Following the map, Vishwa made his way through the dense forest, the foliage above creating a patchy canopy of sunlight and shade. As he walked, he bent down to pick up some smooth pebbles scattered on the forest floor. Every now and then, he paused to pluck wild fruits from the trees, their tart sweetness offering a much-needed burst of energy. "My experiences from playing in the Royal mountains have provided me with valuable insights that are proving essential in this tricky situation," Vishwa reflected, relishing the taste of a peculiar wild white fruit he had ate before.
As Vishwa moved forward, his sharp eyes caught sight of three boars grazing in the distance. He quickly halted, his heart racing with a mix of excitement and anxiety. "This might just be my lucky day. My legs are already aching from all that climbing, At least I learnt how to set up the foothold trap properly," he thought, grateful that he had managed to avoid venturing too deep into the forest, which often harboured untold dangers.
Determined to catch one of the boars, Vishwa set up a foothold trap with careful precision by following the instructions on the page provides by the Task Manager. But despite how he did, it was his first time placing the trap as he got a deep cut in his left hand. He covered his mouth to not scream in pain and alert the boars.
He camouflaged it expertly with fallen leaves and branches, ensuring it would be nearly invisible. Climbing stealthily into a nearby tree for a better vantage point, he tore off his shirt and bandaged his left hand to stop bleeding.
He pulled out a pebble and his trusty slingshot from his pocket. With an aim to mislead the boars, But he realised as he closed his right eye that his left one's vision is blurry. ‘It might have happened yesterday—when I got hit.’
With difficulty he launched the pebble in the opposite direction of the trap, deliberately placing the boars in line with his cunning trap. One by one, the startled boars darted opposite the sound of the pebble, instinctively running what they thought was danger.
With unwavering determination, Vishwa continued his efforts, and after what felt like an eternity of twenty minutes, he finally succeeded. One of the boars was ensnared in the trap, letting out a piercing scream that sent the other two scattering wildly into the thicket.
"At last, I've caught one!" Vishwa exclaimed, wiping the sweat from his brow as he climbed down from the tree, adrenaline surging through him. But a moment of doubt crept in. "How am I going to take it back alive?" he pondered, just as an arrow sliced through the air, striking the boar in the neck with deadly accuracy. The creature crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Vishwa’s eyes widened in disbelief. "What just happened?" he thought as he instinctively ran towards the boar and crouched behind a tree for cover. "Who shot that arrow? I captured the boar first!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the trees.
Out from behind the trees stepped a girl, her long black hair flowing behind her and her athletic frame indicating she was likely a fierce competitor. "We saw it first. Get lost," she replied with a high, confident tone.
Vishwa stepped out from his hiding spot, feeling the weight of the situation. "Look at its legs," he said, trying to assert his claim on the creature.
“Oh, a trap!” the girl said with an air of realisation. “So you weren't lying. But we killed the boar, so it’s ours now.” She added with a hint of sympathy, “Can you find another, or will you make two girls wander deep in the forest?”
Vishwa thought internally, ‘What does that have to do with me?' But considered, 'I still need to catch one alive anyway. I can find another.’ He opened his mouth to respond, but was abruptly interrupted by another girl’s voice floating in from the shadows, “Mina, let’s leave. We’re just playing anyway, and he looks like he hasn’t eaten in days.”
Mina, the girl in front of Vishwa, glanced at him, taking in his frail appearance and the ragged state of his clothes. "You don’t have to be generous to him; this is about your pride mi…,"
“Shut up and come back,” the other girl commanded, her voice leaving no room for argument as Mina reluctantly stepped away, leaving Vishwa standing alone with the dead boar.
'Have I just encountered a tigress?' Vishwa thought, shaking his head in disbelief. "This area is close to the Girls Campus. Why didn't the Task Manager warn me about any of this?" His gaze returned to the lifeless boar beneath the tree. ‘And how will I explain this to him?’
With great effort, Vishwa dragged the boar along the forest floor, finally arriving at the entrance gate for the Boys Campus. As he approached, the guard looked impressed. “Nice job! Took you only three hours to catch one,” he said while jotting down Vishwa’s entry time.
“Haha, thanks,” Vishwa chuckled, his hopes lifting. ‘Let’s just hope the Task Manager gives me some coins for this.’
As he made his way through the campus, many eyes turned to Vishwa, their curious stares following him as he headed towards the Task Counter.
The Task Manager stepped out, glancing at the boar with disappointment. “It’s dead,” he stated bluntly.
Vishwa shot back, “Not by me! Look at me, I don’t even have a bow and arrow!”
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The Task Manager chuckled, “You met a Tigress, didn’t you?”
“So you were genuine!,” Vishwa replied, astonished at the turn of events.
"Girls in general.", the Task Manager replied as he went inside the office and soon re-emerged with a handful of coins. “Here, take this,” he said, placing them on the counter in front of Vishwa.
Vishwa looked at the coins in disbelief. “Is this all?” he asked, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over him.
“What do you mean, ‘this much’? With this amount, you can eat ten meals!” the Task Manager retorted, irritation lacing his voice.
Vishwa thought, ‘The value of meals is pretty low around here.’ Opting not to argue, he accepted the 50 copper coins and made his way toward the cafeteria, pondering how his day had turned so unexpectedly eventful. “Apart from this.” He murmured while looking at his deep cut in his left hand.
