《Dawn of Ragnarok》 Into the Hindu Pantheon - 01 The Beginning "Haaah, haaah..." The boy panted heavily as he gazed at his opponent warily. He was tired. Every inch of his body ached making him grit his teeth and clench his fists tighter. Even making a simple move was so torturous he felt like just giving up and laying down to finally get the rest he desperately wanted to get. But he couldn''t afford to do so. For he must win! Losing is not an option! "Boy..." He narrowed his eyes seeing his opponent speak. "Why don''t you give up? I feel sorry just looking at you." The man spoke with kind intention but the look of disdain he was giving off was clear in the boy''s eyes. ''What?'' The boy sucked a cold breath. ''You...'' Those eyes... ''Why are you looking at me like that?'' Those were the same eyes someone would give when looking at something inferior to them. ''Are you looking down on me?'' It was as if the man was looking... ''Looking down on me?!'' At an insect. ''HOW DARE YOU!!'' Enraged, the boy launched towards his opponent in the blink of an eye. "What the?!" The man was startled at the boy''s sudden surge of strength and before he could prepare himself, he was hit dead on his solar plexus from the boy''s fist with all his weight in it. "GAH!" Blood spurted from his mouth as he forcefully endured the pain. His legs were shaky and had trouble supporting his body. Eventually, his legs gave in and he fell on his knees. The boy didn''t miss this opportunity and threw a perfectly executed roundhouse kick on the man''s head, smacking him down on the ground. "Haaah, haaah..." He stood before his opponent''s body and placed his right foot on top of his head. The man was still conscious. He had to knock him off good to assure his victory. Slowly, he raised his foot and stomped, making the ground crack upon contact with the man''s head. He raised his foot again and kept stomping. The crack became bigger and bigger and just as he was about to finish... A powerful grip had gotten a hold of his right leg. It was his opponent''s hand! "You, fucker..." The man slowly stood up, his hand still holding on the boy''s leg. His now hideous face was full of blood as he glared hatefully at the boy. "YOU FUCKING SHIT!" The man raised the boy''s leg up high and slammed the boy down on the ground! The boy spat out blood as his body slammed on the ground. With just that single move, he had lost consciousness. He lost. However, the man was far from over. Filled with hate, he kept slamming the boy on the ground, venting out his anger as he wreaked havoc on the surroundings. "FUCK! FUCK! HOW DARE YOU MAKE A FOOL OUT OF ME! AAAAAAAAH!" Cracks were made one after another with each slam of the poor boy''s body. If this goes on, there''s no doubt the boy will soon have a tragic death in this time and place. Surrounding the two were a crowd of people who were watching the one-sided slaughter with great focus, unable to take their eyes away from the scene. It was not every day one would see a spectacular battle like this. Naturally, they all savoured this moment without caring about the brutality the two had towards each other. None of the audience here was a good person. Even if someone died on the ring, they wouldn¡¯t care. In fact, a battle to the death would only serve as excitement to them. All these people here are big shots from the underworld. They are people whose influence has penetrated deep into all layers of society. Any one who offended such a person all suffered the same ending. Death! And all these people came here for one thing. It was to watch a good fight. A fight where there is only one rule.Win! No matter what methods they used, as long as they won, everything is justified. The winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. It was that simple. At this moment, the man held the boy horizontally an arm¡¯s length above him. He looked at the spectators at the surrounding and let out a loud roar. ¡°GRAAAAAAAAH!¡± The crowd felt their blood boiling and cheered. ¡°Kill him!¡± ¡°Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± The crowd chanted the same word over and over, stimulating his fighting spirit. Smirking, the man finally executed his finishing move! He brought the boy¡¯s body down with great speed. At the same time, his right knee headed upwards hitting him right in the gut! ¡°Urghh!¡± The already unconscious boy was jolted awake from pain! His eyes burst open and cheeks puffed up as he tried to hold himself back from vomiting! He swallowed the blood back to his stomach but the pain was too much for him to handle. ¡°Blergh!¡± He vomited blood and blacked out. The man stepped away from the boy as he caught up his breath. That fight took quite a toll on him. He had complicated thoughts as he took a deep look at his opponent lying motionlessly on the ground. Truthfully, this was the hardest he had ever fought since leaving the military. He was a soldier who had seen a real battlefield. A true warfare. He had seen invincible heroes and mighty gods and demons participating in the war, dying the battlefield with blood! Wherever they go, mountains of corpses have piled in their wake! The power these beings possessed made him feel weak and helpless. In the grand scale of things, he was worth a fart; an existence akin to that of an ant! However, in the secular world, he was someone with very few equals.That¡¯s why he left. In the battlefield, he was nothing. Here, he was a king! Money? He can earn it easily in this arena. Women? With money, he has no lack of women. Glory? Being undefeated in this place had given him just that. These were the reasons for his arrogance and he had paid for that same arrogance. He had let his guard down and suffered a brutal beating from a child of all people! He didn¡¯t expect such great power and ferocity coming from a small child! The boy had touched on his pride and humiliated him. Therefore, he had retaliated in such a manner. "Boy... What is your name?" As soon as he asked this question, a weird look flashed on his face before shaking his head. "I''m getting a bit muddleheaded. You cannot even hear me right now." "Vihaan." Instead of the boy, a deep voice from behind him answered. He turned around and saw a hunchback old man coming up the stage with a golden cane supporting his body. The old man was short and had a repulsive look on his face. He resembled a hideous monster more than a human. Anyone who saw him would feel incredible disgust from the depths of their heart. Seeing this, the man¡¯s pupils contracted.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡®The owner of this place¡­ this is the first time I¡¯ve seen him.¡¯ The old man stood before him and smiled. Chills went down his spine. ¡®This old man is dangerous!¡¯ "This is your 10th consecutive win? How strong! How admirable! Congratulations!¡± ¡°Thanks¡­¡± The man didn¡¯t know what to make of this. What was this old man up to? He never congratulated and personally met with any winner here even once. ¡°But¡­¡± ? ¡°Next time, you will surely lose to this boy.¡± ¡°Him?¡± The man glanced at the fallen boy and snorted. With the thrashing he had given to the boy, he would be lucky if he still lived! Even if he lived, there¡¯s no doubt he will be lying in bed for life. That is already the best-case scenario. ¡°Kekekekeke¡­¡± The man frowned, suppressing his disgust. ¡°The next fight will surely be interesting.¡± While the two were talking, the crowd also had their own conversation. ¡°Who is that kid? I can¡¯t believe he defeated two grown-ups before this fight! He even managed to give Joar a hard time!¡± ¡°He seems to be someone brought by the owner here. That old man looks weird but his foresight is definitely something.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too bad though. The kid¡¯s dead for sure. Even if he doesn¡¯t, he¡¯s going to be a vegetable.¡± The crowd had different feelings in this fight. Some were amused. And some were feeling pity for the boy. A talent such as the boy was ruined in this fight! However, this wasn¡¯t anything new. Since ancient times till now, there was no lack of talents which had met their end early and never got the opportunity to grow up. Such was the cycle of life. ¡­ The badly beaten boy finally woke up. He slowly opened his eyes as he weakly scanned his surroundings, only to barely make out anything in this darkness. Though it was dark, he noticed he was still in the arena, lying in his own pool of blood. He gathered his strength and tried to get up yet he discovered he couldn¡¯t even move a single finger of his. It was then that he felt unimaginable pain coursing through his body. ¡°Urgh¡­¡± Just taking a breath was so excruciating to the point that he wanted to die. ¡°You¡¯ve woken up.¡± His ears were buzzing but he heard the voice quite clearly. His gaze turned towards its source and faintly saw the silhouette of a short hunchback old man standing a few meters away from him. ¡°How do you feel?¡± He opened his mouth with difficulty but his current state made him incapable of speaking. He closed his mouth as he silently looked at the old man. The old man sighed. ¡°Here.¡± An object which seemed like a pouch landed beside the boy. Judging from the sound it made, the pouch seemed to contain coins. ¡°20 gold coins. No more, no less.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes shined. He withstood the pain in his body as he desperately reached out for the pouch. His arm was barely able to move a few centimeters until it fell back on the ground. The old man was contemptuous and simultaneously amused by the boy¡¯s action. It was just like watching a bug squirm for survival. ¡®Pathetic.¡¯ This dark side of the old man had gone unnoticed by the boy as he continued reaching for the pouch. ¡°You¡¯ve won twice and each win earned you 10 gold coins. Had you defeated Joar and became the champion, you would¡¯ve won 30 gold coins more, making it 50 gold coins in total.¡± The old man came near the boy and made a kind smile. Due to the close proximity, he was able to see the old man¡¯s face in the darkness. The old man¡¯s smile looked completely grotesque making his already unsightly face even more disgusting. ¡°50 gold coins¡­ it¡¯s exactly the same amount your mother needed for her treatment. However¡­¡± His kind smile suddenly turned into a sinister one. ¡°You¡¯re completely useless! Just 30 gold coins more and your mother will be cured! But you lost and look at what you¡¯ve become!¡± The boy looked at the old man with his eyes wide open. His words kept ringing inside his ears. He knew that the old man wasn¡¯t anything good ever since he was first approached by him. The old man threw a bait. He could¡¯ve turned a blind eye and avoided that bait. Be that as it may, he willingly took the bait. It was all for his mother. The old man¡¯s kind smile came back and continued. ¡°I have taken the trouble and called for a divine physician to heal you otherwise, you will become completely disabled for life. It wouldn¡¯t be good for your already sick mother to take care of a paralyzed son right?¡± ¡°Oh, and by the way, the treatment coincidentally costs 20 gold coins! Aren¡¯t you glad? You already have 20 gold coins on hand!