Life is about the moments we fucked up and here is mine.
I was abruptly awakened from my sleep by a sharp voice amplified through a microphone, causing me to be jolted. As I opened my eyes, I was met with an unsettling sight of my very own face being projected on the screen that was positioned right behind the speaker.
This realization shook off any dizziness that I had and only deepened my sense of panic, causing my whole body to tremble for a moment with a frantic expression evident on my face.
After a few seconds of disorientation and recalibrating my disarrayed thoughts, I was finally able to remember that today was the day when my professor was going to give a thesis presentation. The voice amplified through the microphone belonged to none other than my professor, who currently stood on the stage, and from the looks of it, the man appeared to be visibly upset with the fact that someone had fallen asleep during his presentation.
I started to feel a rush of embarrassment and regret, realizing that all the esteemed professors and other influential individuals from the industry were present at this very moment, making the situation all the more awkward and uncomfortable.
"I'm fucked," I thought to myself, my mind racing with anxiety. However, trapped in this situation with no way out, I had no other way but to give it my all and survive. After all, since I was already in this predicament, what could there be more to make me be afraid
…..
Professor Rottem was fuming with anger when he discovered that one of the attendees had dozed off on a day when he was about to make his mark in the history of the tech industry.
As he looked closely, he remembered that the fellow was one of those poor students that attended his classes. He chose to accept such students for the sake of enhancing his reputation positively.
So, he decided to teach this brat a lesson today and let him know what his place was since the kid had decided to sleep on the day of his presentation, he was sure it wouldn't harm him in any way since he was going to have the best reputation one could have for someone in the tech community due to the groundbreaking thesis that he was presenting."Can you stand up?.... You.... yes, the one who was sleeping... Stand up," he said, emphasizing the student's sleeping so that even in the future when people wanted to revisit this history-making moment, they would know the reason as to why he decided to humiliate this student since he was sleeping during such a historic moment, they will without a doubt, side with him as people usually follow the successful one, meaning that his reputation won't be harmed in the slightest or it was even possible that it might even increase since it would seem that he was also a hater of lazy people or something. Whatever one might come to a reason!!!
As the professor looked at the still disoriented student of his, he decided to compound more to this one's misery by demanding an answer from him for a question that was the main crux of today's thesis presentation.
"Since you are capable of sleeping, it implies that you know more than all of us here. Care to explain this part?" he said, smugly pointing to the most challenging part of the presentation, eagerly awaiting his student's embarrassment, one that he couldn't even care to know the name of.
While he was waiting for the student to embarrass himself, he heard something he never expected to hear today."There is a mistake at this point."
"WHAT!!!" the professor exclaimed, surprised to hear the words. However, he quickly calmed himself down and regained his composure after remembering that the one who pointed out that there was an error was still a student and one who had been asleep just a few minutes prior.
"It seems you are still half-asleep, so sit down," the professor decided to make the student sit, so that the fellow won't embarrass him and avoid tarnishing his historic moment. But the student didn't sit down, instead, he continued speaking, "No, sir, there really is a mistake..." and then continued explaining where the mistakes exactly were.The professor was horrified by the student's explanation, as he watched his reputation crumble by every second because the mistake was pretty obvious, but the reason why most people had missed it was because they didn't expect such an obvious blunder to be made by a professor of his reputation.
…...
"TAKE HIM OUT!" the professor thundered, commanding the security personnel to drag me out of the conference. Chaos erupted in the hall as the people were taken aback by the magnitude of the oversight that allowed such an error to pass through the rigorous review process and even be approved for presentation.
Little did I know at this moment that the reason such a glaring error went unnoticed was due to the professor's influential family background.
Eli Yehudah Rotem Rothschild, the professor's full name, carried a weight of power that shielded him from scrutiny. But in my ignorance, I continued to mutter, oblivious to the fact that my ordinary life had just come to an abrupt end.
My muttered words were abruptly silenced as I was tackled and forcibly carried out by a group of security guards. It was in that moment of being forcefully taken away that the harsh reality sank in me—I had truly fucked up.
…...
Two weeks had elapsed since that unforgettable day, and Professor Eli Yehudah Rotem Rothschild had taken a month-long leave to recover from the 'emotional strain' caused by the incident.
However, there was no such respite for Aron, a regular student in the final year of university. With a mere three weeks remaining until graduation, he continued attending classes, determined to complete his studies and forge the future that lay ahead.On this particular day, Aron found himself in campus, making his way to the designated location to submit his graduation thesis. Exams had already been taken, and the results had also been announced. Now, all that stood between Aron and his coveted diploma was the successful submission and defense of his thesis.
