Gauri straddled the fallen mushroom-headed creature, her fists rising and falling like pistons. Each blow landed with a dull, meaty thud that echoed down the empty road. Sweat stung her eyes, mixing with the dark blood already streaking her face.
"Die," she snarled between strikes, her voice cracking under raw exhaustion. "Just die already. Why won't any of you bastards leave me the hell alone?"
The creature's spongy head finally caved with a sickening crunch. Thick fluid splattered across her cheek and forehead. She kept pounding until the spasms stopped, her knuckles split and raw.
Breathing hard, she wiped her face with the back of her hand, leaving a smear of gore. "System, show mission status."
A yellow screen flickered into view.
[Mission 1 – Exterminate Mushroom Heads]
Normal: 1978 / 3000
Special: 6 / 10
[At this pace, forming hunting parties would accelerate progress. Strength in numbers.]
Gauri's eyes narrowed. "I already told you—I don't drag anyone else into my mess. I handle my own shit. Alone."
[Asking for help isn't weakness, Gauri.]
"Idiot system," she snapped, pushing to her feet. Her legs trembled from three straight days of nonstop fighting. "Are you deaf? I said no."
She turned to leave, but the ground trembled. Heavy footsteps shook the cracked asphalt. A massive mushroom-headed giant stepped into view—muscles bulging grotesquely, veins throbbing like ropes under pale, tumorous flesh.
Gauri dropped into a fighting stance, fists raised despite the burn in her arms.
The giant didn't glance at her. It lumbered past without slowing, bent over the corpse she'd just beaten, and scooped the broken body into its huge hands. Then it opened its jagged maw and began chewing.
Wet, crunching sounds filled the air. Chunks of flesh and dark fluid dribbled down its chin.
Gauri's stomach lurched. She slapped a hand over her mouth, bile rising hot in her throat. "That's... disgusting."
The giant kept eating, completely unbothered, as if she didn't exist.
This one was different. Bigger. Stronger. She could almost feel the qi—or whatever twisted energy these things ran on—thickening around it. Getting stronger right in front of her while she stood there like a ghost.
She turned away, jaw tight, unease crawling under her skin. Why hadn't it attacked? Why ignore the one person who'd killed nearly two thousand of its kind? The thought lodged in her mind like a splinter.
"I'm going home. I feel sick."
[What about the mission?]
"I've been at this for three straight days. Cut me some slack. My hands are falling apart."
[Kill the one in front of you.]
"Nah. I'm done." She waved it off wearily. "Too disturbed right now."
The giant continued its noisy feast behind her. Gauri started walking, boots scraping the pavement, every step heavier than the last. Her clothes were stiff with blood and sweat. The image of the creature devouring its own refused to fade. Worse, that ignoring stare... it felt personal. Like it was studying her. Waiting.
[Leaving now will pause mission progress. Daily streak bonus lost.]
"Shut up," she muttered. "I need a real shower and food that doesn't come from a damn menu. I've earned it."
The System went silent.
[Understood. Standby mode.]
Gauri didn't reply. She kept moving, shoulders slumped. The wet chewing sounds faded slowly, but the unease gnawed deeper. That giant hadn't attacked. Hadn't even looked at her.
Why?
She shook her head, trying to push the thought away. Right now, all she wanted was to scrub the blood off and pretend the world wasn't ending.
Little did she know, the real nightmare was only beginning.
---
Agni's eyes fluttered open on the soft white bed, then snapped shut the moment he saw Amitesh lounging in the chair across from him.
"Come on, I don't look that bad," Amitesh said with a lazy grin. "Been waiting for you to wake up all morning."
Agni let out a tired sigh, pain flaring in his ribs. "What do you want? Wasn't beating us enough?"
Amitesh leaned forward, expression turning serious. He placed three small zip-lock bags on the bed—vibrant red, deep green, and bright yellow pills inside.
"How did you get those?" Agni's eyes narrowed. "They were locked in my locker."
"Someone gave me the password." Amitesh shrugged. "You should've seen Captain Singh's face when he realized the uranium box was fake. Looked like he was about to have a heart attack right there."
Agni snorted despite the pain. "That's only natural. If it had been real, none of us would still be alive."
"True." Amitesh picked up the green pill, tossed it into his mouth, then followed with the red and yellow ones in quick succession.
Power surged through him—first a gentle healing wave, then sharp fire in his veins, and finally an overwhelming rush that nearly made him dizzy. A translucent purple screen appeared.
[26th Meridian Force Opened.]
Amitesh smiled, but a faint tremor ran through his hands. The yellow pill's energy felt unstable, like it was scraping against something raw inside him. A subtle backlash prickled at the edges of his new meridian, warning him not to push too hard too soon.
"I already knew these came from cultivation grass," he said calmly. "Now tell me the exact method."
Agni glared, stubbornness flaring. "I'm not saying a word."
Amitesh's smirk returned. "Tell me, or I'll let your precious little sister meet her boyfriend."
