The moment the [Second Step] Quest completed and the reward of the [Advanced Dormitory Module] was unlocked, Arjun felt a subtle, instantaneous shift in the university's physical structure. It wasn't a visible construction crew or the sudden arrival of building materials; it was a conceptual, System-driven change focused on maximizing the [Aura of Focus].
The university's dilapidated, unused servant quarters—a block of six rooms adjacent to the old principal's office—were instantly transformed. The crumbling plaster became smooth, climate-controlled walls. The single, bare bulb in the hallway was replaced by diffused, bright lighting specifically calibrated for sustained concentration. Each room was minimalistic but perfectly functional, featuring ergonomic desks, comfortable bedding, and, crucially, a silent, high-speed network connection linked directly to the Foundational Computing Lab.
The ten pioneers—now officially the Core Ten—were astonished when Arjun, guided by the System's internal blueprint, showed them their new living quarters.
"This looks like the inside of a European tech campus, not a university in Patna," Lalita Devi, the logistics expert, muttered, running a hand over the smooth, dust-free desk surface.
"This is your sanctuary," Arjun explained, watching the [Aura of Focus] settle over the space like a gentle blanket. "You are isolated from the world's noise and distractions. Your focus starts here, and it ends in the lab. The goal of this dormitory is singular: to ensure your minds are always operating at peak efficiency. You move in tonight. Your time is no longer your own; it belongs to the future."
Shraddha, who had overseen the smooth, rapid transition of their sparse belongings, gave Arjun a knowing look. She understood the System was providing more than comfort; it was providing a controlled environment, a critical prerequisite for achieving 100x Feedback. The closer the students were to the source of the System's energy, the stronger the effect of the [Aura of Focus] would be. The first step towards global recognition was absolute, total immersion. The university had physically become a fortress of learning.
(Paragraph 2: The Collision of Geniuses - 900 words)
The true power of the [Second Step] Quest manifested when Dr. Rohan Verma and Professor Alok Jha met for the first time in the newly set-up Faculty Planning Room. Dr. Verma, the S-Rank in Computational Logic, was pragmatic but energized. Professor Jha, the S-Rank in Dynamic Economics, was volatile but laser-focused after Arjun had used the System's concepts to validate his life's work.
Arjun simply put the [Third Step] Quest objective on the table: Achieve Global Recognition via a Novel Research Outcome in 90 Days.
"Verma, your task is to design a high-throughput computational model—a specialized server architecture—capable of handling Professor Jha's real-time, multi-variable calculations," Arjun instructed. "Jha, your task is to define the exact financial anomaly we will predict. We need something undeniable, something that proves the validity of this university to the world."
Jha, guided by his newly unlocked [Applied Economics & Algorithmic Trading] Specialization Module, immediately bypassed current computational limits. "The existing market models, the Black–Scholes formulas, they are static—they assume rational actors and slow data. My Dynamic Currency Model requires continuous recalibration, processing millions of data points hourly. We need a system that can run parallel processing simulations using data structures that don't exist yet."
Verma, who had been studying the future compiler abstracts from the [Advanced Library Module], slammed his hand on the table. "I saw it! The 'Quantum Resilience' paper… it described a theoretical multi-threaded asynchronous compiler. If Rajesh and Vikram can build the physical architecture, I can use the principles in that abstract to write a preliminary operating system capable of running your simulations with the necessary speed. We can build a financial supercomputer from components purchased in a Patna bazaar!"
The two S-Ranks—one the master of future computation, the other the master of future application—had instantly achieved intellectual synergy. They were not just collaborating; they were using the System's future-dated knowledge to build a present-day technological anomaly. The 100x Feedback was no longer limited to individual students; it was creating a hyper-accelerated academic singularity between the faculty pillars.
(Paragraph 3: The Strategic Upgrade - 800 words)
Arjun watched the faculty's intense planning, but the looming deadline and the requirement for Global Recognition weighed heavily. An undeniable research outcome was useless if it couldn't be packaged and presented with devastating clarity and strategic timing. The raw data needed a human interpreter who could speak the language of power, finance, and media.
He had one Faculty Aptitude Voucher (B-to-A) left. It was time to use it.
Arjun walked into the room where Priya (A-Rank Strategic Communication) was helping Hassan refine the university's internal messaging. Priya's aptitude was already A-Rank, but the jump to A+ or S was needed to handle the scale of a global press event.
