"Hi everyone! I'm Riya Desai, second year. I'll be your tour guide today. Quick rule: stay together, don't wander off, and ask me anything—seriously, anything. I remember first day confusion. Ready? Let's go!"
The tour began. Riya led them across paved pathways, pointing out buildings.
"That's Academic Block A—theory classrooms. Block B—laboratories, which we're visiting first. That's the library—three floors, amazing collection, you'll practically live there during exam weeks. Boys' hostel over there, girls' hostel that way. Cafeteria is the blue building—food is actually good, which is rare for college cafeterias."
They entered Academic Block B. The smell hit immediately—faint chemical odors mixed with disinfectant. Clean, clinical.
"Here's the Pharmaceutics Laboratory for BP103TP," Riya pushed open a door.
The lab was spacious. White-tiled floors, wooden benches arranged in neat rows, glass cabinets lining walls displaying equipment. Mortar and pestles of various sizes. Measuring cylinders. Beakers. Weighing balances on separate tables. Charts on walls showing pharmaceutical calculations, Good Compounding Practices in bullet points.
"This is where magic happens," Riya said with genuine enthusiasm. "You'll have a workstation each. Those are analytical balances—super precise, super expensive, so don't break them. You'll learn to prepare actual medicines here. It's the best subject, I promise."
Students spread out, examining equipment. Arjun approached one workstation. A glass mortar and pestle sat there, surprisingly heavy when he picked it up. Cold, smooth glass.
"Cool, right?" Kavya appeared beside him. "My grandmother had one of these. I used to watch her grind herbs in it. Felt like alchemy."
"Yeah," Arjun murmured, turning the pestle in his hands.
As he held it, something strange happened.
A faint warmth spread through his palms where they touched the glass. Not uncomfortable. Just... unusual. Like the glass was slightly warmer than room temperature.
Then a sharp pain stabbed through his temples.
"Ow," he winced, nearly dropping the pestle.
"You okay?" Kavya asked, concerned.
"Yeah, just... sudden headache."
But it wasn't fading. It was building. Pressure behind his eyes, throbbing in rhythm with his heartbeat. The lab's fluorescent lights suddenly seemed too bright. Sounds too loud.
"Arjun? You look pale."
"I'm fine. Just need some air maybe."
"There's a medical room on this floor," Riya's voice cut in. She'd noticed his distress. "Third door on the left down the corridor. Want me to—"
"No, I can find it. Just need a minute. I'll catch up."
Before anyone could protest, Arjun set the pestle down carefully and headed for the door. The cool corridor air helped a bit, but the headache persisted, wrapping around his skull like a tight band.
Third door on the left. Medical Room.
He pushed it open.
The room was small—a basic examination bed, glass cabinets with first-aid supplies, a desk cluttered with papers. And on one wall, a display shelf.
Antique pharmaceutical equipment. Brass scales. Old glass bottles with faded labels. Historical pieces, probably.
And in the center, under a glass case, a mortar and pestle unlike any he'd seen.
They were made of some dark stone—almost black, with deep blue veins running through it. Symbols were carved around the rim. Not Hindi. Not Gujarati. Not English. Nothing Arjun recognized. The craftsmanship was extraordinary. Ancient but preserved perfectly.
A small placard beneath read: **"Origin Unknown - Donated 1947 - Handle with Care"**
The headache intensified, focusing somehow on those objects.
Arjun's hand moved before his brain registered the decision. He lifted the glass case. Dust motes danced in the light. His fingers touched the mortar's rim.
The world exploded in light.
Not literal light. But something that flooded his vision—blue, brilliant, all-consuming. His knees buckled but he didn't fall. Time seemed to stretch and compress simultaneously.
And then, floating in his vision like text on a screen, words appeared:
***
**[SUPER PHARMACIST SYSTEM ACTIVATED]**
**[HOST DETECTED]**
**[INITIATING COMPATIBILITY SCAN...]**
**[SCAN COMPLETE]**
**[HOST: ARJUN MEHTA]**
**[AGE: 18]**
**[EDUCATION: B.PHARM FIRST YEAR, GUJARAT TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY]**
**[COMPATIBILITY RATING: 97.3%]**
**[BINDING PROCESS INITIATED...]**
**[...BINDING SUCCESSFUL]**
**[WELCOME, HOST, TO THE SUPER PHARMACIST SYSTEM]**
***
Arjun staggered back, heart hammering. The blue light faded. The medical room looked normal again. But the text remained—floating transparent in the corner of his vision like some kind of augmented reality overlay.
"What the hell?" he whispered.
**[YOU HAVE ACTIVATED A LEVEL 8 CIVILIZATION TECHNOLOGY]** the text updated. **[THIS SYSTEM HAS BEEN DORMANT FOR 78 YEARS AWAITING A COMPATIBLE HOST. YOU ARE NOW THAT HOST.]**
"This isn't real. I'm hallucinating. The headache—I'm having a stroke or something—"
**[NEGATIVE. YOUR NEUROLOGICAL FUNCTION IS OPTIMAL. THIS IS NOT A HALLUCINATION. THE SUPER PHARMACIST SYSTEM IS NOW INTEGRATED WITH YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS. WOULD YOU LIKE A DEMONSTRATION?]**
Arjun looked around wildly. The door was still closed. He was alone. No one had followed him.
"Okay. Okay. If this is real—if I'm not losing my mind—then... demonstrate."
