CHAPTER 43: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Three days passed from that day.Raj hadn’t replied to any comments, interviews, or indirect jabs since the Gravex drama began.He stayed in his workshop.

Refining the details of RC-V3, prepping for field validation, and letting the design speak louder than any post ever could.But silence doesn’t last forever.Especially when the world’s watching.He was in mid-test of foam stress resistance, push-pull bend cycles.Then his phone buzzed with a message from Ghostline.It wasn’t from Kiran this time.

Sender: Event Coordinator – Ghostline Outdoor Trials

"Gravex Gear has challenged RajCraft to a live gear demo under match conditions."

"Trial format: 8 overs, competitive field. Two teams. Neutral coaches and scouts."

"RC-V1 and RC-V3 will be permitted. Gravex will field Axis Loop v2 and prototype X."

You may accept or decline. But audience interest is rising fast."

Raj read it twice.A gear war,on the cricket field?

Not a court room. Not a lab.Just turf, gloves, bat, and public eyes.And it wasn’t about who designed better.

It was about who performed better under pressure.

[System Quest Unlocked – "Prove It Where It Counts"]

Objective: Compete using your gear in live match setting

Glove Allowed: RC-V1 or RC-V3

Bonus Reward:Title – Proof by Fire

Access to Creator Campaign Tier

Penalty: Declining may lead to fan trust drop.

Raj placed the tool down and slowly sat on the edge of the workbench.He stared at the glove he had just finished stitching — RC-V3.It’s seams were smooth. Its grip, perfect.But that wasn’t what made it special.It was built from doubt.Forged through silence and now, it had a chance to breathe in the real world.

Later that evening, Raj called Priya and Spandana into the workshop.He showed them the message.They read it and no one said anything for a long time.Finally, Priya leaned on the table.

"Well?" she asked.

Raj didn’t blink."I’m not backing out."

"You sure?" Spandana asked, voice soft.

"They think I hide behind stitching," Raj replied. "Let’s see what happens when I step out wearing it."

The next morning, Raj sent one line to the Ghostline coordinator:

"Confirmed. RC-V3 will be used."

[System Confirmation Logged]Match Format: 8 oversNeutral location: Ghostline Pitch Zone 3Spectators Allowed: LimitedPublic Feed: Enabled

Word spread fast.Even before Ghostline posted the matchup officially, creators, fans, and rivals were already sharing whispers:

"RajCraft’s glove is going live?""Wait, he’s wearing it himself?""Gravex is putting their designer on the pitch too.""It’s not just gear anymore. It’s mindset."

The sun was sharp over Ghostline Pitch Zone 3.A wide field ringed by narrow bleachers, enclosed by a metallic fence and a quiet line of junior scouts sitting in folding chairs with tablets in hand.

No shouting. No fans.

Just tension.And gear bags.

Raj arrived ten minutes early.Wearing simple track pants, a loose tee, and carrying the glove case over one shoulder like it weighed more than foam and thread.

His eyes scanned the field.Then paused.Across the pitch, in Gravex’s half of the setup tent, stood a tall, lean figure wearing mirrored shades and a black-and-silver jersey.He was lacing up boots.But his movements were too efficient, too athletic, too ...trained.

Raj frowned and asked the coordinator:"Is that their designer?"

The man nodded and said"Name’s Naman. He used to play at junior state level — switched to product design after injury. He’s competitive."

Raj didn’t respond.He didn’t need to.Because something inside him whispered:

This isn’t just a test of gloves.It’s a test of belief.

Inside the prep tent, Raj unzipped the case and removed RC-V3.The glove gleamed under the filtered sunlight coming through the plastic canopy.It didn’t shine because of color.It shined because it looked... ready.Like it had been waiting for this.Like it had something to say.

A system notification popped out

[System Alert – Field Environment Registered]

RC-V3 ActivatedPassive Aura Engaged: "Perception Bend"– Onlookers feel compelled to analyze glove before judging player

Trait Unlocked: Built in the Storm– +5% hand alignment and reaction timing under pressure

Priya helped adjust the strap while Spandana stood quietly just outside the tent.

When Raj stepped out, both girls looked at him, but neither said anything.Until Spandana took one step forward and gently placed her fingers on his wrist for just a second.

"You stitched this for yourself," she said.

Raj blinked and then nodded slowly.

"Then don’t play like you owe anyone an explanation."she said.

