Aaryan sat on the edge of his bed, the blue light of the System reflecting in his cold, calculating eyes. He activated his Future-Sight Magic, a rare power that cost him 100 SC Coins but was worth every bit of it. In a sudden, violent vision of the immediate future, he saw a tragedy unfolding on the outskirts of Bhilai.
He saw a black luxury convoy being torn apart by bullets. He saw a wealthy, powerful father and his daughter being cornered by a gang of ruthless criminals who had already slaughtered every single one of their professional security guards.
"I have to move now. If I am late by even a second, they are dead," Aaryan whispered to the empty room. He didn't hesitate. He opened the System Shop interface, his fingers moving across the air.
[SYSTEM: PURCHASING 'GOD-SPEED RUNNING' MAGIC.]
[EFFECT: TRAVEL AT 1,000 KM/S. COST: 500 SC COINS.]
In a blink, Aaryan's physical form became a blur of blue energy. He was no longer a Class 10 student; he was a streak of lightning moving through the streets of Bhilai. He reached the National Highway in less than three seconds. At first, everything looked peaceful, the road quiet under the moon. But his Future-Sight told him the attack would begin in exactly two minutes. He waited in the shadows, his heart beating with the rhythm of a predator.
THE AMBUSH ON THE HIGHWAY
Suddenly, the convoy appeared in the distance. The gangsters, hiding in the trees, opened fire with heavy machine guns. The lead cars exploded into pillars of fire. Most of the bodyguards were killed before they could even draw their weapons. The rich father, a man of great influence, was seriously injured, his body riddled with shrapnel as he threw himself over his daughter to shield her from the blast.
Aaryan, wearing a dark mask and a wide-brimmed hat to hide his identity, stepped onto the asphalt. The smoke from the burning cars swirled around him. "Leave them alone," he said, his voice echoing with a cold, unnatural authority.
The lead gangster turned, a cruel laugh escaping his lips. "Who do you think you are, kid? Some kind of hero? We'll kill you first and then finish them!"
"I am their savior," Aaryan replied flatly. "And you are already dead."
The gang attacked all at once, but with his 400+ strength and god-speed, Aaryan was an invisible force of nature. He moved between the bullets as if they were standing still. He defeated every single one of them in seconds, knocking them unconscious and tying them up with heavy industrial ropes he found in the wreckage.
He then turned to the father, who was unconscious and losing blood fast.
[SYSTEM: PURCHASING LEVEL 5 HEALING MAGIC. COST: 200 SC COINS.]
A brilliant golden light erupted from Aaryan's palms, covering the man. The deep wounds closed instantly, and his shattered bones knit back together. The daughter, whose name was Simran, watched everything from the backseat of the flipped car.
She was breathtakingly beautiful, with features that looked like they were carved from marble. But more than her beauty, it was her eyes that were striking—they were filled with an intense, high-IQ awareness. She was a genius, a topper who noticed everything. She saw the way Aaryan's hand scrolled through the invisible air, and she noted the specific pattern of his school uniform under his jacket. Despite the horror of the attack, a deep, magnetic feeling began to develop in her heart for this mysterious stranger.
"What do you want for saving us? Money? Power?" Simran asked, her voice trembling but her mind already calculating who this boy could be.
"I have to cast a spell on you," Aaryan said, approaching her. "A spell so you can never reveal my face, my voice, or my powers to any living soul."
"Okay," Simran said, staring directly into his eyes, her high IQ already deducing that he was someone special. "I'll let you do it. But... I think I have fallen for you. Please stay here until my family arrives. Don't leave me alone."
"I don't love you," Aaryan said, his voice like ice. "But I will stay until you are safe."
After 30 minutes, a fleet of luxury cars arrived to rescue them. Aaryan immediately activated his Invisibility Magic.
"Wait! At least tell me your name! How can I find you again?" Simran cried out into the empty night, but Aaryan was already gone, leaving only the scent of ozone behind.
