SSS-Rank AI System: My Path from Failure to Supreme

He tapped the screen beside him, bringing up a 3D simulation. It displayed a flood scenario in a residential area, with a miniature NexuCore unit navigating through mud, locating victims, and distributing food, medicine, and communication tools.

"NexuCore doesn't need a power grid. It runs on micro-energy converted from ground pressure and ambient heat. So even during a total blackout, this device keeps working."

The audience's expressions began to shift. One of the judges, a semi-military-looking man, raised a question. "What if the terrain is closed off and NexuCore doesn't have accurate digital maps?"

"It creates its own map using active echo radar—like a bat," Alaric replied. "It can also connect with other units if deployed in numbers, allowing them to work as a swarm."

"And on a large scale? A national disaster, for instance?"

"NexuCore can be configured as a swarm system, with one control hub and hundreds of small units. They're all interconnected, updating data in real-time and making tactical decisions independently. The system is fail-safe. If one unit goes down, the others automatically adapt."

"The outer casing is made from a mix of lightweight metal and heat-resistant ceramic, finished in matte black with glowing cyan lines that light up when it's active."

"There are built-in ports on several sides to attach support tools like logistic drones, lifting bots, or environmental sensors."

"On the top, there's a touch panel and a holographic projector to display disaster maps and logistics distribution status."

After that, the judges said nothing more. They just took notes… silent, nodding slightly. Their expressions didn't reveal whether they were impressed or underwhelmed. But Alaric didn't let it bother him.

In his heart, he thought: if this technology could save lives and accelerate aid efforts… then winning wasn't the main point. It would still be something significant.

When he wrapped up and closed the presentation, the applause came. Not as loud as for previous contestants, but among the claps, the CEO of Varlion Corp gave a faint nod and smile. Then, he turned to his assistant and whispered something.

As Alaric stepped down from the stage and contestant number six prepared, he sat back down and took a deep breath. He didn't know who would win. But at least, he had given his best for an opportunity that was beyond price.

...

The main hall of NovaTech felt calmer now than it did during the presentations. Contestants sat in neat rows, a few still whispering to each other.

But even those whispers couldn't cut through the tension hanging in the air. No one could tell how fast their hearts were racing anymore.

Alaric sat in the third row from the front, his hand instinctively resting on his knee, fingers tapping slowly like syncing with his own heartbeat.

The teenager said nothing, looked neither left nor right, only stared at the stage with a calm face that contradicted the storm inside him.

To his right sat contestant number 3. A serious-looking young man with glasses, the creator of an adaptive piezoelectric shield. Breathing steadily, but his eyes full of hope.

To his left, contestant number 4. A girl with a futuristic neuro-helmet, hugged her clipboard tightly as if bracing against a wave of emotion.

On stage, the lights began to dim slowly. A single spotlight focused on the three main judges seated behind a long acrylic-covered table. One of them was the semi-military man who had questioned Alaric earlier.

Beside him sat a woman with cropped hair streaked with silver, a professor from a top engineering institute. And the last was a middle-aged man in a dark shirt with a government logo on the collar.

The announcer stepped on stage, his voice breaking the silence that had started to feel like a vacuum.

"Ladies and gentlemen… after witnessing presentations from five incredible finalists today, we will now announce the top three innovators of this year's Smart Humanity Tech Challenge."

Alaric exhaled slowly, bowing his head. It felt like waiting for the final whistle of the most important match of his life. He had stopped expecting much—not out of pessimism, but because what he fought for wasn't about the trophy.

"The three names were chosen based on technical aspects, innovation, practical implementation, and of course—humanitarian value." One of the judges took a slow breath.

The announcer lifted a thin sheet of paper from the table. Every eye in the room was on him, including the audience and all the contestants. Alaric's heart pounded. It felt like lightning was about to strike, but no one knew when or where.

"Please step forward: Contestant number 3: Adrian Valeska – with his adaptive piezoelectric shield system for emergency vehicles.

"Contestant number 4: Dira Hanes – with her brain-to-brain communication neurohelmet."

"And the final winner is… Contestant number 5: Greg Laz Aalric – with the NexuCore Emergency System."

For a moment, Alaric didn't react. The words echoed faintly in his head, like a distant voice. But as all eyes turned to him and applause began to swell, his legs felt both light and stiff like they knew where to go, even if his mind hadn't caught up.

He stepped onto the stage. Now standing with the other two, they lined up side by side like stars picked from the same night sky. A spotlight shone on their faces, and the hall fell silent again.

"You've all created something remarkable," said the military judge, his voice deep but full of weight.

"Each of your inventions has the potential to save lives. And choosing just one was not easy."

He paused. Alaric clenched his fist slightly. Dira stared straight ahead, while Adrian looked like he was holding his breath.

"But… one entry stood out—not just for its sophistication, but for addressing the limitations of the real world. A system that needs no external support, doesn't rely on intact infrastructure, and can function even in the most remote places."

"And… the winner is…"

That moment stretched longer than any minute. The stage lights flickered briefly, like hesitating with fate, before—

"Greg Laz Alaric, with the NexuCore Emergency System."

The room erupted in applause.

Alaric stood still. Just for a second. As if time had frozen. He didn't smile right away, his mind hadn't outrun reality just yet.

Then he took a breath. His eyes widened slightly, and his lips curved slowly. The smile wasn't just relief it was like the first breeze after a long storm. He bowed slightly, accepting the applause echoing around him.

The professor approached, handing him a futuristic crystal trophy with a forged metal base. A small inscription at the bottom read: "For Vision That Serves Humanity."

"Remember, young man," the professor said, "technology isn't about being complex. It's about being right. And you understood that faster than most adults."

Alaric nodded. "Thank you… I'll keep learning."

Meanwhile, the other two finalists congratulated him with grace. Adrian even reached out for a handshake.

"Your system is amazing, bro. I thought my helmet was revolutionary, but NexuCore… that's beyond anything I imagined," he said with a laugh.

Dira added, "You didn't win because others failed. You won because you reached something so simple, yet crucial: accessibility. And the world needs that."

There was no bitterness. Just mutual respect among young innovators who knew this was only the beginning.

The event ended with group photos, the awards ceremony, and an announcement that the finalists' inventions would be entered into a national incubation program supported by the government and private sector for further research and potential mass production.

As the day faded and the sky turned from blue to a warm orange, Alaric stood outside the building alone for a moment. The trophy in his hand, but his thoughts far away.

He looked at his reflection in the glass wall and smiled faintly.

"I got this far not because I was the best… but because I refused to give up," Alaric whispered to the image of his past self behind the glass.

That version of him—the one who had once tried to take his own life. The loser who couldn't handle anything. The boy who couldn't be trusted with a single responsibility. He never imagined that he would become someone who could impact the world.

And far in the crowd, the CEO of Varlion Corp looked at him once more. Not long after, he walked over and shook Alaric's hand. Just like many other influential figures who had come to know his name.

—

A few days after the national innovation competition ended, Alaric's name was still a hot topic. News about his win at the country's most prestigious tech event, hosted by the National Institute of Innovative Technology Research (LRTIN), hadn't died down.

His face appeared on several major tech media channels. Photos of him receiving the award, holding his smart device prototype, were shared everywhere. Even social media buzzed for a while with hashtags bearing his name. For an independent young engineer who had mostly worked behind the scenes, this was an overwhelming spotlight.

Despite the achievement, Alaric hadn't changed much. He remained himself, not easily swept away by euphoria. That day, he was still busy inside the modest yet tech-packed office of Craftpartner, the ambitious little company he had built with his team.