"Priya, I need you to be the voice of Nalanda, but more than that, I need you to be the shield and the weapon," Arjun thought. He discreetly activated the System.
[System]: "Select target for Faculty Aptitude Voucher (B-to-A)."
Target: Priya Sharma, Current Aptitude (Strategic Communication): A-
Action: Upgrade Strategic Communication from A- to A+.
Confirmation: Yes/No?
Arjun confirmed the action mentally. A wave of System energy, refined and focused, flowed through the [University Aura] and centered on Priya. She suddenly paused, mid-sentence, her eyes focusing intently on the wall. A lifetime of rhetorical theory, political strategy, and media management models—all accelerated and perfected—flooded her mind. She felt an overwhelming clarity on how to structure complex arguments, anticipate critical counter-questions, and manipulate public perception through concise, undeniable evidence.
[System]: "Priya Sharma's Aptitude in Strategic Communication successfully upgraded to A+."
Priya blinked, turning to Arjun with a new, almost intimidating professional confidence. "Sir, I just realized our current press release draft is flawed. It's too defensive. We shouldn't explain why we exist; we should announce what we have found. We need a press conference, not a press release. We need to create a global news event."
Arjun smiled, immensely satisfied. The upgrade had not just improved her skill; it had elevated her perspective to the level of a global strategist. "Exactly, Priya. Now, tell me, what have we found?"
(Paragraph 4: The Market Anomaly Project - 700 words)
With the two S-Rank faculty collaborating and the communications channel secured with an A+ strategist, the focus turned to the Novel Research Outcome.
Professor Jha, surrounded by his three brilliant, focused students (Ritu, Vijay, Lalita), began the selection process using the [Applied Economics & Algorithmic Trading] data.
"To achieve Global Recognition, we cannot predict the next local flood or a simple business trend. We must address a systemic flaw that traditional financial institutions are ignoring," Jha declared.
Ritu, the data scientist, spoke up. "The data from the [Advanced Library Module] abstracts hints at massive volatility hidden within the nascent IT and telecommunications sector. Everyone is focused on the BSE Sensex as a whole, but the fundamentals of these new tech companies are being drastically overvalued, anticipating future growth that is mathematically unsustainable without immediate, specific infrastructure investment."
Vijay, the finance expert, immediately grasped the implication. "You are saying the market is holding a hidden bubble—a localized, ticking time bomb within the new economy. If we can accurately predict when that bubble will burst, or when a major correction is inevitable, we don't just get recognition; we gain financial authority."
Lalita, the logistics expert, provided the final, critical piece. "The flow of investment capital into this sector can be tracked like a supply chain. If we model the liquidity movement against the actual physical output and infrastructure growth, the divergence will be clear. We can find the mathematical point of no return."
Professor Jha nodded, his face grim. "Then the target is clear. We will use the Nalanda Supercomputer to model the Liquidity-to-Infrastructure Divergence (LID) Index for the Indian IT sector. We will predict the exact date and magnitude of a major market correction, proving that our dynamic model, built on future science, can see the truth the current system is blind to. Our research title will be: 'The Inevitable Collapse: A Mathematical Warning on the Indian Technology Market.'"
The project was massive, dangerous, and perfectly positioned for global impact.
(Paragraph 5: The 90-Day Sprint Begins - 400 words)
Arjun watched the ten students and two faculty members—a small, focused army—disperse into their respective zones: the Dormitories of Focus, the Lab of Computation, and the Planning Room of Strategy.
He felt the heavy weight of the Third Step deadline: 90 Days.
The financial world, accustomed to slow, deliberate movements, was about to be hit by a blast of accelerated, future-dated research. If they succeeded, Nalanda would leap from a local joke to a global academic powerhouse, secured by a ₹5 Crore reward and the powerful Universal Aptitude Voucher (A-to-S). If they failed, the university would be crippled by the loss of the [Advanced Library Module] access and the inability to upgrade the team further.
Arjun activated the System's internal clock.
[System]: "90 Day Countdown Commencing. [Third Step] Quest is active. Primary research focus: LID Index Predictive Modeling."
Arjun looked out over the quiet campus, the Swastik symbol on the gate now seeming less a symbol of history and more a promise of the future. He walked to the computing lab, ready to start the first of many long nights. The university was no longer preparing to learn; it was preparing to publish. The clock was ticking, and the future of Nalanda depended entirely on the predictive power of two S-Rank minds and ten hyper-focused pioneers.