THE ARRIVAL OF THE RADIANT TOPPER
The next morning, Aaryan finished his grueling daily routine—100 push-ups, 100 pull-ups, and 100 squats. He checked the System and saw a new, frustrating quest.
[NEW QUEST: THE SHADOW'S VEIL. REMAIN IN THE SHADOWS AT SCHOOL. DO NOT LET ANYONE HIGHLIGHT OR RECOGNIZE YOU.]
"That shouldn't be a problem," Aaryan thought. "I've been a ghost at AKPS for years."
But when he walked into the classroom of Section 10-C, the entire atmosphere had changed. Every boy was staring, and every girl was whispering. Standing at the front of the class was a new transfer student. It was Simran.
She was stunningly beautiful, wearing a perfectly tailored school uniform. She was rich, she was careful, and she was the ultimate genius topper. In a quick flashback, we see how she found him: the night before, she had memorized the AKPS logo and the specific section number on Aaryan's jacket. Her high IQ had allowed her to track him down in less than twelve hours.
"Simran," the teacher said, looking impressed, "where would you like to sit? We have many open desks."
Simran's eyes scanned the room like a hawk searching for its prey. They landed on the very back row, on the quiet boy who was trying his best to look invisible.
"I want to sit with Aaryan," Simran said firmly. "He looks like he prefers to be alone, and I think I would like to sit with him."
Aaryan remained perfectly calm on the outside, maintaining his "Ayanokōji" mask, but inside, his mind was racing. Damn... she's too smart. She recognized me instantly.
During the first period, Simran leaned closer to him, her long hair brushing against his desk. "So... this is what my savior looks like in the daylight."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Aaryan said, his voice a flat monotone.
"Don't lie to me, Aaryan. I told you, I am a topper. I have a very high capability to recognize patterns and remember details. I saw your uniform last night. I saw the way you move. I know it was you."
"No, it wasn't," Aaryan said, refusing to give her even a sliver of the truth.
Throughout the entire day, Simran was relentless. She followed him during every break, questioned him during every period, and disturbed his peace. By the time the final bell rang, Aaryan felt as exhausted as if he had survived a war.
THE SECOND CHALLENGE: HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT
The Next day, the System issued an even stranger quest.
[SPECIAL QUEST: MAINTAIN YOUR SHADOW. DO NOT REVEAL THE TRUTH TO SIMRAN, NO MATTER WHAT SHE DOES.]
But Simran was not a normal girl. She was careful and calculated. She cornered him after the math period. "Why do you want to hide your powers from me, Aaryan? You were on the National Highway at 10:20 P.M. two nights ago. I saw you beat those men. I even saw you scrolling the air like you were playing a game—you have a System interface, don't you?"
"I was at home, in my bed, getting ready for school," Aaryan lied, his face like stone.
"Oh, really? Then why do you keep looking at the air as if there's a screen there? Look, I won't ask how you got your powers... but please, just become my boyfriend. Or at least be my best friend. Stay close to me."
"No," Aaryan said simply. He realized that if the other boys in school—who all worshipped Simran—saw him with her, his life as an "invisible boy" would be over forever. He would become a target of jealousy. Damn System, he thought. This is all a mess. Simran is too perfect, and it's creating a disaster for my shadow life.
He managed to survive the day, but it was the most difficult quest he had ever faced. That night, sitting in his room in Khursipar, he realized he needed a permanent solution to protect his secret.
"System, add another layer to the spell on Simran. If the first memory-blocking spell ever begins to weaken because of her high IQ, this one must automatically reapply itself. She can know the truth, but she must be magically prevented from ever speaking it to another person."
[SYSTEM: REAPPLYING AUTOMATIC COMPULSION SPELL. COST: 100 SC COINS.]
Aaryan finally took a deep breath. "That is awesome. Now, she can suspect all she wants, but she can never betray me." He closed his eyes, ready to face the beautiful, rich, and dangerous genius again tomorrow.