The Deepest Shadow
The air inside the Ruined Temple of Narayana had changed.
It was colder now—not the natural chill of stone and time, but something unnatural, something suffocating.
Ambarisha stood at the center of the desecrated shrine, his breathing slow, controlled. His fingers tightened around the Sudharma Chakra, its golden light casting faint flickers of radiance across the cracked stone floor.
But beyond that light…
The darkness stirred.
A deep, guttural growl echoed from the temple’s depths. The sound alone sent a primal warning through Ambarisha’s bones. This wasn’t like the wraiths from before.
This was something ancient. Something that had waited for him.
And then—
A voice.
“You have finally come, fallen king.”
The voice wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be. It vibrated through the temple walls, through the very fabric of reality, like a whisper laced with thunder.
Ambarisha’s grip tightened.
He couldn’t see it yet, but he could feel it.
A presence coiled in the shadows at the far end of the chamber. Watching him. Studying him.
Waiting.
And in that moment, the Karmic Ascension System reacted.
[KAS Notification]
- Entity Identified: Rakshasa General—Krodhasura (The Devourer of Dharma)
- Threat Level: EXTREME
- Corruption Level: 95% (A Fallen Guardian)
- Mission Objective: Cleanse or Destroy the Source of Corruption
- Failure Condition: Death / Total Adharmic Influence
A Rakshasa General.
Ambarisha’s heart pounded. He had barely survived against a lower-class Rakshasa, and now he was facing something far worse.
And yet…
The moment he read the system notification, something stood out.
“A Fallen Guardian?”
His Divine Sense flared, pushing through the thick corruption clouding the air, piercing the veil of darkness.
And then he saw it.
Or rather—he saw what it had once been.
The entity at the far end of the chamber was massive, seated upon a broken stone throne, its body wreathed in flickering black flames. Its form was twisted, monstrous, its four muscular arms ending in jagged claws, its crimson skin marred with deep cracks.
But beneath the layers of Rakshasa corruption, beneath the blackened aura of adharma—
There was something else.
A faint glimmer of golden markings, etched deep into the creature’s flesh, barely visible beneath the corruption.
Divine sigils.
Ambarisha’s breath caught in his throat.
This Rakshasa… had once been a guardian of dharma.
And now, it had fallen.
The Weight of His Past
“So this is my opponent,” Ambarisha thought, his mind racing.
Could it be saved?
Or was it already too far gone?
His past-life memories had returned in fragments, but what he had seen so far was enough to shake him.
He had been a king in another life. A ruler of unparalleled strength.
But strength alone hadn’t saved him.
He had fallen once.
And if he wasn’t careful, he would fall again.
The Rakshasa General shifted upon its throne, its many eyes glowing like dying embers.
Then—
It spoke again.
“You hesitate.”
The voice was mocking, but there was something deeper hidden beneath the hatred.
Something familiar.
“Is it because you remember, now?” the Rakshasa continued. Its lips curled into a cruel grin. “Do you see it yet? The cycle? The truth of your fate?”
Ambarisha’s stomach twisted.
This thing—this creature—knew him.
Not just his name.
Not just his power.
It knew his past.
The past that the KAS had only begun to reveal.
His fingers clenched around the Sudharma Chakra.
“I don’t care about fate,” he said, his voice low. “I came here to end this corruption.”
The Rakshasa General let out a slow, rumbling laugh.
“Then come, fallen king.”
“Let me remind you… of what you truly are.”
And with that, the temple itself trembled.
The battle had begun.
The Corruption Awakens
The Ruined Temple of Narayana trembled.
The Rakshasa General, Krodhasura, rose from his broken throne, his towering form unfurling like a predator stretching after a long slumber. His four muscular arms cracked and tensed, black flames curling around his claws.
And then—
The temple itself changed.
The air turned thick, heavy with corruption. The torches along the walls burned blue, their flames flickering unnaturally. The very floor beneath Ambarisha’s feet shifted, ancient carvings rearranging, pulsing with dark energy.
A Domain.
This wasn’t just a battlefield.
This was Krodhasura’s domain.
A prison of adharma, a twisted place where reality bent to the will of the Rakshasa.
The moment Ambarisha realized it—
The beast attacked.
The First Exchange
BOOM!
Ambarisha barely had time to react before Krodhasura lunged, closing the distance in an instant.
A fist the size of a boulder came down.
Ambarisha moved on instinct, rolling to the side just as the impact shattered the temple floor, sending cracks webbing outward like lightning.
Dust and debris exploded into the air, but the Rakshasa was already moving again.
