The morning sunlight filtered softly through the curtains, painting golden lines across the room's clean wooden floor. Prince stirred in bed, body still aching from yesterday's intense tryouts at Century Cricket Academy. But unlike any ordinary eight-old, Prince Martin didn't groan, stretch, or roll over to escape the day.
Instead, he blinked open his eyes—and the System Interface greeted him with a soft hum in his mind.
Good Morning, Host.Your daily log-in bonus has been granted.+2 Bonus Stat Points
Would you like to view your current stats?
Prince sat up in bed, flexed his arms slightly, and whispered, "Yes."
The holographic panel expanded inside his mind like a transparent HUD, shining with soft blue text and rotating icons. It displayed his current player profile, complete with metrics that hadn't been there when he was born, but which now shaped his every move.
🧬 Prince Martin – System Status
Level: 3Experience Points: 45/100Skill Tree Branches Unlocked: 2/9Available Stat Points: 2
Core Stats:
Strength: 8 (+3)
Stamina: 10 (+4)
Agility: 7
Pace (Speed): 6
Batting: 11 (+3)
Bowling: 10 (+4)
Fielding: 6
Game IQ: 5 (+1)
Prince grinned. He still remembered how he'd earned those points. The shots he cracked during tryouts. The wickets in the second over. The hours and hours he'd put in running laps, shadow-batting in the yard, or reading every cricket book his dad left lying around. The grind was finally paying off.
But today, the system felt... heavier. As if it had something more planned.
System Shop Now Unlocked.Items may be purchased using:– System Points (SP)– Performance Tokens (PT)– Rare Drops (event only)
Prince perked up.
"Show me the shop."
The interface shifted, morphing into a clean grid with categories marked in glowing tabs: Abilities, Gear, Mental Boosts, and Special Techniques. The section called Legendary Cricketers Archive caught his attention.
He tapped into it mentally. A list of abilities spun out like a skill tree. Some were greyed out, locked behind rank or points. Others shimmered invitingly.
🏏 Cricketer's Special Techniques – Archive
🟢 Rishabh Pant's One-Handed Flick (Cost: 5 SP)Trigger mid-swing for last-second wrist-angle correction. Effective for off-balance sixes.
🟢 Dhoni's Helicopter Shot – Tier 1 (Cost: 8 SP)Activate for strong wrists-on-impact and late flick through leg.
🔒 Sehwag's Mad Opening Assault (Cost: 25 SP)Unleash a high-aggression burst in the first 3 overs. Needs Level 5.
🔒 Jadeja's Impossible Reflex Throw (Cost: 20 SP)Unlock absurd reflex speed when fielding within the circle.
🔒 Anil Kumble's Relentless Accuracy (Cost: 30 SP)Increases bowling precision by 60% for 3 overs. Cooldown: 6 overs.
Prince whistled softly. "Man… I want all of them."
But he had only 2 SP right now.
Still, knowing what was possible made his blood rush with anticipation.
"Soon," he whispered. "One day, I'll unlock them all."
"After Host Unlocks These 5, The Shop Will Refresh..."
The System wasn't done.
Daily Training Module Now Active.Failure to complete training will result in loss of stat momentum, fatigue penalties, and temporary skill suppression.
Prince's eyes narrowed. "Okay. Show me the training routine."
🏋️ Daily Training Module – Beginner Phase (Hardcore Mode)
Duration: 2 hrs minimumComponents:
🏃♂️ 5 km Morning Run (must complete under 25 mins)
🏋️♂️ 100 Push-ups
💪 100 Squats
🤸♂️ 50 Burpees
🧘♂️ Breathing Control Practice – 10 mins
🏏 Bat Shadow Drills – 30 mins
🎯 Target Bowling – 100 balls
Bonus: Completing with high consistency gives +1 SPPunishment: Failure reduces Stamina and Strength by 1 point for 48 hours
Prince's mouth went dry. Fifty burpees? In one go?
