Aarav POV

  After leaving Rudra, Aarav arrived at the training ground where a few other orphanage children were performing their basic workout routine. When Aarav arrived, one of them caught a glimpse of him and shouted to the others, "Hey!! Everyone, Aarav is here."

  Hearing the shout, the others looked over, saw Aarav coming, and started walking in his direction. Arriving near the area where Aarav usually trained, one of them asked him about Rudra's condition, which they had heard about from the other kids.

  "Hey! How are you doing? We wanted to ask about the condition Rudra is in. We heard that he was badly beaten up and you had to rush over to the hospital while carrying him on your back? Is he alright?"

  Hearing the questions and the concern hidden behind his friends' words, Aarav cheerfully and energetically replied to wave off their worry. "Oh, everyone! I am fine, thanks for asking. About Rudra's injury, you don't have to worry about him. He just got minor injuries. Thank the Lord that I arrived early before it got worse."

  One of them replied, "Oh, thank the Lord! When we heard about his condition, we thought something major had happened. Do you know about the boys who were beating him?"

  Hearing this, Aarav replied, "No, I do not know who they were or why they were beating him. But you do not have to worry about them, as Rudra himself has forgiven them. So, we should not concern ourselves with them but should train ourselves so the same thing does not happen to any of us."

  All of them energetically replied, "Yeah! Let's start by running 10 laps of the ground, and whoever finishes last will wash the clothes of all the others."

  Hearing this, all of them started their laps, running around happily.

  Rudra's Room

  As soon as the door clicked shut, Rudra went straight to his bed. The room was small and dim, but it was the only place he felt safe. He spoke softly into the silence.

  "Genesis."

  [Yes,] the voice replied, vibrating directly inside him.

  "You mentioned something earlier," Rudra said. "Samrat Veins. What does that mean?"

  There was a heavy silence for a few moments. Then Genesis spoke.

  [Samrat Veins are veins that, once awakened, can rule the entire world. But…] The voice seemed to hesitate. [Such veins should not exist in a small place like this. Even I am confused.]

  Hearing this, Rudra fell deep into thought. Rule the world? Him? Then Genesis continued.

  [Leave that for now. To fix your veins, we need four things: Roots of the Trambo Tree, Nine Magical Stones, and…] Genesis paused again. [Two Tornado-level animal cores.]

  Rudra's heart dropped into his stomach.

  "What? Tornado-level animals?!" He exclaimed. "They are thousands of times stronger than Fighter Level! And two cores? That's impossible!"

  Genesis's voice rose, cutting through Rudra's panic.

  [You're mistaken. Power levels in your world do not work like that. Listen carefully. First comes Fighter Level. Then Elite Level. Then Tornado Level. Tornado is not a final level, it is only the third level. To me, Tornado-level animals are beginner beasts.]

  Rudra swallowed hard. "But… how will I kill them?"

  [You won't,] Genesis replied calmly. [Neither will your friend Aarav. You don't need to kill them. You need to buy the cores.]

  Rudra looked shocked. "Buy them? I don't have that much money. I can't even buy one Tornado-level core."

  The room fell silent as the weight of his poverty crushed down on him. After a while, Genesis spoke again, his voice quiet.

  [Rudra … what is the most expensive thing in this world?]

  There was a pause. Rudra thought aloud. "Medicines made by chemists… they sell for extremely high prices."

  Genesis responded immediately. [Chemist… I see.]

  Then the system declared, [I will not define your power by old rules.]

  Rudra frowned. "What do you mean?"

  [Your power will be defined by levels of skills. Level 1. Level 2. Level 3.]

  Rudra's mind raced. "So my power will be different?"

  [Yes. Your power will be skill-based.]

  Then Genesis said something unexpected. [I will unlock Chemist skills for you.]

  Rudra almost jumped off the bed. "Chemist? A medicine maker?"

  [Yes,] Genesis said firmly. [You must become a chemist. You will make medicines. You will sell them. You will earn money. There is no other option.]

  Rudra felt nervous. "But where will I find medicines? Ingredients? Formulas?"

  Before he could continue his rambling, Genesis stopped him. [All that comes later. First, tell me are you ready to become a chemist?]

  Rudra hesitated. "Are there other skills besides chemist?"

  Genesis replied lightly, [I am not that kind of system. I am a device that helps you grow. I can even prepare you for competitions across the universe. But you don't need to know that now.]

  Silence filled the room again. Then Genesis asked, [So… will you become a chemist?]

