Ryuen Kakeru

The chattering birds fluttered away, and the surroundings grew much quieter.

Zhuge Linghao could no longer suppress the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

I can't believe it. I ran into this guy on the very first day of school?

The Judgment skill on Zhuge Linghao's personal status panel flickered.

I've decided. Today is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

I have to test myself against Ryuen now. Otherwise, having missed out on two key identity skills today, I'll definitely pay for it later.

Come on, focus on your breathing. Gather all your strength!

System, how can I fully show off my temperament and presence?

Can I activate the Fitness Hercules and Yakuza Boss skills on my own?

Ding... Host, your skills have been maximized.

Before long, the sun disappeared behind the clouds, and dark clouds slowly gathered overhead.

Zhuge Linghao approached the purple-red-haired boy with an exaggerated swagger, walking with a swaggering gait that made it clear he didn't care what anyone thought.

Ryuen Kakeru was just about to step into the supermarket when he suddenly sensed a chilling, oppressive presence.

He turned his face to the side, tilted his head, and stared intently at the black-haired boy in front of him.

It brought to mind the stench of rats in a sewer. It was downright nauseating.

"Hey, you and I are the same kind of person, aren't we?"

Zhuge Linghao didn't dare let his guard down. He tensed his face and said in a low voice, "Want to talk somewhere else?"

Ryuen smiled. "Interesting. You're the first person who's dared to talk to me like that."

"Let's go. I know a place without cameras."

Ayanokoji and Horikita Suzune happened to witness the scene from inside the supermarket.

Ayanokoji said softly, "That guy left with someone else. Is that really okay? They aren't going to fight, are they?"

Horikita Suzune folded her arms across her chest. "Hmph. That troublemaker. I hope they fight and both get expelled."

Ayanokoji blinked and said nothing. He didn't know what to say.

The vast wasteland held only a few pitiful tufts of grass, stubbornly clinging to life.

"This should do. What did you want to talk about?"

"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Zhuge Linghao, from Class 1-D. What about you?"

"Class 1-C. Ryuen Kakeru. Get to the point."

System, you're not going to trigger an option?

Ding. The host is detected deliberately causing trouble. No options can be triggered.

Ugh, you think I'd want to cause trouble if it weren't for self-preservation? Oh, right, I just remembered something important!

System, open the beginner's gift pack!

Ding. Five points of emotion value consumed. Opening the gift pack for the host.

Congratulations, Host. You've obtained the Triple Slide-Kneel Kowtow skill!

*?*

What the hell? System, what use are you besides ripping me off?

Tell me, what good is this garbage skill?

How do you know I'll definitely lose this fight? That I'll definitely kneel and apologize?

And that's it for the beginner's gift pack? Nothing else?

Ding. Yes. That's everything in the super... beginner... gift pack.

Zhuge Linghao was speechless. And why did the system's tone sound a little off?

The two men stood face-to-face, neither of them starting a conversation.

The air slowly grew still, and the atmosphere became rather awkward.

Suddenly, Ryuen lunged with a straight punch to the face. Zhuge Linghao bent down to dodge it and immediately countered with an uppercut, but Ryuen blocked it with his other hand.

"Just as I thought. What kind of crowd did you run with before?"

As he felt the force behind Zhuge Linghao's punch, Ryuen grinned darkly. "You called me out. What exactly do you want?"

Zhuge Linghao didn't answer. He hopped backward a few times to put some distance between them.

Then Zhuge Linghao took off his jacket and casually tossed it aside. Under Ryuen's bewildered gaze, he boldly undid six buttons on his shirt, deliberately exposing his chest and stomach.

Next, Zhuge Linghao built up momentum with a short run and, using about forty or fifty percent of his strength, launched a powerful right-footed kick at his opponent's abdomen.

Seeing this, Ryuen planted his feet, crossed his arms to block, and slid back a meter.

"Not bad. You've got some power. With a scrawny body like a white-cut chicken, barely over 170 centimeters tall, who'd have thought you'd be hiding such explosive strength?"

Ryuen shook out his arms, looking quite pleased.

Yeah, hard to figure out, isn't it, Ryuen?

With my six-pack abs and this body that couldn't even kill a chicken, I'll have you eating dirt in no time!

Just as Zhuge Linghao was about to attack again, he suddenly noticed someone seemingly hiding beneath a tree not far away.

Weighing the pros and cons, he decided to stop fighting.

"Let's stop for now. You noticed them too, right? There's someone nearby. You don't want them to swoop in and take advantage of us, do you?"

Zhuge Linghao picked up his jacket and smiled casually at Ryuen. "I didn't have anything special to discuss with you anyway. Think of it as an early introduction."

With that, Zhuge Linghao turned and strode away, without a care in the world.

Ryuen's expression darkened. He didn't go after him; instead, he fixed his gaze on a certain towering tree.

Who was spying on my fight with Ryuen?

There was no answer, and Zhuge Linghao didn't dwell on it.

Ryuen, you asked what I wanted?

Of course, I wanted to make you think I was powerful.

Otherwise, one day, the people in your Class C would surely bully and torment me mercilessly!

Still, if I really have no other choice, I'll just have to use my life-saving skill—the Triple Slide-Kneel Kowtow...

"Come out! Show yourself, Heigui."

"I still haven't cooled off, so I'll use you for practice! Heh heh."

Beneath the tree, a tall, muscular student with dark skin emerged from the shadows.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is..."

Before he could finish, Ryuen charged over with a Death Bear Hug and snarled, "I have no interest in learning the name of a loser."

After that, under Ryuen's low-down, reckless fighting style, Heigui lost his nerve.