Ekalavya: Beyond Immortality

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"Alright, I'll let you think about that. For now, let's work on improving your technique!" Ekalavya suggested, guiding Veerendra to take his usual sword-holding stance.

Observing him up close, Ekalavya corrected him each time. After an hour-long session, both sat tired on the dusty ground.

"Huff...!" Veerendra panted, sweat pouring down like crazy.

Ekalavya was tired too, but he didn't sweat as much, since he was guiding rather than doing the moves himself.

And in case you're wondering how he knew about sword-wielding, well, it's just his memory. Those battle scenes from Mahabharata are still vivid in his mind.

"Alright then, that's all for today. I'll catch you both tomorrow!" Ekalavya said his goodbyes, realizing he needed to eat after all the exercise he had just done.

"Thank you for teaching us, Guru Ekalavya!" Both of them stood up, showing their gratitude with respectful bows to Ekalavya, recognizing him as their teacher.

Ekalavya simply smiled, not taking their appreciation too seriously.

"How was your time out today? You seemed pretty happy!" As he approached Agni Kund, he settled down next to Acharya Vyasa, who was in the midst of offering rituals to Lord Shiva. 

Acharya Vyasa turned toward Ekalavya, noticing the slight smile on his face.

"It went well. I met the grandsons of Brother Kankan," Ekalavya responded.

"Hmm, how are they?" Acharya Vyasa inquired, sensing Ekalavya's interest in something he could potentially teach him later.

Up to this point, Ekalavya hadn't taken most things seriously because he easily grasped the teachings of Acharya Vyasa, who had been withholding in-depth knowledge, believing Ekalavya wasn't quite prepared for it.

"They're good kids, quick to grasp the concepts you explain to them. They're still inexperienced in their thinking, but with proper guidance, they have the potential to become significant figures in the future!" Ekalavya expressed, using a tone beyond his years. 

If someone overheard his words, they might be puzzled about his actual age.

"Haha! My student, sometimes even I am amazed by your words. But I truly believe that with dedication, you can achieve anything!" Acharya Vyasa chuckled, finding wisdom beyond his expectations in a 12-year-old.

He couldn't fathom the potential future held for this child, possessing such profound thoughts at such a tender age.

"Your words mean a lot, thank you!" Ekalavya smiled and offered a gesture of gratitude towards Acharya Vyasa.

Ekalavya's expression of gratitude stemmed from an entirely different reason.

Finally, the system responded.

[Ding... Thousand Fold Triggered...

[Congratulations, your wise words have deeply touched Guru Vyasa's heart, activating the longevity reward...

[Congratulations, Host, for achieving... A decade of longevity... applying the thousand-fold trigger...

[Congratulations, Host, for gaining an incredible increase of 1000 decades in lifespan.]

'Whoa, how many years is that again?' Ekalavya was taken aback, feeling like he had finally gotten an awesome cheat.

He had no clue how to react to this reward; it was beyond anything he could have imagined.

"A thousand decades equals 10,000 years," Ekalavya calculated mentally, realizing the scale of the gift he had received.

Such an enormous stretch of time was beyond his grasp. 

He decided to set aside thoughts of it for another time, not wanting to appear foolish by staring into thin air with a bewildered expression in front of his Guru Vyasa.

Ekalavya glanced at Acharya Vyasa who went back to reading the Path.

'How about my Status, System, don't you have that function!' Ekalavya called out in his head, asking System about that.

'Status'

[Status]

[Host: Ekalavya

[Age: 12 Years (Lifespan: 10,000 Years)

[Talent: Average

[Skills: Divine Craftsman (Master),

[Prana: None

[Inventory: None]

Ekalavya sighed as he looked at his rather ordinary status. 'Why does my status seem so unimpressive?' he mumbled, feeling a bit disheartened by his role as a System host.

"Allow me to assist, Guru Vyasa," Ekalavya offered, wanting to show his sincere support. He joined Acharya Vyasa in performing the rituals and ceremonies.

After lending a hand to Acharya Vyasa, Ekalavya returned to his studies once more. 

He then headed to the practice field, where he found Veerendra and Sadhana diligently honing their skills.

Today's instructions were given once again before Ekalavya left. 

As the day went on, he decided to work on some gifts. 

He and Acharya Vyasa were planning to leave Hastinapur tomorrow, so Ekalavya wanted to prepare these presents ahead of time.

Ekalavya approached his brother, Kankan, to inquire about available materials.

Luckily, he came across an excellent material derived from the Kālāṁtaka tree, known as Ebony.

Despite his persistent efforts, Ekalavya felt that his Divine Craftsman skill hadn't fully awakened, or perhaps a crucial part was still missing. 

Though he couldn't pinpoint what it was, he put that thought aside and proceeded to craft a beautiful Veena for Sadhana and a sword for Veerendra.

"Why are these words entering my mind?" Ekalavya muttered, sensing that something extraordinary might occur if he inscribed those words onto the Veena and the sword.

On the veena, he inscribed the phrase "Madhura Shruti" (Sweet Sound). The words reflected the instrument's purpose to create music that was not only beautiful but also soothing to the soul. "Madhura" meant sweet, symbolizing the harmony and purity of the sound, while "Shruti" referred to the delicate tones in music that require perfect precision.

On the sword, he engraved "Tīkṣṇa" (Sharp). This word represented the sword's keen edge, a symbol of power and focus. "Tīkṣṇa" was not just about sharpness in the blade, but also the sharpness of mind and determination needed to use it.

"Wow, what's happening now?" Ekalavya wondered, his eyes widening in surprise as both the veena and the sword began to glow with a divine light, their inscriptions seemingly coming to life as he finished engraving them with their names and meanings.

"Tingggg...!" 

"Clannnggg...!"

Both the Veena and the Sword emitted their cry, causing reverberations that echoed throughout.

The entire Kanakan mansion became enveloped in these resonant tones.

"Hmm, Ekalavya!" Acharya Vyasa paused, murmuring Ekalavya's name as he sensed the commotion, before resuming his recitation of the Lord Shiva Path, a small smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"Sister, what's going on?" Veerendra asked Sadhana, sensing the vibrations and curious about the situation.

"How would I know?" Sadhana replied with a furrowed brow, equally puzzled by the unfolding events.

Everyone within the mansion found themselves perplexed and pondering the true nature of these occurrences.

After searching for a while and failing to identify the source of the disturbance, Kankan signaled the soldiers to halt and instructed them to return to their posts.

As for Ekalavya,

"No way, did they just become sentient weapons, hahaha!" Ekalavya couldn't believe his eyes, watching both the Veena and the Sword still suspended in the air. Ekalavya burst into laughter with his satisfaction.

Unbeknownst to him, he had unknowingly acquired another silent Stalker, cough...observer... well, let's say someone who was keeping an eye on him.

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