  Rudra took a deep breath. Without money, he could not buy cores. Without medicines, he could not survive.

  He closed his eyes and said, "Yes. I will become a chemist."

  [Good,] Genesis replied. [Then… Close your eyes.]

  And as Rudra closed his eyes, he didn't know that something entirely new was about to begin.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  "Then… Close your eyes."

  As Genesis said Rudra closed his eyes, the darkness surrounding his thought started to clear out.

  Something new unfolded before him a glowing blue interface suspended in the void. A calm, emotionless voice echoed around him.

  [System Interface]

  Name: Rudra

  First Skill Unlocked: Chemist

  Chemist Level: 1

  Power Level: 0

  Other Skills: Locked

  Veins Status: Injured

  Overall Progress: 0%

  Rudra stared at the glowing screen in front of him, his eyes wide with disbelief.

  "Wow…" the words slipped out of his mouth on their own. "What is this?"

  He looked around the empty void, then back at the floating text. "Whatever this is," Rudra said softly, "it's really amazing. I can see all my skills… levels… powers… everything."

  Then his gaze fell on the numbers.

  Level 1.

  Power Level 0.

  Progress 0%.

  His expression darkened slightly. "But… this is too little. To be honest… right now, I'm useless."

  At that moment, Genesis's voice echoed inside him.

  [Rudra, don't worry. This is only the beginning. Every great thing starts from zero.]

  Rudra slowly calmed down.

  [You've already unlocked Chemist Level 1,] Genesis continued. [That itself is a huge achievement. Now, you'll start learning how to create basic Level 1 serums.]

  Rudra's heartbeat quickened. "Serums?" he asked.

  [Yes. Simple ones. For survival.]

  Rudra straightened up, his posture firming as if something inside him had awakened. "Which serums?"

  There was a brief silence. Then Genesis spoke again.

  [First, you will learn to create Basic Healing Liquid, Minor Stamina Recovery Liquid, Minor Mana Recovery Liquid, and a few other basic medicines.]

  Rudra's eyes widened. "All of these… I have to make them myself?"

  [Yes. You will.]

  Rudra hesitated. "But… where will I learn how to make all this?"

  Genesis's voice answered instantly, full of confidence. [Don't worry. I already have the solution.]

  Rudra's curiosity grew. "Oh? Then tell me."

  [Say what I am about to say,] Genesis replied. [Open Chemist Level 1.]

  Without thinking twice, Rudra said, "Okay… Open Chemist Level 1."

  The moment he spoke, a new screen popped up in front of him.

  [Chemist Level 1 – Available Creations]

  Basic Healing Liquid

  Minor Stamina Recovery Liquid

  Minor Mana Recovery Liquid

  Weak Detox Serum

  Pain Suppression Liquid

  ...

  Blood Flow Stabilizer Drop

  Seeing the list of so many medicines Rudra's head began to spin. "All of this… Do I have to make all of it?"

  [No,] Genesis replied immediately. [You don't need to make everything. You only need to make a few medicines, sell them, and earn money.]

  Rudra felt relieved. "I see… But then… which one should I start with?"

  Genesis answered without hesitation. [First, you should create Minor Mana Recovery Liquid.]

  Rudra cocked his head. "Why?"

  Genesis began explaining patiently. [In your world, mana recovery is extremely slow. And in backward regions like this one, mana exists in the environment in very small quantities. Normally, if someone completely uses up their mana, it takes nearly ten hours to recover.]

  Rudra frowned. "Ten… hours?"

  [Yes. That's almost ten times slower than normal. That's why this medicine will sell for a very high price.]

  Rudra took a deep breath. "I understand." Then he said, "Open Minor Mana Recovery Liquid."

  The screen shimmered once more.

  [Minor Mana Recovery Liquid]

  Required Herbs:

  Blueleaf Grass

  Glowroot

  Mistflower

  Softmana Moss

  Clearwater Leaf

  Optional Rare Add-ons (Risky but Powerful):

  Ember Seed Silver Dew Drop

  Rudra read the list carefully. "Genesis… where will I find all these herbs?"

  [Wait. Let me sense the medicinal herbs around you.]

  The room fell completely silent. A few seconds passed. Then Genesis spoke again.

  [Found them. There's a mountain range nearby. These herbs grow there in large quantities.]

  Rudra's face lit up. "So that means-"

  Genesis chuckled softly. [It seems the people here have no idea how valuable these herbs are. Rudra, this is pure luck for you.]

  Rudra smiled.