¡± ¡°Too bad, you¡¯re going to start from scratch again. Don¡¯t worry though, the arena is always open for you. You can earn that amount of money back in no time.¡± ¡°Provided you don¡¯t lose miserably like this time.¡± ¡°Kekekeke¡­¡± The boy glared at the old man, his eyes full of hate. He bit his lips, suppressing the rage in his heart. Blood started to leak down his mouth as he vowed to himself. ¡®I will make this old man pay!¡¯ Suddenly, the old man stopped laughing and went silent. Sweat started forming at his temples. His face turned grim as he focused his gaze on a specific direction. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Somewhere, a few seconds earlier... A handsome blue-haired youth looked at the far horizon with narrowed eyes. ¡°Is that a god? What is it doing here?¡± BOOM! Spiritual awareness burst out of his body with great momentum, knocking down several acres of trees in his surroundings. It then travelled thousands of kilometers in an instant. A moment later, the appearance of a hideous hunchback old man emerged in his royal blue eyes. ¡°No, not a god. It¡¯s something else entirely.¡± A small smile crept up his lips. ¡°Hindu pantheon really is interesting. There are many powerful beings mingling with humans here. Much different from Greece.¡± Behind the youth, a huge beast the size of a small city slowly opened its eyes. The beast had the build of a bull with impenetrable scales all over its body. His head resembled that of a lion with four large horns protruding on it and sizable sharp teeth capable of tearing through anything. His size and appearance, everything regarding the beast scream that of power! ¡°Hmm? What happened?¡± His loud, rough voice reverberated throughout the area. The beast wasquite puzzled. Before he went to sleep, they were still in the middle of a forest. Now, that forest had turned into a huge clearing with not a single tree that remained standing. The youth looked at the beast and thought to himself. ¡®It¡¯s good that his presence here scared the wild animals away. Otherwise, they would have died after unleashing a bit of my spiritual awareness.¡¯ Shaking those thoughts out of his mind, he casually waved his hand. The forest was instantly restored. Seeing this, the beast looked at the youth. ¡°You¡¯re a freak.¡± He ignored what the beast said. ¡°Nian, since you have already woken up, we have something to do.¡± The beast, Nian suddenly became excited. ¡°Are we going to fight?¡± ¡°No. I just wanted to meet someone who caught my interest.¡± The youth hopped on Nian¡¯s body and pointed towards the horizon. ¡°Take me there.¡± Nian complied but he couldn¡¯t help grumbling under his breath. ¡°After saying so much, I bet you¡¯re still going to fight.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Into the Hindu Pantheon - 02 Meeting and Farewell The boy was walking listlessly down the street, unaware of his surroundings due to the huge sense of desolation within his heart. He had many complicated thoughts in mind, thinking of how to brave over this period of difficulty in his life. His thoughts then started to drift and the figure of his sickly mother slowly came into his mind. ''Mother, what have we done to deserve all this? Where did it all go wrong? Of all people in the world, why is it you that had contracted this sickness?'' He couldn''t help but sigh. It felt like there was a massive mountain pressing down on him and he feared the consequences of being unable to shoulder this massive mountain. This mountain was just too heavy. This mountain, this responsibility was simply too much for him to carry. ¡®If I fail¡­ what would happen to her?¡¯ His mother¡¯s illness was worsening every single day. If she wasn¡¯t treated soon... ¡®It would be good if she dies. When that happens, I will finally be relieved of this burden.¡¯ He paused. His eyes went wide and his face turned pale. ¡°N-No, I¡­¡± His body trembled as he clutched his head. ¡°I¡­ I couldn¡¯t have thought of that!¡± He was horrified. Did he really think of his own mother as a burden? ¡°NO!¡± He suddenly ran away. ¡°Ouch! Watch out will you?!¡± ¡°Crazy kid!¡± He didn¡¯t pay any heed to those people he bumped and just continued running. He ran and ran as if doing so would rid him of the guilt he felt in his heart. The guilt for thinking of his mother as a burden! How could he think like that to the woman who raised him all his life? The woman who gave her blood and sweat to raise him? To his own mother who loved him with all her heart?! Is he really that kind of a horrible person? Later, the boy could be seen beside a crystal clear lake drinking water and washing his face. He was dead tired from all the running he had done but he had successfully distracted himself from thinking any negative thought. ¡®Mother¡­¡¯ The ripples in the water that was made when he washed had finally subsided. He saw the reflection of himself on the water surface. Splash! He threw a hard punch on the water, messing his own reflection. ''I''m so disgusting. I hate myself.'' Sighing, he laid down on the ground beside the lake and gazed at the vast blue sky above. It looked so serene and beautiful yet, it felt like there was an immense power emanating from it. Power that made him look so small and inferior under its might. Unknowingly, the inferiority in him had just made his reverence towards the heaven all the stronger. ¡°Beautiful isn''t it?" He thoughtlessly nodded his head but quickly came into realization. He got up and looked around. When he saw no one, he was immediately alarmed. ¡®Where did that voice come from?¡¯ This time, he heard the voice again. ¡°Up here.¡± He moved his sight towards a tree. There, he saw a blue-haired youth sitting on a branch and leaning on the tree with a relaxed smile on his face. He was wearing an elegant blue and white robe that made him look like a noble. For some reason, looking at him feels like looking at the boundless heaven. They both have a similar aura and brought forth the same indescribable sensation within his being. After he was done checking the youth, he spotted a small animal sleeping on his lap. It was a weird animal with a lion face and a bull¡¯s body with four horns on its head. ¡®It should be a young mythical beast.¡¯ He didn¡¯t regard the beast¡¯s appearance as anything weird for he had seen many such strange creatures before. He had even once seen a fish run on land and talk with its mouth. He then looked back to the youth and asked hesitantly. ¡°May this lowly servant ask for noble sir¡¯s name?¡± The youth just smiled. ¡°Why so polite? I can see that you look uncomfortable. Just act as you normally would.¡± The boy was surprised. He had his own share of interaction with nobles before and most of them were pretentious pricks who looked down and oppressed all others with lower statuses than them. It would seem that this noble is different from others. Or maybe he is just bored enough to actually want to play mind games with a plebian? Who knows if this might just be a ploy to let his guard down? Once he starts to act casually, he will probably be punished for being disrespectful to a noble. The youth hopped down the tree and came beside him with the young beast still sleeping safely in his arms. ¡°Mind if I sit here?¡± He shook his head as he watched the youth sit beside him without any reserve while petting the young beast¡¯s head with his right hand. The boy started getting a bit conscious due to the close proximity he had with the noble. Moreover, the youth¡¯s clothes were clean and luxurious whilst his was just dirty tattered clothes. He didn¡¯t care about his clothes before but sitting beside him, he can¡¯t help but compare their clothing. ¡®What kind of noble is he? Isn¡¯t he bothered with how dirty I am?¡¯ The boy eyed him for a few seconds. ¡°Sir, are you not a Brahmin?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± "Sir is a Kshatriya?" "Not a Kshatriya." The boy started to hesitate. "Then, a Vaishya?" "I''m not. Stop guessing. I don''t belong to any of the castes since I''m not from here." ''He''s a foreigner?'' the boy wondered and checked the youth once again. "Where is sir from then?" The youth thought for a moment before pointing his right hand towards the west-northwest. "Hmm, it should be right there I think? Yeah, Greek pantheon''s right there." The boy sweatdropped at that but there was something he was curious about. "Greek pantheon?" The youth looked at him briefly and gave a short explanation. ¡°Greek pantheon is located in a country called Greece. Here in this country, the people mainly worship the Trimurti. However in Greece, many people worship the Olympians which consists of 12 major gods. These 12 gods are the most famous gods in the pantheon and also the most powerful ones.¡± ¡°The people in Greece don¡¯t worship Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva?!¡± The youth blinked his eyes before chuckling. ¡°Of course not. Not only Greece, but there are also many people from other countries who don''t worship the Hindu gods. Each country is managed by a single pantheon but there are also different countries under the same pantheon and worship the same gods." He noticed the boy having a puzzled look on his face. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. He ruffled the boy''s hair and said, "You are confused for now but in the future, if you ever go travelling, your horizons will widen and you will realize that the world is much bigger than you think it is. You will know of many interesting creatures and breathtakingly beautiful sights to see." The boy got excited at the prospect of travelling and having an adventure however, his eyes soon dulled at the thought of his mother. The youth noticed the boy''s solemn mood and raised a brow. "I have been watching you since you came here and I noticed that you''ve been in a pensive mood for quite a while. Is there anything that bothers you?" The boy hesitated. The young man was nothing but helpful to him for satisfying his curiosity. He didn''t even get mad or annoyed from him asking too many questions but instead answered him patiently. The youth also seems trustworthy and full of wisdom. He seems to know many things so he finally decided to tell the youth. "I have a person I love and greatly care about. However lately, I can''t help but start thinking bad thoughts about her. I¡­" The youth had a serious expression on his face as he listened attentively. He would nod every now and then and when the boy was finally done speaking, he said. "Those are intrusive thoughts." "I-Intru what?" He chuckled and ruffled the boy''s hair. "Intrusive thoughts. It is a pretty normal occurrence that happens to people once in a while. This is nothing you should worry about. You having an intrusive thought doesn''t mean you are a bad person at all. Just the fact that you are worried about this tells a lot about your character." The boy looked at the youth in amazement. ''He really does know a lot!'' "Then, how do I get rid of this intru¡­ intrusive thought?" "For now, you can''t. It''s not something that will go away instantly just because you wanted it to. My suggestion is that you ignore these thoughts because the more you worry about it, the more you will think about it. If you ignore them, you will gradually find