August 20, 2001. The Notice.
The government moves slowly, until it wants something from you. Then, it moves with terrifying speed.
At 10:00 AM, a convoy of official vehicles arrived at Gurudeva PU College. There were no thugs this time, only men in safari suits holding rolls of maps.
The District Commissioner's representative walked up to the gate and pasted a large yellow poster on the pillar, right over the scorch marks from the petrol bomb.
[NOTICE OF ACQUISITION]
Under Section 3(A) of the National Highways Act, 1956.
Property Survey No. 42/1 (Gurudeva College) is hereby acquired for the purpose of widening NH-7.
Owner is directed to vacate premises within 30 days.
Compensation Fixed: ₹45,00,000.
Surya stood there, reading the notice. Forty-five lakhs. It was a fair market price. It was enough to buy a new plot elsewhere.
"We should take it," Shakuntala Devi whispered, standing behind him. "Surya, be practical. With 45 lakhs, we can move to a rented building in Jayanagar. We can start fresh."
Surya touched the cold bricks of his college. "This land has history, Shakuntala. The System chose this spot for a reason. If we move, the Institutional Aura breaks. The link to the Rishis breaks."
"But the law..."
"The law says you cannot demolish a structure of 'Historical or Archaeological Significance'," Surya murmured.
He turned to the open ground behind the main building, near the giant Banyan tree that marked the boundary of his grandfather's property.
"Dr. Rao," Surya called out. "Moorthy. Grab the pickaxes. Bring the students."
The Dig.
It was a strange sight. The Principal, the staff, and fifty students stood in the mud around the ancient Banyan tree.
"Sir, are we looking for gold?" Imran asked, leaning on a shovel.
"We are looking for legitimacy," Surya said.
He activated the Eye of Vidya. He focused it downwards, penetrating the layers of topsoil, clay, and rock.
Usually, the Eye showed him stats of people. Today, he pushed it to scan the Land Memory.
[Geological Scan Initiated]
[Depth: 6 Feet]
[Anomaly Detected: Inorganic Structure.]
[Type: Granite Stele (Inscribed).]
[Era: Western Ganga Dynasty (approx. 900 AD).]
Surya pointed to a spot between the gnarled roots of the Banyan tree.
"Dig here," Surya commanded.
"But Sir, that's right under the main root," Dr. Rao protested. "We might kill the tree."
"The tree is protecting it," Surya said. "Dig carefully."
Moorthy started first. He attacked the earth with the precision of a machine. The students joined in, forming a bucket brigade to clear the mud.
For three hours, they dug. The sun beat down on them. Their uniforms were ruined.
"Sir, I hit something hard!" Karthik shouted from the pit.
A metallic clank echoed.
Surya jumped into the pit. He brushed away the wet red soil.
Revealed in the earth was the corner of a massive stone slab. It wasn't just a rock; it was carved.
"Clear it! Fast!"
They worked frantically. Slowly, the object revealed itself.
It was a Veeragallu (Hero Stone)—a memorial stone used in ancient Karnataka to honor a hero who died in battle. But this one was different.
Usually, a Hero Stone depicted a warrior holding a sword and shield, ascending to heaven.
This stone depicted a figure sitting in a lotus position, holding a palm-leaf manuscript. He was surrounded by smaller figures (students). Above him, a figure was shown defending the students from a tiger using nothing but a wooden staff.
Dr. Rao gasped. "That's not a soldier. That's a teacher."
Surya ran his hand over the inscription at the bottom. It was in Hale Kannada (Old Kannada).
He didn't need to know the language. The System translated it instantly in his mind.
[Inscription Translation:]
"Here lies the Guru Someshwara, who gave his life defending the Veda Pathashala from the invading Nolambas. Let this land remain a sanctuary of Vidya (Knowledge) for as long as the Sun and Moon exist."
[System Notification]
[Legacy Item Found: The Guru Stone.]
[Effect:]
* Proof of Heritage: Establishes the land as a 1,000-year-old educational site.
* Aura Booster: +100% Learning Speed for students sitting near the stone.
Surya looked up from the pit. His face was smeared with mud, but his grin was blinding.
"Imran," Surya said softly. "Call the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). And call the press. Tell them we just found the oldest proof of education in Bangalore."
August 21, 2001. The Siege of History.
The bulldozers arrived the next morning. But they couldn't enter.
Blocking the gate was a new barrier. Not a fence, but a cordon of yellow tape that read: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA - PROTECTED SITE.
