The Indian subcontinent was divided between two great imperial dynasties. Among them, was the Som Empire, which ruled over the entire Northern Plains.

  If one spoke of their territory, their control stretched from the Hindu Kush Mountains in the north all the way down to certain parts of the Deccan in the central highlands.

  But their strongest grip and dominance remained in the Northern Plains. And if someone ever caught their attention, that person could never live in the Northern Plains again.

  The next day, it was early morning. Even on the walls of the inn, several posters of the girl ‘Varsha’ in her disguised appearance were plastered everywhere.

  ‘Damn it! What if I get caught up in this mess…’

  Anuj had seen that girl face-to-face, had spoken to her that day. If the soldiers even got a hint of that, he’d be done for.

  And if that happened, there was no way he’d ever be able to find the Black Spear King.

  “I should stay as far away from these soldiers and the government forces as possible…”

  Gulp! Gulp!

  He downed his cup of liquor in one go.

  Tak!

  ‘But… what the hell could that girl have done?’

  The question wouldn’t leave his mind. From what he had learned while talking to her, she was a physician and also a Martial Artist.

  And she had come from the Northern Plains itself—Sharv had brought her after saving her from bandits. That meant she had most likely escaped from the Som Empire.

  Gulp! Gulp! Tak!

  “ And she was quite beautiful too… What could possibly be the reason?”

  Anuj after finishing the drink stood up, and went to pay for the drink and, glancing at one of the posters, asked the waiter :

  “Do you know why the soldiers are after him?”

  The waiter looked at him and immediately realized he must be new to the Northern Plains; he clearly didn’t know the situation here.

  He saw people like this often. Anuj was no different. The waiter replied,

  “…I don’t know the details, but he must’ve done something terrible… I mean, just look at the bounty! They don’t put up rewards like this for ordinary criminals.”

  “Were there any recent incidents in the Northern Plains? Like a great theft, murder… or some kind of disaster?”

  “Thefts and murders happen all the time. Even the Empire’s intelligence can’t keep track of everything. We’re just commoners what would we know? Hehe!”

  “...Alright then. I’ll be on my way. If I pass by here again, I’ll stop for a drink.”

  Step! Step!

  “Ah! Wait—there was a story. Not a recent one, but from several years back. People still talk about it sometimes.”

  Anuj stopped.

  “What kind of story?”

  “About 7-8 years ago, they say the Northern Plains were struck by a demonic calamity.”

  ‘?!’

  Demonic calamity?

  “What do you mean?”

  “Exactly what you heard; demonic calamity. That’s what people believe. All I know is that something horrifying happened in the Northern Plains 7 or 8 years ago. Since then, people say some kind of demonic power has taken root there. If you’re heading that way… keep your guard up.”

  “...Alright. I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.”

  Saying this, Anuj stepped out of the inn.

  ‘Demonic calamity…?’

  He wondered whether that girl had anything to do with it. But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t recall feeling anything strange about her.

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  “Tch! Probably just some rumor!”

  ***

  Inside the inn, the waiter was wiping the table where Anuj had been sitting.

  “Damn! I forgot to tell him that there’s a very heavy soldier patrol not too far from here… And I also forgot to warn him to rest here for a few days before heading out.”

  It was obvious just from looking at Anuj that he came from the cold, snowy mountains, probably traveling to the Northern Plains for the first time.

  There was a good chance he’d fall sick soon, after living in that freezing climate for so long, suddenly traveling through scorching heat could make him seriously ill.

  “...He’s not gonna die, right?”

  He muttered to himself.

  “Nah! Who dies from a little heat anyway? Haha!”

  “You know that boy who came down from the mountains after years of travel? He couldn’t take the heat and now he’s bedridden.”

  “Tch! Tch! Poor guy…”

  Two men were chatting at a distant table. The waiter overheard them. And with that, his last bit of confidence shattered.

  ‘Oh Lord Krishna! If that boy dies, I swear it won’t be my fault!’

  “Hey! Waiter! Over here!”

  “Yes, sir! Coming!”

  Thump! Thump!

  The waiter put on a fake smile and hurried toward the other customers to take their order.

  ***

  “uh?”

  Sharv’s eyes opened again. He was in a pitch-dark place, his hands bound in chains.

  The place had a dark complexion, nothing there, except for s bundle of dray hay lying around the corners.

  This place looked like a prison.

  ‘So you woke up…’

  ‘Oh! Finally…’

  At the voices of Vijay and his Master, sharv first removed them out from inside his sacred thread.

  ‘You traitorous disciple! Didn't you promised not to ta...’

  “How long have I been unconscious?”

  Sharv’s Master; that woman who was already angry replied

  ‘…One day has passed! You were unconscious for a full twenty-four hours.’