A second arm lashed out—a clawed strike aimed directly at Ambarisha’s chest.
No time to dodge.
His instincts flared—
“Block!”
Vishnu’s Mantle ignited, the golden aura snapping to life just as the Rakshasa’s claws collided with his forearm.
CRACK!
Pain shot through Ambarisha’s bones. The impact sent him flying backward, slamming into one of the broken temple pillars.
“Tch—!”
He grit his teeth.
His arm ached, but Vishnu’s Mantle had absorbed the worst of the damage.
But Krodhasura was already coming again.
No time to think. No time to breathe.
The battle had truly begun.
A Fight Against More Than Just an Enemy
Krodhasura was fast.
Faster than anything Ambarisha had faced before.
Each of his four arms moved independently, striking from different angles, forcing Ambarisha to react in split-seconds. The Sudharma Chakra burned in his hand, spinning, blocking, deflecting—but it wasn’t enough.
Every hit was a struggle. Every movement was survival.
And then—
The visions returned.
[Karmic Ascension System Alert]
- Past-Life Memory Progress: 7% Unlocked
- Triggering: Combat-Linked Karma Restoration
The temple battlefield flickered.
For a heartbeat, Ambarisha was no longer in Kalyanagara.
He was somewhere else.
A different battlefield, a different time—
The past.
A Memory of Blood and Betrayal
The clash of metal rang in the air.
Ambarisha stood in the center of a massive war-torn plain, surrounded by legions of warriors drenched in the blood of their enemies.
And before him—
A man knelt in the dirt.
His armor was shattered. His face was bruised, bloodied, but his eyes still burned with defiance.
Not an enemy.
A friend.
“Please,” the man gasped, barely able to lift his head. “You know this isn’t right.”
The past Ambarisha—the king he had once been—stood tall, his golden armor glistening in the setting sun.
His voice was cold. Unforgiving.
“You swore loyalty to me.”
The wounded man trembled. “I did. But not to… this.”
Ambarisha’s hand tightened around his sword hilt.
“Then you were never loyal at all.”
And with that—
He swung his blade.
The memory shattered—
And suddenly, Ambarisha was back in the ruined temple.
But the impact of the vision lingered.
His chest was tight. His breathing was ragged.
And Krodhasura’s voice rumbled through the chamber.
“Do you see it now?”
Ambarisha froze.
“This is not your first fall.”
“And it will not be your last.”
Krodhasura raised his arms.
The entire temple trembled.
Dark energy poured from the walls, swirling into his fists. The very air around them twisted, warping under the weight of adharma.
And Ambarisha realized—
This was it.
The Rakshasa wasn’t holding back anymore.
A New Evolution
The Karmic Ascension System reacted instantly.
[Emergency Adaptation Activated]
- Sudharma Chakra Evolution Unlocked
- Upgrading: Rank E → Rank D
- Ability Enhanced: Dual Manifestation
The Sudharma Chakra in Ambarisha’s palm changed.
It pulsed, its golden light flaring brighter, its form shifting.
The single spinning chakra split into two, one hovering in each of his hands.
For the first time, Ambarisha felt something shift in his soul.
Not just strength.
Understanding.
Balance.
“You were never meant to wield power alone.”
The thought wasn’t his own.
It was something deeper. A truth buried within his karma.
He had lost his way once.
He would not lose it again.
Ambarisha exhaled, his stance shifting.
His hands moved—one chakra spinning clockwise, the other counterclockwise.
The opposing forces balanced perfectly.
Krodhasura roared, charging forward.
And this time—
Ambarisha was ready.
The Ruined Temple of Narayana shook under the weight of the battle.
Ambarisha’s breath came slow and steady, his mind sharp despite the throbbing pain coursing through his limbs.
In his hands, the Sudharma Chakra pulsed—now split into two, their golden light radiating an opposing force. One spun clockwise, the other counterclockwise, like the dual nature of dharma itself.
Before him, Krodhasura, the fallen guardian, let out a low, guttural growl.
The Rakshasa General’s black flames swirled, wrapping around his massive, four-armed body like a living shroud of corruption.
And then—he moved.
BOOM!
The floor cracked as Krodhasura lunged, his massive claws ripping through the air.
Ambarisha’s Divine Sense flared, tracking the incoming attack before it landed.
He twisted his body, barely slipping past the first swipe.
The second set of claws followed immediately—but this time, Ambarisha didn’t dodge.
He countered.
The Sudharma Chakras spun outward, golden arcs slicing through the air.
CLANG!