At 10:00 sharp, the coordinator called both players for toss.A light coin flip, caught with practiced grace.

Raj won the toss and chose to field first.Everyone blinked.

He’s not even giving himself time to warm up?

But Raj just turned and walked to his position.No smile.No swagger.Just focus.

[System Whisper – Internal Flame Check]

Confidence Level: 87%Heart Rate: SteadyReaction Delay Risk: Minimal

Status:Ready to prove.

The match began quietly.No cheers.Just the dull thud of the ball meeting turf, and the sharp snap of leather against skin.

Gravex took strike first their batsman, calm and confident, adjusted his pads like he had done this a hundred times.

Raj stood at short cover.Glove ready.Eyes fixed.He didn’t speak.Didn’t smile.Just watched and waited.

The first few overs passed in silence.Gravex’s players were technically sound, sharp footwork, clean placements.

But it wasn’t them Raj was watching.It was his glove.How it flexed.How it breathed.How it responded when his fingers curled and his wrist locked.

In the fourth over, the batsman attempted a sharp push between cover and point.Raj dove sideways , not for style, but instinct.

The glove caught the air first, molded to the curve of the ground as he landed, and scooped the ball without flinch.The scouts leaned forward.So did Naman.Raj didn’t react.He simply stood, tossed the ball back to the bowler, and reset.

A system window popped out:

[System Feedback: First Contact Registered]

RC-V3 Grip Memory Confirmed

Passive Boost: "Recoil Suppression" — Palm absorbs shock without bounce

Scout Tags Updated: 3 Live Observers Logged (Impression: ’Not just form — feel.’)

By the sixth over, Gravex was slowing.They weren’t losing wickets, but they weren’t scoring either.The fielders with Raj had started moving closer to him, without realizing it.

His confidence was starting to spread.Like a quiet fire under their feet.

Then came the seventh over.The batsman cracked a straight drive, mid-air.Raj, already moving, sprinted diagonally.He didn’t dive.He lunged.The ball smacked into RC-V3 so clean, it sounded like silence.

Everyone stopped.Even the bowler even Naman.

The umpire didn’t raise his finger.But the scouts didn’t need that.They were already scribbling.

A system window popped out:

[System Notice: Impact Catch – Difficulty Level: High]

Bonus Activated: Stitched in Motion– Player movement + glove design synced

Emotional Tagging: Viewer Interest Spiked

Passive Gained: Catch Imprint — Your catches will stay in memory longer than stats.

As Raj walked back to position, one scout leaned over to another and whispered:

"If that’s a copy,why does it look like something the original forgot to be?"

Naman caught Raj’s eye.For a moment, he didn’t look like a rival.He looked interested.Maybe even impressed.

Then came the final over.

Gravex was at 68.Last ball of the innings.

A slice toward backward point — sky high.

Raj ran under it.Not fast.Not slow.Just focused.

[System Surge: Moment Flagged – "One Take"]

Everything before this was design.Everything after this is proof.

Catch this and you won’t need to explain again.

Raj took three steps forward.Raised RC-V3 like a quiet answern ad caught it clean.

One take.No bounce.

As Raj tossed the ball back and walked off the field with his teammates, the Gravex camp stayed unusually quiet.No shouting.No shoulder pats.No accusations.

Just the low hum of players packing up in stiff, quiet motions.From their dugout, Naman watched Raj.Not angrily.Not with frustration.With something closer to calculation.

Inside their tent, Gravex’s assistant designer muttered, "He’s cooler than we thought."Naman didn’t reply.He was busy sketching invisible lines on the tent table with one finger — gloves, seams, pressure points , mapping Raj’s play in his mind."He stitched that catch," someone else said under their breath.

Naman finally spoke."Anyone can stitch."

"But?"

"But not everyone stitches when it matters."

He stood up, sunglasses dangling from his jersey collar, eyes sharper than before.

"We’re not beaten yet," he said. "Watch.Second innings isn’t about gloves."

"It’s about breaking the one wearing it."

A system window popped out:

[System Alert: Rival Tactic Detected]

Gravex: Psychological Disruption Strategy Activated

Effect: Field pressure will rise in second inning.

Objective: Stay centered, no matter the noise

Across the field, Raj sat under a shaded bench, sipping water quietly.He didn’t know what Gravex was planning next.But he could feel it coming.Like the shift in air before a storm breaks and RC-V3, flexed quietly on his hand.Ready and waiting....

TO BE CONTINUED......