**[OBSERVE]**
His vision shifted. When he looked at the glass cabinet with first-aid supplies, information overlaid above each item:
**Paracetamol 500mg Tablets IP**
- Generic Name: Paracetamol/Acetaminophen
- Class: Non-opioid analgesic, antipyretic
- Mechanism: COX-2 inhibitor in CNS
- Dosing: 500-1000mg q4-6h, max 4g/day
- Toxicity: Hepatotoxic in overdose (>4g/day)
- Storage: Below 25°C, dry place
**Ranitidine 150mg Tablets**
- Class: H2 receptor antagonist
- Mechanism: Blocks histamine action on gastric parietal cells
- Clinical Use: Gastric acid reduction
- Interactions: Reduces absorption of ketoconazole
- Caution: Renal dose adjustment required if CrCl <50 mL/min
The information appeared instantly. Complete. Detailed. Far beyond anything Arjun had learned.
"How do I know all this?" he breathed.
**[YOU DO NOT KNOW IT. THE SYSTEM PROVIDES PHARMACEUTICAL KNOWLEDGE AS NEEDED. THIS IS A LEVEL 8 CIVILIZATION'S SOLUTION TO ACCELERATING PHARMACEUTICAL EXPERTISE IN LOWER-TIER CIVILIZATIONS.]**
"Level 8... what does that even mean?"
**[A LEVEL 8 CIVILIZATION HAS MASTERED BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, MEDICINE, AND PHARMACEUTICAL TECHNOLOGY ACROSS MULTIPLE DIMENSIONS. YOUR EARTH CIVILIZATION IS CURRENTLY LEVEL 0.73. THIS SYSTEM WAS CREATED TO BRIDGE THAT GAP.]**
Arjun's mind reeled. Civilizations rated by numbers. Technology from multiple dimensions. Systems that integrated with human consciousness.
"Why me?"
**[COMPATIBILITY. THE SYSTEM SCANS FOR SPECIFIC COGNITIVE PATTERNS, ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS, AND PHARMACEUTICAL APTITUDE. YOUR RATING OF 97.3% IS EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH. OUT OF EVERY MILLION HUMANS, APPROXIMATELY THREE WOULD ACHIEVE ABOVE 95% COMPATIBILITY.]**
"But I'm... I'm average. I didn't even want to study pharmacy."
**[CURRENT PERFORMANCE DOES NOT INDICATE POTENTIAL. YOUR LATENT CAPABILITIES FOR PHARMACEUTICAL MASTERY ARE SIGNIFICANT. THE SYSTEM WILL CULTIVATE THESE CAPABILITIES.]**
A new window appeared in his vision:
***
**[SUPER PHARMACIST SYSTEM - MAIN INTERFACE]**
**HOST STATUS:**
- Level: 0 (Beginner)
- Experience: 0/1000 XP
- Pharmaceutical Knowledge: 0/100 (Beginner Rank)
- Pharma Points: 0 PP
**AVAILABLE FUNCTIONS:**
1. **TASKS** - Complete pharmaceutical challenges to gain XP and PP
2. **SHOP** - Exchange PP for advanced medicines, formulations, abilities
3. **STATUS** - View detailed capabilities
4. **KNOWLEDGE DATABASE** - Access pharmaceutical information (limited by current level)
5. **INVENTORY** - Store system items
**CURRENT TASK:**
"Orientation Day Completion"
- Attend all orientation sessions
- Complete campus tour
- Collect student materials
- Reward: 100 XP, 50 PP, Beginner's Package
***
"This is..." Arjun struggled for words. "This is insane."
**[THIS IS YOUR REALITY NOW, HOST. YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN TO BECOME A PHARMACEUTICAL MASTER. HOW YOU USE THIS SYSTEM IS YOUR CHOICE. BUT KNOW THIS: YOUR CIVILIZATION NEEDS BETTER HEALTHCARE. YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS BETTER PHARMACEUTICAL CARE. YOU NOW HAVE THE TOOLS TO PROVIDE IT.]**
"Are there... are there others? Other systems?"
**[THAT INFORMATION IS CURRENTLY LOCKED. REACH LEVEL 10 TO UNLOCK CLASSIFIED DATA.]**
Locked information. Levels to unlock. This really was like some video game RPG merged with reality.
A knock on the door made Arjun jump.
"Hello? Anyone in here?" Riya's voice.
Arjun touched the mortar one more time—now it just felt like cool stone—then quickly put the glass case back.
"Coming!"
He opened the door. Riya stood there with Kavya beside her.
"You okay? You've been gone for a while," Riya asked.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Headache went away. Just needed a moment."
"Good. We're moving to the next lab. Pharmaceutical Analysis. You coming?"
"Definitely."
As they walked back into the corridor, the system interface minimized to a small blue icon in the corner of his vision. Barely noticeable unless he focused on it.
Kavya fell into step beside him. "You sure you're okay? You looked really out of it back there."
"I'm fine," Arjun said. And strangely, he meant it. The confusion, the fear—they were being replaced by something else.
Curiosity.
Whatever this system was, whatever had just happened, his life had fundamentally changed. He'd walked into this orientation as a reluctant pharmacy student pressured by family circumstances.
He was walking out as something else.
Someone chosen.
Someone with potential he'd never imagined.
Someone who—maybe, possibly—could actually become great at this.
The tour continued. They visited labs, the library, the cafeteria. The system remained quiet, just observing, occasionally highlighting relevant information when Arjun examined equipment or read notices.
And through it all, Arjun kept thinking:
*What else can this do? What am I supposed to become?*
The answer, he suspected, would reveal itself over the next four years.
The Super Pharmacist System had chosen him.
Now he had to figure out why.
***
**[SUPER PHARMACIST SYSTEM: ACTIVE]**
**[HOST: ARJUN MEHTA]**
**[STATUS: INTEGRATED]**
**[CURRENT TASK PROGRESS: 60%]**
To be Continue.