They collided with Krodhasura’s claws, the impact sending out a shockwave of pure force.
The Rakshasa snarled, feeling the divine energy burn through his corrupted flesh.
But he didn’t stop.
His other two arms came down, aiming to crush Ambarisha’s skull.
Ambarisha ducked low, his chakras spinning back to his hands as he rolled to the side.
He could feel it now.
The battle had shifted.
This wasn’t just brute strength anymore.
This was a fight of opposing principles.
Dharma versus Adharma.
Krodhasura’s Final Form
Krodhasura’s flames intensified, the darkness around him twisting. His red eyes gleamed, his aura becoming denser, heavier.
And then—
The system flashed.
[WARNING: OPPONENT ASCENDING TO TRUE FORM]
- Rakshasa General Krodhasura is initiating Full Corruption Release.
- Threat Level: EXTREME → CRITICAL.
- Recommendation: Engage with Caution.
Ambarisha’s chest tightened.
He had known the battle wasn’t over.
But this?
Krodhasura’s muscles swelled, his form shifting, growing larger, monstrous.
His four arms extended, his claws stretching into jagged, obsidian-like talons. His mouth twisted into a grotesque grin, revealing fangs as long as daggers.
And then—
His back split open.
Two massive, blackened wings unfurled, their presence alone sending out a gust of corrupted energy that shattered the remaining temple walls.
Ambarisha braced himself.
This wasn’t the same enemy anymore.
Krodhasura had fully embraced his corruption.
And then—he vanished.
“!”
Ambarisha’s Divine Sense barely caught it in time.
A blur of black flames appeared behind him, the air itself shattering as the Rakshasa’s clawed hand swung downward.
No time to dodge.
Ambarisha crossed his chakras in an ‘X’ formation, channeling everything into defense.
BOOOOOM!
The impact sent him flying, his body smashing through the temple ruins and skidding across the broken floor.
“Tch—!”
Ambarisha coughed, blood dripping from his lips.
Krodhasura’s speed… his power… had increased dramatically.
This wasn’t just an evolution.
This was a massacre waiting to happen.
And the system seemed to agree.
[KAS Emergency Notification]
- Current Karma: 75 KP (Ascension Possible)
- Dharma Stability: Shaken
- New Option Unlocked: Karmic Awakening—Judgment Mode
- WARNING: Karmic Awakening comes at a cost.
- Would you like to proceed?
Ambarisha’s eyes narrowed.
This was new.
Judgment Mode?
A cost?
He had felt the KAS evolving alongside him, but this—this was different.
This wasn’t just an ability.
This was a choice.
And in that moment, his past whispered to him.
A Choice He Once Made
The battlefield flickered again.
Another vision.
This time, it wasn’t war.
It was a throne room, draped in banners of victory.
His past self—the king he had once been—sat on a massive golden throne, his armor gleaming, his sword resting at his side.
Before him knelt a sage, his robes tattered, his forehead marked with the symbols of a celestial order.
“You cannot do this,” the sage pleaded. “You are tampering with dharma itself.”
The past Ambarisha’s golden eyes stared down at him.
“Do you think dharma bends only one way?”
The sage’s breath trembled. “Some things were never meant for mortals to wield.”
The past Ambarisha stood.
“Then I will not be mortal anymore.”
His hand extended forward, power burning at his fingertips.
And then—
The vision shattered.
Ambarisha gasped, his body trembling.
His past…
Had he once walked this same path before?
Had he already made this choice once?
And was this system…
Was it giving him a chance to change his fate?
The Decision
Krodhasura was charging again.
There was no time.
The KAS screen still hovered before him.
A single option.
Would he embrace the Karmic Awakening?
Or would he fight this battle as he was?
His hands clenched.
His past self had chosen power over wisdom.
But this time…
He was not the same man.
Ambarisha took a deep breath.
And he made his choice.
The Choice is Made
Ambarisha’s hand trembled as he hovered over the system notification.
The temple ruins shook violently, dust and debris cascading from the broken pillars as Krodhasura’s power reached its peak. The corrupted Rakshasa’s six glowing eyes locked onto him, the weight of his presence pressing down like an entire mountain.
But Ambarisha wasn’t looking at him anymore.
He was looking at the choice before him.
The KAS had offered him something beyond a simple skill.
Judgment Mode.
A transformation not based on strength or speed, but on karma itself.
A force that would allow him to become the wielder of balance—but at a cost.
He had already glimpsed his past. A king who sought power beyond dharma’s limits. A man who had once reached for something he was never meant to hold.
Had the past Ambarisha made this same choice?
