
Zoey's eyes narrowed.
[SYSTEM ANOMALY DETECTED]
User adapting to external pressure
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Huh. That wasn't supposed to happen yet.
With a guttural shout, Amitesh pushed himself to one knee.
The gravity trembled.
Zoey smiled. Not sarcastic this time.
"That," she said softly, "is the first step."
She snapped her fingers one last time.
The pressure vanished.
Amitesh collapsed onto his back, gasping, laughing, half-delirious.
The System flickered above him.
[GRAVITY NORMALIZED]
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Training data updated.
Note: User is annoyingly resilient.
Zoey looked down at him.
"Remember this feeling," she said.
"Because next time…"
She turned away.
"I won't stop at four times gravity."
The System chimed cheerfully.
[NEXT SESSION PREVIEW]
Warning: Probability of suffering increased.
Amitesh lay flat for a few seconds… then slowly sat up.
The sun was directly above him, blazing like it personally held a grudge.
Sweat dripped from his chin.
He exhaled sharply.
"Fuck you."
Zoey stopped mid-step.
"…What did you just say?"
Amitesh's spine straightened on instinct.
"I— uh—" he coughed, eyes darting away, "fuck myself."
Zoey stared at him for half a second.
Then—
She laughed.
A short, genuine laugh.
"That's better."
She turned and walked off, hands in her pockets, voice floating back casually.
"Rest for five minutes. If you're still alive, we continue."
"…That wasn't comforting," Amitesh muttered.
He remained seated under the merciless sun, muscles throbbing, bones aching like they'd aged ten years in an hour.
The blue glow in front of his eyes dimmed.
The interface shifted.
From cold blue—
To yellow.
[SYSTEM MODE: NEUTRAL]
Training Session: Paused
System: How was training?
Amitesh laughed weakly, dropping his head back.
"Don't ask."
He flexed his fingers. They shook.
"My body hurts… and damn, she's strong."
The System paused for a fraction of a second.
Then replied calmly.
System: Of course she is.
Status Classification: Blood Temper Level
Amitesh blinked. "…That sounds bad."
[SYSTEM EXPLANATION]
Blood Temper Level:
Individual forged through repeated life-or-death combat
Pain Tolerance: Abnormal
Mercy: Optional
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: You were trained, not attacked. Please appreciate the difference.
"…She called that warm-up," Amitesh said.
System: Correct.
"…I almost died."
System: Incorrect.
You nearly learned.
Amitesh groaned and leaned back, staring at the sky.
"Next time," he muttered, "I'm training you."
The System flickered.
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Request denied.
I do not possess a physical body.
You, unfortunately, do.
From a distance, Zoey glanced back once.
Seeing him still conscious, she nodded slightly.
"Good," she said to herself.
"He didn't break."
The System added one last line, quietly.
[TRAINING LOG SAVED]
Pain endured: Acceptable
Growth detected: Minimal
Potential: Annoyingly high
He was still sitting there when she arrived.
Back against a cracked pillar, shirt half-soaked with sweat, face tilted toward the sky like a defeated side character after a boss fight.
Gauri stopped a few steps away.
Looked at him.
Then tilted her head.
"…Wow."
Amitesh opened one eye. "If you're here to help me stand, don't."
"Oh, I'm not," she said cheerfully. "I'm here to observe the damage."
She circled him slowly, hands clasped behind her back like an inspector.
"Let's see… dirt on your face, hands shaking, aura completely gone."
She nodded seriously. "Confirmed. Zoey trained you."
"Please," he groaned, "just let me die with dignity."
Gauri crouched in front of him, squinting.
"Hmm… but you're breathing. That means she was being gentle."
"Gentle?" Amitesh snapped. "She turned gravity into a weapon!"
Gauri gasped dramatically. "She used gravity already?"
Then she smiled.
"Ooooh, she likes you."
"That is NOT what that means."
The System flickered lazily in yellow.
System: Observation: Subject Amitesh resembles overcooked noodle.
"Hey!" he protested weakly.
Gauri leaned closer, poking his arm.
He winced.
"…Sensitive too. Amazing."
She stood up and crossed her arms, grinning down at him.
"So," she said, "did you cry?"
"No."
"Scream?"
"…Maybe once."
"Beg?"
He looked away. "That information is classified."
Gauri burst out laughing.
"I knew it! Big scary cultivator, defeated by one woman and basic physics."
"Zoey is not 'one woman'," Amitesh muttered. "She's a natural disaster with legs."