Having completed the task at hand, Aron made his way back home, knowing that the review process was underway and an appointment for his thesis defense had yet to be scheduled. With an abundance of free time on his hands, Aron pondered what would be the best way to occupy himself until the next milestone of his academic journey.
…....
A week later.
A week after submitting his graduation thesis, Aron received an email from the university. Expecting it to be related to the scheduling of his thesis defense, he opened the email with a sense of eager anticipation. However, to his surprise, the contents of the email were nothing like what he had expected or what he had heard from others.
[Subject: Disciplinary Committee Meeting Invitation - Accusation of Thesis Theft & Plagiarizing
Dear Aron,
We are writing to inform you that a disciplinary committee meeting has been scheduled to address the serious allegations of thesis theft and plagiarism that have been brought against you. The meeting will take place on May 12, 2013, at 10:45 a.m. in the faculty of engineering building.
The allegations of theft are a very serious matter, and we take them with utmost seriousness. As a member of our academic community, it is expected that you uphold the highest standards of academic integrity. We understand that this may be a difficult time for you, but it is important that you cooperate with the investigation to help us reach a fair and just outcome.
During the disciplinary committee meeting, you will have the opportunity to present your side of the story and respond to the allegations that have been made against you. We kindly request that you attend the meeting on time and be prepared to provide any information or evidence that you believe may be relevant to the case.
Please be aware that if you fail to attend the disciplinary committee meeting, a decision may still be reached based on the evidence presented to the committee. We strongly advise that you attend the meeting to avoid any adverse consequences.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the disciplinary committee meeting or the allegations that have been made against you, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to support you and help you navigate through this process.
Best regards,
Julyan Lenny
Disciplinary committeeColumbia University]Aron was horrified instead of being startled since he knew deep down that this couldn't be true. He had diligently run his thesis through five different plagiarism checker programs, and none of them had found even a semblance of similarity to his work. It was clear to him that this had to be either a terrible mistake or a malicious conspiracy.
Regardless of that, he knew that he was fucked up big this time.
….....
On the designated day, Aron arrived at the meeting location completely prepared for the discipline committee hearing, despite his previous attempts to clarify the potential mistake. As soon as he entered the room, he found four professors awaiting his arrival, ready to commence the proceedings without any delay.
From the very beginning, it was apparent that the meeting was heavily biased, leaning more towards a predetermined outcome. Even as Aron passionately defended himself, it seemed as though his words were falling on deaf ears or being deliberately disregarded.
By the 45th minute of the meeting, it became painfully evident to Aron that his fate had been sealed long before this MEETING had even begun.
The meeting continued, disregarding Aron's evidence as the committee pressed on with their accusations, armed with their own evidence.
What puzzled him was that they presented thesis papers dating back seven years, and there were some that were even more recent. Aron was certain these papers didn't exist until a few days ago. How did they discover evidence of plagiarism in papers that didn't exist before?
He highly suspected that he was being targeted, although uncertain of the culprit's identity due to lacking any kind of evidence. The committee informed him that the decision would be announced in three days.
Feeling disheartened, Aron returned to his dormitory, awaiting the committee's conclusion before taking any further action.
…..
It was a warm spring day, and the Columbia University campus was buzzing with excitement. Families and friends had gathered to celebrate the graduation of the Class of 2009 which was graduating in 2013. Among the sea of gowns and hats, stood Aron, a young man brimming with anger, sadness, and disappointment.
As he took his place among the crowd and glanced around at his friends in graduation attire, Aron couldn't help but reflect on the journey that had brought him to this moment.
It had been four years since he had first stepped foot in this campus, filled with hope and determination to make the most of his university experience. Now, here he was, on the brink of a new chapter of his life, holding an expulsion notice in hand and facing the brutal world that was waiting for him.
Anger coursed through Aron as he trembled, remembering how he was denied graduation on the very day of the graduation ceremony as they kept postponing the announcement of their decision. It was only then that he was informed of their decision by his professor.
And the decision was utterly fucked up. It was his first time seeing someone being expelled via email. Like what the fucking hell? AN EMAIL!!!
The reason they gave him was the blatant use of plagiarised material without citing them as sources, like WHAT THE FUCK. How was he supposed to know that he had plagiarised something without knowing it existed even after using 5 thesis checking programs and finding that none had flagged any similarities to his?
