Aaryan awoke before the first light crept across the Bangalore skyline. The dorm was silent—Manish remained cocooned in his blanket like a caterpillar in its chrysalis, softly snoring. Aaryan remained motionless for a second, feeling unaccountably refreshed. His head was clear, thoughts organized. Clear.
The System had awarded him another **Daily Sign-In Reward**—a **Learning Module Upgrade**—and he felt, for the first time since setting foot on campus, … light. Energized.
> **[Daily Sign-In Successful:
> Reward Claimed – Learning Module Upgrade (Tier I)
> Effect: Improved neural clarity, photographic memory unlocked, cognitive load capacity +20%]**
It was as if mental haze had cleared. As if all the disparate ideas of the past week had snapped into focus. He sat up straighter, already mentally rehearsing three project concepts and the names of every piece of equipment on his lab bench. Photographic memory, eh?
No surprise his mind was racing.
He emerged from the dorm balcony into the chill of the morning air, the breeze blowing over his face. Birds sang softly in the trees along the ancient brick boundary wall. A message glowed in his eye—a transparent panel familiar only to him.
> **\[Upcoming Weekly Challenge Activated:
> Goal – Beat Projected Top 3 Students in Composite Skill Index
> Reward – 'Sentinel Smartwatch Blueprint – Tier I']**
That stopped him in his tracks.
The **Sentinel Smartwatch** was more than a watch. The design revealed features way beyond anything on the market—an independent wearable device that could perform real-time health diagnostics, emotional pattern tracking, and predictive health warnings. It could communicate with mobile phones, monitor vitals, and in the event of critical anomalies, automatically alert nearby hospitals or emergency services.
Aaryan's jaw clenched slightly.
This wasn't a school assignment.
This was industrial-level tech—medical-level, even. Perhaps illicit without approval.
But it existed. And it was his—if he could beat the top three on the next Composite Skill Index test.
Class started at 9 AM, and Aaryan was there early, scanning his notes while others trickled in slowly. The day's lesson was on **microcontroller integration for wearable tech**, a convenient coincidence—or perhaps not. The System always seemed to be one step ahead.
Professor Raghavan's deep voice cut through the chatter.
"Today we're going over the principles of power optimization in wearable circuits," he said, tapping on the board with a stylus. "Pulse-width modulation, energy harvesting methods, battery scaling—practical and theoretical."
Aaryan listened carefully, eyes darting from slide to slide, already forming strategies on how to implement every single detail into the Sentinel Watch's framework. Behind his calm expression, gears were turning fast.
By mid-lecture, Raghavan stepped back and crossed his arms.
"End of next week, you'll have your first **Composite Skill Evaluation**," he said. "Not just theory. You'll be judged on integration, application, and problem-solving."
A ripple went through the class. Aaryan didn't move.
He'd already expected this.
> **\[System Confirmation: Challenge Parameters Matched
> Assessment Week Confirmed – Competitive Ranking Mode Enabled]**
After class, as students began packing up, three second-year boys wandered into the room, casually leaning against desks. Their uniforms were slightly different, their attitudes much more so.
Among them stood **Rohit Saxena**, a known loudmouth with a reputation for flexing social ties more than technical talent.
"Well, well," Rohit said loudly, walking up to Aaryan's desk. "You're the one sitting all high and mighty in the front row now, huh?"
Aaryan didn't respond.
Rohit moved in. "You do understand how this works, right? It's not where you sit. It's what you contribute."
The class had fallen silent.
"You think you're going to keep up with guys who've been constructing circuits since they were in school? You look like a kid who couldn't even buy a fresh notebook."
A few snickers ran through the group.
Aaryan's expression narrowed slightly—but not at the insult.
It was the system panel that drew his attention.
> \*\*System Provocation Detected
New Task Created:
\* \*Outrank Top 3 Students in Next Test
Reward: Sentinel Smartwatch Blueprint – Tier I
* System Money ₹10,00,000 (withdrawable))\*\*
He got up slowly, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. Rohit stepped back, as if anticipating some form of counter-argument, perhaps even a swing.
But Aaryan just replied, "Then I guess you'll get to see what I bring to the table."
He exited the room in silence, footsteps ringing down the corridor.
---
In the dorm, Aaryan turned on the blueprint. The **Sentinel Smartwatch** spread out in midair—a clear holographic image only accessible to him. Layer by layer, its composition unfolded: nano-coil sensors, compressed memory circuits, encrypted health analytics.
> **\[Blueprint Analysis:
> Feasibility – 88% using resources available
> Modules Needed: Thermal sensor array, ECG patch, emergency ping micro-relay
> Estimated Time: 96 hours minimum]
He smiled.
This wasn't a challenge. This was fate.
And with each step in the right direction, he could feel it.
The System wasn't merely altering his course—it was remaking him.