CHAPTER 52: WHO IS HE?

Chapter 53: Who Is He?

Raghav woke up before his 4:30 AM alarm, a nervous energy thrumming under his skin.

Today was Day 2. The practice match. This was where he would either cement his place or be exposed as a one-net wonder.

He sat on his bed, the pre-dawn light of Guwahati a dim gray in his room.

’Max,’ he thought.

[Yes, Host.]

’I have +10 Stat Points to allocate.’

He looked at his stats. His batting had impressed, but his bowling was still a massive, glaring weakness. Pace: 40, Accuracy: 45. It was pathetic.

’I have to be an all-rounder. That’s the only way to be indispensable.’

He made his decision.

"Allocate +5 Stat Points to Bowling: Pace and +5 Stat Points to Bowling: Swing/Spin."

[PLAYER INFO]

...

[BOWLING STATS]

Pace: 45

Accuracy: 45

Swing/Spin: 35

...

It was a small boost, but it was a start. He was investing in his future, not just today’s match. He drank his C-Grade Recovery Potion from his daily quest, the aches from yesterday’s net session fading, and headed out.

At 8:00 AM, the Shanti Vidya Mandir ground was a different place. The crowd of 60 hopefuls from Day 1 was gone, replaced by a tense, focused group of about 30. This was the "Probables" list.

Raghav felt the atmosphere. It was no longer a cattle call. It was a final job interview.

The boys from yesterday who had laughed at him now kept their distance. The two boundaries he’d hit, the Upper Cut and the Leg Glance, had marked him as "weird." And "weird," in a schoolboy setting, was dangerous.

"Alright, boys! Gather ’round!" Coach Sarma’s voice boomed.

"Yesterday was about basics. I’ve cut the list. If you’re standing here, you have some talent. Today, I see if you can play."

He pointed to the main pitch in the center of the field.

"Twenty-over match. Team A versus Team B. The ’Regulars’ versus the ’Probables.’ Team A, you are the boys from last year’s squad. Team B, you are the hopefuls. Bibs are over there. Get them on."

A murmur of panic went through the probables. They had to play the established team.

Raghav’s eyes immediately found Vikram Singh, the slogger from yesterday. He was arrogantly pulling on a "Regulars" bib.

’Max, snoop function. On him.’

[PLAYER INFO]

NAME: VIKRAM SINGH

AGE: 14

PLAYER RATING: 55/100

...

STATS (BATTING)

Hand-Eye: 50

Footwork: 40

Timing: 45

Power: 65

Defense: 30

...

SYSTEM EVALUATION: A slogger. All power, no technique.

’His stats are still higher than mine,’ Raghav thought, ’but his rating is low. My Player Rating is 58. I’m better.’ He felt a surge of confidence. ’He’s a one-trick pony. I’m... something else.’

"Team A, Vikram, you’ll captain," Sarma said. "Team B, Rohan... Abhinav..."

Raghav’s head snapped up. Abhinav Varma, his best friend, had made it to Day 2. He was standing there, his face pale with nerves, clutching his bat.

"...and Roi," Sarma finished. "You’re batting at number five."

Abhinav looked over at Raghav, his eyes wide, as if to say, ’What are you doing here?’

Raghav just gave him a small, firm nod. ’Focus.’

Fweeeee!

The whistle blew. Team A, the "Regulars," were batting first.

It was a slaughter.

Vikram was brutal. He came in at number three and played exactly as his stats suggested. He smashed 34 runs off 15 balls, a flurry of crude, powerful Slogs and Cow-Corner hits that sent the "Probables" team diving for cover.

The bowling from Team B was a nervous, disorganized mess.

By the end of their 20 overs, Team A had set a daunting, almost impossible target.

Scoreboard: Team A - 110/4 (20 Overs)

The "Probables" team trudged off the field, their shoulders slumped. They felt defeated already.

"Hey," Raghav said to Abhinav, who was wiping sweat from his face. "It’s a trial. He’s supposed to look good. We just have to be better."

