Kobayashi took a gulp of coffee, looking rather pleased with himself, then sighed. "Ah, what good are rankings? The points are nothing special.
"What really matters is the class! Our Third-Year Class C is in such a sorry state now. After the basic points we get each month and the club activity expenses are deducted, there's hardly anything left!"
"Don't even bring it up!" another third-year club member (Member C) said with a gloomy look. "It was all because of that damn Deserted Island Exam in our second year! A few useless people in our class dragged us down, and we dropped straight to Class C. We still haven't been able to climb back up! We've been suffering right along with them!"
The Deserted Island Exam? Class rankings could go up and down?!
Alarm bells rang in Toudou Shizuka's mind! This was exactly the crucial information he had been dreaming of getting! Without letting on, he bought a drink too and stood nearby, wearing the curious, slightly "naive" expression of a new student. "Senpai, class rankings can change? Are the exams that difficult?"
Kobayashi glanced at him. Perhaps he thought the new club member trained diligently enough and was one of their own. Besides, he was still in the middle of venting, so he launched into an explanation. "Difficult? That's putting it mildly! They're downright twisted! Special Exams, you know? They come in all kinds of crazy formats! In that Deserted Island Survival exam, the classes competed to see who could survive the longest and gather the most resources! The rules were ridiculously complicated, and other classes could trip you up, too! A few idiots in our class didn't even realize they were being used by someone else, and we ended up in last place. Our evaluation dropped straight from B to C! Damn it, our points were cut in half!"
The angrier he got, the more he said. "The worst part is, with a lower class ranking, you have to spend more points to get high-value club resources, apply for special training rooms, and even redeem certain advanced courses! It's a vicious cycle! Those of us who've been in the club for years can barely improve ourselves!"
"So, underclassman," Member C said earnestly, patting Toudou Shizuka on the shoulder, "don't focus only on your own training! Keep an eye on your class! The class ranking is what matters most! If it drops, all your hard work will be for nothing! You first-years are just starting out and have a good foundation, so don't make the same mistakes we did. One wrong step, and you'll keep making them!"
Toudou Shizuka put on a "shocked" and "enlightened" expression, nodding repeatedly. "Thank you for the warning, senpai! That's so important! Our Class Leader has been emphasizing the importance of class unity lately, too. It sounds like she really knew what she was talking about!" He offered the timely compliment while attributing the information to Ichinose's "foresight."
[Kirihara Takeshi overheard the conversation from nearby and gave a slight nod at Toudou Shizuka's humble acceptance of advice from his seniors. Affection +1. Current: 6 (Neutral).]
When he returned to the Class B Classroom, Toudou Shizuka immediately sought out Ichinose Honami and Kanzaki Ryuji.
He didn't reveal his exact source—the upperclassmen in the Sanda Club—and instead used a vaguer but still pointed explanation:
"Class Leader, Vice Class Leader, I overheard some upperclassmen complaining during club activities. They mentioned that the school had held complicated Special Exams in the past, such as 'Deserted Island Survival,' and that the results had directly caused class rankings to rise or fall!
"Classes that dropped in rank had their monthly basic points slashed, and their access to in-school resources was restricted, creating a vicious cycle! The upperclassmen especially stressed that class rankings were fundamental, and told us to take the class's overall strength and teamwork seriously!"
He deliberately emphasized several key points: "complicated formats," "class rankings going up and down," "vicious cycle," and "the importance of overall strength and teamwork." They were enough to put the core members on high alert.
Ichinose Honami and Kanzaki Ryuji's expressions instantly turned grave.
"Class rankings going up and down... A vicious cycle..." Kanzaki Ryuji pushed up his glasses, his gaze sharp as a blade behind the lenses. "This is even more serious than we'd anticipated!
"If our class ranking drops, not only will our points plummet, but the resources available to develop our individual abilities will also be restricted! This completely confirms how ruthless the Chairman's 'allocation of resources' is!"
Ichinose Honami took a deep breath, the sense of responsibility in her eyes burning even brighter. "Toudou, this information is crucial! Thank you again!"
She turned to the class, her voice carrying an unprecedented urgency. "You've all heard! Our class ranking affects each of us directly and determines the room we have to develop! In future Special Exams, we must give it everything we have and put the class's overall interests first! We must prevent anything that could drag the class down! We'll make Class B an impregnable fortress!"
[Ichinose Honami Affection +4 (provided extremely crucial, strategic-level information and greatly heightened the class's sense of crisis). Current: 35 (Friendly) -> Target: 50 (Close).] [Kanzaki Ryuji Affection +4 (highly valued the information's worth and strategic significance). Current: 31 (Neutral) -> Target: 45 (Recognized).] [Simulation Points +30 (obtained crucial information and successfully guided the class's strategic direction). Current: 120 points!] [Shiranami Chihiro Affection +1 (recognized his contribution to the class's information gathering). Current: 21 (Neutral) -> Target: 40 (Close).]
Watching the points in his field of vision finally cross the 100-point mark, Toudou Shizuka felt reassured. Without hesitation, he focused his thoughts on the Talent Shop.
[Purchase Talent: Deep Sleep (Basic)? Cost: 100 Simulation Points.]
Confirm!
A gentle, soothing warmth flowed into the depths of his brain, like the softest feather brushing over taut nerves.
Toudou Shizuka felt a sense of relaxation and calm unlike anything he had experienced before. It seemed as if every cell in his body was yearning for a good rest. He could clearly sense that no matter how intense his virtual training became in the future, this "Deep Sleep" would let his body and mind recover with maximum efficiency!
[Simulation Points: 120 → 20.]
Investing in yourself was always the safest choice.
"Toudou, you look a little pale. Are you exhausted?" Ichinose Honami asked with concern. "Go back and get some good rest! You've worked hard today!"
Toudou Shizuka came back to himself and gave her a gentle smile, tinged with fatigue. "Yeah, a little. Class Leader, Vice Class Leader, I'll head back for now. Contact me if anything comes up." He made good use of the new talent's "calming effect" to show just the right amount of understandable fatigue.
After leaving the classroom, he walked back to the dorms as the setting sun stretched his shadow long behind him. Toudou Shizuka felt the cold power of his S-Rank Fighting Style within him, the clear mind brought by Thought Acceleration, the recovery potential granted by Deep Sleep, and the steadily rising Affection values on the System Interface.
The Sanda Club had been his first stepping stone. He had obtained crucial information and laid the groundwork for future connections with upperclassmen. Next, he needed to keep "playing the part" of a promising newcomer in the club and strengthen Kirihara Takeshi's Affection.
At the same time, Shiranami Chihiro's Affection (21) was getting closer to the 40 points needed to unlock the B-rank Information Synthesis Ability, so he needed to keep at it. Kanzaki Ryuji (31) and Ichinose Honami (35) were also steadily approaching their targets.
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