The sky was still charcoal-colored as Aaryan awoke. A warm glow pulsed before his eyes, gently prodding him awake. He blinked repeatedly, and the haze cleared, there it was again—shining gently in the air, only visible to him.
> [Daily Check-In: Successful]
Reward: Energy Regulation Bracelet (Prototype Tier)
Automatically calibrates levels of tiredness, manages energy consumption during long work sessions, improves focus and endurance.
A small box materialized at the bottom of his line of vision. When he pushed his hand into his backpack—a movement he'd practiced so thoroughly that it felt natural—his fingers grazed the cold, smooth surface of a new device. He slipped it on like a regular fitness band. Sleek. Light. It hummed quietly as it adjusted.
Instantly, a rush of relaxation ran through his body. The strain of nights spent lying awake disappeared. His shoulders relaxed. His mind no longer felt like it was moving through molasses.
This stuff really works, he thought, looking at the black band around his wrist.
---
After that, the room was filled with subdued mutterings. Professor Raghavan walked into the room at precisely eight, scanning his students with his usual calculating calm.
"We are going to administer the first academic test next week," he told them, setting down a stack of papers on the desk. "Three parts: written theory, practical application, and group research project."
The class grew quiet in an instant.
"The team dynamic will matter most—forty percent. Teams are established. No trading partners."
Projector lights flickered on, illuminating the group assignments. Aaryan's eyes followed the scroll until he saw his name:
Team 9: Ishika Sharma, Gautam Khurana, Aaryan Verma.
Ishika's eyes caught his from the other side of the room and nodded almost undetectably.
Gautam, however, let out a soft snort. "Figures."
Aaryan didn't say anything. It wasn't worth the breath.
---
In the dorm room, Aaryan closed the door behind him and let his backpack slip quietly to the floor. He knelt alongside it, unzipping one of the side compartments as though he were rearranging books. Actually, he was accessing the system's inventory—now linked directly to his bag.
> [System Inventory: 5 Cubic Meters Available]
Auto-sort enabled. Inventory cloaking active outside private zones.
He leaned forward and softly powered the panel. The grid of unseen storage hovered just at the fringe of his awareness. Dozens of components—chips, sensors, gear—were stored away. He began transferring lab gear from his drawers, dumping it loosely into the backpack as if he was going to study.
It looked from the outside like a student cleaning up clutter. In truth, it was a master workshop hidden in plain sight.
---
The lab was its usual symphony of soldering irons, scattered components, and furious muttering. Aaryan moved fast, hands steady. His Energy Regulation Bracelet was burning overtime, staving off his fatigue as he calibrated a thermal sensor feedback loop.
He hadn't noticed the tall shadow behind him until someone spoke.
"You building a rocket, or just trying to look smart?"
One of Jay Deshmukh's team members. Arrogant tone. Lazy judgment-filled eyes.
Aaryan didn't even look around. "Just learning. That's what this place is for, right?"
The guy lingered an extra second, then walked away. But the system reacted in a flash.
> [System Alert: Task Progress – Academic Assessment Objective]
Current Progress: 38%
Bottleneck Detected: "Team Collaboration" phase.
Support Module Locked: Team Influence Protocol – Requirement Not Met.
He frowned. The system was already predicting trouble.
---
Aaryan took off the Energy Regulation Bracelet and set it gently in his drawer that night. His body still hummed with clarity, his mind sharper than it'd been in days. There was still much to be accomplished, but for the first time, he felt that he possessed what he required to accomplish it.
His system beeped again suddenly.
> [Assessment Task Reminder]
Primary Task: Rank First in Upcoming Academic Assessment.
Reward: System Account Credit ₹10,00,000 & Learning Module Upgrade.
Aaryan rocked back in his chair, staring at the gossamer-thin panel suspended mere inches in front of his nose.
Ten lakh rupees. Enough to pay off any debt, build any prototype, maybe even rent a lab of his own someday. But more even than the money—it was the next level of system access that he was after.
A popup notice suddenly appeared.
Ishika Sharma:
> "Free tomorrow night? I want to get a head start on the research component."
He smiled feebly and tapped to reply.
Aaryan:
> "Of course. Let's make it worth the while."
For the race had already begun.
And he was going to reach first.