But what made him feel weird was how they even managed to find such a significant amount of information in such a short period of time. It seemed as if someone was deliberately trying to sabotage his already difficult life.
But who would want to do such a thing to him?
As the graduation ceremony came to a conclusion, Aron trudged back to his dormitory to gather all of his belongings. Being expelled from the school, he had to leave the school grounds within a week. Although he appealed their verdict, the authorities denied him of it and further informed him that he wouldn't be allowed to appeal any more due to the conclusive evidence they had obtained against him. So, they advised him that he shouldn't be wasting their time and rather start preparing himself so that he could leave the campus grounds before being forcefully thrown out. With his heavy heart filled with disappointment and frustration, Aron could only leave the university all alone without noticing anyone around to send him off, that was because he had lost almost all his friends after the accusation was announced against him. And the remaining two friends of his also couldn't see him off as they had to attend the mandatory meeting that was held for graduates. As for the rest of his fr
The next morning after Aron woke up, as soon as he rose from his bed, suddenly a voice rang in his mind saying, "SAY STATUS" "What? STATUS?" and since he was still in a disoriented state from his sleep, Aron simply muttered what he had heard in his head in a confused manner. However, the system didn't care whether it really was his intention or not. What mattered to it was whether the magic word was mentioned or not, and it was. So right after Aron uttered the word trying to shake off his sleep, a blue screen suddenly appeared in front of him, displaying a series of information. [STATUS] Name: Aron Michael Age: 22 Height: 1.89m System Class: Runemaster [SHOP] {Search} (SP amount: 100,000) [QUEST] [ {Daily quest: Ways to get stronger} 100 Push-ups (0/100) 100 Crunches (0/100) 100 Squat (0/100) 10 Kilometres Running (0/10) (Rewards: 100 SP) ] Just as his face was about to show some fear after witnessing a random screen suddenly pop in front of his face out of nowhere
Aron rose from the ground, his breathing turned ragged and laboured after an intense series of push-ups on the grassy expanse of the park. As he tried to steady his breathing, he began to jog, his movements smooth and effortless as he traversed across the verdant landscape. With each stride he took, he felt the muscles of his legs come to life, his feet pounding the soft earth underneath them with a steady rhythm. The morning sun shone down on him, casting long shadows behind him as he ran through the open spaces, his senses attuned to the sights and sounds around him. Despite the challenge of the workout he had just completed, Aron continued to press on, pushing himself harder and harder with each passing moment. His breathing grew deeper and more measured, his body was also working in a perfect harmony as he ran with the power and grace like that of an athlete in his prime. And the young man continued to do so until a screen appeared in front of him. That was when he knew that his
And soon enough, the program had already started testing every exploit that could be used to breach the University’s system's defences, rendering the firewall it was supposed to be protected with as ineffective as a tofu, just a touch it couldn’t even stand for more at all. While the University has invested a significant amount of money for the security of their system, when it was in the eyes of Aron's program, it looked like nothing more than a kid trying to fight against a tank. It was effortlessly ripped through, identifying and detailing every weakness, providing instructions on how even a beginner-level programmer could exploit the system. With the passing of the seventh hour since the system started going through the University’s System, Aron’s program still continued on exposing more and more vulnerabilities. There were several reasons why this process was taking such a long time to complete. Firstly, it was because Aron’s computer was cheap since his family couldn't affor
After exploiting the vulnerabilities and gaining access to the university's database and finding out who it was who had been plotting for his misery, Aron managed to calm himself down and then shifted his focus towards earning money first in order to relieve himself from the debt so that it won't raise a negative situation in the future. With that, he decided to find his first target for his grand money-making plan. And since he needed a large amount of money, Aron needed to find the victim who would not only put way too much importance on their data security but also boasted a very large user base and wanted to prevent user data theft. This means that such a target will be willing to pay more money for his service, since a data leak for them may mean that they would lose their user’s trust in their security system. So, with all that in mind, Aron decided to focus on social media sites since they perfectly met all of his criteria. He then started investigating these platforms and ini
