Chapter 3:
The next morning, Arjun reached Mr. Sharma's house before sunrise.
The air was cool. The village was still quiet.He looked at the old building carefully.
Cracks on the walls.Weak wooden support.Damaged roof corners.
This was not just repair work.
This was his first step toward a bigger dream.
He could not fail.
[ Time Remaining: 6 Days ]
The blue screen appeared for a second and disappeared.
Arjun took a deep breath.
"Let's begin."
He hired two local workers for temporary help. He did not tell them about the system. To them, he was just trying his luck as a small contractor.
First, they started removing the damaged roof tiles.
Everything was going smoothly.
Arjun checked materials carefully. No waste. No extra cost.
The system helped him calculate exact cement mixture ratios.
For the first time, he felt like a real project leader.
But around noon—
Something went wrong.
One of the workers shouted.
"Stop!"
Before Arjun could react, a loud cracking sound filled the air.
A side wall of the house suddenly shifted.
Dust exploded everywhere.
Part of the upper structure collapsed.
Wood and bricks fell to the ground.
Mr. Sharma came running outside in fear.
Arjun froze.
This was not supposed to happen.
He quickly checked the damage.
The foundation of that side wall was much weaker than expected.
It was not just surface cracks.
The base structure was rotten.
Repair was no longer enough.
That entire section needed rebuilding.
His mind went blank.
Rebuilding meant:
More cement.
More bricks.
More labor.
More time.
And he only had 6 days.
If he failed—
The system would disappear.
[ Warning: Project Risk Increased ]
Structural instability detected.
Recommendation: Upgrade repair plan.
"Upgrade?" Arjun whispered.
Upgrade meant more money.
But he had limited funds.
Mr. Sharma looked worried.
"Arjun… this looks serious. Can you handle this?"
For a moment, fear entered his heart.
What if he said no?
What if he walked away?
No one would blame him. He was just a beginner.
But then he remembered the insult.
"You are just a worker."
No.
He would not run.
He forced himself to think calmly.
"Sir, the foundation is weak. We need to rebuild this side. It will cost more and take extra effort. But I will manage."
Mr. Sharma studied him.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
Even though he was not sure at all.
That evening, Arjun sat alone outside the house with his notebook.
He recalculated everything.
New cost.
New time schedule.
New labor division.
The numbers were tight.
Very tight.
Profit would almost disappear.
Maybe he would earn nothing from this project.
But completing it was more important than money.
Suddenly, the system screen appeared again.
[ Special Condition Triggered ]
Host has chosen responsibility over profit.
Reward: Leadership +5
New Skill Unlocking…
[ Skill Unlocked: Basic Structural Understanding ]
You can now identify weak structural points before collapse.
Arjun immediately stood up.
He rechecked the house carefully.
Now he could see small details he missed before.
Hidden cracks.
Uneven base support.
Moisture damage inside walls.
"If I had ignored this… the whole house might collapse later," he thought.
Maybe the accident was not just bad luck.
Maybe it saved something worse.
The next day, Arjun worked twice as hard.
He convinced the workers to stay longer hours by promising fair payment.
He personally carried bricks to save labor cost.
His hands started bleeding again.
But he did not stop.
The contractor from his old worksite passed by in the afternoon.
He smirked when he saw the damaged wall.
"So this is your big project? Looks like you are failing already."
The words were sharp.
But Arjun did not respond.
He simply continued working.
Inside, his determination grew stronger.
[ Time Remaining: 4 Days ]
Pressure increased.
The new wall foundation was completed.
But rain clouds started gathering in the sky.
Arjun looked up.
If it rained heavily before the cement dried—
Everything would be ruined.
That night, thunder roared in the distance.
Wind became stronger.
Arjun covered the fresh structure with plastic sheets.
He tied ropes tightly.
"Please… just two days without rain," he whispered.
The sky did not answer.
At midnight, heavy rain started pouring.
Water hit the roof loudly.
Arjun ran outside in panic.
The plastic sheets were shaking violently in the wind.
One corner came loose.
Water started touching the fresh cement.
If it washed away—
The wall would weaken again.
Without thinking, Arjun climbed up in the rain.
He held the plastic cover tightly and secured the ropes.
Cold water soaked his clothes.
Mud covered his legs.
Lightning flashed in the sky.
For a second, he almost slipped.
But he did not let go.
"This project will not fail," he said through clenched teeth.
After several minutes, the ropes were secured.
The cement was safe.
Arjun slowly climbed down, breathing heavily.
The next morning, the rain stopped.
The structure was intact.
The wall stood strong.
Mr. Sharma looked at him with new respect.
"You worked all night?"
Arjun smiled slightly.
"It's my responsibility."
[ Mission Progress: 70% Completed ]
Performance Evaluation: Above Expectation.
But the countdown still showed:
**3 Days Remaining.**
The biggest test was not over yet.
Arjun still needed to finish the roof alignment and final plaster work.
And he had almost no extra money left.
If even one more unexpected problem appeared—
Everything could collapse again.
Arjun looked at the half-finished house.
Then he looked at the rising sun.
"This is only the first battle," he said quietly.
"And I will win it."