The quiet courtyard of the soon-to-be Ashoka Grove was quickly transformed from a patch of overgrown neglect into a focused construction site, all under the precise direction of S-Rank Administrator Shraddha Singh. Her new aptitude made managing the logistics of the [The Community Cornerstone] quest seem trivial. She didn't just order materials; she optimized the supply chain, anticipating Gopal Das's needs before he voiced them.
"Gopal-ji needs the specialized sandstone from Rajasthan, not the local quarry," she informed the foreman, startling him with her knowledge of stone composition. "The local stone won't hold the detail of the fractal pattern Arjun designed. And have the cement delivered at 7 AM sharp, not 9 AM, to maximize the cool working hours. We are saving both time and money."
Her S-Rank Institutional Foresight allowed her to navigate the bureaucratic red tape of acquiring permits—she knew exactly which low-level clerk to speak to first and which forms to prioritize, eliminating weeks of potential delays.
Gopal Das, the elderly stonemason, found himself both bewildered and invigorated. He had expected the usual chaos and delays of a local project. Instead, his work was uninterrupted. The perfect tools arrived on time; the highest-quality stone was perfectly placed for him to begin. He worked tirelessly on the centerpiece: the large, geometrically complex Swastik design, a fusion of ancient symmetry and modern mathematics that demanded absolute precision. As he worked, he could feel a subtle calmness settling over the campus—an effect of the expanding [Aura of Focus]—which allowed him to achieve an unprecedented level of detailed work, pushing his own latent Craftsmanship Aptitude from its current C- rank toward B+.
Arjun observed, pleased. The System was not just about academic or financial power; it was about optimizing all human endeavors. Shraddha's administrative genius ensured the budget of ₹12,00,000 was maximized, while Gopal's focused effort provided a cultural foundation that money alone couldn't buy.
(Paragraph 2: The Core Ten's Physical Release - 800 words)
The Core Ten students, worn out by months of high-intensity financial modeling, were thrilled to be given a task that engaged their physical side. Arjun assigned them the construction of the peripheral elements of the Grove: setting the brick paths, installing benches, and landscaping the medicinal herb gardens as outlined in the System's design blueprint.
Rajesh, with his high Mechanical Aptitude, quickly mastered the operation of the small cement mixer and directed the leveling of the ground with the precision of an engineer. Ritu, applying her Data Science to the practical world, optimized the soil mix based on the pH requirements of the specific medicinal plants Arjun had suggested (knowing these plants would become globally important superfoods in the future).
The most noticeable transformation was in Hassan and Vijay. Their general aptitudes had significantly improved from the 100x Feedback—not just in academics, but in overall stamina and coordination. They were now physically strong, capable of moving heavy bags of soil and mixing mortar for hours without exhaustion. This physical labor served as a vital stress release. They were no longer just researchers; they were builders, and the physical reality of their creation grounded them during the nerve-wracking waiting game. The campus was slowly becoming their true home, rebuilt by their own hands.
(Paragraph 3: Aura Expansion and Quest Completion - 1200 words)
After just fifteen days—a timeline that should have taken months—the Ashoka Grove was complete.
The Grove was breathtaking. At its heart lay Gopal Das's flawless Swastik carving, reflecting the midday sun. The medicinal garden was a riot of controlled green, and the polished stone benches offered perfect views of the rejuvenated main building. The atmosphere was one of profound peace and concentration.
Gopal Das stood before Arjun, wiping his hands, his face a mix of exhaustion and pride. "This is the finest work I have done in forty years, sahib. It feels… right. Like this place is finally settling its roots again."
Arjun smiled. Gopal Das had not just completed a contract; he had invested his soul and his family's legacy into Nalanda.
[System Notification]: "[The Community Cornerstone] Quest Complete! Local Integration Achieved."
[Reward Granted]: "Small System Expansion: +5% increase in total campus Aura radius and +₹1,00,000 System Funds."
Immediately, Arjun felt the invisible shift. The [Aura of Focus] didn't just intensify; it expanded, subtly spilling out beyond the university walls and into the immediate surrounding lanes of Patna. It was a marginal increase, but significant.
[System Notification]: "Aura of Focus now subtly influences the concentration and cognitive ability of residents within a 150-meter radius, promoting positive sentiment toward the institution."
The effect was subtle but immediate: A petty argument between two neighbors over a parked scooter abruptly cooled into a civil discussion. A local street vendor felt an unexpected burst of creativity, finding a more efficient way to arrange his stall. The entire block seemed to hum with a low-level, constructive energy. The locals, seeing the beautiful, restored Grove and feeling its inexplicable calm, began to look at the 'dead' university with respect and pride. The university had given them beauty and a feeling of peace; they would protect it.
(Paragraph 4: The Unbearable Silence - 700 words)
The focus on the garden provided a necessary buffer, but the specter of the financial deadline loomed larger with every passing day. They were now just 30 days away from October 18th, and there had been complete, unnerving silence from the LIFP in London.
Professor Jha was a coiled spring of tension. "No response means one of two things, Arjun. Either they have dismissed the paper as the rantings of an amateur, or they are panicking because they know it's true and are fighting over how to announce it without causing global panic."
The students, reading the cheerful reports of the rising Bombay market in the newspapers, started to question their own brilliant work. Doubt, the enemy of conviction, began to creep into their minds.
Shraddha, however, was resolute, her S-Rank mind seeing the strategic pattern. "They won't respond early. The paper is too damning. They will wait until the last possible moment, hoping the market proves us wrong, or they will wait until they have the necessary political cover. Arjun, the lack of communication is the response."
Despite her assurance, Arjun knew the next major System decision—whether to preemptively release the paper to the public or wait for the LIFP—was rapidly approaching. He needed a sign, a sliver of data to make the call.
(Paragraph 5: The Observer in the Shade - 300 words)
Just as Arjun concluded a tense meeting with Jha and Shraddha, a new figure appeared at the edge of the campus, lingering near the newly restored Ashoka Grove.
He was a young, sharp-eyed man named Akash Sharma, a freelance journalist from a mid-level Patna newspaper. He wasn't there to interview students or faculty; he was there because he couldn't ignore the change. Three months ago, this university was a dead joke; now, it was a beautiful, hyper-focused oasis of intellectual activity, anchored by a magnificent, newly carved Swastik that seemed to radiate ancient promise.
Akash saw the elderly stonemason, Gopal Das, proudly accepting his final payment from the young principal, Arjun Singh, and his unusually composed administrator, Shraddha. He noticed the speed, the quality, and the sheer intent behind the construction.
"A failing university doesn't invest this kind of capital and heart into a garden," Akash muttered to himself, clicking a quick, discreet photograph of the Core Ten students—Rajesh, Ritu, and Vijay—in their crisp, new Nalanda T-shirts, laughing as they installed the final brick. "Something is very wrong, or very right, with this place."
The System had secured local goodwill, but it had also drawn the first inquiring eyes from the external world. The calm silence was about to be broken.