The 72-hour timer for the [Stabilize the Nexus] Quest began the moment the ₹10,00,000 System Loan hit Nihal Verma's project account. For the S-Rank Engineer, the constraint was not the technical challenge, but the ruthless speed required to execute a complex industrial project in a remote, underdeveloped region. Failure meant the [Aura of Accelerated Insight] would falter, and with it, the entire premise of the New Nalanda.
Nihal, energized by the pressure, treated the crisis not as an emergency, but as a pure optimization problem. His S-Rank Aptitude manifested as a breathtaking efficiency: he bypassed all local bureaucracy and logistical chokepoints by leveraging the sheer prestige and legal authority of the NHIAR status, which Shraddha had flawlessly secured.
"We don't have time for local tenders or slow-moving state suppliers," Nihal declared, sitting in the Principal's office, which he had temporarily converted into a command center. He utilized the System Funds with hyper-efficiency, spending only on priority, high-spec components. His focus was on a Micro-Turbine Co-Generation unit—a compact, powerful machine capable of producing both electricity and heat, offering remarkable energy stability compared to standard diesel generators.
Nihal's primary asset, however, was not the turbine itself, but the unexpected technical manpower suddenly available to him: the Six A-Rank+ students.
"This is your first practical exam, Nalanda students," Nihal announced to the core group. "We are going to build the power source that sustains your own genius. There are no textbooks here. Only fundamental physics and a 72-hour deadline."
He divided the monumental task into three specialized, student-led teams:
Logistics & Sequencing (Led by Priya Sharma, A-Rank Logic): Tasked with designing the absolute quickest procurement and on-site assembly sequence for the turbine and its massive diesel tank.
Structural Dynamics (Led by Vikram Sen, A-Rank Physics): Responsible for designing the turbine's high-mass, vibration-dampening concrete foundation and calculating the optimal fuel flow dynamics.
Materials & Acoustics (Led by the A-Rank Chemistry/Material Science students): Assigned the experimental task of quickly formulating a proprietary, dense, noise-canceling polymer using locally sourced, cheap materials to meet noise pollution regulations.
The sheer audacity of involving first-day students in a high-stakes infrastructure project was stunning, but under the influence of the [Aura of Accelerated Insight], Nihal knew they were capable of three years' worth of university-level problem-solving in a single day.
(Paragraph 2: The A-Rank Nexus Design - 1250 words)
The sight of Priya Sharma, the Applied Logic prodigy, was a revelation. She took Nihal's complex, multi-stage delivery schedule and, using the 100x Feedback she had internalized from Professor Jha's calculus lecture (which was really an applied lesson in algorithmic optimization), distilled it into a series of flow charts that were terrifying in their efficiency.
"Sir, the turbine is the critical path," Priya explained, pointing to her minimalist diagram. "But the foundation concrete requires 48 hours to cure properly. If we wait for the turbine to arrive before pouring, we fail. The optimal sequence is: Pour Foundation T=0hrs -> Start Polymer Mix T=5hrs -> Turbine Arrival T=40hrs -> Installation T=48hrs. We use the railway siding 10km away for offloading the turbine, which saves 6 hours over road transport, despite the additional cost."
Nihal, who had a good, B-Rank solution prepared, stared at her A-Rank optimization. Her solution saved 12 hours total and integrated the curing time perfectly.
[System Notification]: "Aptitude Utilization: Priya Sharma (A-Rank) has generated an [Optimal Logistic Heuristic V2.0] which exceeds the current standard by 18%. [The Sixth Step] time efficiency increased."
Meanwhile, Vikram Sen and the physics team were locked in the new, basic lab. Vikram, leveraging the spatial and dimensional concepts internalized from Jha's lesson, was solving the complex problem of vibration dampening. A micro-turbine vibrates intensely; without a perfect foundation, it would slowly shake the already fragile academic block to pieces.
"We can't wait two weeks for specialized vibration mounts," Vikram stated, chalking equations onto the board. "The force vector is non-linear. The solution is not complex material, but precise geometry. We will pour the foundation with two inner, asymmetrical air pockets—calculated to the millimeter—which will act as natural frequency dampeners, diverting the resonant energy sideways." He was designing a seismic insulator using first-year physics principles—a genius move.
The two A-Ranks, working under the heightened Aura of Accelerated Insight, were operating at a speed that felt supernatural. They weren't just following instructions; they were innovating solutions that Nihal himself would have needed weeks to calculate. The System was validating its entire accelerated pedagogy model in the middle of a massive engineering crisis.
(Paragraph 3: Shraddha's Financial and Bureaucratic Siege - 900 words)
While the students focused on engineering principles, Shraddha Singh tackled the external friction. Her S-Rank Administration was a perfect counterpoint to the logistical chaos.
The turbine supplier, a large Mumbai-based firm, was naturally skeptical of a derelict university in Bihar demanding priority delivery of high-cost machinery on a three-day timeline.
"Madam, this is a specialized turbine. It requires a 14-day lead time for quality inspection," the supplier's manager stated over the phone, his tone condescending.