yourself not thinking about this anymore. If you think of them, it will just be a passing of mind." The boy made a sigh of relief. "Sir haven''t told me your name yet." "Oh, that''s right. I''m Sarius and this puppy here is called Nian. What about you? " The young beast''s ears twitched when the word ''puppy'' was mentioned. The boy stood up and bowed his head to Sarius. "Sir Sarius! I, Vihaan, thank you so much for your time and for clearing the doubts in my heart." "It''s nothing." "Sir, I would like to speak with you more but my mother will be worried if I don''t come back soon." Sarius gently smiled. "Go, don''t leave your mother waiting." Vihaan bowed once again and walked away in a hurried manner. Sarius watched the boy''s figure disappear in the forest of trees as the boy headed home. Nian hopped out of Sarius'' arms and snorted. "Show off!" "Hmm?" "What the fuck are you acting like a refined scholar for?! You make me sick!" Sarius had a dark face. "I''m not acting." "Like hell, you''re not! You''re just a freaking battle maniac! Act as one will you?!" "Like I said¡ª" "Watching you is like watching a carnivorous animal pretending to be a vegetarian in front of its meal! It''s so funny it makes me sick! Hahaha, or are you perhaps trying to make me laugh? Hahaha fine, you win! I almost couldn''t hold back my laughter earlier! Thanks for the entertain¡­ Eh?" Nian saw a yellow-coloured flame wrapped around his body, sealing his movements. Surprisingly, this flame wasn''t hot at all and it didn''t even burn a single strand of his hair. It does, however, feel tight in his body. Nian knew where this flame came from so he looked at the culprit. The culprit looked back in return and smiled kindly at him. Shivers went up to his spine. It was at this moment that he knew, he fucked up! "I didn''t manage to hear clearly. Would you mind repeating that again?" Nian laughed nervously. "It was a joke." The next thing he knew, he found himself submerged deep in the middle of the lake desperately struggling for his survival. ¡°BRRRR! BRRRR!¡± Sarius ignored the bubbles in the water as he smiled to himself. "What a good day." ¡­ Vihaan stood in front of a worn-out shack, trying to reorganize his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he mustered his courage and opened the door. "Mother, I''m home." Not a second later, he was met with a warm embrace from a pale looking skinny woman. The anxiousness that was on her face during the time he was gone had all but replaced with one of relief. "You''re back!" Vihaan returned the hug, tears threatening to escape from the corner of his eyes. "Mother, please don''t leave me no matter what happens!" "Silly child. What brought this up? Of course, mother will never leave you. I will always be by your side. Oh!" The woman then pinched Vihaan''s side and frowned. "Rascal, I almost got fooled by your sweet talk. Where were you last night? Why didn''t you come home? I was worried sick about you!" Vihaan looked down in guilt. "Sorry. I got a job last night and it really pays well. I was offered the job suddenly and I had to start soon so I wasn''t able to tell you." The woman sadly sighed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Vih¡­ you¡¯re only 10 years old yet you¡¯re already working for us. So young yet having such responsibilities. I¡¯m a failure as a parent.¡± ¡°Mother is definitely not a failure. I¡¯m so glad I have you as a mother. I wouldn¡¯t trade you for any treasure in the world!¡± She let out a loving laugh. ¡°Sweet talker!¡± ¡°Besides, mother doesn¡¯t have anything to worry about. The job¡¯s okay and it¡¯s easy enough for me.¡± Vihaan felt bad for lying to his mother but he had no choice since she will certainly get worried and forbid him from going to the arena again. "As long as you''re fine. That''s all that matters. Have you eaten yet?" He flinched at the first part since he was reminded of the beating he had undergone last night. "Not yet." "Come, we should still have some eggs left. I''ll cook... some..." The woman suddenly got dizzy and staggered. Vihaan quickly took action and supported his mother with his body. "Mother are you okay?" "Don''t worry, I''m fine. I''m already used to it." "You''re not fine at all. You should get some rest. I''ll cook." The woman insisted some more but was eventually persuaded by Vihaan and was made to rest on the bed. Looking at the boy cooking, the woman sighed. ''Vih, I didn''t notice but you''ve already grown up. As for me¡­ I¡¯m just holding you back.¡¯ BAM! BAM! BAM! They heard a loud knock on the door making the mother and son duo frown. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll take care of this.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡± Vihaan opened the door. ¡°Kid, where¡¯s your mother?" Standing outside was a tanned fat man of average height. When he saw it was Vihaan opening the door, he asked impatiently. ¡°So it''s the landowner. Mother is currently suffering from an illness and has to stay in bed to recuperate. I apologize on behalf of my mother since she can¡¯t welcome landowner right now.¡± Vihaan didn¡¯t like what he was doing. He had no actual respect for the man but he had no choice but to act as though he had for this man¡¯s status is higher than theirs. He and his mother were just Shudras while this man is a Vaishya. If things go south, no one would go out of their way to help them. ¡°Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter. Anyway, you already know what I¡¯m here for right?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Seeing Vihaan¡¯s expression, the landowner got even more impatient. ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not going to pay?!¡± ¡°Landowner, it¡¯s not that we don¡¯t want to pay. It¡¯s because we don¡¯t have money on hand right now. You already know my mother is ill so she can¡¯t work. I had also just gotten a job last night and hadn¡¯t had my salary yet.¡± Understanding dawned on the landowner. ¡°I understand your difficulties but you should also try to understand me. This concerns my own living as well. If you don¡¯t pay, how am I supposed to feed my family? You should know that there are many people out there who will gladly rent this place in your stead.¡± Vihaan clenched his fist and immediately hid it behind his back. ¡°Landowner, how about this... three days. Give us three days and I will pay you 10 silver coins. It¡¯s double the amount of the original rent.¡± The landowner smiled and his thick hands gently patted Vihaan¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Then that''s a deal.¡± Vihaan watched the fat landowner walk away and noticed him wiping his hands on his handkerchief and threw it away right after. He couldn¡¯t help but compare Sarius to the landowner. Sarius looked more than a noble than this landowner but unlike the latter, the former had no qualms on petting his dirty head while the landowner didn¡¯t even bother to conceal his disgust. ¡°Haah, comparing noble sir to that pig is an insult to him.¡± He went inside and saw his mother¡¯s apologetic face. ¡°Mother heard us?¡± The woman nodded. ¡°Vih, I¡¯m sorry it¡¯s all my fault. The money we had was spent mostly on my treatment¡­¡± ¡°Mother doesn''t need to apologize. I¡¯ll find a way out of this I promise.¡± She had a dazed expression on her face as she caressed Vihaan¡¯s cheeks with a gentle smile on her lips. ¡°You¡¯ve really grown up, Vih. I¡¯m glad¡­ so glad.¡± ¡°Mother?¡± Vihaan had no idea why. At that very moment, his chest tightened and his heartbeat accelerated. He had a bad feeling in his heart and he didn¡¯t know what to do about it. So¡­ He hugged his mother tightly. In the hopes that this bad feeling will go away. ¡­ The next day, Vihaan was heading home with a bag of vegetables in hand. He had gone to the market earlier to buy some food to cook but since they lack money, he had to borrow some money from his mother¡¯s good friend. Thankfully though, they lent out some copper coins enough to buy a week¡¯s worth of food. ¡°I¡¯ll make mother some boiled vegetables today. It¡¯s one of her favorites.¡± Just as he was about to get home, he noticed many people gathering outside their house, murmuring to each other and trying to get a good look inside. He paused. The bad feeling from yesterday had returned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that her child?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°So young!¡± ¡°How old is he?¡± ¡°Poor boy." His heart started beating rapidly. The crowd was noisy but he didn¡¯t hear anything. All he could see was their mouth moving. Their voice didn¡¯t even register in his mind. No, his mind simply refused to listen to them. He continued to walk, trying to ignore these people. His steps had gotten faster and faster and before he knew it, he had already started running towards his home, pushing all who were blocking his way. Each step he took, the greater the bad feeling in his heart had gotten. When he was just a few steps away from the door, he could already hear the deafening sounds of his own heartbeat. Though the sun was blazing hot today and there were many people around¡­ He felt cold and isolated as if it was in the middle of winter. He stood unmoving away from the door, not daring to come near for he feared what he might see inside their house. His chest heaved up and down, his breathing became erratic. Tears travelled down his cheeks. ¡°Mother¡­¡± He took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind. After gathering his courage, he entered the house. There were also people inside his house. None of which noticed him as their sight were all focused on one thing. He followed their line of sight and the moment his eyes laid upon what they were looking¡­ He froze. His heart chilled and he stopped breathing. There was a woman hanging a few inches above the ground, rope tied tightly around her neck. It was his mother. Into the Hindu Pantheon - 03 Burst out Nian peeked through Sarius¡¯ robe and instantly drooled at the sight of the crowd. ¡°So many delicious looking humans¡­ ahh, I¡¯m starving.¡± Sarius frowned at the beast. ¡°Nian, don¡¯t forget. You can only eat those who try to threaten you, otherwise¡­¡± ¡°I know. I was just casually saying it.¡± It was already late at night. Any normal person would have been surprised to see this many people still active at this time of the night and most especially in this area which is the shadiest place of the city. However, Nian and Sarius were far from normal. ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t eat them? They don¡¯t look like good people to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me repeat myself. Listen to me or I¡¯ll throw you back in the lake.¡± ¡°Tsk, fine.¡± After Nian became somewhat well-behaved, Sarius sighed and walked straight ahead, checking his surroundings at the same time since he was a bit curious about what these people were doing in this place. Although he was looking around, his face was locked in one direction and only his eyes were moving about. He noticed that they all came out of the same place. Most of them were in a group and there were very few who came out alone. ¡®Hmm¡­ the secular world¡¯s world of crime.¡¯ ¡°Kid, are you lost?