From the distance, Zoey sneezed.
Gauri waved in her direction. Zoey ignored her.
Gauri turned back, eyes sparkling.
"Don't worry," she said sweetly.
"Tomorrow will be worse."
Amitesh groaned. "Why do you sound happy about that?"
She leaned down, whispering conspiratorially,
"Because if you survive her training…"
"…that means you're going to become terrifying."
The System chimed softly.
[SYSTEM NOTE]
Teasing detected
Morale Impact: Confusing
Motivation: Increased against user's will
[SYSTEM COMMENT]: Mockery is a proven growth catalyst.
Gauri patted his head once.
"Rest up, hero," she said. "You've got another date with gravity tomorrow."
She walked away, humming.
Amitesh stared at the sky again.
"…I hate all of you."
The System replied immediately.
System: Acknowledged.
Sentiment shared by most trainees.
Left alone, he sank to the ground, his legs giving up before his will did.
Cold concrete pressed against his palms as he clenched his teeth.
Amitesh:
"…This pain is killing me."
A faint blue light mix with yellow flickered before his eyes.
System:
Heal yourself with Ki.
Amitesh frowned, sweat dripping down his temple.
Amitesh:
"How am I supposed to do that?"
The light pulsed once, calmly.
System:
Sit down. Cross your legs in the lotus position.
Breathe slowly… deeply. Much deeper than usual.
When you feel the flow of energy—
Guide it to the place that hurts.
Silence followed.
The wind brushed past him. Somewhere far away, metal creaked and the world groaned.
Amitesh closed his eyes.
He crossed his legs.
Inhale.
Slow.
Deep.
Again.
At first, there was nothing—just pain and exhaustion.
Then… a faint warmth bloomed inside his chest, like an ember refusing to die.
His breathing steadied.
The warmth spread, flowing through his veins, responding to his will.
System:
Now… do it.
Amitesh clenched his jaw and directed the energy toward the pain.
The moment it touched—
His body trembled.
The moment the Ki reached the wounded area—
Amitesh's body jerked violently.
His breath staggered, almost breaking, but he forced it steady.
Pain didn't disappear.
It changed.
What was once sharp and chaotic turned dense, like molten metal being hammered inside his flesh.
His muscles tightened. Veins bulged along his arms.
Amitesh (thought):
This isn't healing… this feels like I'm being reforged.
The warmth inside his chest expanded, no longer a single ember but a slow-burning furnace.
With every inhale, thin strands of Ki were drawn in from the surroundings—
from the air, the cracked walls, even the faint life lingering beneath the ruined ground.
They entered him.
Unfiltered. Untamed.
His body screamed in protest.
Bones creaked.
Skin burned.
Then—
Crack.
A faint, almost inaudible sound echoed from deep within him.
Amitesh's eyes snapped open.
System Notification:
Ki circulation established.
Meridian Pathway: OPENED (Minor)
The pain surged once more—
but this time, it flowed outward, carried away by the circulating Ki.
He followed the sensation instinctively.
Down the spine.
Across the shoulders.
Through the arms.
Then back to the core.
A loop.
A cycle.
His breathing synchronized with it.
Inhale—Ki gathered.
Exhale—Ki refined.
Each cycle shaved away impurities, pushing out heat, sweat, and a faint black residue from his pores.
The ground beneath him darkened.
Minutes passed.
Or maybe seconds.
Time lost meaning.
Finally, the furnace inside him settled into a steady glow.
The pain dulled.
Then… vanished.
Amitesh exhaled slowly and opened his eyes.
His vision felt sharper.
Sounds clearer.
Even the air felt thicker, as if the world had gained weight.
He placed a hand over the injured area.
No wound.
No ache.
Only a faint warmth, obedient and alive.
System:
Emergency healing successful.
Body Reinforcement: Temporary.
Cultivation Realm: Body Tempering — Initial Stage.
Amitesh stared at the glowing text.
"…So this is cultivation."
He clenched his fist.
The air rippled—just slightly.
A smile, tired but dangerous, crept onto his face.
Amitesh:
"Then next time… I won't be the one on the ground."
Amitesh froze.
Amitesh:
"Hey—wait. Did you just say Body Tempering?"
His heartbeat quickened.
Amitesh:
"That means I'm stronger than Zoey now, right?.
A pause.
Then—
He stared at the floating text again, rereading it slowly.
He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers.
"If that's true… doesn't that mean I'm stronger than Zoey?"
His brows furrowed.
"Then why am I still weaker than her? Explain."