CAFE Aron arrived at the meeting place where he had planned to meet with Felix and give him a detailed explanation in order for him to prepare for the meeting with the F******k officials and negotiation with F******k. Three Minutes after Aron had gotten his drink, Felix arrived, shaking hands with Aron and giving him a hug. Aron's friend sat down on the opposite side. "How have you been coping since that day?" Felix asked with slight worry, he was aware of Aron’s condition and also thought that his friend wouldn’t have done such a thing. "Though, it was difficult at first, it has been going pretty well now, in fact, I'm even surprised at myself," Aron smiled while answering and waving his hand. Although he didn't explain the reason as to what was helping him cope or gave him hope, it didn't mean he wasn't grateful for it. Without the arrival of the system, it would have taken him longer to be able to recover and move on from what had happened to him, and since those nasty people
After a few days, it was finally time for the meeting with the group from F******k, and having provided with all the expenses, Aron and Felix didn't fret about anything and were now in the venue that was planned for the meeting to take place. The atmosphere in the meeting room was tense as the group of eight sat in their respective positions, with each side almost mirroring the other. On one side of the long conference table sat Aron, accompanied by his friend and lawyer Felix with a laptop in front of him displaying a folder labelled as "Sensitive Information" on the screen, and a USB flash drive inserted in the computer. On the opposite side sat six individuals, including Roxana, the head of security at F******k, along with five other people, three among which were lawyers and the other two were from the security department of the F******k site. Aron fidgeted in his seat, his eyes darting nervously from the screen to the faces of the people sitting across from him, as both sides
Aron and his family finally moved into their new house by the fourth week after their initial discussion that night. After purchasing the house, Aron bought two cars for his family’s use. His parents were overjoyed, knowing that they no longer had to worry about rent and other miscellaneous expenses. Initially, when he showed the house to his parents, they asked him to consider buying a more affordable one, because this one was very expensive. However, Aron managed to convince them by telling them that he had chosen this house since it would provide an easier access for his younger brother to the better schools around here which eventually made them agree to his purchase. The house was a spacious 6-bedroom property with a ground floor, an upper floor and a basement. Currently, they were using only 3 rooms, one for his parents, one for him, and one for his younger brother, while the rest were reserved for guests and other purposes. As for the basement, it became Aron’s personal sp
“Seraphina,” Aron began, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of authority, “I’m not your enemy—unless you choose to make me one. I understand your anger, your frustration. You’ve lost control of a situation you believed was firmly under your command. But this predicament wasn’t my doing—you’re here because your leader chose to sacrifice you. What I’m offering you isn’t a chain—it’s an opportunity.”Her sharp eyes narrowed, the intensity of her gaze unwavering, but she held her silence. Aron leaned forward, his own gaze unrelenting as it met hers.“You can continue resisting, pushing the boundaries of the mana oath, and enduring needless pain. Or…” He paused, letting the words linger like a challenge. “You can choose to turn this situation into one that serves us both. Your strength, your insight—these are not things I wish to suppress. Quite the opposite. I want them refined, amplified, and put to meaningful use.”He motioned toward the table, where Nova was still doing fina
[Colosseum]Aron and Seraphina stood motionless, maintaining the same distance as at the start of their faceoff. Neither had moved, even during the spectacular fireworks show that followed Aron’s acceptance of her surrender. The only exception was Aron briefly waving to the citizens of his empire watching the broadcast, many of whom were overcome with emotion, crying in celebration of their historic victory. This event marked the first-ever interstellar combat they had participated in, and despite their lack of experience, they emerged as the sole victors.As cheers of triumph reverberated among his people and the disbelief of others lingered, the broadcast concluded. The moment Aron secured his final victory, the Arena itself was officially handed over to him as part of his reward, along with control of the AI referee. Without hesitation, the AI complied with her new owner’s first command: to end the broadcast. Aron had more pressing matters to attend to—a private conversation with a
[Meeting Room]Inside the Zelvora mental network, an oppressive silence hung over the gathered representatives around the meeting table. The events of the day had left them all stunned, their minds racing with the implications of what had transpired. These were not just any representatives—they were the ones who had signed off on the agreements, the architects of their civilizations’ participation in this contest.Now, they were confronted with the brutal outcome of their decisions.Many representatives sat deep in thought, their faces betraying various degrees of fear, frustration, and resignation. Those who hailed from civilizations steeped in selfish political traditions knew all too well the grim truth: scapegoats would be needed. Someone would have to bear the brunt of the blame for the humiliation, anger, and setbacks their civilizations had suffered.For many of them, the path forward seemed bleak. In the best-case scenario, they might lose their positions, exiled from the corr