Agni's eyes widened. "She has a—what? You—"
He tried to sit up, but pain exploded through his ribs. He collapsed back with a groan, teeth clenched.
"Easy." Amitesh held up another green pill. "Eat this open wide say aaa."
Agni snatched the pill away with a glare. "I can feed myself."and swallowed, glaring daggers. Healing energy spread, dulling the worst of the pain. Then a new blue screen flashed before his eyes.
[Make an alliance with Amitesh or lose the System.]
Agni stared in disbelief. Why do you always give me impossible tasks, you damned thing? He fought the prompt internally for a long moment, protective rage warring with the system's iron grip.
Memories flashed—nights spent working double shifts so Kayaa could eat properly, the fear that one wrong move would leave her alone in this broken world.
"Fine," he muttered through gritted teeth. "I'll tell you."
Amitesh raised an eyebrow. "Sudden change of heart."
"The system is forcing me," Agni growled.
"Good boy. Go on."
Agni clenched his jaw, hating every syllable. "First, crush the cultivation grass and extract the pure juice. That becomes the base for the pills. For the yellow ones… mix 30% red grass extract with 70% green. Even the slightest mismatch in ratio, and the whole batch turns pitch black—completely useless."
The moment he finished, a notification appeared only for him.
[Mission Completed: Alliance formed with Amitesh.]
Amitesh glanced at the makeshift chemistry setup in the corner—beakers, hot plate, labeled vials. "You've done a lot of experimenting. Studied chemistry?"
Agni shook his head, a bitter smile forming. "Never got the chance for college. We didn't have the money. Mom died giving birth to Kayaa—complications. Dad started drinking after that and didn't last long. By eighteen, it was just me raising her. I remember one night she was sick with fever. I was working a night guard shift, but I snuck home every hour to check on her. Sat by her bed wiping her forehead with a damp cloth, telling stupid stories until she fell asleep. Delivery jobs, night guard, construction—whatever paid.
"Eventually, I managed to get a job as a lab assistant under Professor Rao at the same college Kayaa attends. It doesn't pay much, but it lets me stay close to her… and gives me access to the equipment I need for my own experiments at night."
His voice quieted. "That's how I ended up cooking pills instead of attending lectures."
Amitesh studied him. "So how does a guy like you end up with a 'Bully System'?"
Agni gave a short, humorless laugh that turned into a wince. He told the story—the night he grabbed a metal rod to save Kayaa from those senior bastards, the beating he took, the system activating in the dirt while he bled out.
He remember the past
Agni let out a short, humorless laugh that turned into a wince as pain flared in his ribs.
"It's not that simple," he muttered. "And it wasn't because I was some weak student getting pushed around."
He stared at the ceiling for a long moment before continuing, voice low and tired.
"I wasn't even a student. I was just the lab assistant—cleaning beakers, organizing chemicals, staying late so I could sneak time on the equipment for my own experiments. Kayaa was the one studying there, full scholarship, top of her class. I only took the job so I could keep an eye on her… make sure no one messed with her."
Agni's jaw tightened.
"One night, I was working late in the basement lab. Some senior guys—rich, entitled bastards—had cornered Kayaa near the parking lot. They weren't just teasing her. They were dragging her toward their car, laughing like it was all a game. I heard her scream from the window."
His hands clenched into fists on the bedsheet.
"I ran out without thinking. Grabbed the first thing I could find—a broken metal rod from the construction site next door. I didn't care that there were four of them and I was alone. I just… swung. Broke one guy's arm, cracked another's jaw. They beat the hell out of me, left me bleeding on the ground… but Kayaa got away."
Agni's eyes darkened with the memory.
"That's when the System activated. Right there, lying half-dead in the dirt. A glowing screen popped up in front of my eyes:
[Bully System Initialized.]
[Host detected: Extreme protective rage + zero regard for consequences.]
[Welcome, Bully Host.]
"It didn't pick me because I was weak," he said grimly. "It picked me because I'd become the monster to keep her safe."
He locked eyes with Amitesh. "And now the same system just forced me to ally with you."
Heavy silence filled the room.
"Damn," Amitesh said, almost impressed. "But you didn't need to start a whole gang over it."
Agni gave a tired shrug. "It wasn't my choice. The System did most of the work. Every time I thought life was finally settling down, something new dragged me back in. And then the Apocalypse hit… just when I thought I could finally give Kayaa a normal future."
He shifted, wincing. "Now that we're allies... who the hell is my sister's boyfriend?"
Amitesh laughed. "Can't tell you. You'd kill him."
"Exactly." Agni's fists tightened on the sheets. "Just let me recover. I'll handle it."
"How about I keep them apart for a while instead?" Amitesh offered.
"Nah."
"Come on. They're adults. If you keep shadowing her, how does she learn to stand on her own?"
"I don't care," Agni said flatly. "And if you get in my way... I'll beat the shit out of you too."
Amitesh stared at him for a long moment, then smirked. "You're the perfect host for a Bully System."
The door opened. Kayaa stepped in with a tray of water and food, her bright smile filling the room.
