Keturah

//Successfully established the root chakra//

"Oh! Then, what superpower do I have now?" 

Aditya inquired with a mysterious grin, examining his arms and legs.

//The root chakra grants enhanced physical strength, but you can't control prana; you can only sense it//

"What strong physical body?"

Aditya pondered. He looked at his palm and clenched his fists. With determination, he delivered a forceful punch to the tree he was sitting in, causing half of it to blow away upon the impact of his punch. 

"Woah! I am hella strong now! I need to know more about these cultivation levels to understand what it means." 

Aditya exclaimed as he jumped down from the tree, his strength making the sand swirl around him.

"I'm feeling a hundred times lighter. Let's test my strength with some martial arts moves." 

Aditya said as he took a step back with his left leg, positioning his arms for the moves. As a child, the Orphanage director had taught him a martial arts move, and he had practiced it thousands of times.

Aditya's fascination with combat began in childhood, as he enthusiastically attempted to mimic martial arts maneuvers from movies. The Orphanage director, a seasoned martial artist from his youth, noticed Aditya's interest and took it upon himself to impart his knowledge.

Despite Aditya's young age, his nimble hand movements and agility delighted the Orphanage director, prompting him to teach more intricate skills. Aditya, however, proved to be anything but an ordinary child, mastering and flawlessly reproducing every move, leaving the director astonished.

Aditya raised his left arm above his head, keeping his right hand close to his chest, palm facing left. Slowly bending his legs, he moved his left hand downwards, and his right hand forward, dispersing the dust. Continuing the sequence, he created a pit in the ground, the dust swirling around.

"Wow! I feel like a superhuman! Just by doing the martial arts moves my old man taught me, I've made this much impact." 

Aditya exclaimed, looking stunned at the ground with traces of his moves. He spent some time checking out his newfound power.

**Aaah**

As Aditya tested his newfound strength, a sudden noise disrupted his concentration. 

"What's that sound?"

He questioned, turning his face sharply while maintaining a martial arts stance. 

"It feels suspicious. Let's investigate.." 

He declared, swiftly dashing towards the source of the sound with astonishing speed. As he surged forward, it felt as though he were ripping through the wind itself. Small plants and blades of grass were uprooted by the force of his velocity.

"What on earth is happening? I'm moving so quickly that I can't make out what's ahead of me." 

Aditya exclaimed, bewildered by his own velocity, blinking rapidly to focus. 

"Does this enhanced strength also affect my perception? Let me channel the energy I sensed in my lower stomach to sharpen my vision." 

He mused, attempting to utilize the swirling power to gain clarity, successfully improving his sight.

As Aditya arrived at the spot, his eyes beheld a sight that defied belief. A girl adorned in a vibrant red attire engaged in a fierce battle with a man cloaked in darkness, akin to an assassin lurking in the shadows.

Her attire, a striking red against the somber backdrop, accentuated her elegance and grace. Each movement she made seemed choreographed, a testament to her prowess and skill.

Her face was a canvas of ethereal beauty, delicate curves adorned her cheeks, framed by cascading waves of midnight hair that whispered secrets of the night. But it was her eyes, pools of liquid amber, that held the universe within their depths. They sparkled with a mesmerizing allure, With each glance, they wove a tapestry of enchantment, leaving hearts spellbound in their wake.

The revelation struck him even more than her beauty – both combatants wielded the mysterious power of prana. 

Aditya observed a stark contrast in their prana colors. Aditya's prana emanated a deep, dark black hue, while hers blazed with the fiery intensity of crimson flames.

A realization dawned on Aditya: 

"I thought I was the sole possessor of this prana power! Are there others like me?"

Aditya had always harbored dreams of residing in a fantastical realm, where battles were waged and magic ruled the land. However, a lingering doubt had always nagged at the back of his mind. Yet, when the pendant stubbornly clung to his palm amidst the tranquil garden, the awakening of the system felt surreal, like a mere fantasy.

Now, as he observed practitioners engaging in combat with prana, a realization dawned upon him. Were there others, akin to himself, practitioners hidden within this world?

Aditya marveled at her skillful and composed maneuvers. Despite being at a disadvantage, her calm demeanor and icy gaze remained unwavering.

Aditya stood in silent admiration from the concealment of a nearby tree.

"Disadvantage? Oh, crap! She's gonna lose the fight if this keeps up." 

Aditya screamed inwardly, his index finger tapping against his thumb. 

"Alright, time to lend a hand!" 

Aditya decided, resolving to rescue the damsel in distress like a true gentleman—no, excitement lit up his eyes, and a sinister grin of a battle maniac spread across his face. He was just itching for a fight, eager to test out his newfound powers.

"Hey, black cat!" 

Aditya's deep voice cut through the tension of the fight. 

"Who are you?" 

The guy in the black dress asked anxiously, his eyes darting around. The girl in the red attire remained still, her gaze fixed coldly on Aditya's face.

"Don't worry! I'm flying solo." 

Aditya teased, his tone lightening the atmosphere.

"Should've just run away without getting involved." 

The guy charged toward Aditya, dagger poised to strike at his neck. His prana, its hue veiled in grey, enveloped the dagger, infusing it with energy that coursed through the veins of its wielder, enhancing his speed.

"You underestimated me!" 

Aditya intercepted his hand mid-swing and landed a solid punch to his chest, channeling energy from his root chakra. The guy coughed up blood and collapsed. 

"Practitioner? And your prana is black?"

The girl inquired, unmoving, her gaze fixed on Aditya as though he were an enemy. 

"Yeah, I'm a practitioner too. But does my prana appear different?" 

Aditya inquired as he approached her.

"This is my first encounter with someone wielding black prana." 

She remarked, her expression oddly neutral. Aditya, whose introduction to cultivation came mere hours ago through the system, had been oblivious to the concept of prana until now. Observing her in battle, he discerned the crimson hue of her prana.

"To be honest, I'm completely clueless about cultivation. It's like I stumbled upon this power randomly, without knowing the first thing about its fundamentals." 

Aditya confessed, scratching his head in bewilderment. She scrutinized Aditya from head to toe, her facial expression revealing a judgmental attitude. 

 "Then, you're not from a practitioner family?"

She inquired, eyeing the wrist of his right hand. 

"Family? I'm an orphan, residing in an orphanage near this mountain since birth."

Aditya responded, observing her wearing a red bracelet adorned with a phoenix symbol.

"So, you've reached this level without any familial support." 

She questioned, suspicion evident in her voice. 

"Honestly, I'm not lying."

Aditya reassured. 

"Your name?" 

"I'm Aditya. And you?"

Aditya replied, extending his hand for a handshake.

"Keturah." 

"That's my name. Would you accompany me to a particular spot?"

She said, clasping Aditya's hand.

**Ding**

//Discovered external Prana weaving its way into the Host's chakra channels//

//Attempting to prevent the encroaching Prana//