The silence of the jungle returned, broken only by Kavya Singh's trembling breaths and the methodical, scraping sound of Aryan's knife as he skinned the massive boar. A strange, unspoken agreement had settled between them. Aryan, amidst the blood and labor, was like a calm lake, his movements devoid of emotion, like a craftsman at his work. Kavya Singh, sitting under a tree a few meters away, was like a frightened bird, her eyes darting between the boy who had saved her and the carcass of the beast he had dispatched with such ease.
The fear was still there, a cold, unsettling feeling that had taken root in her spine. But beneath the fear, a new seed was sprouting: curiosity. She had never seen anyone in her life move with such brutal efficiency. The instructors at the academy spoke of strength and powerful techniques. They boasted of explosive attacks and overwhelming auras. Aryan had none of that. He had economy. Economy of motion. Economy of energy. Economy of life. He had treated the boar not as an opponent, but as a puzzle, and he had solved it in the fewest moves possible.
The hide is almost ready, Aryan said, his voice cutting through the silence and startling Kavya. Extract its spiritual core. It's located just above its heart. Be careful not to puncture the gallbladder; its acid will spoil the meat.
It was a command, devoid of any pretense of politeness. Kavya hesitated for a moment, then quickly got to her feet. She drew a small, well-kept skinning knife from her belt and knelt beside the beast. Her hands were trembling, but her family, who were modest hunters, had taught her the basics of dressing an animal. She worked, her movements slower and less confident than Aryan's, but competent nonetheless.
As she cut through the boar's thick ribs, she noticed that Aryan was no longer working. He was sitting cross-legged nearby, his eyes closed, his plain steel sword resting in his lap. He was cultivating. Here? Right after a battle, with the scent of blood all around? It was either supreme arrogance or a confidence that was almost unimaginable. She realized she was on guard duty. This was her part of the deal. She gripped her knife tighter and continued to work, her eyes scanning the surrounding shadows.
An hour later, the work was done. The boar's valuable hide was neatly rolled, its sharp tusks extracted, and its glowing, 7th-layer spiritual core was placed at Aryan's feet. Kavya was exhausted and covered in blood, but she felt a sense of accomplishment.
Aryan opened his eyes, his Qi feeling even more stable and deep than before. He looked at the core, then at Kavya. Good work, he said, and that single, concise word of praise felt more precious to Kavya than any gold. He took her token, placed it next to his, and channeled a beam of Qi into both.
Point Transfer - Iron-Skinned Boar (7th Layer): 30 points to Aryan, 30 points to Kavya.
Kavya looked at her token, which now displayed a proud '30'. It was more points than she had thought possible an hour ago. He had kept his promise.
We move, Aryan said, placing the valuable hide in his storage bag, which his father had given him before he left home. This area is now contaminated. The scent of blood and death will attract unwanted attention.
For the next two days, Kavya was immersed in Aryan's world, and it was a world she had never imagined. It wasn't a journey through the jungle; it was a continuous, dynamic calculation. Aryan never took a single step without purpose. Every path he chose, every ridgeline he followed, every creek bed he crossed, was selected for maximum concealment and the best vantage points.
He taught her, but not like a teacher. He would simply observe and state conclusions, forcing her to understand on her own.
Why is this water source dangerous? he would ask by a crystal-clear pool, while she was desperate to drink.
Kavya would hesitate. I don't know.
Look, he would say simply, pointing to a nearby boulder. When she looked closer, she saw the scratch marks on the stone deep, parallel grooves made by a massive, clawed beast. The territory of a cave bear. It uses this as its drinking source. It will see any intruder as a challenge.
He taught her to read not just the animals, but their signs. A broken twig, a faint paw print in the mud, an unfamiliar scent on the wind these were all words in the jungle's language, and Aryan was fluent.
Their hunting strategy became a well-practiced routine. Aryan would identify the target, spending hours studying its habits and weaknesses. Then he would explain Kavya's role where to hide, what signal to watch for, and when to emerge.
They hunted a nest of Glimmerwing Serpents, with Aryan picking them off one by one from the trees with Void Piercer, while Kavya swiftly collected the corpses below before any territorial rivals were attracted. They trapped a Shadow Leopard, with Aryan using himself as bait to lure it into a narrow canyon where Kavya had set a rope snare to release a rockslide, distracting the beast for a moment a moment that was enough for Aryan to deliver a fatal strike.
With every kill, their points grew, and their symbiotic partnership deepened. Kavya was no longer just a frightened follower; she was a part of the system. Her eyes, which once saw only danger, now began to see opportunities. One afternoon, while Aryan was skinning a beast, she noticed a cluster of small, silvery flowers growing from the crevices of a nearby rock formation.
Aryan, she whispered. Look there.
Aryan looked up. His eyes widened slightly.