Abhinav just nodded, his face grim. "He hits too hard, Raghu. It’s not normal."

"It’s not. It’s also not smart," Raghav muttered.

Team B padded up. Raghav sat, his heart a steady, cold drum.

The innings began.

And it was a disaster.

The "Regulars" team’s opening bowler was the same 10th-grade senior who Raghav had hit in the nets. He was bowling fast, and he was angry.

[Ball 1.1] A fast, in-swinging Yorker. Team B’s opener was too slow. Bowled.

[Score: 0/1. Overs: 0.1]

[Ball 2.4] The other opener, terrified, spooned a simple catch to Mid-Off.

[Score: 12/2. Overs: 2.4]

Abhinav, at number four, walked in. He lasted three balls. He played a nervous, stiff-legged Block, and the ball took his Outside Edge. Caught by the keeper.

[Score: 14/3. Overs: 3.1]

Abhinav walked past Raghav, his face white, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. "I... I didn’t see it," he mumbled.

"It’s fine," Raghav said, his voice hard. "You’re fine."

He stood up.

"Roi! You’re in!" Sarma called from the sideline.

Raghav picked up his cheap bat and walked out onto the field.

The score was 14/3. They needed 111 to win. It was a hopeless, impossible situation. The "Regulars" team was laughing, their Slips crowded around the bat, chirping.

"It’s the trick-shot kid!"

"Watch out, he might tap you for four!"

The 10th-grade bowler was at the top of his mark, grinning. He had taken two wickets. He was going to end this.

[Ball 3.2]

He ran in, a thundering, aggressive charge. He delivered a fast, Good Length ball, aimed right at the stumps.

Raghav, his mind clear, watched it.

’He’s an anger-bowler. Predictable.’

His Footwork (50) moved. His Hand-Eye (55) read the line.

He brought his bat down in a simple, straight Block.

But this time, the [Skill: ’Defensive Wall’ (Lv. 1)] activated.

THOCK.

The impact, which should have rattled his hands, was... dull. It was soft. The Defensive Wall skill absorbed 10% of the vibration.

The ball, its energy completely negated, dropped dead at his feet.

The bowler’s smile vanished.

The keeper, Aakash, showed his surprise. "Woah..."

Raghav just tapped the crease and settled back into his stance.

[Ball 3.3]

The bowler, furious, dug it in. A Bouncer, aimed at his head.

Raghav’s 42-year-old mind smiled. ’And there it is. The ego.’

He didn’t flinch. His feet moved back. He was in position.

He activated [Skill: Upper Cut (10%)].

His bat, held with his Iron Grip, came up in a controlled, angled arc. He didn’t swing. He just... deflected.

TICK.

He used the bowler’s own pace.

The ball flew, perfectly, up and over the surprised keeper’s head, bouncing once before hitting the back netting. A four.

The entire net went silent.

Vikram, who was waiting, just stared.

[Ball 5]

The bowler was furious. He grabbed the ball, his face red. He was going to break him.

He charged in and aimed a fast, swinging Yorker right at Raghav’s legs.

Raghav’s mind: ’He’s emotional. He’s trying to kill me.’

He saw the ball leave the hand.

’It’s swinging in. It’s on my pads.’

His Footwork (50) cleared his front leg.

He activated [Skill: Leg Glance (20%)].

His wrists, fluid and practiced, rolled over at the last possible nanosecond.

CLICK.

A tiny, delicate sound.

The ball, deflected by the face of the bat, zipped, fine, past the imaginary Leg Slip. It raced away for another four.

The bowler just stood there, his hands on his hips, his face a mask of pure, humiliated disbelief.

Raghav spent the next 15 balls just... blocking. Thock. Thud. Thock.

He was a wall.

He didn’t hit another boundary. He didn’t need to. He had already made his statement.

His 20 balls were up.

"Next!" Sarma called.

