Aaryan lay still, his heart thumping against his ribs. The cold air of the night bit at his skin, but he felt no pain. "Now, what happened with me?" he whispered into the darkness. "I thought I jumped from the 10th floor. How am I alive? And what is that strange blue screen flickering in front of my eyes?"
He sat up slowly, rubbing his head. He looked around the empty street. No one was there. No sirens, no crowd, no blood. "I think that was all just a dream," he sighed, a mix of disappointment and relief washing over him. "Ha... I thought I was finally free from this world. I thought I had finally escaped the loneliness."
He stood up, dusting off his school uniform. Even now, standing in the middle of the road, no one looked at him. No one noticed him. "I am right... it was all a dream. Nobody cares if I live or die." He checked his watch and gasped. "I have to go home! I am late for dinner!"
THE RETURN HOME
Aaryan hurried through the familiar streets of Khursipar. When he opened the door, his mother was waiting. "Aaryan, sorry Mom. Today I am late coming home," he said, looking down at his shoes.
Kavita looked at him with a gentle but tired smile. "It's okay, beta. Now come and eat your dinner."
"Okay, Mom."
After a quiet dinner, Aaryan retreated to his room. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Ha... why do I even exist in this world? I am like the floor that everyone walks on, while others are like the rooftop, high and noticed by everyone."
Suddenly, the air in the room felt heavy. That same blue translucent screen appeared again, glowing brightly in the dark.
[SYSTEM: THIS IS A SYSTEM DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU.]
Aaryan froze. "Wait... so during the fall, I actually saw this? It wasn't a dream?"
He leaned forward, his curiosity overcoming his fear. "What are your abilities? And what can you do?"
[SYSTEM: I CANNOT DO ANYTHING ON MY OWN. HOWEVER, YOU CAN EARN SC COINS. WITH THESE COINS, YOU CAN BUY ANYTHING YOU DESIRE.]
Aaryan's eyes widened. "Ha... so can I buy super powers? And magic powers?" He paused, thinking to himself, I know that sounds impossible, but if this screen is real, then maybe...
[SYSTEM: YES. YOU CAN BUY THEM.]
"🤯🤯🤯 You are joking, right? You have to be joking!"
[SYSTEM: NO. YOU CAN REALLY BUY THEM.]
Aaryan took a deep breath. "So... how can I get these coins? I think I have to do much more than I imagine. I know nothing comes for free."
[SYSTEM: TO EARN COINS, YOU MUST IMPROVE YOURSELF. OR YOU MUST COMPLETE QUESTS.]
"Okay, so by any improvement, I get coins? Am I right? Or by completing these quests?"
[SYSTEM: YES. YOU ARE CORRECT.]
Aaryan clenched his fists. A spark of hope lit up in his chest for the first time in years. "Okay. I will start tomorrow."
[SYSTEM: UNDERSTOOD.]
THE NEXT DAY: THE FIRST QUEST
The morning sun filtered through the window of his room in Bhilai. Aaryan woke up and immediately looked for the screen. It was there, waiting.
[DAILY QUEST: PHYSICAL FOUNDATION]
100 PUSH-UPS
100 PULL-UPS
100 SQUATS
[REWARD: 5 SC COINS]
Aaryan stared at the list. He wasn't an athlete. He was the boy people ignored. But he wanted those coins. He started. His arms shook during the push-ups. His legs burned during the squats. Every muscle in his body screamed for him to stop. But after one long, grueling hour, he finally finished.
"I did it..." he panted, sweat dripping from his forehead. "Now I can finally see the results."
He thought about the anime he had watched—Classroom of the Elite. He admired the main character more than anyone. "System... I can buy anything, right? So, can I buy Ayanokōji's abilities?"
[SYSTEM: YES. YOU CAN PURCHASE THEM FOR 6 SC COINS.]
Aaryan frowned. "I only have 5. I'm just one coin short."
"Aaryan! It's late! Hurry up or you'll miss school!" his mother, Kavita, shouted from downstairs.
"Okay, Mom!" Aaryan grabbed his bag and ran.
THE CLASSROOM
When he arrived at AKPS, he sat at his desk, as invisible as always. But inside, he felt different. Now that I have this System, I can finally buy my dream personality. I can become the person I've always wanted to be. But I must be careful... I can't let anyone know about this.
He looked around the room. "Ha... no one notices me ever. Just like usual."
The morning passed slowly. Finally, the bell rang for the break. Aaryan started to pack his things when the screen flashed red.
[NEW QUEST: REACH THE CLASSROOM IN 2 MINUTES!]
"What? I'm already in the classroom! Why is it telling me to go to the classroom?" Aaryan looked around, confused. Then he realized—the quest wasn't about this classroom. Something was happening.
"What is going on?!" he thought as he bolted out the door.