The alley, honestly, looked like the punchline to a bad joke when it finally cleared out. Rain kept dribbling from somewhere up above, pooling around Arjun's tattered sneakers, and the city's usual racket sounded far away—sort of muffled, like he was eavesdropping on real life from the wrong side of a window. Arjun still hadn't unclenched his hand; that jade fragment was glued to his palm, pulsing with a heat that definitely wasn't all in his head. He'd just taken on a bunch of bottom-feeder goons and, well, survived. If survival had a smell, tonight it stank like rain, sweat, and wet asphalt.
Look, he was still physically shaking. Seriously. Maybe you know what that's like—the aftershock of adrenaline, your bones buzzing, your skin prickling like you overslept on a sunburn. His ribs burned every time he breathed, and his shirt weighed a ton, stuck to every scrape and bruise like plastic wrap. But under all that? There was this flicker of… dang, what do you even call it? Not hope, exactly. More like laser-cut focus, sharper than he'd ever managed on a school exam.
He leaned against a wall, gulping in air, trying to wrangle the chaos upstairs into something resembling sanity. Survival, so far, was about lucky punches, split-second panic moves, and, let's not kid ourselves, pure dumb luck. But there was something else at play—the kind of something that gets you looking down at glowing jade relics instead of rushing to the ER.
Then, just when he was starting to wonder if he'd concussed himself into hallucinations, that familiar digital monotone chimed in: "First quest complete. Reward unlocked: [Beginner Healing Technique]." You ever get that feeling when your phone pings with a notification you've been dreading and hoping for all at once? That's what this felt like. Arjun glanced at the jade, half-expecting it to morph into a golden ticket. Instead, his mind fed him a little pop-up panel, clear as day, with game stats that would give any RPG nerd goosebumps:
[Beginner Healing Technique]
Effect: Patch up minor scrapes and bruises, ramp up with practice, barely drains your battery, and you gotta wait an hour before using again.
He just stared. "So… I'm magic now?" he whispered, mostly to himself, like the universe might say, "Yup, that's the deal." Tentatively, he pressed two fingers to the welt forming on his side, thinking about the new skill like you'd think about tying your shoelaces or riding a bike—awkward at first, then weirdly obvious. Warmth bled into his side, chasing away some of the pain. Not insta-healing, like in a movie, but… it freaking worked. If that's not mind-blowing, what is?
Little by little, a new kind of excitement—surprise surprise, the kind that doesn't involve potholes or bloody noses—bubbled up inside. Maybe, just maybe, this crazy system was the one decent break he'd get. Kid always hustling, always circling the drain, suddenly handed a secret weapon? Yeah, he'd take it.
The jade buzzed again, shy little pulse, and the voice piped back in with some Ancient Master energy: "Use it wisely. Healing is a foundation. Strength grows with knowledge, practice, and decisions. Your progress depends on the choices you make next." It sounded like the kind of advice his mom used to give, back when her voice didn't rattle like cracked glass.
Which, of course, made Arjun think of her—the spartan apartment, empty cupboards, stacks of bills, and his mom's exhausted smile that never stopped trying. All that weight on his shoulders, but now he had something real. Not a miracle, but hell, a fighting chance. If you've ever been forced to settle for less and finally get thrown a lifeline, you know how that feels—awful and amazing all at once.
So, why not test it out on something small? He poked at a tiny scratch on his forearm, zeroed in, pictured energy pooling right there. Sure enough, the skin pinked up, then settled. Barely a trace left. He nearly laughed in disbelief, his heart slowing its crazy stutter-step for the first time all night. His smile didn't just creep, it plain kicked down the door.
But let's be real—the euphoria was short-lived because life comes at you fast. Alley brawls were a blip compared to the everyday grind: rent, tuition fees, bad shifts, and—oh yeah—his fresh unemployment, courtesy of a "downsizing" that meant two weeks without pay. Arjun might have picked up a skill, but he wasn't suddenly out of the woods. If anything, it was like getting handed a flashlight in a cave; cool, but you're still in the dark.
That's when the jade sparkled, almost taunting. The system voice slid back in, a bit sly now: "Your world has weaknesses. Opportunities exist where others fail to notice. Observation and analysis lead to growth. The next step is yours to choose." Not just mystic blather. Sounded like a nudge in a real direction, if you were sharp enough to pick up the scent.
Arjun thought of his job—delivery gig for a company that was way messier than it liked to admit. Sketchy managers, weird side hustles, forgotten packages—plenty he'd just ignored. Maybe the system was dropping him a hint, telling him to pull out his metaphorical magnifying glass and start treating his life like Sherlock Holmes' murder board.
What came next wasn't dread, for once—it was this sly, fizzing curiosity. Not just about surviving, but about outsmarting the whole stacked deck. He yanked his hoodie close around him, jade fragment a steady press against his chest, a pulse line of new energy and potential focus.
That realization hit: the system wasn't just a magic Band-Aid dispenser. It was a toolkit for his brain, too. A mentor nobody else could see—less Mr. Miyagi, more "wise old pal who actually texts back." Senses on high alert, every alley shadow looked like potential, every passing car sounded like opportunity knocking on a leaky window. Finally, Arjun was playing offense, not just dodging punches.
He stood there, letting the rain drip off his nose, the city's neon shimmer refracted on wet concrete. Everything looked sharper. He'd survived, sure. He'd learned something new. And for the first time in forever, he actually wanted to see what would happen next.
"Alright, world," he said softly, shoulders straightening, voice warm and charged with possibility. "Let's see what else you've got. I'm not done yet."
Yeah, let the system cue up the next quest. Arjun Mehra was ready for it.