Raghav, his heart hammering, walked out of the net. He didn’t look at anyone. The other boys, the ones who had been laughing, now looked away, their faces a mix of awe and resentment.

He walked past Coach Sarma.

Sarma was staring at his clipboard. He didn’t look up.

As Raghav passed, Sarma just said, "Good. Don’t be late tomorrow."

Raghav allowed himself a small, internal smile.

He had survived.

The blue screen confirmed it.

[QUEST GOAL 1: Survive Day 1... COMPLETE!]

[QUEST GOAL 2: Be the top-performing batsman... COMPLETE!]

[REWARDS ISSUED:]

[+10 Stat Points]

[+2000 LP]

[1x [Skill: ’Defensive Wall’ (Passive) (Lv. 1)]]

[Defensive Wall (Lv. 1): Your defensive blocks are 10% more effective. Reduces bat vibration and impact penalties.]

Raghav walked home, his steps light.

He had his +10 Stat Points. He had a new passive skill.

______

Raghav was back on the pitch, but this time, he wasn’t alone. The bowler’s over had ended. The #6 batsman, a short, quiet kid named Ajit, walked out to join him. Ajit looked terrified, but he also looked... determined. He had seen what Raghav just did.

[Score: 22/3. Overs: 4.0]

Raghav was at the non-striker’s end. He looked at the scoreboard. 111 to win. They needed 89 more runs from 16 overs.

It was a run rate of 5.5. It was... doable.

Just then, the blue screen flashed.

`[System has issued a new challenge!]`

`[MATCH QUEST: The Underdog]`

`[Description: The ’Regulars’ think you are a fluke. Your team is broken. Prove them wrong. Lead this impossible chase and snatch the victory.]`

`[Goal: Win the match.]`

`[Bonus Goal: Score 50+ runs.]`

`[Reward: +15 Stat Points, 5000 LP, 1x [Skill: ’Counter-Puncher’s Instinct’ (Passive)]]`

Raghav’s eyes lit up. `+15 Stat Points`! And a new passive skill. The rewards were massive.

’Max, what is ’Counter-Puncher’s Instinct’?’

[`[Counter-Puncher’s Instinct (Passive) (Lv. 1)]: When the opposition is in an ’Aggressive’ or ’Attacking’ mindset, your `Timing` and `Reactions` stats receive a temporary +5 boost.]`

Raghav almost laughed out loud. It was a skill *designed* to punish bullies. It was perfect for this match.

Sarma had to change the bowling. The 10th-grader was taken off, his face a mask of thunder.

Vikram, the "Regulars" captain, brought on a spinner. A small, tricky `Leg-Spinner`.

’Max,’ Raghav thought, ’snoop.’

[PLAYER INFO]

NAME: RAHUL M.

AGE: 13

STATUS: YOUTH PLAYER (REGULAR)

PLAYER RATING: 50/100

...

[STATS (BOWLING)]

Pace: 30

Accuracy: 45

Swing/Spin: 55

Variation: 30

...

`SYSTEM EVALUATION: A one-trick `Leg-Spinner`. Has a decent `Googly` but telegraphs it by looking at the ball for an extra second before his run-up.`

’He telegraphs it.’

This was the key.

Raghav was on strike. Ajit was at the other end.

"Just block, Ajit. Run on my call," Raghav said.

Ajit just nodded, his eyes wide.

[Ball 4.1]

The spinner, Rahul, tossed his first ball up. A flighted `Leg-Break`.

Raghav, his `Defensive Wall` skill active, just met it with a dead bat. *Thud*. No run.

[Ball 4.2]

Rahul tossed it up again. This time, Raghav *saw* it. The extra, half-second look at the ball.

’It’s the `Googly`.’

Raghav’s mind, seasoned by a lifetime of cricket, knew exactly what to do. The ball was coming *in* to him.

His `Footwork (50)` moved, his front foot clearing the line.

