Chapter 1: The Arrival of EduMaster 1.0

The rooster's crowing echoed through the quiet morning, a familiar sound that marked the start of another day in the small village of Chamba. I am Aman Sharma, a 14-year-old from a humble farmer's family in Himachal Pradesh, India.

"Aman, wake up!" my mother, Sunita Sharma, called out from the kitchen. Her warm and familiar voice was a stark contrast to the cold morning air. I groaned, pulling the thin blanket over my head.

'Why do I have to go to the fields so early?' I thought to myself. 'I'd rather be in bed, dreaming about anything but farming.'

Just as I was about to drift back to sleep, a strange sensation jolted me awake. It was as if a bolt of electricity had passed through my body. My eyes snapped open, and I sat up, looking around in confusion.

That's when I saw it. A strange, translucent screen floated in front of my eyes. On it were words that made no sense to me.

[Welcome to EduMaster 1.0. Prepare to embark on a journey of knowledge and discovery.]

I blinked, rubbing my eyes, but the screen didn't disappear. It just floated there, waiting for something.

'What is this? Some kind of joke?' I thought, feeling a mix of confusion and skepticism. I had heard of computers and screens, but this... this was something else.

"Aman!" My mother's voice echoed through the house again, more urgent this time. "You're going to be late for the fields!"

"Coming, Ma!" I called back, my eyes still glued to the screen.

As I dressed, I couldn't help but glance at the screen again. [EduMaster 1.0], it said. What was this? Some kind of education system? And why was it appearing in front of me?

'Is this some kind of divine intervention?' I thought, my mind racing. 'Or is it just a hallucination?'

"Aman, are you ready?" My father's voice broke through my thoughts. I looked up to see him standing in the doorway, a smile on his face. "The fields won't plow themselves, you know."

"Coming, Papa!" I called back, forcing a smile. As we walked towards the fields, I tried to push the strange screen out of my mind. But it was always there, at the edge of my vision.

Working in the fields was hard, but I understood it was a kind of hardship. The sweat on my brow and muscle ache was tangible and real. But the screen, the system, it was something else entirely.

'Maybe I should give it a try?' I thought, my skepticism slowly giving way to curiosity. 'What's the worst that could happen?'

As the sun began to peak, making the sun unbearable, we made our way back home. My body was tired, but my mind was buzzing with questions.

Once home, I quickly finished my chores and sat down for lunch. The aroma of my mother's cooking filled the room, a comforting reminder of home.

"Aman, you know school starts in a month, right?" My mother asked, her eyes filled with concern. "You need to start preparing."

"Yes, Ma." I replied, forcing a smile. "I'll start studying after a short nap."

After lunch, I retreated to my room. I finally allowed myself to focus on the screen as I lay on my bed.

[Would you like to start the tutorial?] the screen asked. I hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.

"Yes." I said out loud, feeling silly for talking to a screen. But to my surprise, the screen responded.

[Starting Tutorial...]

As I lay in bed that night, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of anticipation. I didn't know what this system was or why it had chosen me, but I couldn't help but feel that it would change my life in ways I couldn't even imagine.