¡± Sarius felt a hand rest upon his shoulder and stopped. Not only him, but people from other groups also halted their steps and turned their gazes on him, trying to watch a show. The one who held Sarius¡¯ shoulder didn¡¯t seem to mind this kind of attention from others or perhaps he was already used to doing things like this since there wasn¡¯t even a bit of hesitation in his action at all. ¡°What a handsome lad! Who would¡¯ve thought we would find such a good kid in this place? Boss, we hit a jackpot!¡± The burly man excitedly looked at his group of seven companions who were slowly walking their way towards him. ¡°His skin is even fairer than a maiden¡¯s! Those rich noblewomen will surely pay a high price to buy this boy toy off!¡± Everyone in the group burst out laughing. The sole exception was the one in the middle, who happened to be the group¡¯s leader. His brows furrowed as though he was doubting something but nonetheless, he remained silent and took on the stance of an observer. ¡°Kid, you only have yourself to blame for having such bad luck. Be obedient and come with us and maybe we¡¯ll sell you off to a good looking noblewoman. Being their plaything is not bad at all! You would probably thank us by then! Hahaha!¡± He laughed and tried to pull Sarius towards him but to his surprise, the youth who was so tiny in comparison to his large build didn¡¯t even budge at all! He frowned. "Hey¡ª!" He stopped speaking when Sarius coldly glanced at him. At that moment, his face lost all colour as though he had seen a ghost! His knees quivered for a second and he suddenly fell on the ground like a marionette that had lost its puppeteer. "Bro? " "What the?!" "Are you okay?" His companions were shocked. They instantly reacted and took out their weapons, surrounding Sarius as they glared at him menacingly. "You! What did you do to him?!" Although they had no idea what happened and why their friend suddenly fell like that, they felt it had something to do with the youth since he was the only one near to him other than them. The boss, on the other hand, had his eyes wide open in astonishment. When he saw his subordinates going to attack, he quickly raised his right hand and shouted, "Stop!" "Boss?" He heaved a sigh of relief when his subordinates did as they were told. "Back off." They all turned to him in confusion and a bit of displeasure. Nevertheless, they all complied and returned back to his side albeit unwillingly. "This gentleman¡­ how may I address you?" "You''re pretty smart." Sarius didn''t answer and just looked at him casually. "You guys can go but this one stays here." ¡°This¡­¡± The boss had a look of difficulty in his face as if finding what he said to be something near impossible to do. ¡°What?¡± ¡°He¡¯s one of my men. I can¡¯t abandon him.¡± Sarius narrowed his eyes. He immediately knew what he was trying to do. The boss was building up the image of someone who will never forsake his subordinates so that those under his wings will be more at ease. Furthermore, their loyalty to him will just increase. If he had instead done what Sarius had said, they will start having doubts on working with someone like him who can unhesitatingly abandon his own people. Some might even leave and there was also the possibility that they will harbour thoughts of betrayal in their mind.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°I see...¡± The boss was actually sweating buckets on his back right now. To secure his position, he might have inadvertently offended the youth. Although he already gauged his reaction in mind and that he was less likely to attack them, he couldn¡¯t be too sure of that! Only now did he realize how stupid he was after thinking it through. He was about to take his words back when he heard Sarius say. ¡°...however, he¡¯s already dead. Would you risk your life for a dead person? If so, then I applaud you for your camaraderie.¡± ¡°Dead?¡± ¡°Go ahead and check.¡± The boss looked at the fallen man and took a deep breath. He thought that he had just fainted but he actually died! Moreover, they didn¡¯t even know how it happened! His subordinates also felt complicated and finally understood why they were stopped by the boss. Had they really attacked, they wouldn¡¯t even know how they died. With this realization, they couldn¡¯t help but secretly take a peek at the youth¡¯s figure in fear. The boss suppressed the trepidation in his heart. With a grim face, he signalled to the others, ¡°No need to check. We¡¯re leaving.¡± Sarius watched the group leave silently. Afterwards, he observed the surroundings from the corner of his eyes. As expected, the majority of the crowd who he had initially felt that harboured ill intention towards him had now been discouraged and started to disperse. Still, there are quite a few left who thought too highly of themselves and weren''t discouraged. Sarius turned his gaze to the corpse on the ground. ¡°Nian, you can eat this one.¡± ¡°I thought you dislike killing humans?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like killing in general but if there¡¯s anyone who threatens me, then I will kill regardless of who they are, whether they be human or not. Unless I have some reason not to.¡± Nian snickered. ¡°Threat? Even if there were thousands of him, he would still be far from threatening you. He was no threat but you killed him!¡± ¡°Let me tell you something interesting, Nian. Had I been a normal person, then what would happen to me? What this person was saying would have been my fate. I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight back at all and I will be sold off to some noblewoman for money.¡± ¡°Hahaha, that is indeed interesting! You as a slave? How funny!¡± ¡°Furthermore¡­ by killing him, the others here would know that I¡¯m not someone they can afford to offend and leave me alone instead.¡± The beast stared at Sarius in amazement. ¡°Is this what they called ¡®killing two birds with one stone¡¯? Were you planning this from the start? I didn¡¯t know you were so good at scheming as well!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. It¡¯s just a coincidence. Anyway, aren¡¯t you going to eat? If so, I¡¯m gonna bury him.¡± ¡°Tsk, fuck off! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve last eaten a human.¡± Nian hopped out Sarius¡¯ robe and landed on the ground. His tiny figure began to expand rapidly in size. A few seconds later, he was already as big as a small house. The onlookers were stunned silly. Nian¡¯s face came close to the corpse. He took a sniff and quickly swallowed him whole at once. Seeing this scene, the people in the area scurried away within a few breaths. Even those who still wanted to make a go on Sarius diminished all thoughts and ran. The place became deserted in a split second. ¡°It¡¯s nowhere near enough but it¡¯ll do for now.¡± After eating, Nian¡¯s size reduced until he was as small as he had been earlier. He then returned inside Sarius¡¯ robe and began complaining. ¡°Ugh, why didn¡¯t you kill his companions too? Weren''t they also a threat since they are in cahoots and didn¡¯t object to selling you off? Haaah, I could¡¯ve eaten more in that case.¡± Sarius smiled and explained. ¡°Hindu pantheon puts much importance to the law of karma. Every action will have a reaction. A good deed will always produce good fruit while bad deeds result in bad. For the sins they have done, they will naturally have to bear the corresponding consequences.¡± Nian stoically looked at him. ¡°Uhm, yeah. I get it. I totally understand. Anyway, can you please stop talking in a scholarly way? It disgusts me.¡± The corner of Sarius¡¯ right eye twitched. He was about to give in to the urge that was telling him to throw the beast back in the lake when the said beast spoke again. "Isn''t that the idiot boy from the lake yesterday?" Sarius instantly spotted who Nian was referring to since excluding the two of them, there was only one person left in this area. It was Vihaan who was walking groggily. His body was full of injuries which were worrying but what Sarius was most worried about was the boy''s eyes which had become dull. No doubt something big happened to him. Unknowing of the presence of Sarius and Nian, Vihaan walked aimlessly in the dark. The boy didn¡¯t know what to do with his life anymore. The death of his mother made him numb to everything. He was numb to pain, numb to life and numb to death. He wished he had died instead. Looking back to his past, life wasn¡¯t exactly full of happiness for him. They were oppressed by other people a lot for their status and they lived in poverty. Still, even if it was hard¡­ as long as he had his mother, he can and will endure anything. His father died when he was still a toddler. Now, his mother¡­ What is still the point of living? He was all alone in this world. No mother, no father, no family. Maybe he should just... die? Vihaan tripped on a rock and was about to fall face-first to the ground. He could see the earth coming closer to him but before he landed on his face, he felt someone supporting his body. He instantly recognized who it was. ¡°Noble¡­ sir?¡± ¡°We met again.¡± ¡­ Under the night sky, the wood continuously gave out a crackling sound in the fire. Sarius and Vihaan sat in front of a small mound that was located in an area outside the city. The only source of light they had was the moon illuminating the sky and the fire near them which also served as a protection from the cold, at least in Vihaan¡¯s case. Sarius sat behind the boy and had his hands at his back. His hands were glowing in a shade of blue which rapidly healed Vihaan¡¯s wounds at a rate visible to the human eye. While all this was happening, the three remained silent: Sarius because he was healing the boy; Vihaan who was staring at the mound; and Nian who was peacefully resting inside Sarius¡¯ robes. The silence continued for a few minutes until Sarius took off his hands. ¡°I''m done. This should be enough.¡± Sarius said and then frowned. Although the boy¡¯s injuries were more or less healed, his state was far from good. It was beyond his healing ability to wake the boy up from his stupor. After all¡­ It was much easier to heal one¡¯s injuries than to heal one¡¯s heart. ¡°Noble sir¡­¡± Vihaan slowly turned around. His face, tired. Eyes devoid of any will to live. ¡°Why do people die?¡± His mouth faintly quivered as he spoke and his voice wavering. Before Sarius could answer, he asked again. ¡°Why did mother kill herself?¡± A lone tear escaped from the corner of his eyes. He bit his lips, desperately suppressing his emotions. ¡°Why do people live? Why am I alive? What¡¯s the use in living?¡± His face was already wet with tears. The memories of his mother surged forth in his mind. ¡°Mother¡­¡± Sobbing, he painfully clutched his chest and had trouble breathing. ¡°It hurts¡­ it hurts so much. Mother...