By the time Aryan turned one, the Varma household had grown used to his quirks.
He didn't cry unnecessarily. He didn't babble mindlessly. Instead, he watched. He absorbed.
He stood up earlier than most. Crawled with coordination. Balanced unnaturally well for a baby. But the family just chalked it up to "a sharp mind and strong genes."
They had no idea a future all-rounder was slowly being forged inside their own home.
---
One fine morning, Aryan sat in the garden, chewing on a teether shaped like a cricket bat. His mind was inside the system, reviewing a simulation of Anil Kumble's leg spin from the 1996 World Cup.
> [Simulation Training: Anil Kumble – Bounce & Flight Pattern]
+2 XP – Bowling Preview Mode
Progress to Unlock Bowling Skill: 42%
Suddenly, Aanya burst out of the house, wearing new track pants and a headband that was clearly two sizes too big.
"Appaaaa! My cricket coach is here!" she shouted.
Aryan's ears perked up.
Cricket coach?
For Aanya?
Rajan chuckled as he followed her out. "Just basic sports drills, nothing serious. She's been stuck to cartoons for too long. Some physical activity will do her good."
Aryan turned and spotted a middle-aged man walking in with a duffel bag and a wide grin.
"Namaste sir! My name's Sandeep. I run coaching camps for young kids and beginners. Just a few warm-ups, drills, basic ball-handling."
Sandeep sir set up cones in the garden, drew a pitch on the lawn, and started Aanya on stretches.
Aryan, from his baby mat, watched like a hawk.
Each drill was slow. Basic. But it was real.
Live-action. Movement. Balance. Form. The system began reacting immediately.
> [New Environment Detected: Live Training Zone]
Auto Recording Activated – Daily Analysis Enabled
Progress to Unlock Bowling Skill: 71%
Aanya ran in circles. Did frog jumps. Tried throwing tennis balls at a stump. Failed hilariously.
Sandeep laughed. "She's a drama queen, but she's got good energy."
Rajan nodded proudly. Aparna watched from the balcony, sipping chai.
Aryan didn't wait.
That night, when the house was asleep, he dragged himself to the living room. He picked up one of Aanya's mini balls—barely the size of his palm—and mimicked the bowling action he had seen earlier.
One step. Arm raise. Release.
It wasn't perfect. But it was intentional.
He repeated it.
Again. And again. And again.
> [Skill Detected: Basic Bowling Action – Arm Rotation 63% Accurate]
Progress: 100%
Bowling Skill Level 1 – Unlocked!
Perk Unlocked: Line Length Estimation Lv. 1
Simulation Mode Activated: Fast & Spin Bowling Styles Available
He felt it in his body.
The click of rhythm. The flow of motion.
A warm pulse ran down his spine as the system updated.
> [System Status – Update]
Batting: Level 2
Bowling: Level 1
Reflexes: Lv. 1
Game Sense: Lv. 1
Aura Sense: Lv. 1
Legacy Progress: 0.3%
Next Unlock: Wicketkeeping (Requirement: Catch 50 throws or simulate 5 stumping drills)
Aryan exhaled.
The journey had begun.
---
The next morning, while Aanya played cricket with her coach, Aryan wobbled toward them with a soft ball in hand.
Sandeep laughed. "Wants to join the fun too, huh?"
He tossed a ball gently toward Aryan.
Everyone expected him to flinch.
He didn't.
He caught it. Cleanly. Smoothly. Two hands, mid-body, like he'd done it a hundred times.
Rajan blinked. "That's… coordination."
Sandeep was impressed. "Your little one's got good reflexes for a baby!"
Aryan just smiled.
> +3 XP – Reflexes
Progress: 88% to Reflexes Lv. 2
He had begun blending training into his daily life.
Aanya unknowingly became his first sparring partner. While she played and fumbled, Aryan studied. Practiced. Refined.
The coach thought it was adorable. The parents thought it was coincidence.
Only Aryan knew the truth.
> [System Message: You're ahead of your age group by 6 years]
Continue physical growth. New objective unlocked: "Begin Structured Net Practice (Age 3+)"
He was still a toddler.
But he was no ordinary toddler.
He was Aryan Varma.
And he was just getting started.