  “One day?... Then when was I brought to this place?”

  Vijay replied,

  ‘Just a little before all that happened… I think we're in the base of Crimson Heaven Society. Also, I don’t know, but I can sense immense negative spiritual energy coming from this place.’

  ‘?!’

  “Negative...Spiritual enegry?”

  ‘Yes, I can also sense it... It's as if there are spirits nearby, and not just one or two spirits, but a number of them are here according to my guess.’

  Sharv's Master aslo confirmed, hearing that, Sharv felt pleased, if these were spirits, that was good for him.

  He now wanted to leave, but the chains locked to the wall behind him kept him from going anywhere.

  Sharv looked at the chains. He hated them with his whole life; even when he had been a slave before, his hands had been bound. And now again.

  But before he had not been strong enough to break them. Now he could. He had prana now.

  But...

  “Why does my back feel so stiff?”

  ‘Oh right, I forgot to tell you, the man who brought you here blocked the flow of your internal energy.’

  “I see…”

  Sharv remembered Varsha telling him that there were many vital points on the human body, called marma points or pressure points.

  Some of those points were on the back and could block a martial artist’s internal energy flow.

  “So I can’t use my internal energy right now…”

  ‘Yes…’

  ‘Right...’

  Sharv then narrowed his eyes and said coldly, “Then why are you two just standing there? Try to free me from this place…”

  ‘I’m doing it, wait a moment…’

  Vijay started working to pick the locks on the chains binding his hands.

  But then...

  Creak!

  The door to the room opened, and a tall skinny man entered.

  “Hehehe! You’re awake?…Good. Now the fun begins.”

  From the smell on his body and the various tools like needles, hammer, nails, sickle, and blades in his hands, Sharv understood this man had come to torture him.

  Shut!

  The man shut the door. A foul stench came off him, as if he had just been torturing someone to death.

  Clang!

  He dropped his tools onto the floor and, holding just a small small blade in his hand, advanced toward Sharv.

  “I must admit... Your face is quite pretty. It’ll be so much fun to see you writhe and scream, huhuhuh! But, I'll be generous and give you a last chance...”

  He grabbed Sharv’s chained hands.

  “Tell me whatever you know about those beads. If you don’t, I’ll pull out all your nails first… and even if you open your mouth after that, tell me everything, it’ll be too late—I’ll just keep torturing you, hehehe! So it’s better you talk now…”

  “...”

  Sharv didn’t speak. Seeing his silence, the executioner’s lips curled up into a wide disgusting smile.

  He felt he had a full license to do anything.

  He lifted his knife and slowly brought it to the base of Sharv’s right hand's thumb.

  ‘..!’

  And then he slid it quickly into his nail!

  Clench!

  Sharv felt the pain, unbearable but he suppressed it and clenched his teeth.

  “Gasp! Gasp!”

  The tormentor enjoyed feeling Sharv’s pain; it delighted him.

  “Hehehe, keep writhing like that! Like a little insect you are!”

  ‘?!’

  But then Sharv’s expression changed. A faint smile appeared on his face.

  “Took you long enough.”

  ‘Sorry.’

  Vijay said to Sharv.

  Clang!

  The chains on Sharv’s hands fell onto the ground, and began to loosen.

  “How—?”

  The executioner stared in disbelief. He couldn’t understand how the chains had come loose.

  ‘No! No need to be scared, he still can’t use internal energy!’

  The executioner thought this, and to keep Sharv mobilized and under control, he dug the knife top deep into his nail, and then ripped Sharv’s thumb.

  “Ugh!!!”

  Sharv howled in pain; his thumbnail had been torn out. Blood began to flow and drip onto the ground.

  The executioner was about to do the same to his other fingers when...

  Tak!

  ‘!!!’

  The man was abruptly pinned to the floor, as if welded to it. He had no idea how.

  He had been told the boy used lunar energy, but now he felt some strange technique at work. Fear crept into the executioner’s mind for the first time.

  In truth, Sharv’s Master had done it using her power.

  ‘Hurry and get out of your chains, disciple.’

  Sharv obeyed. He freed his hands and then first reached behind his back to press the vital points with his fingers.

  Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak! Tak!

  “Now I feel something good… but damn my thumb really hurts”

  His thumb and nearby area of it was numb.

  Rip!

  Sharv tore a small piece of cloth and then wrapped it around his torn thumb.

  The flow of his internal energy was now resumed in his body. Seeing this, the executioner’s soul went cold.

  ‘N-no!’

  He wanted to run, but he was trapped. Sharv stood up and walked up to him.

  “...Now it’s my turn. Don’t worry, I’ll give you a painfully slow death.”