Infinite Upgrade System

Chapter 2: Honing the Edge

The morning sun filtered through the cracks in Kartik’s makeshift curtains, painting thin streaks of light across his cluttered room. The faint hum of the Infinite Upgrade System still echoed in his mind, a reminder of the previous day’s events. He sat cross-legged on the floor, staring at the sleek, black device resting on his workbench. Its faint blue circuits pulsed steadily, as if alive. The world outside seemed distant and irrelevant. Kartik’s reality had shifted, and his future now lay intertwined with this mysterious system.

He had spent most of the night exploring its interface, trying to grasp its capabilities. The menus, glowing with a soft luminescence, offered tantalizing options. Skill Enhancement, Resource Optimization, Blueprint Repository, System Upgrades—each promised a world of possibilities. But one stood out above the rest: Skill Enhancement.

As an orphan who had taught himself everything he knew, Kartik understood the value of skills. They were the one thing no one could take from him. If the system could truly enhance his abilities, it would be the first step toward a future he could control.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Kartik muttered, his voice steady but laced with anticipation. He tapped the Skill Enhancement icon, and the interface shifted. A list of categories appeared:

Mechanical Engineering

Advanced Coding

Electronics Design

Artificial Intelligence

Physical Conditioning

His eyes lingered on the last category. Kartik wasn’t just a scavenger; he had learned to defend himself in Lucknow’s harsh streets. But no amount of street smarts could make up for his lack of formal training. He tapped “Physical Conditioning” out of curiosity.

The system’s voice, calm and neutral, spoke: “Initiating Physical Conditioning Module. Please remain still.”

Before Kartik could react, a surge of warmth spread through his body. His muscles tensed and relaxed in rapid succession, as if undergoing a workout without his control. He clenched his jaw, the sensation bordering on discomfort but never crossing into pain. When it finally subsided, he felt… different. Stronger. More aware of his movements.

“Baseline conditioning complete. Further upgrades available upon task completion,” the system announced.

Kartik stood, testing his body. His reflexes felt sharper, his stance more balanced. He picked up a wrench from his table and spun it effortlessly between his fingers. A grin spread across his face.

“Not bad,” he said. “Not bad at all.”

The day passed quickly as Kartik delved deeper into the system’s offerings. He chose “Advanced Coding” next, a skill he had always wanted to master. Within moments, a flood of information surged into his mind. It was like downloading years of experience in seconds. Complex algorithms, programming languages, and problem-solving techniques all became second nature to him.

By the afternoon, Kartik was building a program to streamline his scavenging operations. Using a discarded drone he had repaired months ago, he coded an AI module that would allow it to identify valuable parts in the junkyard. He watched in awe as the drone sprang to life, its camera scanning the room before hovering obediently near his shoulder.

“I think I’ll call you Scout,” Kartik said, patting the drone’s metallic shell. It beeped in response, as if understanding him.

Scout’s first mission was a success. Kartik followed the drone through the junkyard, retrieving high-value components he would have overlooked on his own. It was efficient, almost mechanical, and Kartik couldn’t help but marvel at the possibilities.

“With this,” he thought, “I can finally start building something real.”

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Kartik returned to his room with a bag full of parts and a head buzzing with ideas. But the system wasn’t done with him yet. A new notification blinked on the screen:

“Challenge Unlocked: Build a Prototype. Reward: System Upgrade.”

The details outlined a task—create a functional prototype using the skills he had acquired. Kartik’s mind raced. He sifted through the blueprints in the system’s repository, searching for something manageable yet meaningful. Then, he found it: a compact energy generator designed to power small devices. It was intricate but feasible, and it would be a game-changer for his work.

Kartik laid out the components on his workbench, his hands moving with newfound precision. Hours passed as he soldered connections, calibrated circuits, and assembled the generator piece by piece. The world outside faded into silence; there was only him, the parts, and the soft glow of the system’s interface guiding him.

Finally, as dawn broke, he placed the last component and held his breath. The generator hummed to life, its blue core pulsing gently. Kartik exhaled, a wave of exhaustion and triumph washing over him.

“Prototype complete. Reward unlocked: System Upgrade.”

The screen displayed a new option: Cognitive Acceleration.

Kartik selected it without hesitation. The warmth returned, this time focused on his mind. His thoughts became sharper, faster. Patterns and connections he hadn’t noticed before leapt out at him. It was as if the world had shifted into high definition.

The next few days were a whirlwind. Kartik’s newfound abilities transformed his work. He repaired complex devices in hours, designed new tools from scratch, and even began crafting a plan to market his creations. Scout became his constant companion, its AI evolving with each passing day.

But with progress came questions. The system’s capabilities seemed limitless, yet its origins remained a mystery. Who had created it? Why had it chosen him? And what did it mean by “changing everything”?

One evening, as Kartik prepared to sleep, the system’s voice interrupted his thoughts:

“Attention: Incoming transmission.”

The screen displayed a series of encrypted symbols, followed by a single line of text:

“You are not alone.”

Kartik’s heart skipped a beat. The message disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only silence in its wake. He stared at the device, his mind racing. Was this a warning? A threat? Or something else entirely?

For the first time since discovering the system, Kartik felt a flicker of unease. The world was bigger and more complex than he had imagined, and he was now at its center.

Whatever lay ahead, one thing was clear: there was no turning back.