Chapter 15: Rewards
Aryan, looking at the holographic rewards floating in the damp air of the dressing room washroom, asked the System mentally, "Hey Max, what are the effects of the Growth Elixir?"
"Ding."
[The Growth Elixir stimulates the Host's latent physical potential, helping the muscles and skeletal structure evolve to their peak genetic limit.]
[This helps the Host avoid career-ending injuries, such as stress fractures or ligament tears, and also helps the Host use his body mechanics more fluidly.]
Aryan stared at the screen, contemplating the description. especially the part about avoiding career-ending injuries. In cricket, fast bowlers and all-rounders were notorious for breaking down—backs, knees, shoulders. If he had injury immunity while playing at a high intensity, he'd be the most valuable asset in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"Max, how can I maximize the effects of the Growth Elixir?" Aryan asked, not wanting to waste such a precious item.
[Host should consume the elixir immediately after high-intensity training when the muscles are fatigued and receptive.]
Aryan, who had just stepped out of an intense simulation match where he carried the team, decided the time was right. He opened the inventory tab and clicked on the Growth Elixir icon, which materialized in his hand in the form of a sleek, metallic blue can, resembling a sports drink.
Aryan stared at it for a moment, took a deep breath, and downed the contents in one go. It tasted like ozone and electricity.
He felt a sudden, sharp tinge run through his entire nervous system. At first, nothing happened, and he turned to leave the stall. But then, his legs gave way. He fell to the tiled floor, his body going rigid as if he had been tasered.
Aryan felt a blinding pain flash through his brain. He bit his lip so hard it almost bled, desisting from screaming out in the quiet washroom.
He could feel his muscles being microscopically torn apart and stitched back together, denser and stronger. His veins shimmered visibly under his skin with a faint blue bioluminescence.
After about a minute of agonizing transformation, Aryan finally came to his senses. He was panting heavily, covered in a thick, gooey form of sweat that felt like oil. He lay on the cool tiles for a bit longer before managing to stand up.
When he stood in front of the mirror, he noticed the change immediately. His eye level had risen. "I think I've gotten taller," Aryan whispered with a grin, realizing he had probably grown an inch or two.
Aryan left the stall, not wanting to waste any more time. He desperately needed to wash off the grey, gooey liquid coating his skin.
"Next time, let's do this at home. I felt like I was going to die," Aryan muttered as he exited the washroom area towards the showers.
Just then, a teammate walked in. "Oh wow, did a rat die in here?" the player remarked, covering his nose. The metallic, toxic smell the gooey liquid gave off was genuinely unpleasant.
While Aryan was scrubbing himself raw in the shower, the other players trickled in to take their baths.
After Aryan finished and stepped out with a towel draped over his shoulder, a lot of his mates stopped chatting and stared. His physique had changed; he looked leaner, more defined, and somehow more imposing.
"Damn. Looks, talent, and height. Say, Aryan, do you have a girlfriend?" Kabir, who was drying his hair, asked with a grin.
"Hey, look at him, of course he might have one or two," Yash added, nudging Kabir.
"No, I don't," Aryan said with a shy smile.
"Really?" some of his teammates asked in disbelief.
"You guys forget I'm only 14," Aryan said, earning a round of stunned stares from the players who had momentarily forgotten that the MVP of their practice match was still in middle school.
"Leave the kid alone," Rohan, the captain of the Challengers (and often the Probables captain), said.
Aryan dried off and approached him. "Rohan, who is the best player here in the U19 setup?"
"No doubt it's Prithvi, but he's out with a fracture, so right now I think it's Vikrant," Rohan said, pointing to a blonde-streaked haired boy sitting in the corner listening to music. "Together with Prithvi, they've both been called up to the Mumbai Ranji squad nets before," Rohan explained.
Aryan didn't waste any time. He focused on Vikrant and used the snooping tool.
[PLAYER INFO]
NAME: VIKRANT SINGHANIA
AGE: 18 (Turned 18 a week ago)
HEIGHT: 1.84m (6'0")
PROFESSION: CRICKETER
STATUS: STATE YOUTH PLAYER
TEAM: Mumbai U19
SYSTEM EVALUATION: Youth Prospect
PLAYER RATING: 66/100
POSITION: Batting All-Rounder (Spin)
POTENTIAL: 85
[STATS]
Speed: 63
Footwork: 67
Spatial Awareness: 66
Technique: 66
Batting: 64
Bowling: 67 [+1]
Physical Strength: 62
[SKILLS POSSESSED]
Cover Drive: 60% Completion
Doosra: 75% Completion
Aryan saw that aside from speed, Vikrant had his stats a bit better than his own, but that wasn't going to last long since he had gained a hoard of stat points from the match they just played.
After checking Vikrant, Aryan used the snooping function on the rest of the team and saw that most of the players had an overall rating of 61-64, with him and Vikrant being the only exceptions at 65 and 66 respectively.
"Prithvi must have a rating of 68 or 69, or he might be in the early 70s since he has played a few matches for the U23s," Aryan thought as he packed his bag. "So I at least need to have a minimum overall rating of 68 to play for the senior Mumbai team."
"Well, let's hurry up and get that overall up," murmured Aryan.
"Did you say something?" Kabir, who was near Aryan, asked.
"Uh, no," Aryan replied.
"So, Coach said we will be here for training tomorrow before the zonal match," Kabir said to Aryan, who nodded.
Aryan finished packing and headed out. He took a BEST bus this time as he had told his mom not to pick him up regularly to save fuel. Aryan arrived at his stop and walked home since it was just a few minutes away.
"I'm home," Aryan called out as he entered the apartment. He removed his shoes and put them on the rack. As he was going upstairs to his room, he saw an unfamiliar face sitting with his sister, Riya, on the living room sofa.