  [Every chemist needs a large number of herbs at the beginning,] Genesis continued. [To experiment. To fail. And to try again with new ingredients. Let's go there.]

  Rudra paused. "Which part of the mountains?"

  [The eastern mountain range. That's where the herbs are.]

  Rudra made a quick decision. "I'll take Aarav with me."

  [That's a good idea.]

  Plans for Mountain

  Rudra opened the door and stepped outside.

  "Aarav!"

  Hearing his name, Aarav came running toward him. "What happened, Rudra? Did you get hurt again? Or did you forget your condition yesterday?"

  There was genuine worry in Aarav's voice.

  "No, no," Rudra raised his hand quickly. "I'm perfectly fine."

  Then he said carefully, "I need to go to the eastern mountains. I need to collect something."

  Aarav's expression hardened instantly. "What?! You just recovered today! Do you remember yesterday? I'll tell Aunty Naina, understand?"

  "Wait, wait," Rudra said quickly. "Calm down. I'm not saying I'll go alone." He looked straight at Aarav. "I'm asking if you'll come with me. Please."

  Aarav hesitated. "It could be dangerous."

  Rudra stayed silent for a moment. Then he said softly, "This is the first thing I've ever asked you. Can't you do this much for your friend?"

  Aarav sighed deeply. "Fine. But one condition. We return to Ashfall Orphanage before sunset."

  Rudra's face brightened. "Deal. Promise."

  They quickly packed water, some food, and their bags, preparing to head toward the mountains. While packing this things Rudra thought he had to gather very large amount of herbs so he picked up multiple bags from room, Generally this bags were used for small things like to buy something in market but not generally used on daily basis. After they headed towards the village gate.

  But before they could leave the village, they ran into a familiar group.

  A cluster of children stood together on the path ahead boys and girls around the same age as Rudra and Aarav. They were children who carried their own silent burdens: some had damaged veins, some had weak mana channels, and others could sense mana but not control it. They were the ones the world quietly labeled as defective.

  Suddenly, one boy broke away from the group and came running toward them.

  "Hey, Rudra!"

  The boy stopped in front of him, breathing hard. "Rudra are you okay?"

  Rudra looked up and smiled faintly. "Yes, Dhruv. I'm completely fine."

  Dhruv's tense expression finally relaxed. Behind him, nineteen other friends stood together, watching carefully.

  Rudra's gaze moved past Dhruv and settled on them. "And what about all of you? Are you all doing well?"

  For a moment, there was silence. Then-

  "Yes, Rudra! We're all fine!" They answered together, their voices overlapping.

  But Dhruv hesitated. Then he spoke again, quieter this time. "We heard… We heard that six boys beat you badly."

  Hearing this, Rudra cheerfully replied, "Oh, you guys are still thinking about that incident? You don't need to worry about it as it has already happened and see-" Rudra spun around a few times, showing his elbows and legs. "I have no injury, and some that I had is already healed. You don't have to worry, and didn't Aarav come to the rescue? Besides, I have already forgiven them as it is nothing but a minor thing."

  Listening to what Rudra had to say, everyone's once-gloomy faces started to brighten up, and they started talking about minor things.

  A few minutes later, realizing they were getting late for their trip, Rudra said, "Sorry for interrupting, guys, but Aarav and I have to go outside the village for something. So, in order not to be late, I hope you excuse us."

  Now knowing why both of them had packed bags, the group told them to be careful and try to come back fast.

  Hearing the reply, both of them started walking toward the mountain.

  As they walked, Aarav asked, "You never talked about going to the mountains before. So why today?"

  Rudra answered carefully. "I'm searching for something."

  "Searching? What could possibly be there and not here?"

  Rudra replied casually, "Herbs."

  "Herbs? The kind used in medicines and serums?"

  "Yes," Rudra said with a smile.

  "But how will you recognize them?" Aarav asked.

  "Don't worry," Rudra replied. "I will."

  Talking like that, they soon walked out of the village.

  Aarav pointed ahead. "The mountain is about one kilometer from here."

  "Then let's hurry," Rudra said. He suddenly started running.

  "Hey! Stop!" Aarav shouted. "Slow down, you'll fall!"

  Laughing and joking, they finally reached the foot of the mountain.

  As they approached the entrance, they saw an old wooden sign.

  It read: [Entering the deeper parts of this mountain is prohibited.]

  Below it, written in red paint that looked disturbingly like blood: [Going further inside can be fatal.]

  Aarav looked at the sign, then at Rudra. "Looks like we've come to the right place."