He suppressed the urge to try it immediately and turned his attention back to reality.
Trying to raise Horikita's favorability right now wasn't realistic; the risk-to-reward ratio was too low. It was better to focus on easier targets and improving himself first.
The Dormitory Building soon came into view. It was a modern building with plenty of natural light and a peaceful atmosphere. Following the directions on his device, Toudou Shizuka found his room—Building B Room 307.
He swiped his card and opened the door. A faint scent of new furniture mixed with cleaning products greeted him. The room wasn't large, but its layout was practical and it had everything he needed.
A single bed stood against the wall, and there was a desk, a wardrobe, and a private bathroom, as well as a small balcony. Sunlight streamed through the clean glass window, warm and inviting. The furnishings were basic, but the room was neat and private.
Toudou Shizuka set his package down and looked around his little space. A strange sense of security welled up inside him. This was his first foothold in this survival-of-the-fittest world, a safe haven where he could drop the act and focus on "involution" in peace.
He opened his Personal Device and entered the [Campus Store] again.
His fingers swiped quickly across the screen. [Thought Acceleration] made processing information much more efficient.
First, he needed to stock up on essential daily necessities:
A more comfortable bedding set (to improve sleep quality): 3,000 points.
An ergonomic cushion (essential for long study and training sessions): 1,500 points.
A high-quality Toiletries Set: 800 points.
A small, quiet fan (in case of hot weather): 1,200 points.
Some basic snacks and drinking water (for an initial supply): 500 points.
Total: 7,000 points. Toudou Shizuka didn't hesitate and placed the order. These purchases would directly improve his quality of life and his study and training efficiency, making them necessary. His balance instantly dropped to 93,000 points.
He needed to be more cautious with the points he had left. Kanzaki and Ichinose had both mentioned that Class Evaluation was tied to points, which meant he might need to invest points in Class Activities or personal improvement in the future. He would hold on to them for now.
Just as he finished placing the order, a gentle knock came from the door.
"Toudou-kun? Are you there?" It was Kobashi Yume, her voice brimming with her usual energy.
Toudou Shizuka opened the door. Kobashi Yume stood there with her dorm package in her arms, grinning. "I live right next door in the Dormitory Building (I mean the dorm, so don't get the wrong idea)!
"We're neighbors now! I just saw the super-cute rugs for sale in the store. Want to order together? We can get a discount if we spend enough!" She eagerly showed him the product pictures on her tablet.
[Target: Kobashi Yume (refreshed)] * [Favorability: 27 (Friendly) → 28 (Friendly)] - Visited a neighbor and shared shopping information. * Unlock her "Infectious Vitality B-Rank" at favorability ≥ 40 (Close). Getting closer.
Sure, let me take a look. Toudou Shizuka smiled with interest and stepped aside to let her in. He noticed that Kobashi Yume was enthusiastic about decorating her room, which gave him an opening to raise her favorability. They chatted seriously about rug designs and the details of placing a joint order. In the end, he didn't order anything right away (he needed to gauge the school's actual cost of living), but Kobashi Yume was clearly happy to have found someone who shared her interests.
"Then it's a deal! We'll talk again if we find something we like!" Satisfied, Kobashi Yume carried her package back to her room.
[Kobashi Yume favorability +1. Current: 29 (Friendly).]
After seeing Kobashi Yume off, Toudou Shizuka closed the door and leaned back against it, breathing out softly. Maintaining this mild, friendly facade was itself a kind of "skill." He walked over to the desk and watched the fading glow of the sunset outside, its light staining the distant Teaching Building rooftops red.
The System Interface appeared clearly in his field of vision:
[Simulation Points: 50] - (Barely enough; need to earn more as soon as possible) [ Talent Shop ]: [Deep Sleep (Basic) 100 points], [Dynamic Vision (Fine-Tuned) 120 points], [Pain Attenuation (Mild) 80 points]... All out of reach. [Key Targets' Favorability]: (Only listing the skills needed for now. If I showed everything, people would say I was padding the word count again.) Ichinose Honami: 21 (Friendly) → Target: 50 (Well-disposed) to unlock Team Cohesion A-Rank Kanzaki Ryuji: 16 (Neutral) → Target: 45 (Acknowledged) to unlock Rational Analysis Decision B-Rank Shiranami Chihiro: 12 (Neutral) → Target: 40 (Close) to unlock Information Synthesis B-Rank Kobashi Yume: 29 (Friendly) → Target: 40 (Close) to unlock Infectious Vitality B-Rank Horikita Suzune: 4 (Cold) → Target: 70 (Highly Acknowledged)... Hell difficulty.
Points and favorability were like two intertwined ropes. Points could be earned by mastering new skills or completing possible System tasks (something he still needed to investigate);
and mastering new skills required favorability as a key to unlock Simulation Privilege. It was a cycle of mutual support and constraint.
Toudou Shizuka's gaze grew calm and sharp. He walked to the window and watched the campus lights gradually come on in the dusk.
"The Involution Core System..." he murmured. "Improve myself, earn points; build relationships, get the keys; then use those keys to unlock more power... over and over, until..."
He didn't say what the end point was. But the cold sense of power he had gained from the S-Rank Fighting Style and the clarity of mind granted by [Thought Acceleration] silently affirmed that this path was possible.
He turned, opened the basic package he'd received, and began methodically arranging his single room. His movements were quick and efficient, with an almost inhuman precision.
Beneath the mild, shy facade of "Toudou Shizuka," the precise gears of the "Skill Hunter" began to spin rapidly and silently, sheltered by his single room and powered by his hundred thousand points in starting funds.
The first night in Class B was quiet, yet full of unknowns. Toudou Shizuka made his new bed, sat at his desk, and opened his Personal Device. In the lamplight, his profile was quiet and focused, like a hunter lurking in the shadows, beginning to plan his two-pronged hunt for points and Connections. Moonlight spilled silently across his face through the window.
The early morning sunlight carried the chill of early autumn. It streamed through the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows and fell across the grand auditorium of Kōdo Ikusei High School.
The ceiling soared overhead, and deep red seats were arranged in a fan shape, lending the hall a solemn air. The atmosphere was charged with the tension and anticipation of a new school year. Each class sat in its own section, clearly separated from the others.
Class A sat at the front, orderly and carrying an air of superiority;
Class B sat right behind them, its atmosphere comparatively relaxed and friendly;
The Class C section seemed somewhat scattered, with a hint of rebelliousness;
And Class D... sat farther back, where a trace of confusion and unease could be felt.
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