¡± Sarius sighed sadly. He gently took the boy in his arms, hugging him tightly. Vihaan flinched for a moment before wrapping his arms around Sarius and burst out. He finally let out his emotions and cried with all his heart. Into the Hindu Pantheon - 04 The Two Great Hounds Vihaan cried in Sarius'' arms for what he felt like hours. He had been holding himself back. He tried his best to endure and have done all he can to overcome the pain. It was hard. Incredibly so. He went into the arena earlier, surprising many people for his reappearance. However, he didn''t go there to fight. He let himself get beaten, hoping that the pain he felt in his body will lessen the emptiness in his heart. It turned out to be a fruitless endeavour. He didn''t feel the pain he was seeking. It was the other way around. The sorrow in him only made him numb to it. He wanted to cry right then and there but he continued to endure. Until he met Sarius again¡­ He was so different from the other nobles he knew. He treated him, a lowborn kindly and taught him sincerely. His eyes never once looked down on him whereas many people would. Before he knew it, through their short exchange, he had come to look up to the youth. And so¡­ He tried to hold back his tears even more in his presence. He didn''t want to show his most fragile side to the youth. In the end, he failed. It was just too much for him to handle. He could no longer bear the sadness and so¡­ He cried. He cried like there was no tomorrow. He cried as though he had cried all the tears he will ever cry again. Right now, he was just a kid mourning for his deceased mother. ... Later, Vihaan finally removed himself from the youth and wiped his tears. He knew he couldn''t remain like that for long and doing so would only be troubling Sarius. In fact, he felt he was troubling him a lot already. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, noble sir.¡± In response, Sarius petted the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize when you¡¯ve done nothing wrong. You are but a child so cry when you want to cry. Don¡¯t hold yourself back. After all, once you grow up¡­ you¡¯ll find yourself not being able to cry even if you wanted to because of the burdens and responsibilities you have.¡± The youth smiled bitterly and thought back to his own past. ¡°Noble sir?¡± Sarius snapped back right away and slowly shook his head. He looked at Vihaan and asked, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Anyway, how are you right now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good. Thank you so much, noble sir.¡± He checked Vihaan once more and was relieved. Although the boy was still sad, he can see he was feeling much better than before. His eyes were still hollow but it had finally regained most of its light. Sarius then fixed his gaze on the small mound in front of them and muttered, ¡°So this is your¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my mother.¡± Vihaan had a bitter look on his face. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even give her a proper funeral. I¡¯m a failure as a son.¡± Sarius frowned but refrained from speaking. ¡°We didn¡¯t know what it was but mother had a sickness. I noticed her body growing weaker day by day. The things she can easily do before, she can no longer¡­¡± Vihaan bit the inside of his mouth as tears started to cloud his vision. ¡°Before mother hanged herself... I¡¯m sure it had taken the toll out of her.¡± His tears streamed down his cheeks at the thought of his mother forcing herself to tie the rope despite her weak body and preparing herself for death. ¡°If only she didn¡¯t have that damned sickness, she wouldn¡¯t have killed herself.¡± He let out a sob as he covered his face with his hands. ¡°Which is why after she died, the people decided to burn her body right away. They are afraid of her sickness spreading and infecting them as well. Mother¡¯s ashes are then buried here.¡± Vihaan couldn''t help but hate those people a bit. Because of them, he wasn''t able to bid a final farewell to his mother well. ¡°Do you want me to bring her back?¡± He paused. His head slowly turned to Sarius as he looked at him in uncertainty. ¡°Pardon?¡± Surely, he must''ve misheard the youth or he was probably just imagining things. If not, then he must''ve gone crazy. ¡°Your mother¡¯s soul is still here,¡± Sarius stated looking at the mound. ¡°It might be difficult since I have never done it before but I believe I can bring her back to life.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes went wide open as he looked at Sarius in disbelief. He was so astounded that his mind went blank. He doesn¡¯t have any idea what to say anymore.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°As to how,¡± Unknowing to his plight, the youth placed his thumb and index fingers under his chin as he contemplated, ¡°I should probably reconstruct her body first using her ashes and then direct her soul to it. Afterwards...¡± ¡°N-Noble sir!¡± Vihaan called out, breaking Sarius out of his thoughts. The boy was flustered and his emotions in a state of turmoil. So many life-changing events happened in his life and now this. His perception of the world was completely changed compared to what it was before. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Why are you doing this? I have nothing yet you''ve done so much for me already. Why?¡± This was something Vihaan couldn''t understand. He was just a Shudra without anything valuable on him so why would someone like Sarius go this far for him? The youth naturally understood his concern. He closed his eyes and sighed. "It''s because of my origin." "Origin?" Instead of answering, Sarius asked, "Vihaan, have you once made a wish to the stars?" Vihaan nodded slowly, unsure of what the youth was getting to. "Just as you''ve wished upon the stars, there are numerous people from all over the world who have done so as well. They wished for power, wealth, longevity and countless others. These collective wishes had then changed the laws of chaos and from chaos, a new entity was on the verge of being born." Sarius lips came into a gentle smile. "However, what made this entity fully come into being wasn''t any of those grand wishes. Instead, it was the wish of a little girl with an unnaturally high faith who just wished to have a friend." Vihaan was stunned at this revelation. Wishes? Born from chaos? Every sentence that came out from Sarius'' mouth should''ve been incomprehensible yet he somehow understood the deep underlying meaning behind it. Nevertheless, he was still confused by this whole ordeal and had a very hard time believing the youth. "Wishes¡­ can do that?" "Do you now understand why I am doing this Vihaan?" The boy absent-mindedly nodded. "As a being born from wishes, it''s nothing strange for me to grant wishes. But if it makes you feel any better, me doing this is not entirely out of the goodness of my heart. I''m not as kind as you think, Vihaan. I will revive your mother but you will owe me a big favor." Sarius'' face became stern. "I strongly advise you to think this through. For this favor, you might even lose your life." It took less than a second for Vihaan to answer. "It doesn''t matter what it is. For mother, I will do anything. Please bring her back to life!" "How interesting!" A hoarse monstrous voice suddenly rasped out making Sarius narrow his eyes and look into a specific direction. Nian''s ears also perked up and took his head out of Sarius'' robe to peek. Vihaan''s reaction was the latest and he just cautiously looked around the surroundings. "Interesting indeed. However, this is as far as you go." A second voice similar to the one before rang out. The world suddenly fell into darkness and everything went silent. The moon had disappeared and the campfire in the vicinity burnt out. Vihaan''s heart thumped loudly at this strange event. He felt like all the light in the world was extinguished and apocalypse was coming. "Vihaan, get behind me." Sarius said to which the boy immediately complied. A big purple portal slowly appeared out of thin air. Vihaan was extremely nervous since he felt something powerful coming from it but the presence of Sarius made him calm down a bit. Then¡­ Two creatures came out from the portal. Vihaan was instantly stunned. It was a dog. No, scratch that. Two dogs came out. He had expected something humongous from the power he felt. Something that can swallow him whole in one mouthful but it was only two dogs which were just a bit bigger than your average dog. Still, he didn''t let his guard down. These dogs were strange. Excluding the fact that they came out of the portal, they had four eyes each and the power he felt did indeed come from them. "Deity from other pantheon, you should cease all thoughts about reviving this woman." "Do not meddle in the affairs of the underworld. Let the dead remain dead." "Or else, you won''t be able to handle the consequences." "There''s a reason as to why Hindu Pantheon is the strongest pantheon after all." The dogs spoke one after another. "Hahaha!" A loud boisterous laugh resounded in the area. Nian hopped out of Sarius'' robe. His body started to expand until he had reached the size of a small house and finally stopped. He then looked down at the two dogs and salivated. "You smell so good, mongrels." Vihaan gaped at Nian dumbfoundedly. "N-Noble sir''s mythical beast?" The dogs snorted. They weren''t intimidated by Nian at all. "So it''s the idiotic beast which caused a ruckus in the Chinese Pantheon recently." "I heard that you''ve terrorised a village and eaten the people there? Were you not aware that there are powerful gods in that pantheon which can easily crush you like an ant? You can thank your luck that none of the gods there bothered to make a move on you." "In the end, this deity here went to the Chinese Pantheon and subdued him. Had it been some other god, he would''ve died already." "He really has some dog shit luck! Although he was turned into a mount, he at least managed to keep his life!" "You¡­ you¡­" Nian''s face became unsightly as he listened to these dogs talking about him. "You you what? Are you illiterate?" "Truly an idiotic beast. Don''t bother with him lest people think we are on the same level as him. " Vihaan was amazed at this development. These two dogs had an unexpectedly sharp tongue! "Fucking mongrels¡­ I''ll kill you!" Nian roared as he raised his front right claw and slammed it down. The dogs were about to react when Sarius came before them and stopped Nian''s attack with a single hand. BOOM! A large amount of dust went up as the earth shook slightly from the impact. When he saw Sarius stopping him, Nian was enraged. "What the fuck are you doing?! Let me kill them!" "Nian, calm down." "No! Now move away and let me kill these mongrels!" "I said, calm down." "Fuck off and calm down on your own! Move or I''ll smack you too!" Sarius'' eyes went cold as he stared at Nian emotionlessly. "Don''t make me repeat myself for the third time." Shivers went through Nian''s spine. He quickly shrank himself and obeyed. "Yes, sir!" He fearfully squeaked out. The dogs were about to laugh at the beast''s cowardly attitude when Sarius turned towards them with the same gaze. "You said I''m not allowed to revive her?" The two dogs shakily nodded their head. "What if I insist? Will you stop me?" "We aren''t fools. We can see that deity is powerful and even though we are quite strong, we are still not your match." "However, if there is someone that can stop you, then that would be our king." "And¡­ it has come into our knowledge that right now as we speak, our king is currently on his way here." Sarius frowned. "Is your king perhaps..." Vihaan and Nian listened carefully. The two dogs opened their mouths and spoke. At the same time, someone also came out of the portal. "It''s King Yama." Into the Hindu Pantheon - 05 The God of Death, Yama Standing before them was a being dressed in red garments surrounded by a garland of flames. His skin was dark green in color and he had four arms which were bulging with explosive strength. He glared at the three with a wrathful expression on his face as he spoke, ¡°Who among you is trying to mess with my realm?