To say Aron was surprised would be the understatement of the gigaannum. The announcement had obliterated every scenario he had meticulously crafted in his mind. In all his time spent in simulations, preparing for countless contingencies, not once had he considered the possibility of the Xor’Vaks surrendering—least of all without a fight.Their pride in their strength was legendary, surpassing even the vaunted arrogance of the Valthorins. For a race that reveled in their dominance, surrendering, especially on such a grand stage, was unthinkable. This sudden reversal of expectations hit him with such force that he could practically feel the metaphorical veins in his temple throbbing from the sheer shock of it all.The audience’s collective astonishment mirrored his own, but none felt it as acutely as Aron, whose carefully laid strategies now seemed almost laughably over-prepared in the face of this unanticipated twist.The largest part of Aron's shock wasn’t just the surrender itself bu
The minutes passed quickly for the viewers, their eyes glued to Aron as he sat unmoving in the same meditative position for over fifteen minutes. Speculation ran rampant on both sides, fueled by curiosity and tension.For those in the Empire, the consensus was that Aron was in VR, likely meeting with family or key figures. Many debated who he might be speaking with, guessing that he was either calming worried loved ones or strategizing for the next fight.On the other hand, viewers from the Astral Conclave harbored a mix of anxiety and intrigue. They questioned whether Aron was recuperating in preparation for the upcoming battle, enhancing his focus and mental clarity, or if his recovery from the previous fight was incomplete and he was still in the process of healing.But their speculations ceased to matter as Aron opened his eyes with five minutes remaining in the waiting period. Calm and deliberate, he removed the glasses from his head, placing them back into their container. His n
The moment the fight was officially declared over, Nova acted without hesitation. She immediately dispatched the collector ship, equipped with a medipod, to retrieve the Trinarian fighter's body. Simultaneously, she ensured Aron could rearm himself with a fresh set of nanomachines. For the first time, this process was being done openly, marking a significant shift.Previously, nanomachines had been classified technology, their existence kept strictly under wraps. However, that secrecy had been unintentionally broken when Nova used them to cover Aron’s exposed body during a critical moment, prioritizing his dignity over confidentiality. As a result, while the technology remained shrouded in mystery, its existence was now officially acknowledged, albeit without disclosing any further details.Aron retrieved a small canister from the ship and opened it, revealing a liquid-like substance inside. Pouring it onto his hand, the substance behaved unnaturally, defying gravity as it began to sp
"Him alive is better than dead, right? I can use his live brain data to study how they use their spatial abilities—it might even help accelerate my plans if things go as intended," Aron said as he stood over the fainting Trinarian fighter.{True, having him alive presents opportunities. But dead men cause no problems, while the living carry infinite potential for chaos—especially one like him. If our spatial lockdown isn’t enough to fully contain his abilities, he could use them long enough to cause catastrophic damage, even if it means enduring the backlash,} Nova replied, her tone laced with caution. She wanted to ensure Aron was fully aware of the risks he was inviting by sparing the fighter's life.Usually, Nova would have been in favor of keeping him alive—it meant more data for her to process, analyze, and extrapolate from. But spatial ability users were in a league of their own when it came to danger. Even a dead one would yield enough data to at least satisfy her curiosity for
“Nova,” Aron called out in his mind the moment his eyes snapped open, rapidly collecting information and orienting himself, realizing he had finally left the enigmatic place the system had sent him.“Nova,” he called again, this time aloud, his voice carrying a commanding weight as it echoed faintly in the arena. Receiving no response to his first call, his sharp gaze shifted to his surroundings. It didn’t take long for him to notice his current state—nearly naked, save for the swarm of nanomachines that had begun assembling around him.{The system had ejected me, sir,} Nova’s voice finally came through, calm but slightly delayed as the nanomachines completed their task. They prioritized covering his lower body, forming a sleek pair of trousers, as there weren’t enough surviving nanomachines to reconstruct full armor. His chiseled upper body remained exposed, glistening under the lights of the Colosseum, much to the awe and unease of the spectators.Nova’s pragmatic choice left Aron l
Following Nova's orders and the AI referee's approval, the mana stone carriers swiftly began moving toward the Colosseum. As the first ship arrived and entered, it wasted no time, promptly unloading its entire cargo of mana stones before departing to make way for the next carrier to do the same. The process was conducted with remarkable efficiency, ensuring a steady flow of mana stones into the Colosseum without any unnecessary delays.The process continued as over fifty ships unloaded their cargo of mana stones, an act many from the Conclave viewed as both excessive and wasteful. With each successive ship, the pain of the Conclave's viewers grew, particularly when the fifth ship alone had already matched the quantity of mana stones used during the Colosseum's initial construction. Yet, they didn’t stop there; instead, they went on to unload ten times that amount, as if mana stones were an endless resource, leaving the Conclave citizens bewildered and horrified by such apparent extra