When Rohan woke up the next morning, the first thing he expected was the agonizing, crippling pain of a thousand torn muscle fibers.
Instead, he felt an intense, gnawing hollow in his stomach. He was starving—so hungry he felt he could eat a leather cricket ball whole. But physically? He felt incredibly light.
He threw off his thin blanket and jumped out of bed. His legs didn’t buckle. His shoulders didn’t ache. The Novice Recovery Muscle Patch had worked a literal miracle while he slept.
"System," Rohan whispered, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Are you there?"
[The System is always online. Good morning, Host. A new Daily Quest is ready. Would you like to view it?]
"Wait, not yet," Rohan said, his stomach emitting a loud, embarrassing growl. "You said I was malnourished. My family can’t afford fancy diets, protein powders, or boiled chicken every day. If I keep doing these crazy workouts, I’m going to collapse from starvation."
[The Host is correct. Physical training without proper nutrition will result in muscle degradation, not growth. To circumvent the Host’s financial limitations, it is recommended to utilize the System Shop.]
"Right. The Shop. Open it."
A golden light materialized in the cramped bedroom, expanding into a large, three-dimensional holographic storefront. Rohan’s eyes went wide. It was categorized like a video game marketplace.
[SYSTEM SHOP]
Current Balance: 5 SP
[Category: SKILLS]
• Outswing Mastery (Lv.1) - 100 SP
• Inswing Mastery (Lv.1) - 100 SP
• Yorker Precision (Lv.1) - 150 SP
• Bouncer Intimidation (Lv.1) - 200 SP
[Category: EQUIPMENT]
• System-Grade Fast Bowling Spikes (Beginner) - 300 SP
• Impact-Absorbing Batting Gloves - 150 SP
[Category: CONSUMABLES]
• Novice Recovery Muscle Patch - 10 SP
• Basic Nutrient Paste (1 Tube) - 1 SP
Rohan drooled over the Skills and Equipment sections. Just having a Level 1 Yorker on demand would instantly make him the best bowler in his school. But with only 5 SP to his name, he was broke in the System world, too.
He clicked on the Basic Nutrient Paste.
[Basic Nutrient Paste (1 Tube): Contains the exact macro and micro-nutrients required for one day of intense athletic training. 50g Protein, optimal carbs, and essential vitamins. Warning: Taste is highly unpalatable.]
"At this point, I don’t care if it tastes like mud," Rohan muttered. "Buy two tubes."
[Transaction Complete. -2 SP. Current Balance: 3 SP.]
Two small, dull grey tubes materialized in his palm. They looked like oversized toothpaste tubes.
Rohan unscrewed the cap of one and squeezed a thick, grey paste into his mouth. He instantly gagged. It tasted exactly like wet chalk mixed with bitter medicine. Pinching his nose, he forced himself to swallow the entire tube.
Almost immediately, a warm rush of energy settled in his stomach. The gnawing hunger vanished, replaced by a feeling of clean, sustained fuel flowing through his veins.
"Rohan! Breakfast!" his mother called out from the kitchen.
He walked out, hiding the second tube in his pocket. His mother placed a plate of oil-soaked parathas and a dollop of butter on the table. Yesterday, Rohan would have devoured it. Today, he looked at it and saw only sluggishness.
"I’ll just take one, Ma. I’m not that hungry," he lied, grabbing a single paratha to avoid suspicion before rushing to get dressed for school.
During lunch break at St. Peter’s High, the atmosphere was buzzing.
Kabir slid into the seat next to Rohan, slamming a colorful pamphlet onto the desk. "Look at this, bro. The Sunday Gully Premier League is happening this weekend at the DDA Grounds."
Rohan picked up the cheaply printed paper. It was a local tennis-ball tournament.
"Entry fee is ₹500 ($ 5.17) per team," Kabir explained, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "But the winning team gets a cash prize of ₹10,000 ($103.50)! And the runner-up gets ₹3,000 ($31.05). I’m putting together a squad from our colony. We need one more fast bowler."
Rohan stared at the words ₹10,000 ($ 103.50) Cash Prize.
His mind raced. If they won, and divided it among playing members, he could easily get around ₹1,000 ($10.35) to ₹1,500 ($15.52). It wasn’t enough for professional spikes, but he could buy a solid, branded pair of running shoes with decent grip. He wouldn’t have to bowl in glued-together canvas shoes anymore.
"Are standard leather ball rules applied?" Rohan asked.
"Mostly," Kabir nodded. "But it’s heavy tennis ball cricket. 8 overs a side. It’s brutal, high-scoring, and aggressive. Aryan and his rich friends are entering a team too, just to flex."
Rohan’s grip tightened on the pamphlet. Playing against Aryan in a local tournament, where Coach Sharma couldn’t protect him or dictate who got to bowl. A pure, unfiltered street fight on the cricket pitch.
Before he could answer, the familiar chime rang in his skull.
[Ding! New Quest Triggered.]
[Quest: The Underworld of Gully Cricket]
Professional cricket is refined, but street cricket is where true warriors are born. Enter the Sunday tournament and prove your worth.
Objective 1:Join a team and participate in the tournament.
Objective 2: Take at least 3 wickets across the tournament.
Objective 3: Ensure your team places in the Top 2.
Rewards: +20 SP, Unlock [Beginner’s Bowling Action Blueprint], +1 Pace Stat.
Failure Penalty: -5 SP.
Rohan’s eyes lit up. Twenty SP? A blueprint to fix his messy bowling action? A guaranteed increase in raw pace? This was the breakthrough he desperately needed.
Rohan looked up at Kabir, a confident, sharp grin breaking across his face—an expression Kabir had never seen on his usually reserved best friend.
"Count me in, Kabir," Rohan said, his voice laced with absolute determination. "We’re going to win that prize money."
Kabir blinked, taken aback by the sudden aura radiating from Rohan. "Whoa. Okay, calm down, Shoaib Akhtar. Practice starts at 5 PM in our colony park. Don’t be late."
As Kabir walked away, Rohan pulled up his System screen.
"System," Rohan thought. "Show me today’s Daily Quest. I have a tournament to prepare for."
[Daily Quest: The Foundation of a Pace Demon (Day 2)]
[Objectives: 150 Push-ups, 150 Squats, 150 Sit-ups, 12 Kilometer Run.]
[Bonus Objective: 500 Shadow Bowling Deliveries focusing on core stability.]
The intensity had increased. It was going to be another day of absolute torture. But as Rohan felt the potent energy of the nutrient paste humming in his veins, he didn’t feel dread.
He felt ready.