¡± His voice was full of authority that would have made lesser people want to comply with his orders. His voice, however, fell onto deaf ears as Nian and Vihaan were slack-jawed as they gawped the being in disbelief. This¡­ This is King Yama? Even Sarius was astonished by the Hindu god of death for a split second before regaining his calm right away. Yama''s appearance normally would''ve been pretty intimidating¡­ ¡­ Had it not been for his height. The god was a midget! He was just half as tall as Vihaan who was still a child! One has to keep in mind that gods would usually present themselves in the best manner possible to either instill fear, awe or loyalty to mortals. They have an image to maintain so imagine their surprise with a well-known god in the Hindu Pantheon showing himself in such a way. ¡°Is noble perhaps the respectable king Yama?¡± Although Vihaan was nonplussed, he didn''t forget his respectfulness which had somewhat become his second nature thanks to his years of experience of dealing with pompous nobles. The god turned his gaze to the boy and was surprised. ¡°So I see.¡± Understanding dawned on his face as he glanced briefly at Sarius and then to the mound. ¡°I was wondering why a child like you has caught the attention of a few divine beings. Child, it turns out you are someone blessed by Shiva!¡± ¡°M-Me?!¡± Vihaan pointed a finger at himself in shock. The god was about to respond when they heard a loud laugh from a certain creature. ¡°Hahaha! Fuck! This midget is Yama?! Hahaha, this is so funny! The so-called Hindu god of death is a midget! Hahaha!¡± Sarius¡¯ eyebrows twitched violently since he felt Nian¡¯s action was making him lose face in front of his fellow god. Yama¡¯s eyebrows were similarly twitching even more so than Sarius¡¯ since he was the target of ridicule of the beast. ¡°Haha, don¡¯t you think he looks funny?¡± Nian nudged Sarius and didn¡¯t notice that the youth was just a few moments away from lashing out at him. ¡°He has some grand title yet he¡¯s just a¡ªBWEHH!¡± Yama finally had enough as he moved in front of the beast and slapped the fuck out of him, sending him flying for several miles before a loud sound, akin to that of an explosion, was heard in the distance. Vihaan and the two dogs who had become unusually quiet since Yama¡¯s arrival went pale: Vihaan, since he didn¡¯t expect such power coming from someone so small and; the dogs because they¡¯ve experienced the same from Yama long ago. Sarius had seen the power behind that slap and while it was strong, it wasn''t enough to kill Nian so the youth wasn''t worried and instead, directed his full attention to Yama. With a still twitching brow, the god of death squinted at Sarius. ¡°You sure have an unruly beast.¡± ¡°I apologize on his behalf. I didn''t have much opportunity to educate him.¡± Sarius was ashamed. He had been too lenient on Nian and looked at what it got him? An embarrassment to his fellow god. Yama snorted. ¡°Beasts like that won''t listen to words. You make them listen through fear.¡± One of his four arms pointed to the two dogs. ¡°See them? They weren''t always like that. Now? They don''t even dare let out a bark in my presence. Sarius and Vihaan sweatdropped as said dogs had their heads down, whimpering like two abused domesticated pets. ¡°But I digress. It''s you who was going to revive the woman right? The boy and the beast certainly don''t have the ability to do so.¡± Sarius smiled.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°And I assume you''re here to stop me?¡± Yama growled in annoyance. ¡°First, Shiva. Now, you? Seriously, do people take me for a fool?¡± He nearly raged at the thought of Markandeya and Shiva. Markandeya was the son of the great sage, Mrikandu rishi and his wife, Marudmati. The two didn''t have any sons and so, the sage prayed to Shiva. Shiva gave him a choice. He could either have a wise and virtuous son that will only live for 16 years or a dull-witted and unfilial one that will live for many years. Mrikandu rishi chose the first option and a son named Markandeya was born. Markandeya grew up to be a great devotee of Shiva and on the day of his destined death, he continued his worship in front of a Shiva Linga. Yama sent his servants to take Markandeya¡¯s life away but they all returned in failure because of the boy¡¯s great devotion and continual worship of Shiva. Yama had no choice but to go in person. He took out his noose and threw it around Markandeya. Somehow, the noose mistakenly landed on the Shiva Linga and from the Shiva Linga, Shiva emerged in all his fury and furiously kicked Yama to death, saving Markandeya. With the god of death gone, everyone else became immortal. People started doing as they wished since they can no longer die and they do not fear the repercussions of their actions anymore. Moreover, the entire Hindu Pantheon became overpopulated since more and more people are born yet no one dies. In the end, Shiva revived Yama and with his revival, the concept of death returned. Yama glared at Sarius as he took out his weapons which were a sword, a stick with a skull tip, a rope with a noose, and a mace. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything against Shiva since he is far stronger than I. You on the other hand¡­¡± ¡°Very well.¡± The smile on the youth¡¯s face was replaced with a serious look as a blue ethereal flame enveloped his body. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I have last fought a god. This will serve as fine entertainment to me.¡± ¡°Hmph! You treat this as entertainment? You sure know how to boast!¡± The aura of the two gods surged forth and clashed as they tried to dominate the other. Sarius¡¯ gaze hardened and was about to make a move when something crossed his mind. He quickly looked at Vihaan and saw that the boy was on the ground, out of breath from the unbearable pressure coming out of him and Yama. Sighing, the blue flame on his body slowly faded out of existence. Yama noticed his concern and also put back his weapons. They were only releasing a tiny bit of their power from their body yet the boy was already like this. If they had fought, his body would surely explode from the pressure. ¡°Let¡¯s not fight after all. It¡¯s tiresome and I wouldn¡¯t gain anything from it.¡± Although Yama was the god of death, he was someone with a good sense of justice. He wouldn''t kill a boy who had not yet reached the end of his lifespan unless he had done some serious offense against the god. He wouldn¡¯t touch the living unless it¡¯s their time and would only punish those who are wicked while benevolent to those who are not. He can be considered a friend of humanity. With the pressure gone, Vihaan greedily breathed air as he panted heavily. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to stop me?¡± Sarius raised a brow at the god. Yama merely snorted, ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken. If I can beat you then I certainly would. However, this body is only a clone of my original body containing only a portion of my power. Had we fought, I would lose without a doubt.¡± He was a very busy god. Thousands of people die each day and as the god of death, he had many responsibilities on hand. The god couldn¡¯t afford to come personally and only sent a clone to oversee things here hence, the reason why he looked like a midget. He then sighed, ¡°I originally thought this would be enough to deal with you thinking you are only some minor god from another pantheon. Brat, it seems your origin is not so simple.¡± Sarius smiled mysteriously. ¡°Even if your true body comes, you wouldn¡¯t necessarily win.¡± Yama ignored his statement as he eyed Sarius critically. ¡°Before, I would have said you¡¯re boasting. However, after I got a good feel on your aura¡­¡± The god of death shook his head as he changed the topic. ¡°Anyway, feel free to revive the woman. I wouldn¡¯t do anything. Even if you revive her, it¡¯s no use. She will die right away.¡± Sarius frowned while Vihaan who had just recovered was shocked when he heard those words from Yama. ¡°What do you mean?!¡± Vihaan¡¯s emotions were in turmoil that he had completely forgotten to speak to the god with respect. ¡°Her soul is cursed and that curse is gradually eating her vitality away. She had already died and the curse had only gotten stronger in her death. Even if you construct a new body for her, the curse in her soul will still take her life away.¡± ¡°Mother is cursed?¡± Vihaan fell on his knees. He had always thought his mother had an illness but it turns out it was no other than a curse. ¡°How strong is her curse? Can we remove it?¡± Sarius asked the god. ¡°Her curse is both strong and weak. Strong, because it cannot be removed by external means. Weak, since the woman herself can remove the curse.¡± ¡°Then¡ª¡± Before Vihaan¡¯s hope was reignited, it was dampened by Yama right away. ¡°To get rid of the curse, she just has to be stronger than the one who gave her the curse and it just so happens that the person who cursed her is no other than an asura.¡± In other words, to remove the curse, Vihaan¡¯s mother just has to be stronger than an asura. Sarius looked sadly at Vihaan who was devastated. Reviving his mother was a foregone conclusion. A mortal against a being with power on par to that of a god? It was impossible. ¡°Curses are very powerful. Not to mention your mother, even I am susceptible to one.¡± Yama removed the robe that was covering his leg and Sarius and Vihaan saw the terrible wounds in it. ¡°I had once kicked one of my father¡¯s maid and was cursed by her as a result. The curse was that my leg will be infested with maggots and the wounds can never be healed. Thankfully, my father gave me a cock which ate all the vermin away however, my leg has become like this ever since.¡± Yama covered his leg back with his robe as he sighed. ¡°Why? Why was my mother cursed?¡± The boy asked weakly. ¡°I might have an idea why, however, I might also be wrong. It would be much better if you go and ask the one who cursed your mother directly.¡± Sarius gently patted the boy¡¯s back in comfort as he asked Yama. ¡°Who is it?