And if he had—
Had it been the reason for his fall?
The temple trembled again.
Krodhasura vanished, reappearing above him in an instant, his claws raised high. The killing blow was coming.
Ambarisha had no time left.
He made his decision.
[Judgment Mode: Karmic Awakening Activated]
- Initiating Dharma Synchronization…
- Converting Karma Points (KP) to Karmic State…
- Warning: Once activated, Judgment Mode consumes KP over time. Deactivation is irreversible until the opponent is defeated.
- Beginning Ascension—5%… 10%… 30%…
The air ignited around Ambarisha.
A pulse of gold and white energy erupted from his body, expanding outward like a divine explosion.
For a single moment, everything was silent.
And then—
The entire dungeon warped.
BOOM!
The energy backlash sent Krodhasura hurtling backward, crashing through multiple pillars before slamming into the farthest wall. The very fabric of the temple’s reality flickered, as if something had rewritten the rules of existence itself.
Ambarisha slowly opened his eyes.
They were no longer their normal color.
They shone with golden radiance, like twin suns burning with judgment.
His body hovered inches above the ground, his form encased in pure karmic energy, golden sigils and inscriptions spiraling along his arms and legs, wrapping him in an ethereal glow.
The Sudharma Chakras in his hands had evolved again—no longer just spinning wheels, but actualized manifestations of cosmic balance, twin rings of flaming dharma, inscribed with unreadable celestial text.
Krodhasura growled, rising from the rubble.
His body had sustained damage. Real damage.
And the Rakshasa knew it.
He felt it.
This wasn’t just another ascension.
Ambarisha had become something beyond mortal limits.
Something that even Rakshasas feared.
The Last Battle Begins
Krodhasura roared, darkness spilling from his form, his wings stretching out to their fullest.
“If I must burn this temple to ash to destroy you, then so be it!”
His claws raked through the air, and from the darkness, massive tendrils of pure corruption erupted, slamming toward Ambarisha like writhing serpents of death.
Ambarisha lifted his hand—
And stopped them mid-air.
The moment the tendrils touched his golden aura, they disintegrated.
The Rakshasa’s eyes widened.
It was the first time in the battle that Krodhasura showed fear.
Ambarisha’s voice was calm. “Your corruption has no power over dharma.”
And then—he moved.
The world blurred as Ambarisha vanished, reappearing above Krodhasura in an instant.
The Sudharma Chakras burned with divine intensity, and he brought them down in a twin strike.
BOOOOM!
The impact was earth-shattering, the very foundation of the temple splintering beneath the sheer force.
Krodhasura screamed, his body crumpling under the attack, dark flames erupting violently as his very essence fought against the purification.
But it wasn’t over.
Not yet.
The KAS activated again.
[Final Judgment: Execute or Purge]
- Opponent is critically weakened.
- You may choose to destroy his soul (Absolute Execution) or restore him to his previous form (Dharma Purification).
- Warning: Each choice affects karma.
Ambarisha froze.
This was it.
The final choice.
He could feel the weight of it.
The past Ambarisha wouldn’t have hesitated.
He would have executed without mercy.
And maybe that was why he had fallen.
The battle was already won.
But was vengeance the only path?
Ambarisha looked down at Krodhasura, who lay broken beneath him.
The Rakshasa’s eyes flickered—not just with rage, but with something else.
Something Ambarisha had never seen before in a demon.
Regret.
The Final Choice
Ambarisha slowly lowered his chakras, the golden flames still burning bright.
Krodhasura coughed, dark energy spilling from his wounds. He laughed weakly, his once-proud form barely holding together.
“You hesitate…” the Rakshasa muttered. “Why? You have won.”
Ambarisha remained silent.
Krodhasura looked at him, his lips curling into something bitter.
“You think you are different now?” he rasped. “You are the same as you always were. A king, standing above his enemies, deciding their fates.“
The words struck deeper than they should have.
Ambarisha’s grip tightened.
No.
He wasn’t the same as before.
He refused to be.
Finally, he made his decision.
His voice was steady.
“Live.”
The Sudharma Chakras pulsed, their light intensifying.
Instead of destroying Krodhasura, Ambarisha pressed his palm to the Rakshasa’s chest.
A golden surge of pure dharma energy erupted, piercing through the layers of corruption that had shackled the fallen guardian.
Krodhasura screamed—
But this time, it wasn’t in pain.
It was in release.
The corruption peeled away, blackened wings burning into dust, his monstrous form unraveling, shrinking, twisting—
Until all that remained was a man.