He didn’t just block. He *drove*. It was a clean, beautiful, `Inside-Out Drive` against the spin, his bat a perfect, high-elbow arc.

*CRACK!*

The ball rocketed, in the air, over the `Extra Cover` fielder’s head. It bounced once. Four runs.

[Score: 26/3. Overs: 4.2]

The spinner stared. Vikram stared.

That was not a "trick shot." That was a *professional* shot.

[Ball 4.3]

The spinner, panicking, saw Raghav step out of his crease. He fired the ball down the `Leg Side`, trying to get him stumped.

It was a bad, wide ball.

Raghav, his `Leg Glance (20%)` skill already in his muscles, just put his bat out.

*CLICK.*

He deflected it, fine, past the keeper. Another four runs.

[Score: 30/3. Overs: 4.3]

[Ball 4.4]

The spinner was in a full-blown panic. He *hated* being hit. He dug the next one in `Short`, a total mistake.

Raghav’s mind: ’Short. Slow. Easy.’

His `Power (51)` and `Timing (52)` were just enough. He swiveled on his back foot and unleashed a *real* `Pull Shot`.

*CRACK!*

The ball flew, high and flat, over the `Square Leg` boundary.

*SIX RUNS.*

[Score: 36/3. Overs: 4.4]

In the span of four balls, Raghav had taken 14 runs. The "impossible" chase was suddenly... *on*.

Vikram, furious, stormed over to his bowler. "What are you *doing*?! Bowl at the stumps!"

Raghav just blocked the last two balls of the over.

The grind began.

Raghav wasn’t a slogger like Vikram. He was a *surgeon*.

He and Ajit started to build. Raghav *knew* he was the senior partner. He took charge.

He’d play five balls of an over, blocking with his `Defensive Wall`, then take a single off the last ball, keeping the strike.

Ajit, at the other end, understood his role. He just... blocked. He was a wall, supporting *Raghav’s* wall.

The scoreboard, which had been stagnant, began to *move*.

[Score: 50/3. Overs: 10.0]

[Score: 70/3. Overs: 14.0]

The "Regulars" team was in chaos. Vikram was yelling at his fielders. The bowlers were sweating, their "Regulars" arrogance completely gone. They had no idea how to get this kid out. He didn’t hit in the air. He didn’t play "bad" shots. He just... *accumulated*.

They needed 41 runs off the last 6 overs.

"We can *do* this," Ajit whispered to Raghav as they crossed for a single.

Raghav just nodded. ’Quest Goal: Score 50+.’ His own score was 42.

[Over 17.0]

They needed 20 runs off 18 balls. It was getting tight.

The 10th-grade fast bowler was back. He was *furious*.

’Here it comes,’ Raghav thought. `[Counter-Puncher’s Instinct (Passive)]`... *activate*.

[Ball 17.1]

The bowler, his face red, steamed in. He was bowling pure, aggressive pace.

He delivered a fast, `Good Length` ball.

Raghav *felt* the +5 boost to his `Timing` and `Reactions`. The ball seemed to slow down.

He didn’t block. He *counter-punched*.

He played a `Square Drive` on the up. *CRACK!* Four runs.

[Score: 94/3. Overs: 17.1]

[Ball 17.2]

The bowler, enraged, dug it in. A `Bouncer`.

Raghav, his `Reactions` boosted, saw it early. He `Upper Cut` it. *TICK*. Four runs.

[Score: 98/3. Overs: 17.2]

Raghav was now on 50.

`[Bonus Goal: Score 50+ runs... COMPLETE!]`

`[+10 Stat Points temporarily awarded for quest completion. Will become permanent upon match victory.]`

A surge of energy! His stats were temporarily boosted.

The bowler was a broken man.

[Ball 17.3]

A `Full Toss`. A panicked, emotional mistake.

Raghav drove it, hard, past `Mid-Off`. Four runs.

[Score: 102/3. Overs: 17.3]

They now needed 9 runs to win.

But then, disaster.