An ASI officer, an elderly man with thick glasses named Dr. Srinivas, was on his knees in front of the Hero Stone, weeping with joy.
"Western Ganga period!" Dr. Srinivas exclaimed to the cameras. "The inscription is pristine! This proves that Bannerghatta was a center of learning in the 10th century! This is a discovery of national importance!"
The District Commissioner (DC), who had come to enforce the acquisition, looked helpless.
"Dr. Srinivas," the DC argued. "We have a highway to build. Can't we move the stone to a museum?"
"Move it?" Dr. Srinivas looked scandalized.
"The inscription specifically curses anyone who separates the Guru from his land! Under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, no construction is allowed within 100 meters of this monument."
He pointed to the red circle he had drawn on the map. It covered the entire college campus.
"This college," Dr. Srinivas declared, "is now a Heritage Site custodian. You cannot touch a single brick."
Vikram Seth watched from his car parked down the road. He saw the ASI officers shaking hands with Surya. He saw the reporters filming the stone.
Surya looked directly at the car and waved the yellow acquisition notice, then tore it in half.
Vikram rolled up his window.
"He found a rock," Vikram whispered, his voice trembling with rage. "He stopped a multi-crore highway project... with a rock."
That Evening. The Celebration.
The mood in the college was ecstatic. They weren't just students of a PU College anymore; they were the guardians of a 1000-year-old legacy.
Surya sat by the stone, which had been cleaned and garlanded with marigolds.
[System Notification]
[Quest Complete: The Roots of Resistance.]
[Rewards:]
* Karma Points: +1,000 KP.
* Status Upgrade: Land Designated as 'Sacred Ground'. (Cannot be bought or sold by mortals).
* New Feature: [The Spirit Teacher].
[The Spirit Teacher:] The spirit of Guru Someshwara (the man in the stone) can be summoned once a month to deliver a 'Masterclass' in any subject.
Effect: Permanent +1 to a Stat for all attendees.
Surya patted the cold stone. "Thank you, Guru-ji. You saved us."
Shakuntala walked up, looking at the stone with reverence.
"You knew, didn't you?" she asked. "You knew it was there."
"I had a hunch," Surya smiled. "So, Shakuntala, what's next on the financial agenda? Now that we aren't being demolished?"
"Now," Shakuntala opened her ledger, "we expand. The ASI status gives us tax exemptions. We can use the saved money to build the second floor. And..."
She hesitated.
"And what?"
"And we need to deal with the influx," she pointed to the gate.
Surya looked. Even though it was 7 PM, there were parents waiting outside. The news of the "Miracle Stone" and the "Rank 2 Result" had created a perfect storm.
"They want admission," Shakuntala said. "Hundreds of them. We don't have the space."
Surya looked at the unfinished building. He had 2,100 KP (Current Balance).
"System," Surya mentally commanded. "Open Construction Mode."
[Blueprint Upgrade: Phase 2.]
* Additions: Second Floor, Roof, Library, Labs.
* Cost: 2,000 KP.
"Do it," Surya whispered. "Tonight, the ghosts build again."
He turned to Shakuntala. "Tell them to come back tomorrow morning. By then, we'll have room for everyone."
Interlude: The Enemy's Shadow.
Vikram Seth stood in his father's office. The elder Seth, Rajeev Seth, was not shouting. He was cutting a cigar with surgical precision.
"You let him win the PR war," Rajeev said quietly. "You let him become a victim, then a hero. Now he is untouchable by the law."
"I will destroy him," Vikram vowed. "I will crush him in the Board Exams."
"No," Rajeev lit the cigar. "The boy has... supernatural luck. Or something else. We need to escalate."
Rajeev opened a drawer and pulled out a file. It was black, with no markings.
"There is an organization," Rajeev said. "They don't care about colleges or ranks. They care about Systems."
Vikram froze. "You mean... the rumors are true? There are others like us?"
"The Order of the Black Lotus," Rajeev said. "They hunt rogue System Users who disrupt the balance. Surya Gowda is disrupting the balance. He is making the poor powerful. The Order won't like that."
Rajeev slid the file across the desk.
"Call them. Tell them we found a 'Wild User'. Let them deal with him."
Vikram smiled. It was a smile of pure malice.
Arc 2: The Junior College - Conclusion.
Surya had established his college. He had secured his land. He had a dream team of staff.
But the stakes were no longer local. He had attracted the attention of the hidden world of System Users.