A broken warrior, bathed in golden light.
And as the temple around them stabilized, Ambarisha knew—
He had won.
But more importantly—
He had changed his fate.
The Ruined Guardian
Silence.
For the first time since the battle began, there was no more shaking. No more screams. No more corruption.
Only silence.
Ambarisha stood in the center of the ruined temple, his breath slow and measured, the golden glow of Judgment Mode fading from his body. His feet touched the ground as the Karmic Awakening unraveled, the divine inscriptions along his arms and legs slowly dimming.
And before him—
Krodhasura knelt.
No longer a monstrous Rakshasa.
No longer a beast wreathed in shadow.
The being before him was human.
Or at least, what remained of him.
His crimson skin was now a faded, pale red. The dark flames that once consumed his body had been extinguished. His four arms had reduced to two, his wings nothing more than scars upon his back.
But his eyes…
For the first time, they were not filled with hunger or hatred.
They were filled with clarity.
And pain.
Krodhasura let out a slow breath, lifting his gaze to meet Ambarisha’s.
“You… truly spared me.”
Ambarisha didn’t answer immediately. He could still feel the lingering weight of his choice, the echoes of his past self pressing against his mind.
In another life, he would not have hesitated to kill him.
But he wasn’t that man anymore.
Or at least, he refused to be.
Finally, Ambarisha exhaled.
“I did.”
Krodhasura laughed—a broken, hollow sound.
“A foolish decision.”
His voice was tired, not mocking.
“I was a servant of dharma once,” Krodhasura muttered. His fingers curled into fists. “And I betrayed it.”
Ambarisha watched him carefully.
“You weren’t the only one.”
Krodhasura’s eyes flickered. Recognition.
Then—understanding.
“You are remembering, aren’t you?” he whispered. “Your past. What you were.”
Ambarisha’s jaw tightened.
He wasn’t ready to answer that yet.
Because if he did, he would have to accept the truth.
That he had not been a hero in his past life.
That he had fallen once before.
And that this entire karmic system—this path to ascension—was not a blessing.
It was a second chance.
And second chances came with a price.
Before Ambarisha could speak, the KAS flashed before his vision.
[Karmic Ascension System Update]
- Mission Complete: Cleanse the Ruined Temple of Narayana
- Corruption Level: 0% (Sanctification Achieved)
- Karma Points Earned: +200 KP
- Ascension Path Unlocked: Intermediate Karmic Disciple
- New Title Acquired: Bearer of the Sudharma Balance
- New Skill Acquired: Indra’s Oath (Rank C)
A New Power Unlocked
A sudden wave of energy rushed through Ambarisha’s body.
It wasn’t like before—not the raw power of Judgment Mode, not the pain of forced evolution.
This was deeper.
It was like his soul itself was changing.
His vision blurred, golden inscriptions appearing before him, glowing with the weight of cosmic law.
His Divine Sense expanded, stretching beyond the temple, beyond the city—for the first time, he could feel the karmic threads of everything around him.
And amidst that newfound awareness—
A single phrase etched itself into his mind.
“A warrior does not ascend alone. His path is paved by those who follow.”
Ambarisha’s breath caught.
This wasn’t just about his own journey anymore.
His ascension wasn’t just about power.
It was about responsibility.
Indra’s Oath (Rank C) – Skill Description
- A passive ability that grants leadership over dharmic warriors.
- Can bestow temporary karmic blessings upon allies.
- Strengthens bonds with those who align with dharma.
- Unlocks future karmic summons.
Ambarisha exhaled slowly.
This skill…
It wasn’t an attack. It wasn’t a weapon.
It was a crown.
A burden.
And maybe, a test.
Before he could process further, a new system prompt appeared.
[Ascension Pathway Unlocked]
- You are now eligible for the First Karmic Gate.
- The path to true ascension begins now.
- Warning: This choice will determine your fate.
Ambarisha stiffened.
The First Karmic Gate?
That hadn’t been in his system before.
Whatever it was, it felt different.
Deeper. More dangerous. Like stepping onto a road that could not be undone.
His fingers curled into fists.
He had taken the first steps toward something greater than himself.
But he wasn’t the only one who knew it.
A Presence Watching from the Shadows
Far beyond the temple ruins, in the deepest void of existence, a pair of crimson eyes flickered open.
A voice like shifting stone rumbled through the abyss.
“It has begun.”
Another voice answered, smooth, calm—dangerous.
“The fallen king walks the path again. But will he rise this time… or fall deeper than before?”
The shadows twisted.
And the game truly began.
.
📖 Continue Reading