System Tip:"Would you like to enable Body System Control for metabolic acceleration and recovery enhancement post-training?"
"Yeah," Prince replied, almost instantly.
Confirmed. Body System Control: Breathing Mode – ActivatedHeart rate modulation initiated. Hormonal output calibrated. Fatigue management optimized.
A calm wave passed over his chest, slowing his heartbeat just slightly. The panic dulled, his thoughts became clearer. He wasn't superhuman—but the System Control gave him just enough edge to push past the natural limitations of a twelve-year-old.
TRAINING MODE: ON
Prince walked out into the small backyard of their Kochi home, which they had carefully modified with a running lane, net section, and practice turf. Bibin had even added a mounted target board for bowling. This was his private fortress of solitude now.
He took off at a jog.
His feet slapped against the packed mud, warm wind brushing against his cheeks. The first kilometre was fine. The second one hurt. By the third, his legs screamed. But he didn't stop. The System Timer ticked in the corner of his vision.
Run Progress: 3.6 km / 5.0 km | Time Elapsed: 17:42
He grit his teeth. He thought of Benny. Of the coach's nod. Of his old self, who would have given up halfway.
He pushed harder.
He finished the 5k in 24 minutes, 17 seconds.
Just under the limit.
He collapsed on the ground, panting, arms shaking from the effort.
But he wasn't done.
The push-ups came next. The first 50 were relatively manageable, his muscles still warm from the run. After 75, his arms trembled. At 90, he collapsed again.
Warning: 10 reps remaining. Retry in 90 seconds.
He waited. Swallowed air. His breath was short, but stable. The System's metabolic boost kept him from full failure.
He finished the push-ups. And the squats. And—after three breath resets—the brutal burpees.
By the end of it, his shirt was drenched. His fingers trembled just holding the bat.
Still, he went into shadow-batting drills, performing 30 minutes of technique practice. The system assisted with haptic feedback, subtly correcting his wrist position or leg movement with tiny shocks—like phantom muscle memory updates.
He ended with target bowling—100 balls thrown at a spinning disc on the net.
He missed half of them.
Accuracy: 53%Tip: Focus on wrist angle in follow-through.
Prince made a mental note to improve that.
Finally, the System dinged again.
✅ Daily Training Complete+1 SP+1 Stamina+1 Bowling+0.5 Game IQ
Prince collapsed onto the grass, chest heaving.
System Suggestion: Activate Recovery Mode?
"Yes…" he groaned.
Body Control – Recovery Mode
— Breath modulation initiated— Heart rate lowered— Muscle inflammation reduced by 8%— Glycogen restoration started— Internal cooling enabled
Prince lay there, eyes closed, feeling his body slowly unwind from the hell it had just gone through. The system didn't just train him; it managed him like an elite-level athlete. Nutrition. Recovery. Hydration balance. Mental state.
All in all, it was a life simulator, tailored for a sportsman.
He thought of all the other kids at the academy. How they were training with whatever tips they got from YouTube, or maybe what a coach shouted at them on Saturdays.
He was on another level. And he needed to be.
He knew that this system wasn't just a cheat—it was his second chance at life.
Later That Evening
Dinner was quiet. Bibin had noticed how much he was sweating, how often he winced when sitting down. But the father said nothing. He respected silence forged in hard work.
Maria had made payasam that night. Prince inhaled it.
After dinner, Bibin walked over to the yard with him and stood quietly for a few seconds.
"You ran today?"
Prince nodded. "Five kilometers. In 24 minutes."
Bibin whistled, then slapped him on the back. "That's faster than I ever ran at your age."
Prince gave a tired smile. "I have to be faster than everyone."
Bibin looked at his son for a long moment, then simply said, "Good."
That Night
Prince lay in bed, system still open in his mind. He reviewed the shop, marked the special abilities he wanted to save up for. The next goal was clear:
Unlock Level 4.Earn 10 SP.Buy Dhoni's Helicopter Shot.
He closed the interface and shut his eyes.
The real training had only just begun.