War-Born Awakening

As the announcement concluded, the massive crowd of students slowly began dispersing, murmuring amongst themselves. Some looked excited, while others seemed tense, unsure of what lay ahead.

Aamir, Raj, Kunal, and Riya stood together, glancing at the glowing screen one last time.

Raj cracked his knuckles. "Man, I can't believe we're finally getting a real mission. No more just training inside the university—this is going to be intense."

Kunal adjusted his glasses. "It's more than just a mission. If this assessment lasts twenty days, it means we're going to be facing continuous danger. Food, rest, injuries—everything will be a challenge."

Aamir grinned. "That's exactly why it's going to be fun."

Riya rolled her eyes but smiled. "You're way too excited about this, Aamir."

Seenu approached them, his usual calm expression unchanged. "You should be. This won't be easy, even for you."

Aamir smirked at him. "Oh? You think I'll struggle?"

Seenu chuckled. "No, I think you'll enjoy it too much."

Before Aamir could respond, another voice interrupted them.

"Well, well. Looks like you guys got lucky."

They all turned to see a familiar figure—Dharam, currently Raj's mentor, standing with his arms crossed. His sharp eyes scanned them, pausing on Aamir.

"I heard your team won't have a third-year supervisor," Dharam said, smirking slightly. "That means you'll have no one to hold your hand if things get out of control."

Raj scoffed. "We don't need anyone to hold our hands."

Dharam nodded approvingly. "Good. Then prove it." His gaze lingered on Aamir for a moment before he turned and walked away, leaving them standing in silence.

Kunal exhaled. "Well, that was ominous."

Aamir, still watching Dharam walk away, suddenly turned to Raj. "Hey, Raj. There's something I've been meaning to ask since the tournament."

Raj raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Aamir's expression grew serious. "In the final battle of the Top Twelve, you suddenly passed out after winning against Meera. I didn't think much of it back then, but now I want to know—why?"

Raj hesitated for a moment before sighing. "It's nothing special..." He paused, then added, "Do you know about the Four Cursed Families?"

Kunal, adjusting his glasses, answered immediately. "Yes. There are four of them."

First, the Khokhar Family.

Second, the Shekhawat Family.

Third, the Rai Family.

Fourth, the Khan Family.

Kunal's eyes shifted to Raj. "And your full name is Raj Shekhawat. So, I guess that gives us the answer."

Aamir's eyes widened. "Wait... so your family is cursed? What kind of curse?"

Raj crossed his arms. "I don't know exactly why my family was cursed, but the Shekhawat Curse is unique—it only affects the firstborn child of each generation. Every time I have a breakthrough, the curse activates and causes unbearable pain. That's why I collapsed in the tournament. I had a major breakthrough in the middle of the fight, and the curse hit me all at once."

Riya frowned. "That's... awful. You have to suffer every time you get stronger?"

Raj shrugged, a determined glint in his eyes. "It is what it is. But I don't care—I'll break this curse one day. Until then, the more pain I endure, the stronger I'll become."

Aamir stretched his arms, a grin returning to his face. "Well, that's it then. In two hours, we're heading out. Let's get ready."

Seenu nodded. "Meet back here before departure. Bring everything you need. Once we leave, there's no coming back until the mission is over."

With that, the team parted ways, heading off to prepare for the greatest challenge they had ever faced.

Aamir's Private Training

Aamir stepped into a private training room, adjusting the settings. The environment shifted around him, the walls dissolving into a vast, rocky landscape—similar to the one where he trained with Seenu, but slightly less intense.

He exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Time to push myself a little further before we head out."

Reaching into his dimensional pocket, he thought about the armor he had been given by the university. The pouch began to glow, and in an instant, the black battle armor materialized in his hands.

Aamir studied it carefully. It wasn't just any armor—it had a presence, a certain weight to it, almost as if it was alive. But what caught his attention the most was the mask.

Unlike a regular helmet, this mask was designed to be worn separately, covering only the face. The design was monstrous—like a demon's visage.

Aamir stared at the mask, feeling a surge of something unfamiliar. The mask was... alive. His heartbeat quickened as if it was calling to him. He had a feeling, deep down, that something was wrong.

But Aamir had never been one to shy away from the unknown.

He put the mask on.

The moment it touched his face, a deep, guttural sound echoed in his skull—like the growl of something ancient awakening.

A sudden shockwave of crimson energy erupted from the armor, rippling through the room.

Aamir's vision twisted and blurred. He could see a battlefield—a vast, blood-soaked landscape. Corpses stretched as far as the eye could see. Shattered weapons, burning ruins, and a sky painted in blood-red hues.

In the distance, a colossal shadow moved.

No… not moved. Marched.

A monstrous being, clad in black armor covered in chains, dragged a blade the size of a mountain behind it.

Then—

It turned its head.

Its eyes—glowing, endless voids—locked onto Aamir.

His body froze. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, couldn't even think.

Then—

"AWAKEN."

The battlefield shattered. The sky crumbled. Everything faded.

Aamir's body jerked back. He was back in the training room—drenched in sweat, his breath ragged.

The voice echoed in his skull once more.

[Congratulations, Host.]

Aamir gasped, gripping his head as a crimson screen appeared before him.

[You have been chosen by Aloka, The Creator, to stand against the coming threat.]

[The war has already begun. You must rise beyond mortality.]

[For this reason, you have been granted the most powerful system—]

[WAR-BORN ASCENSION SYSTEM.]

Aamir's mind raced. This wasn't just a power-up. This was something… much bigger.

And then—

A voice, clearer, almost human.

"Hi, host. I'm Luman, your assistant, created to aid you in your mission to save this world."

Aamir blinked, his mind still reeling. "What? Now I have an assistant? So, you're some kind of AI?"

"Yes. But more importantly—you delayed the system activation. You were supposed to activate it when you first saw the armor."

Aamir frowned. "Wait, what do you mean—"

"Because of this… you will now receive a penalty."

"Penalty?"

Suddenly—

The ground beneath his feet vanished.

He was falling.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Aamir screamed as the wind howled around him. "LUMAN! HEY! AI! WHATEVER YOU ARE—TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!"

But there was no response.

And then—

SPLASH!

Aamir crashed into a freezing lake, the impact jarring his bones. The shock of the cold water cut through his body like a blade, but his extreme training allowed him to recover quickly. His muscles screamed as he swam toward the shore, desperate for air.

Gasping for breath, he finally dragged himself out of the water, his legs trembling beneath him. As soon as his feet hit the solid ground, a glowing screen appeared before him.

[You are receiving a penalty.]

[Your task: Survive.]

Aamir's heart raced. He glanced around, taking in his surroundings—the dense forest, the distant mountains, the eerie stillness of the place. "Oh, come on…"