Shraddha, calm and authoritative, did not raise her voice. "Mr. Sharma, this delivery is not going to a university. It is going to the National Heritage Institution for Applied Research (NHIAR), under direct oversight from the Central MHRD. Your contract for this project will be co-signed by the Principal and the MHRD liaison. If you deliver in 14 days, you are simply a supplier. If you deliver in 48 hours, you are a National Priority Partner, and your firm will be featured in the official NHIAR inauguration press release, which will be carried by every major national media outlet."
She used the most valuable currency Arjun had acquired: Credibility and Prestige. The supplier, suddenly seeing a massive public relations win and the removal of bureaucratic red tape (guaranteed by the MHRD co-sign), immediately reassigned a finished unit and paid for express air freight to the nearest major city, meeting the T=40hrs deadline Priya had set.
Meanwhile, she flawlessly managed the ₹15 Lakh budget. Every invoice, every customs fee, and every local labor payment was recorded with perfect transparency. She knew that any financial irregularity, no matter how minor, would be seized upon by the LIFP. Her administrative goal was to make the budget as unassailable as the LID Index.
[System Notification]: "Administration Efficiency: Shraddha Singh (S-Rank) has negotiated a 40% reduction in logistical overheads and secured a 7-day payment extension on 30% of materials. System Debt Repayment Outlook: Improved."
(Paragraph 4: The Final 12 Hours - 800 words)
The scene on the campus was a whirlwind of controlled motion. The foundation, poured with the precise, asymmetrical air pockets designed by Vikram, was hardening perfectly.
At T=60 hours, the massive micro-turbine unit arrived via a specially commissioned truck from the railway siding.
The installation was the climax. Nihal, along with the A-Rank material science students, used their custom-formulated, rapid-curing polymer—mixed with local sawdust and specific chemical additives—to create the acoustic insulation panels. The panels, though ugly, were mathematically perfect absorbers of the turbine's resonant frequency.
Rajesh, the S-Rank Math Genius, was crucial here. Nihal needed to set the mounting bolts with absolute precision to match Vikram's foundation design. Using his computational genius, Rajesh ran the final structural analysis on the fly.
"Nihal Sir, the foundation is off by 0.2 millimeters on the North-East corner due to a thermal gradient change," Rajesh yelled over the noise of the cranes. "Compensate by applying 12,000 Newtons of force to the anchor bolts on the opposite corner!"
Nihal, trusting the math, made the micro-adjustment. It was a moment of true S-Rank synergy: an S-Rank Engineer trusting the instant, high-level calculation of an S-Rank Mathematician.
At T=71 hours and 58 minutes, the final connection was made. Nihal flipped the main switch. The Micro-Turbine Co-Gen System didn't roar; it settled into a deep, stable hum, shielded by the acoustic panels. A new bank of specialized batteries, charged by the system, ensured the power was perfectly clean and non-fluctuating.
(Paragraph 5: The Stabilized Nexus and the Next Horizon - 750 words)
The lights across the campus, which had flickered briefly, stabilized into a brilliant, constant glow.
[System Notification]: "[The Sixth Step: Stabilize the Nexus] Quest Success!"
[Reward Granted]: "System Infrastructure Upgrade: The Stable Energy Nexus is now a permanent fixture. All future infrastructure quests benefit from guaranteed stable power. Energy Stability Rating: S-Rank."
[Reward Granted]: "Aptitude Boost: All active faculty and students on campus have received a permanent +1% base Aptitude increase due to prolonged exposure to the [Aura of Accelerated Insight] during the crisis."
[Reward Granted]: "System Funds: ₹4,00,000 has been released."
Arjun felt the physical shift in the campus—the air felt cleaner, and the Aura itself felt denser, more potent. The threat of degradation was gone.
He turned to the exhausted but triumphant Nihal and the team of students, who were now cleaning up the site with the efficiency of seasoned professionals. "You didn't just install a power plant, Nihal. You built the heart of the New Nalanda. You proved that our students can execute a national-level project on their first day."
The victory, however, was immediately tempered by the System's next push. The clock was ticking on the debt.
[System Notification]: "Debt Status: Remaining Debt to be repaid within 28 Days: ₹10,00,000."
[System Notification]: "New High-Priority Quest Activated: [The Seventh Step: The National Visibility Event]"
[Quest Objective]: "Host an event of National Significance to generate ₹15,00,000 in System Revenue through sponsorships, grants, or entrance fees. This must result in High-Level Media Visibility (A-Rank) to justify the NHIAR designation. Failure will result in a debt penalty and a freeze on all non-essential System functions."
Arjun looked at Shraddha, handing her the final rewards notification. "We are four lakh richer, but still ten lakh in debt, and now the System wants us to host a national event that earns a million and a half rupees. What do you suggest, Shraddha? What event can a two-day-old university host that draws the eyes of the entire nation?"
Shraddha, already analyzing the System's requirements and the current national mood, leaned over the desk. "The LIFP tried to sabotage us by attacking our students' loyalty and our infrastructure. We have to fight back in a way that uses our only true advantage: Rajesh's S-Rank Genius and the 100x Feedback. We will host a competition so difficult, so revolutionary, that the entire nation's academic world will be forced to watch. Principal Singh, we will challenge the very foundations of Indian education with a National Aptitude Test."
The stage was set for the ultimate showdown: Nalanda would compete directly with the coaching institutes and established universities for the nation's attention and funds.