Club Challenge

I have to say, the student dorms at Advanced Nurturing are really something.

This dorm wasn't so much a "room" as it was a fully functional studio apartment.

In about thirty square meters of space, the living room, bedroom, bathroom, and small kitchen were all complete. The minimalist furniture had smooth lines and top-notch quality.

But the main thing was that the bed was way too soft.

It took Kitagawa Kai a full thirty minutes to "extract" himself from that excessively comfortable bed.

As he pushed open his room door, excited and high-pitched chatter came from across the hall.

"How am I supposed to spend a hundred thousand points? I can't even use them all."

"I spent fifty thousand on the game console I've been dying for," a slightly sleazy voice replied. "As for the rest... hehe!"

"Hey, Ayanokoji, what's up with your room? It's way too bare."

"You don't like spending money, so at the end of the month you can spare a little for me..."

"Is that appropriate? Is this how normal college students spend?"

Ayanokoji chimed in with his confusion at just the right moment.

So the room across the hall was Ayanokoji's.

A bunch of freshmen had gathered there, chattering about all sorts of things.

Was that Yamauchi, the one called the "Black Room's Supreme Masterpiece" in the original story?

Just from his voice, you could tell this guy wasn't someone you could handle with conventional methods—he was great at dragging others down to his level of thinking.

The club district.

Today's activity plan was to challenge clubs.

Still challenging clubs.

And maybe earn a little startup capital on the side.

Perfect time to test out the Chess Master skill he'd farmed from Sakayanagi.

Kitagawa Kai pushed open the door to the Chess Club.

"Creak—"

The sound of the wooden door opening was especially clear in the quiet room. A few square chess tables sat in the middle of the space, with several club members playing matches.

Kitagawa Kai's gaze swept over the crowd and finally landed on a senior with a crew cut—not because he looked easy to bully, but because the board in front of him happened to have an empty seat, perfect for a "one-on-one" spar.

"Is this the Chess Club?"

"Yes, it is." Tanaka Masamichi looked Kitagawa Kai up and down and noticed he had that clear, naive look—clearly a first-year freshman.

"If you want to join the chess club, you can wait for the club orientation later."

"Thanks for the info, senior, but I'm not here to join." Kitagawa Kai's tone carried a hint of restraint.

"Classmate, why not get straight to the point." Tanaka Masamichi flashed an amused smile.

"Let me introduce myself. Class 2-B, Kitagawa Kai."

"I know a little bit about chess. I'd like to wager eighty thousand points and test my skills against you seniors in a game."

As soon as he said that, the activity room fell into a subtle silence.

"Junior, are you sure you want to bet eighty thousand points against us? If you lose, you'll be stuck eating the free boxed lunches from the cafeteria for the rest of the month."

Tanaka Masamichi's tone was half teasing, half serious.

Kitagawa Kai's expression didn't change. He said calmly, "A bet's a bet."

"Interesting. Every year around this time, someone comes to hand us points..."

"Don't bother, we really can't take any more..."

"Tanaka's gonna clean up again."

Low laughter came from a few club members in the corner, tinged with a sense of familiarity, as if getting challenged every year had become a tradition for welcoming new students at Advanced Nurturing.

"To prevent the junior from backing out, we need to sign a contract guaranteed by the school first. That okay?"

They were prepared.

Tanaka Masamichi smiled and pulled out a simple contract he'd already prepared. It clearly stated the points and match conditions, with the school's guarantee stamp template in the bottom right corner.

'Perfect. I've been a little tight on cash lately, so I could use this 'side income' to tide me over,' he thought to himself, keeping his face neutral.

Kitagawa Kai glanced at it and signed his name cleanly.

Tanaka Masamichi put the contract away, his smile deepening. "Looks like that free boxed lunch is locked in."

Tanaka Masamichi of Class 2-B, vice president of the Chess Club, was known for his steady playstyle and strong endgame skills, one of the club's top players.

He had an almost blind confidence in his own chess ability, especially when dealing with these freshmen who were eager to show off right after enrolling.

And on top of that, he was in urgent need of money.

The inherently wicked Nanumo Miyabi had harvested most of the points.

Terrified of poverty, truly terrified of poverty.

Soon, both sides set up their pieces, and the match began.

Tanaka Masamichi, playing white, moved first, choosing the safest king's pawn opening.

In his view, against a newcomer, there was no need for any flashy tricks; steady play, step by step luring the opponent into familiar territory, and victory would be in the bag.

The game unfolded as he imagined, building a solid defensive formation step by step.

"As expected of Vice President Tanaka, this setup is watertight."

"That freshman is probably about to be crushed into tears."

"Look at his expression, like he completely doesn't understand Vice President Tanaka's tactical intent."

Tanaka Masamichi listened to these comments, growing more confident.

If it were an ordinary amateur expert, facing this near-perfect defense, they might be helpless.

But when Kitagawa Kai's fingers touched the cold chess piece, [Master-Level Chess Skill] activated.

This wasn't simple memory implantation, but a super auxiliary system integrating data, algorithms, and countless chess game experiences.

It could perceive the myriad mysteries of every opening, deduce the chain reactions of each move, and exhaust the winning/drawing secrets of almost all endgames.

Simply put, Kitagawa Kai had cheated.

If you don't get caught, is it still cheating?

Then, as the game entered the midgame, subtle changes began to occur.

Kitagawa Kai's pace remained unhurried, like a novice accidentally landing on a gap in Tanaka's defense.

'An interesting little trick, but unfortunately, the power is still too weak,' Tanaka thought contemptuously.

But gradually, he found something off.

Was it sweat?

Tanaka disbelievingly touched his thigh.

Turns out it was urine.

I knew it, there's no way this level could make me sweat.

"Your move, senior," Kitagawa Kai lightly uttered four words, dropping a pawn.

A narrow victory.

A move ahead.

Kitagawa could have finished the fight quickly, but to harvest more points, he played along with the senior for so long.

"Looks like I was careless, sigh." Tanaka Masamichi's face twisted into a smile uglier than crying, tearfully transferring the points to Kitagawa.

"Thanks for the points, senior."

Kitagawa Kai pocketed the notification of points received, his face wearing just the right amount of humility.

Can't, can't laugh yet.

At least one more round to harvest.

"I'd also like to spar with the club president, is that alright?"

President Fujiwara narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze piercing, "Kitagawa-kun, show me your true strength. If you win, take the 300,000 points; if you lose, I won't take your points, just stay as my vice president. How about it?"

"An honor, President."

A new game unfolded between them.

However, as the game progressed, President Fujiwara's smile gradually froze.

Was it really just a little bit?

He had underestimated this freshman! A huge mistake!

When playing against Tanaka Masamichi earlier, Kitagawa Kai might have held back, but now he was going all out.

The surrounding audience, all club members who understood chess, also saw the trick.

This precise calculation, this control over the entire board, this style of simplifying complexity and striking the vital point... this level of skill should be professional grade.

Another ten minutes passed.

"I lose, Kitagawa-kun."

Fujiwara's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly spread throughout the activity room, carrying a calm finality.

As his words fell, he slowly stood up and bowed deeply to Kitagawa Kai with solemn respect.

"Is this the chess club? I'd like to come and experience the seniors' skills."

At that moment, a crisp, pleasant female voice came from outside the door.