After saying goodbye to Ichinose Honami, Wu Qiao walked alone along the road back to the dormitory. A thought crossed his mind, and he sank his consciousness into himself, bringing up the mysterious panel that only he could see.
His gaze swept over it, and the first thing that caught his eye was [Path of Gluttony], which had already reached Level 4.
"Uh..." Wu Qiao stared at the number, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. After thinking back over what had just happened, he figured it was probably because he'd shamelessly swindled a huge number of points from Hoshinomiya Chie, causing this Path's level to shoot up.
Although "Gluttony" sounded like a Path exclusively for gluttons who did nothing but stuff themselves, Wu Qiao knew its true essence was "desire."
Endlessly taking and satisfying one's own desires was the core principle of the Path of Gluttony. That bottomless buffet earlier and the 300,000 points he'd received were both, in essence, manifestations of desire being fulfilled.
Of course, he could control this crazed hunger for food with his mind. It wouldn't actually turn him into a monster who did nothing but eat.
Aside from Gluttony, his [Path of Erudition] had also remained firmly at Level 2. But Wu Qiao knew full well that the Path of Erudition's benefits all went to his mind. It could make him think faster and calculate more accurately, but it offered no direct boost to his physical abilities.
"Then let's see what my body's limits are now."
Wu Qiao turned a corner and headed straight for the school track. It was afternoon, and a few students were scattered around the field, working out. He found a relatively secluded spot, took a deep breath, then suddenly pushed off and sprinted a full lap around the 400-meter track as fast as he could.
The wind whistled past his ears. His lungs didn't burn with the tearing pain he'd felt before, and his legs brimmed with explosive power. When he stopped after one lap, he was only a little out of breath, and his heart rate quickly returned to normal.
Next, he tried various running and jumping movements before finally making his way to the pull-up bars.
"I used to look at a place like this and go out of my way to avoid it." Wu Qiao gave a self-deprecating chuckle, gripped the cold bar with both hands, and let his body hang.
He took a deep breath, engaged his back muscles, and pulled himself up with ease. His chin cleared the bar, then he lowered himself slowly. One, two, three...
Before, his arms would have grown weak and started shaking after just three pull-ups. But now, it felt as if an endless supply of strength was surging from deep within his muscles.
Wu Qiao gritted his teeth and managed ten in a row before the distinct ache in his arms forced him to stop.
He let go and dropped to the ground, shaking out his sore arms as a satisfied glint flashed in his eyes.
He hadn't suddenly become a superman who could punch through walls, but his physical abilities had genuinely risen above average. He could even be called quite fit.
Before Wu Qiao could leave the field, a slender figure approached him. Ayanokoji Kiyoha, who had apparently caught up with him at some point, held out an unopened bottle of sports drink, her face expressionless.
Wu Qiao paused, then took the cool bottle, raising an amused eyebrow. "Who'd you learn that from? Hirata Yosuke and his 'nice guy to everyone' routine?"
Ayanokoji Kiyoha tilted her head slightly. Her dark brown eyes were unreadable, and her tone was as flat as if she were reading aloud from a manual. "The internet. Big data says you should give someone water after they exercise. That's what it said."
Wu Qiao unscrewed the cap and took a drink. The cool liquid slid down his throat, easing the heat from his workout. Looking at the girl whose acting skills left much to be desired, he offered her a casual tip. "Mm, that's thoughtful. By the way, if you want to pass as ordinary, you should look up the distribution of everyone else's exam scores and physical test results. Aim for the score range with the most students in it. And don't pick a round number. That'll look too deliberate and make people suspicious."
Ayanokoji Kiyoha nodded thoughtfully. "I understand."
Looking at her obedient yet unfathomable expression, Wu Qiao was suddenly struck by an idea. He lowered the bottle and held out his hand to Ayanokoji Kiyoha, his gaze turning more serious. "Ayanokoji, how about a deal? I'll make sure no one sees through your cover at school and give you a quiet life behind the scenes. In exchange, you'll help me handle the occasional minor problem."
Ayanokoji Kiyoha didn't immediately take his hand. She fell silent for a moment, studying Wu Qiao as if reassessing the danger he posed. After a long pause, she didn't rush to accept. Instead, she asked quietly, "How much do you know?"
Wu Qiao met her gaze, eyes that seemed capable of seeing right through people, and shrugged nonchalantly, a teasing smile on his face. "Everything. Not just about your father, but also Horikita Suzune's obsession with catching up to her brother, and even the fangs Ryuen Kakeru keeps hidden in the dark... I know all the interesting people in first year."
Ayanokoji Kiyoha's pupils contracted slightly. She'd assumed Wu Qiao had only seen through her disguise, but she hadn't expected him to know all about the enormous, oppressive shadow behind her, too.
"You don't need to look so surprised." Wu Qiao withdrew his hand and slipped it into his pocket, his tone as casual as if they were chatting about their meal earlier. "At a school where strength is everything, information is the greatest weapon. And as it happens, I'm an information broker. So, are you taking the deal or not?"
Ayanokoji Kiyoha lowered her eyes, hiding the emotions churning beneath them. A moment later, she looked up again, her delicate face back to its usual calm. "Deal. As long as you don't interfere with my freedom, I'll cooperate with you."
"Wise choice." Wu Qiao smiled, picked up his book, and turned toward the dormitory. "Then it's settled, partner."
Watching Wu Qiao's retreating figure, Ayanokoji Kiyoha remained where she was. It suddenly occurred to her that this seemingly lazy, easygoing boy might become the biggest wild card at Advanced Nurturing High School.
After parting with Ayanokoji Kiyoha, Wu Qiao didn't head straight back to the dormitory. Instead, he ducked into an empty corner by a wall. The moment he was out of that "Miss Ayanokoji's" sight, he seemed to go limp, leaning against the cold wall and panting heavily.
He was still clutching the book Ichinose Honami had given him, Game Theory and Macro Strategic Deduction. His clammy palm had nearly soaked through its spine.
"Huff... huff..." Wu Qiao wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. His heart was still pounding violently in his chest, nearly leaping up into his throat.
He'd actually dared to come clean to Ayanokoji Kiyoha on the field and even proposed a deal! Looking back now, Wu Qiao felt a chill run down his back. His own reckless, almost suicidal boldness had nearly scared him half to death.
After all, Ayanokoji Kiyoha was the undisputed strongest fighter in the school.
Although she always acted as if she were perfectly ordinary, Wu Qiao knew better than anyone that she was the greatest masterpiece to come out of that place's brutal training.
If it came to a fight, his physical abilities, which had only just risen above average, wouldn't stand a chance against her.
If Ayanokoji Kiyoha had felt even the slightest urge to kill, or decided he was a major liability, she could've found any excuse to get him "expelled" or even make him "disappear" for good.
"I can't believe she actually agreed..." Wu Qiao steadied his breathing, unable to keep a rueful, relieved smile from tugging at his lips. "I guess Miss Ayanokoji may be ridiculously strong, but she really does hate trouble."
He glanced down at the weighty, hard-core book in his hands and recalled Ichinose Honami's innocent yet perceptive expression. He couldn't help thinking that he'd walked a tightrope in front of the two most dangerous women today—and somehow survived both encounters, even managing to forge the beginnings of an alliance.
"This is insane..." Wu Qiao shook his head, hugged the book to his chest, and took a deep breath of the cool evening air. "But now that I've taken the first step, there's no turning back. From here on, I'll make good use of this information and these connections and have a little fun in this damn school."
Once he'd pulled himself together, Wu Qiao straightened up, brushed the dust from his clothes, and headed toward the dormitory with a seemingly casual stride, though his legs still felt a little weak.