The hallways of AKPS were a blur of white and blue uniforms. Aaryan's lungs burned, the 2-minute timer of the System pulsing in the corner of his vision like a ticking bomb. He was almost at the classroom door when a sound stopped him cold.
The sound of a heavy thud against a locker, followed by a cruel, mocking laugh.
Aaryan slowed down, peering around the corner. A group of Class 10 bullies had pinned a boy against the wall. It was Vicky. Seeing Vicky—the boy who usually had something arrogant to say—trembling and clutching his stomach felt strange.
'Is this his karma?' Aaryan thought, his face expressionless. 'Yesterday he was the one looking down on me. Now, he's the one on the floor. Maybe I should just walk away. Invisibility is my shield, after all.'
But then, the blue screen flickered into existence, blocking his path.
[NEW QUEST: THE SAVIOR'S BURDEN] [OBJECTIVE: SAVE VICKY FROM THE BULLIES.] [REWARD: 10 SC COINS.] [PENALTY FOR REFUSAL: -50% HEALTH.]
"Damn it," Aaryan hissed under his breath. "I don't want to save him. He isn't worth the trouble."
But then he looked at the reward. 10 SC Coins. His mind immediately went back to the shop menu. The Ayanokōji Ability Fragment cost 6 coins. If he did this, he wouldn't just be "better"—he would be a masterpiece.
'If I save him, I get the abilities I need to survive this school. This isn't about Vicky. This is about my evolution.'
THE POWER OF THE SYSTEM
Aaryan looked at his thin, pale arms. Even with the will to fight, he was still the "Invisible Boy" who could barely do a pull-up. He needed a shortcut.
"System," he whispered into the air, "How much does strength cost? And how much can I get?"
[NOTIFICATION: 1 SC COIN = +100 STRENGTH POINTS.] [SPECIAL OFFER: 5 SC COINS = +500 STRENGTH POINTS, MY LORD AARYAN.]
Aaryan's eyes widened. The System was calling him "Lord." The power was starting to feel intoxicating. "I have 9 coins left from my previous tasks. Buy +400 Strength. Do it now."
[TRANSACTION SUCCESSFUL. 4 SC COINS DEDUCTED. CURRENT STRENGTH: 410.]
Suddenly, a surge of heat exploded in Aaryan's chest. It felt like hot lead was being poured into his muscles. His grip tightened on his bag, and the plastic handle groaned under his new power. He felt heavy, grounded, and dangerous.
THE INTERVENTION
"Hey," Aaryan said, stepping around the corner. His voice wasn't loud, but it had a new, cold edge to it that stopped the bullies mid-laugh. "Stop beating him. You're making a mess of the hallway."
The lead bully, a tall boy named Rahul, turned around with a sneer. "Who are you? The school ghost? Why do you want to save this loser?"
"I am his friend," Aaryan lied. The words felt like ash in his mouth, but it was the most logical excuse.
Rahul laughed, cracking his knuckles. "A friend? Fine. Guys, beat him too. Let's see if his face looks better than Vicky's."
Two boys lunged at Aaryan. In the past, he would have closed his eyes and waited for the pain. But now, their movements looked slow—clumsy.
"Come on," Aaryan muttered, his eyes narrowing as he channeled the Ayanokōji-style calm. "You can't beat me. You can't even touch me."
Vicky watched from the floor, his eyes wide with shock. He had known Aaryan for months as the "nobody" of the class. Who was this person standing with his back so straight?
Aaryan didn't waste time. As the first bully swung, Aaryan stepped inside his guard and delivered a short, sharp strike to the ribs. The boy folded like a piece of paper. The second bully tried to grab him, but Aaryan's new strength was overwhelming. He grabbed the boy's wrist and twisted, sending him to his knees with a single movement.
"Leave," Aaryan said, looking Rahul directly in the eyes. "Before I stop being nice."
Terrified by the sudden display of raw power from the "Invisible Boy," the bullies scrambled away, leaving a stunned Vicky behind.
A NEW ALLIANCE
Aaryan reached down, offering a hand to Vicky. Vicky took it, shaking as he stood up. "Thank you, Aaryan... and... I'm sorry about how I treated you yesterday. I was an idiot."
"It's okay," Aaryan replied, already turning to leave. He didn't care about the apology. He only cared about the chime in his head.
[QUEST COMPLETE. +10 SC COINS RECEIVED.]
"Wait!" Vicky called out. "Can I... can I become your friend? Please?"
Aaryan stopped. "Why? You only like me now because I'm powerful. That isn't friendship."
Vicky looked at the floor, embarrassed. "Maybe. But you're the only one who stood up for me. Everyone else just watched."
Aaryan looked at the blue screen. A sidekick could be useful. Ayanokōji always had people he could use as "tools."
"Fine," Aaryan said. "Now we are friends. But don't get in my way."
THE SHADOW IN THE DISTANCE
Later that evening, Aaryan was walking near the edge of the city. He had already gone to the System shop and purchased the Ayanokōji Ability Fragment. He felt a strange coldness settling in his mind—a clarity he had never known.
"Now," he whispered, looking at his reflection in a shop window. "It's time to change."
He repeated the words he had heard in that world-famous story: "I can do anything to upgrade, to win, and to become the best. In this world, winning is everything."
But his moment of triumph was cut short. He noticed three men standing in the shadows near an old warehouse. They were dressed in dark tactical gear, pointing at a map. Aaryan's eyes sharpened. That map... it was a floor plan of AKPS.
"Terrorists?" Aaryan's heart slowed down. The Ayanokōji personality was working; instead of panicking, he began to analyze.
[!!! EMERGENCY QUEST DETECTED !!!] [OBJECTIVE: STOP THE STRIKE ON AKPS.] [REWARD: INVISIBILITY POWER + MASSIVE SPEED BOOST.] [TIMER: 12:00:00]
The screen flashed red, the light reflecting in Aaryan's now-calm eyes.
[SYSTEM: ALERT! HURRY UP. THE CLOCK IS TICKING.]
Aaryan looked at the warehouse, then at the timer. The school—his mother's pride, his sister's future—was the target. The Invisible Boy was gone. The Invisible God was waking up.