"Brother! You're awake!" She set the tray down, then shot a sharp glare at Amitesh. "Stay away from my big brother."
Amitesh rose casually. "And why would I listen to you, kid?"
"I wish that bottle had actually hit you," she muttered.
A slow smile spread across his face. "So it was you. Your aim sucks, by the way."
He stretched. "I'll leave you two to it."
His gaze turned cold as he looked back at Agni. "Cause any more trouble and you won't be getting out of this bed anytime soon."
The door clicked shut behind him.
Kayaa's tough mask dropped. She rushed to Agni's side, worry plain on her face. "Does it still hurt?"
---
Later, in a dim room that smelled of concrete and instant noodles...
Amitesh dropped into the chair across from the three members of Thunder Thorns. A single bulb flickered overhead
"Let me fix that."
Rex stood on his chair and twisted it steady.
Leon leaned forward, irritated. "You drag us here and still haven't said anything. What is this about?"
Amitesh let the silence stretch, scanning their faces. With his new senses, he saw thin rivers of qi glowing beneath their skin like living circuits. All three had exactly twenty-three meridians—perfectly synced.
That wasn't normal. That was deliberate.
"I only came to look at you three," he said.
"Bullshit," Leon growled.
Amitesh leaned in. "You use a special method to awaken your meridians, don't you? Something that keeps you perfectly in sync."
The atmosphere shifted. Rex's grin vanished. Leon tensed. Even Kai's calm expression sharpened.
"How the hell do you know that?" Leon demanded.
"New toy." Amitesh tapped his temple. "Things have changed. Agni and I reached an understanding. That makes us allies—whether you like it or not. So I'm asking nicely. What's your technique?"
Silence stretched.
Kai spoke first, voice steady but cold. "It's called Thorn Resonance. We link our qi in a circle every night. Breakthroughs pull the others along. It's dangerous—one mistake and we all shatter our foundations. We've bled for this. Don't think we'll just hand it over because you say we're allies now."
A purple screen appeared only for Amitesh:
[Skill Acquired: Meridian Sight (Basic)]
[You can now perceive exact meridian count and flow quality.]
[Bonus: +40% success rate when assisting shared cultivation methods.]
A predatory smile touched Amitesh's lips. The new power felt good—maybe too good. A faint instability from the yellow pill still lingered in his veins, like a warning.
"Then it looks like I just became very useful to Thunder Thorns," he said. "Show me."
The trio exchanged wary glances. Rex scratched his head. "Fine. But don't get any ideas about taking over."
They cleared space on the floor and sat in a rough circle. Kai gestured for Amitesh to join. "Sit. We hold hands. Don't make it weird."
Amitesh raised an eyebrow as he lowered himself between Rex and Leon. "Holding hands? What is this, a support group for emotionally constipated cultivators?"
Rex snorted. "Shut up and take my hand, pretty boy. Or are you scared of a little skin contact?"
Leon grumbled, cheeks faintly red. "This is why we don't demo for outsiders. Feels like we're about to sing Kumbaya or something."
Kai shot them both a look. "Focus. Link the qi, not the complaints."
Amitesh took Rex's calloused hand on one side and Leon's reluctant grip on the other. The moment their palms connected, a faint spark jumped through the circle. Qi began to flow—slow at first, then building like a current.
"See?" Kai said quietly. "We resonate. Push a little, and it drags the others."
Amitesh felt it immediately—his new meridian sight lighting up the shared pathways. Their qi synced with mechanical precision, each pulse reinforcing the next. But the flow was rough around the edges, unstable if one person faltered.
Rex grinned despite the situation. "Don't squeeze too hard, boss man. People might talk if they see us like this. 'Thunder Thorns: now with mandatory hand-holding therapy.'"
Leon muttered under his breath, "If anyone walks in right now, I'm blaming you and claiming it was a gang initiation ritual gone wrong."
Amitesh chuckled, feeling the resonance stabilize under his guidance. The +40% bonus kicked in subtly, smoothing the rough patches. "Relax your grip, Leon. You're holding on like you're afraid I'll propose. It's just qi, not a marriage contract."
Kai's lips twitched in reluctant amusement. "Keep talking and I'll make you hold hands longer next time."
The circle hummed with building energy. For a moment, the dim room felt charged, the four of them connected in a way that went beyond words. Amitesh sensed the potential—the shared breakthroughs, the stability in numbers.
But he also felt the danger: one wrong surge and it could backfire on all of them.
As the resonance peaked and faded, they released hands. Rex flexed his fingers dramatically. "There. Happy?
Now stop staring at our hands like you just discovered romance."
Amitesh leaned back, satisfaction mixing with the lingering instability in his own meridians. "Not bad. With a little tuning, this could push all of us further."
Leon crossed his arms, still looking mildly traumatized by the hand-holding.
"Yeah, well, don't get used to it. Next time we charge extra for emotional labor."
The tension in the room eased into wary camaraderie. For the first time, the alliance felt like it might actually hold—awkward hand-holding and all.