¡± Yama showed the palm of his hand where an image floated above it. The image showed the figure of a short, hunchback old man with a repulsive face that looked more like a monster instead of that of a man. Sarius narrowed his eyes while Vihaan let out a gasp. It was the old man who ran the arena. ¡°This is the asura who cursed your mother. His name is Raktabija." Into the Hindu Pantheon - 06 Sarius vs Yama Veins throbbed on Vihaan¡¯s temple as he tightly clenched his fist. It was him all along?! The one who drove his mother to kill herself! The reason why his mother became sick¡ª no, not sick! She was cursed. Cursed by that disgusting old man. The hateful person who made his life miserable and took his mother away, his everything. For what purpose did he do all these things? What would he gain from it? Why his mother?! Why not other people?! So many questions went through his head as he glared at the image hatefully. Raktabija! Without a word, Vihaan ran back towards the city. He will find the old man and have him answer all his questions before making him pay for what he had done. ¡°A pitiful boy,¡± Yama shook his head as he watched the kid leave in haste. The boy clearly wasn¡¯t in a state that was able to think rationally. He was filled with rage and with the way he is now, he would only be throwing his life away if he went to Raktabija. As a god of death who had lived as long as he had, he had met many children who had unjustly lost their parents in some sort of incident. Some of those children tried to avenge their parents only for them to fail and follow after their parents in death. There were also some who managed to succeed but very few of them managed to find true happiness in their life in the end. He looked at Sarius and asked. ¡°You¡¯re not going after him?¡± Sarius gazed at the god of death critically, unnerving the god a bit. ¡°Oh, I will. But before that,¡± He then made a smile that didn¡¯t seem like a smile. ¡°I feel that you¡¯re hiding something regarding that asura. Care to tell me what it is?¡± Yama merely scoffed. Who the hell does he think he is? ¡°God from another pantheon, this is our, Hindu Pantheon¡¯s affair. Why should I tell you? You are stepping out of your boundaries. Know your place!¡± Sarius frowned as he slowly nodded. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. I indeed do not have the right to question you Hindu gods on your matters so I apologize for that,¡± He calmly admitted his mistake but right after speaking those words his eyes suddenly went cold. ¡°However, I don¡¯t like that tone of yours one bit, Yama.¡± ¡°What a coincidence! I, too, dislike that assertive tone of yours, outsider. Also, don¡¯t casually call me by my name!¡± Yama snarkily replied. Royal blue eyes met with red as the two warily stared at each other with hostility. Both were trying to gauge the other in mind as they looked for any opening they could possibly exploit. The two dogs at the side who were silently watching the gods started shivering from the intimidating pressure caused by the two. ¡°Are they going to fight?¡± ¡°It would seem so...¡± ¡°I hope not.¡± The stalemate between the two continued for a while which was broken when Yama relaxed his facial expression and lightly let out a laugh. ¡°Heh,¡± Unexpectedly, Sarius also laughed. ¡°Haha,¡± ¡°Hehehe,¡± ¡°Hahahaha,¡± ¡°Hehehehehehehe,¡± ¡°Hahahahahhahaha,¡± Gradually, their laugh had gotten louder and louder as though they were in a competition. ¡°HeheheheheHEHEHEHE!¡± ¡°HahahahahahahaHAHAHAHA!¡± ¡°HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!¡± ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!¡± At this point, they had finally burst out into full-blown laughter without a care in the world, scaring the living daylights out of Yama¡¯s dogs. ¡°They are crazy! I¡¯m telling you there¡¯s something wrong with their head!¡± ¡°Those two are lunatics!¡± FWOOSH! Sarius met Yama¡¯s fist with the palm of his hand which was only a few centimeters away from hitting his face. Though he managed to stop the god, the power behind that fist decimated the surrounding behind him. The two four-eyed dogs whimpered and decisively ran away lest they got caught in the crossfire between the two demented gods.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Sarius¡¯ eyebrows twitched as he looked at Yama. ¡°Is this what you meant by ¡®let¡¯s not fight after all¡¯?¡± Yama¡¯s eyebrows were similarly twitching while blocking Sarius¡¯ kick with his arm. ¡°You were the one who attacked first! I was just trying to defend myself!¡± Just as he said those words, he inwardly thought to himself. ¡®What the fuck is with this guy? My arm almost went numb!¡¯ ¡°Nonsense. It¡¯s clearly you who attacked first.¡± ¡°Stop lying! It was you!¡± Sarius didn¡¯t bother to retort anymore as he slowly took a deep breath while his grip simultaneously tightened around Yama¡¯s hand, clamping it very hard. The god of death felt powerful energy forming inside Sarius¡¯ mouth and sweated. Whatever that is, it doesn¡¯t mean well for him since he felt that energy had enough power to destroy this clone body of his and what¡¯s more is that it is still getting stronger and stronger with each passing second. He immediately tried to pull his hand back to escape from his grasp only to find his actions in vain. ¡®Shit! I can¡¯t get my hand out!¡¯ He had no choice but to change his approach. Using Sarius¡¯ unbreakable grip on his hand as a support, he swung his body with all his strength and launched a kick right at Sarius¡¯ chin. At the same time, Sarius opened his mouth but before he could fully open it, the god of death¡¯s heel hit him square on the chin, making him painfully face the sky. The currently dark and starless night brightened as a massive torrent of flame was expelled from Sarius¡¯ mouth, scorching the sky in a literal sea of fire for a few seconds. The ground around the two was also affected and melted from the intense heat generated by the flame. ¡®That was close!¡¯ Yama inwardly exclaimed. Had he not directed that attack towards the sky, he would have been toast! Taking advantage of the situation, he swiftly pulled his hands back the moment Sarius¡¯ grip loosened and made a distance between the two of them. He then felt a burning sensation in his hand which he quickly checked, only to see it¡¯s badly charred state. Seeing this, his face went grim. ¡°Yama¡­¡± Said god looked at Sarius who was smiling kindly at him. However, for some reason, he was feeling a bit afraid of that smile. ¡°I underestimated you since you are merely a clone of the original. That was a mistake on my part. For that, I apologize and also offer my gratitude for the lesson I have learned in that short exchange. I will no longer underestimate you so¡­¡± A small orb of fire which was only twice the size of a fist formed in the air behind Sarius, followed by another one, and then another one. Before Yama knew it, there were already dozens of those orbs, looking like extremely miniature versions of the sun, floating behind the god. Even from where he stood, he can already feel the heat coming from those orbs. Sarius raised his right hand and spoke with kind intention. ¡°I hope you survive this.¡± The moment Sarius brought his hand down, the dozens of orbs behind him instantly descended upon the god of death. ¡®Looks like I lost.¡¯ A deafening explosion was the last thing the original Yama heard when the memories of his clone body returned to him. ¡­ A while later, the two dogs of Yama returned to the scene only to be stunned silly at the sight that greeted them. What was left of the area where the two gods fought was a deep burning crater filled with a river of lava that stretched across the hole. It was a scary yet mesmerizing sight that made them feel awe for whoever it was that made this. They then shook all the unnecessary thoughts in their head as they looked for their king. They were bound to be disappointed. Both Yama and Sarius were nowhere in sight. ¡°Where¡¯s King Yama?¡± ¡°I.. don¡¯t know.¡± Just as the two were about to get worried, they suddenly heard a voice speak in their mind. ¡®Take the woman¡¯s soul and return.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s King Yama.¡± They sighed in relief after hearing his voice. That means their king is fine. The dogs immediately heeded their king¡¯s command. They turned towards the woman¡¯s grave and were surprised to see it unharmed amidst all the chaos. It was the only place left intact in the area. They dutifully took the woman¡¯s soul and quickly returned to the underworld. With their departure, the moon and stars are finally visible in the sky as it shone upon the world once again. On their way back, however, they were wondering why their king didn¡¯t take the woman¡¯s soul and left first instead. ¡­ Vihaan had been rushing nonstop towards the city after he found out about the old man¡¯s involvement in his mother¡¯s curse. He just couldn¡¯t understand why he had done that to his mother. What did she ever do to him? What had she done to deserve being cursed? Those thoughts were abruptly blown off his mind when a blinding flash of light obstructed his vision without any warning. Before he could even recover his sight, an ear-splitting explosion resounded in all directions which he felt almost ruptured his eardrums from the intensity of the sound. The following shock wave of the said explosion came soon after and violently pushed him towards the ground, frustrating him at the suffering he experienced one after another. ¡°What in the world¡­?!¡± The boy had a headache. He was heavily disoriented at the earlier event. He felt like an elephant just slammed him at the back full force before knocking him down. He took his time getting up from the ground and when his vision returned, he was greeted by the sight of a familiar figure sitting on a rock ahead of him. ¡°This is as far as you go,¡± Sarius said with a tone of finality. ¡°Noble sir?¡± Vihaan was initially angry for what happened literally a few seconds ago but that anger turned into surprise when he saw Sarius and eventually turned into a look of determination when he remembered a certain asura as he gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡­ I have to. Please don¡¯t stop me, noble sir.¡± Sarius didn¡¯t budge in the slightest as he shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s a difference between courage and stupidity. You, going towards the asura is no different from throwing your life away. If so...¡± A cold glint made its way to his eyes. ¡°I will end you here and now instead of giving him the pleasure of taking your life and dying a painful death.¡± Vihaan¡¯s eyes widened in alarm. He examined the god to see whether he was kidding or not yet he couldn¡¯t find any hint of deceit no matter how hard he looked. ¡®He¡¯s serious,¡¯ Vihaan thought sullenly. He no longer doubted the god¡¯s words. He will certainly act upon it when pressed. ¡°Then what am I supposed to do?! Should I just let him be?! Let him get away with the fact that he indirectly caused my mother¡¯s death?! Let him roam free?!¡± The boy lashed out, his rage getting the better of him. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t dare speak like this to anyone who can easily take his life but his emotions were too deep in turmoil to care. ¡°I will help you.¡± What? With a mysterious smile on his face, Sarius spoke something that will completely change the boy¡¯s life. ¡°I will help you gain the strength to go against Raktabija.