[Ball 17.4]

Ajit was on strike. The bowler, humiliated, just threw the ball as fast as he could. It was a wild, wide `Yorker`.

Ajit, his `Rating` only 45, tried to dig it out. He got an `Outside Edge`.

The keeper, Aakash, took a stunning, diving catch.

[Score: 102/4. Overs: 17.4]

Ajit was out. He walked off to applause, his head high. He had done his job.

But now, Raghav was stranded with the tail-enders.

The new batsman, a terrified #7, came in.

[Over 19.0]

Last over. They needed 6 runs to win.

The angry 10th-grade bowler had the ball. Raghav was on strike.

[Ball 19.1]

A `Yorker`. Raghav, his stats boosted, jammed his bat down. `Defensive Wall`. Block. (6 needed off 5)

[Ball 19.2]

A `Bouncer`. Raghav went for the `Upper Cut`.

Vikram, at `Third Man`, was *waiting* for it. He’d been placed there.

Raghav hit it. It went straight to Vikram...

...and *through his hands!* He dropped it!

The "slogger" had `Catching (40)`.

They ran two. (4 needed off 4)

[Ball 19.3]

A `Good Length` ball. Raghav punched it to `Mid-Off` for a single. (3 needed off 3)

The new, terrified batsman was on strike.

[Ball 19.4]

The bowler, ignoring Raghav, went for the kill. A fast, in-swinging `Yorker`.

The #7 batsman was too slow.

*Clack.* Bowled.

[Score: 108/5. Overs: 19.4] (2 wickets, 1 tail-ender, 1 tail-ender)

The #8 batsman came in. (3 needed off 2)

[Ball 19.5]

The #8 batsman, his eyes closed, swung at a `Full` ball.

He missed.

But the ball hit his pad! They ran! A `Leg Bye`!

(2 needed off 1)

Raghav was back on strike.

The stadium was silent.

One ball. Two runs to win. One to tie.

The 10th-grade bowler was at his mark. He was breathing heavily.

Coach Sarma was standing on the sideline, his arms crossed, his face a mask of stone.

The entire "Regulars" team was in the field, saving the single.

The bowler ran in.

He was going for a `Yorker`. He was trying to win it.

Raghav saw it. His mind, seasoned by a lifetime of cricket, was cold.

’He’s predictable.’

The ball was fast, it was straight...

But the bowler, under pressure, *missed* his length.

It wasn’t a `Yorker`. It was a low `Full Toss`.

Raghav, his `Footwork (50)` moving, his `Timing (52 + 5)` perfect, didn’t try to smash it.

He just *flicked*.

He activated `[Skill: Leg Glance (20%)]`.

His wrists, fluid and precise, rolled over.

*CLICK.*

The ball, using the bowler’s own 120km/h pace, zipped past the keeper’s left hand.

The `Fine Leg` fielder had no chance.

Four runs.

They had won.

[Score: 113/5. Overs: 20.0]

The "Probables" team *erupted*. They sprinted from the sideline, piling onto Raghav, who was just... standing there, his bat raised.

Abhinav was the first one there, his earlier failure forgotten, just grabbing his friend in a headlock, screaming.

"YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT!"

Raghav, buried under a pile of bodies, just smiled.

He looked over at the sideline.

Coach Sarma was still there. He hadn’t moved.

He just... *nodded*. Once.

The blue screen, visible only to Raghav, was a different story.

`[MATCH QUEST: The Underdog... COMPLETE!]`

`[GOAL: Win the match... COMPLETE!]`

`[BONUS GOAL: Score 50+ runs (Raghav: 61*)... COMPLETE!]`

`[REWARDS ISSUED:]`

`[+15 Stat Points (Permanent)]`

`[+5000 LP]`

`[1x [Skill: ’Counter-Puncher’s Instinct’ (Passive) (Lv. 1)]]`

He had done it. He had taken his chance.

He was, officially, back.

(To be Continued)