Silver Whisper Flower. A rare spiritual herb. It's a key ingredient in pills for the Foundation Establishment Realm.
It was a major find. Beasts were points, but this was real wealth. This single discovery elevated her from a simple follower to a valuable asset in Aryan's eyes.
On the morning of the third day, their luck changed. They were hunting a particularly large, 6th-layer Thunderhawk when another team intervened.
They were three burly young men, clad in heavy bear-hide armor and wielding massive axes. Their leader, a broad-shouldered youth named Hridan Joshi, was at the 8th layer of the Qi Condensation Realm, and he had a cruel smile on his face.
Well, well, look what we have here, Hridan boasted, his voice echoing through the trees. A little boy and his little girl have caught a nice bird for us.
Aryan and Kavya had just brought down the Thunderhawk and were in the process of gathering its valuable feathers and spiritual core.
Aryan stood up straight, his sword held loosely in his hand, now on the verge of breaking. He assessed the newcomers, his mind instantly calculating their strengths and weaknesses.
Analysis: Hridan Joshi - 8th Layer Qi Condensation Realm. Brute force, slow speed, overconfident. Lieutenant 1 - 7th Layer Qi Condensation Realm. Aggressive, reckless. Lieutenant 2 - 7th Layer Qi Condensation Realm. Defensive, but easily panicked.
This is our kill, Aryan said, his voice calm and cold.
Hridan laughed, a harsh, grating sound. It's ours now. Leave your tokens and the bird, and we might let you live.
Kavya's heart was pounding in her chest, but she held her ground, her hand on her small knife. She looked at Aryan and drew strength from his calm demeanor.
This is your last warning, Hridan growled, raising his massive axe.
Aryan said one word without looking at Kavya. Encircle.
It was a command they had practiced. Kavya immediately fell back, disappearing into the trees, circling in a wide arc around Hridan's group. Her job wasn't to fight. It was to create a distraction, a second threat on their flank.
Hridan laughed. Letting your little girlfriend run away? Coward!
But Aryan wasn't listening. The moment Hridan was distracted, Aryan moved. He didn't charge. He simply advanced, his speed deceptively fast. He didn't attack Hridan. He targeted the lieutenant to his right.
His sword was a silver streak. He didn't block the man's massive axe swing he simply stepped under it and struck the flat of the blade against his wrist. There was a sickening crack, and the man screamed, dropping his axe. In less than a second, Aryan had neutralized him as a threat.
The second lieutenant moved forward in a panic, raising his axe in a defensive wall. At that exact moment, a rock flew from the trees, clanging off his helmet. It was Kavya. The rock did no damage, but it startled him, making his eyes shift from Aryan for a single moment.
That moment was enough. Aryan was inside. He used a Gale Palm, but not to kill. He sent a concentrated burst of wind at the man's feet, upsetting his balance and sending him stumbling backward.
Now, only Hridan was left. Roaring with rage, the 8th-layer Qi Condensation Realm cultivator attacked with his full strength, his axe whistling as it came down.
Aryan didn't retreat. He moved forward to meet the attack. But at the last second, he sidestepped, the axe burying itself in the ground next to him, sending dirt and roots flying. Hridan's powerful swing had left him momentarily off-balance.
In that instant, Aryan's two fingers shot out he attacked, using thirty percent of his Qi reserves.
Void Piercer.
He targeted a small gap in Hridan's thick bear-hide armor, under his armpit. There was no dramatic explosion. Just a muffled, sickening thump.
Hridan froze. The rage in his eyes turned to confusion, then to pure terror. His axe fell from his limp hands. He dropped to his knees, gasping, his Qi meridians shattered by a precise, devastating internal strike. He wasn't dead, but his fight was over.
The entire battle had lasted less than ten seconds.
Aryan stood over them, not even breathing heavily. He gestured to Kavya, who emerged from the shadows, her eyes wide with awe.
Aryan didn't say a word. He simply walked to Hridan, took his token, and transferred half of their points to himself and Kavya. He left them just enough to survive.
Point Transfer: 240 points acquired.
Point Transfer: 120 points to Kavya.
Both of them now had enough points to easily place them in the top twenty.
Take their axes, Aryan told Kavya. They are better than our swords. Leave everything else." Aryan's simple sword had broken in the fight.
They turned and walked away, leaving the three crippled and humiliated cultivators to contemplate their defeat.
As they moved through the trees, Kavya saw Aryan in a new light. He wasn't just a skilled hunter he was a commander. He had used not only his own strength, but his environment, his enemy's weaknesses, and even her own presence as a weapon.
She was no longer afraid of him. The fear had been replaced by a deep, unshakeable respect. She was part of a symbiotic blade, and its edge was the calm, calculating boy walking beside her. Together, they could face anything in this jungle.