¡± Into the Hindu Pantheon - 07 Boons Vihaan''s eyes were tightly shut as he chanted the only mantra he knew. He was currently sitting in a straight posture with his chest, throat and his head held erect inside the newly created crater with black colored lava around him. Although the lava''s surface had somewhat cooled down as it formed a thin layer of dark crust, the inside was still blazing hot and wouldl most likely take several months to a year before it completely solidifies. And so, Vihaan tried his best to endure the residual heat in his surroundings as he focused on the task at hand. Standing not too far away from him was Sarius who was holding a wooden stick in his hand, watching his body attentively. The moment he moved even the slightest bit, the god''s wooden stick will instantly strike whatever part of his body moved. Even the slightest twitch he made had not gone past Sarius'' eyes. So far, the boy had already lost count on how many times he had been hit by the stick and evidence of said hit can be seen in the form of bruises all over his body. On the other hand, the beast, Nian, was heavily sulking at the side in his original size. He was still salty for being defeated by a single slap from Yama. He was quite a prideful beast so that didn''t sit too well with him. ''I''ll kill that damned god!'' Nian thought. While the beast was thinking of ways to torture a certain god of death, Vihaan was also lost in his own thoughts. ¡®This is the asura who cursed your mother. His name is Raktabija,¡¯ Yama''s words rang once again in his mind. Several days had passed and since then, Sarius made him worship one of the most revered gods in the Hindu Pantheon, the supreme deity, Lord Shiva. Day in and day out, he can be found inside the crater, endlessly chanting the same mantra over and over as he sat in a lotus position with his eyes closed. After doing the same thing for days, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder. How would this help him go against Raktabija? Is he perhaps going to chant a mantra towards the asura and purify his soul? However, Raktabija is an asura. He is not a spirit nor is he a ghost so exorcism wouldn¡¯t work on him. Before he could think any further, a wooden stick harshly landed on his head. ¡°Ouch!¡± Vihaan gritted his teeth as he instantly covered his head in pain. He turned towards Sarius questioningly. ¡°Noble sir, what was that for?¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much,¡± Sarius started. ¡°Erase all distracting thoughts in your mind and devote your full attention to your veneration. Only then will the subject of your worship be pleased.¡± Sighing, Vihaan frowned. ¡°Noble sir, I know you have a reason for making me do this. I¡­ I just don¡¯t understand how doing this will help me.¡± Sarius smiled. He ruffled the boy¡¯s head as he gently said, ¡°I understand your concern but if I let you know the purpose of this, then it will only get much harder for you.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What? You can¡¯t do it? Is it too hard? Are you giving up?¡± Vihaan¡¯s head hung down. It is indeed hard. He¡¯s already doing this for several days yet he felt he hadn¡¯t made any progress. What¡¯s more, is that he isn¡¯t allowed to move. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that before your mother got cursed, you were always worshipping Shiva every morning, noon and night for years? How is this any different from that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s completely different! I was not surrounded by lavas back then and I¡¯m only doing it three times a day!¡± The boy rolled his eyes. When Sarius said he was going to help him, the god questioned him many things which he felt were unimportant. When he asked, he said he¡¯s just asking in order to know how to help him better. Uncaring to his outburst, Sarius gracefully replied. ¡°It¡¯s all the same in the end. Do you still remember the feeling that you got when you were worshipping Shiva back then?¡± Vihaan nodded. ¡°How many times did you feel it?¡± ¡°Only a few times.¡± ¡°Then go and continue your worship. Once you¡¯ve finally gotten the same feeling, then you¡¯re done. In the past, although you were doing it in a comfortable environment, you were doing it for years already which is quite commendable. Right now, however, we don¡¯t have much time so we''re doing this the extreme way. Hence, the lava and the stick.¡± ¡°Noble sir¡­ after this, will I really be able to go against Raktabija?¡± Vihaan asked doubtfully. ¡°Whether you can or cannot, it all depends on you. My role here is to help. I¡¯ve already shown you the way. Will you walk it or not? It¡¯s all up to you.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. With that said, Sarius spread his arms wide. At that moment, the crusts on the surface of the river of lava broke. The once dark lava around them had again become bright red and the temperature inside the crater had considerably increased. Vihaan bit his lips, enduring the searing heat of his surroundings as sweat heavily trailed down his body. His task had just gotten significantly harder. ¡°N-Noble sir, this¡­¡± ¡°Whatever is hard to be traversed, whatever is hard to be attained, whatever is hard to be reached, and whatever is hard to be performed¡ª all this can be accomplished by austerity; as austerity is irrepressible.¡± ¡°Austerity? What... does that even mean?¡± ¡°After you¡¯re done with your worship, you will naturally know,¡± Sarius patted the boy¡¯s head and walked away. ¡°I think that you can do it on your own now. I¡¯m no longer needed here so I¡¯m going to Nian.¡± Vihaan took a deep breath and nodded, determined not to fail Sarius. He adjusted his sitting posture and started his worship. Nian lazily looked at Sarius who had just arrived on his side and started. ¡°You know, I¡¯m also kinda curious as to why you¡¯re making him do this boring shit. Also, what the fuck was that austerity something? I barely understand anything about it.¡± Sarius gave him a dull stare. Almost every sentence that came out of the uncouth beast¡¯s mouth is accompanied by profanity or two and no matter how many times he beat him up, he didn¡¯t change that bad habit of his in the slightest. ¡°That was a verse that can be found in Manusmriti or the Laws of Manu. It is a code of conduct put together by the brahmins for the brahmins.¡± ¡°Okay? So how is him, worshipping a god going to help him?¡± ¡°In order for a mortal to obtain the divine blessing of a god, one must perform severe penances or austerities that can please that certain god.¡± ¡°.....¡± Nian stared at him dumbly. ¡°So?¡± Sarius resisted the urge to burn the beast as he forced a smile on his face. ¡°Vihaan is worshipping in that kind of environment which is no easy feat. One can say it is a form of austerity. As long as he managed to please the god, then he will¡­¡± ¡°Will?¡± ¡°He will be given a boon.¡± Nian¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he let out a gasp. ¡°A boon?! Are you serious?!¡± Sarius nodded at the beast, relief evident on his face at the fact that the beast finally understood. ¡°Wait, what the fuck is a boon?¡± Or so he thought. Veins bulge in Sarius¡¯ temple as he patiently explained. ¡°A boon is a divine blessing given by gods or goddesses as a reward for those who practice rigorous discipline, austerities or penance. As for how great these boons are, I can only say that there are boons which will grant you partial immortality, boons that can give you supernatural abilities and even boons that can kill gods!¡± A genuine look of surprise appeared on Nian¡¯s face. ¡°Are you saying that idiot boy will gain a boon that can kill a god?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Sarius shrugged. ¡°The first time I met Vihaan, I felt small, near negligible traces of divinity in his body, giving him extraordinary strength and durability. Well, extraordinary compared to mortals his age anyway. Normally, only gods and to a lesser extent, demigods have divine energy in their body so this led me to believe that Vihaan might be a demigod.¡± ¡°Is he then?¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t,¡± He shook his head. ¡°Before his mother got cursed by Raktabija, Vihaan had always worshipped Shiva thrice a day for years. That may be the reason for the divine energy in his body. Had his mother not been cursed, he wouldn¡¯t have stopped his worship and he might already have obtained a boon by now.¡± In a rare moment, Nian fell silent as he let those words sink in his mind. He looked at the boy in the middle of the crater chanting mantras motionlessly. A serious expression etched on his face. Sarius noticed the beast¡¯s state and smiled. Nian is a lazy beast and very few things managed to get his interest. With Vihaan around, he might actually rouse Nian¡¯s competitive spirit and be productive for once. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed after feeling a slight vibration in the air. He then turned his gaze towards a specific direction in the far horizon with scrutiny right away. ¡®A portable dimension? Judging by the energy emanating from it, it is at least half the size of this planet. Moreover, I can faintly make out thousands of presences clashing in there. What is going on?¡¯ The air pulsed again in three consecutive successions. It wasn''t that strong. Vihaan and Nian who aren''t far from him didn''t even notice it. Sarius, however, was a bit amazed. ''It seems like they are fighting. Incredible. To think that a dimension of that size wasn''t able to contain all the shockwaves of their battle¡­'' It would seem that the vibration in the air was the result of the battle taking place inside the dimension. The fact that the shockwave can even be felt outside the dimension no matter how weak it was, shows just how destructive and terrifying the battle was. Sarius suddenly fell deep into his thoughts as he started piecing the clues together. ''A dimension half the size of a planet¡­ the number of presences inside that dimension¡­ and a battle of that scale¡­'' He frowned in realization. ''There''s no doubt about it. It''s¡­'' ¡­ "...a war! Damn them!" A hunchback, ugly old man punched the wall in anger, making a small spiderweb-like crack on it. "Calm yourself, my lord." A rather handsome young man, kneeling on one knee before the old man worriedly advised. "Calm myself? You''re telling me to calm myself?!" He grabbed the young man''s collar and repeatedly bashed him in the face. "How dare you?! Do you understand what you''re saying?! Those foolish brothers! They have started a war involving sixty thousand asuras under our command! And for what?! For a damned woman! What a great wastage of resources! They said they wanted to conquer the world?! They can''t even reign in their lust!" He released the young man whose face was marred in blood and the once handsome look of his became one of gore and horror. He was barely breathing as he desperately gasped for air. "Our plans to conquer the world had been for naught. Now, the gods had seen the full might of our military power. We have laid everything bare. Their wariness for us is gone. Soon, they will come and finally take our heads," The old man sighed, his voice having lost all anger as he spoke calmly. "However, if they think that I will just let them be, then they''re gravely mistaken. I, Raktabija, will bathe myself in the blood of the gods and show them why they should fear us, asuras!" An eerie laugh escaped from his mouth right after, sending goosebumps to those who heard his hideous voice.