After making the purchase of his lunch for just 5 copper coins, he found an empty spot to sit down and enjoy his food in peace. As he started eating, his mind began to wander, reflecting on the concept of value and currency that had always intrigued him. With a gold coin being worth a hundred silver coins, and each silver coin convertible into a hundred copper coins, he realised he could have 200 basic meals with just one gold coin. This epiphany made him question his previous actions. "My sense of value was all wrong," he thought to himself, recalling how he had often given a gold coin to others without a second thought.
Just then, a sudden thought struck him, causing him to pause mid-bite. "Wait a minute," he pondered, "Could it be that I was taken advantage of by Gullu, the guy who helped me haul my huge bag up the mountain?" The realisation sent a jolt through him. He quickly finished up his meal, pushed himself away from the table, and made a beeline back to his room. There was an urgent need to inform Gagan about this potential betrayal, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling that Gullu didn’t belong to Building Two, which added to his unease.
As he entered room number 9, Gagan exclaimed in shock upon seeing his dishevelled appearance, “Brother, where have you been? What were you doing?”
Vishwa, still catching his breath, responded hastily, “Gagan, listen to me! I think I’ve stumbled upon something that could lead us to find out more about…”
Before he could finish his thought, Gagan raised a hand, halting him in mid-sentence. “We’ve already managed to uncover who the culprits are. Get changed quickly; we need to head to the council office right now. They’ve been waiting for you for over an hour!”
“Is one of them a funky-looking, slim guy?” Neel chimed in from the corner, looking up from his book.
Gagan perked up, “Yeah, how did you know? His name is Gullu.” There was a hint of suspicion in his tone. “Are you involved in this too?”
“Relax, man. I saw him and Vishwa together from my window yesterday,” Neel replied casually, returning to his reading.
Vishwa added, “Yeah, I wanted to mention him too. Since he’s already caught, let’s just go. I’m ready now,” he said, having changed into something more presentable.
As they made their way to the council office, Gagan filled Vishwa in on all the details—how and why they had assaulted and robbed him. By the time they arrived, Vishwa noticed the Task Manager and Guru Gopal seated with several members of the council, a serious atmosphere hanging over the room.
“Have you eaten?” Guru Gopal asked, his tone businesslike.
“Yes, sir,” Vishwa replied, hoping that would suffice.
“Very well, it seems that all parties are present now,” the council head, a stern man wearing glasses, announced, his voice firm. “Let’s get to the matter of their punishment.”
Everyone took their places around the table. Gullu and Rocky stood with their heads bowed, clearly apprehensive, while Vishwa stood behind Gagan, feeling the weight of the situation.
Turning to face Vishwa, the council head said, “Since we have already discussed their punishment, I want to hear if you find it fair or not. But before we get into that, I’d like to verify a few statements.”
“Yes, sir,” Vishwa said, trying to maintain his composure.
“Did they hit you twice and leave you with cuts on your lips?” he asked.
“Yes,” Vishwa answered, then hesitated before adding, “When I used the slingshot, I noticed my vision in my left eye became blurry as well.”
“My goodness, that sounds like permanent damage,” Gagan exclaimed, anger rising within him as he turned toward Gullu and Rocky. “Look at what you guys have done!”
“Silence!” the council head interrupted, scribbling notes. “Why were you using a slingshot?”
“To make some money for food,” Vishwa replied.
“Brother, why didn’t you come to me for help… Okay, I’ll be quiet,” Gagan murmured, recognising the intensity of the council head’s gaze.
“Are those 75 gold coins yours?” the council head asked.
“Yes, I earned them at King’s Castle,” Vishwa said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.
The council head concluded, “Alright, that’s all I needed to verify. If anyone has questions, now is the time; otherwise, we’ll move on to the punishments.”
When no one spoke up, he continued, “Their punishment will be—rustication for three years, during which they won’t be allowed to enter any Gurukul within our Kingdom.” He then turned his attention to Vishwa, asking, “What do you think of that?”
Vishwa found himself momentarily taken aback. ‘They acted out of desperation. Is this strict punishment truly necessary?’ He pondered before speaking, “Instead of rusticating them, can you not impose some other form of punishment?”
Rocky and Gullu's faces lit up instantly at Vishwa's plea. Both turned their heads toward the council head, who was clearly considering the new perspective. “We can look into alternative punishments.”
After some deliberation, they settled on a new form of punishment, which included handing the 75 gold coins over to Vishwa. In an unexpected act of generosity, he decided to donate 10 gold coins to the council office and gave 5 gold coins each to Rocky and Gullu, who expressed their sincere apologies, promising—swearing in the name of Narayan—they wouldn’t repeat their mistake again.
Watching them leave, Gagan exploded, irritation evident in his voice. “Why are you giving them money?”
“They did this out of desperation. If they don’t get any financial support now, they might resort to more serious crimes next time, but with better execution,” Vishwa replied matter-of-factly.
Gagan was left speechless by this reasoning, while Guru Gopal couldn’t help but praise Vishwa’s thoughtfulness.
Vishwa then handed over 50 Gold coins to the council head for safekeeping before leaving the office, still bewildered by the entire situation and Gagan trailing behind him, deep in thought.
The Task Manager whispered to Guru Gopal as they watched the interaction unfold. “Didn’t I tell you he’s a good kid to nurture?”
Guru Gopal nodded, though he added, “Everything is fine, except for that silver hair of his.”
“Come on, he worked at King’s Castle. That’s got to count for something,” the Task Manager chided.
“Have you checked with the King? I’m not taking any risks when it comes to nurturing a kid with silver hair,” Guru Gopal replied, as they too exited the office.