5. Source Power Acquisition Method; Challenging the Table Tennis Club!
"Let's go, Kanzaki, Shibata, we're going to challenge the clubs!"
After finishing the free set meal and discussing the information obtained from Ichinose in the class group chat.
Aragaki Shun looked at Kanzaki and Shibata, who were discussing where to explore the school rules, and decisively proposed this rather explosive suggestion for them.
Japan placed considerable importance on the senior-junior and superior-subordinate relationships.
Now that the first years had just enrolled and club recruitment hadn't started, the school's clubs temporarily only had second and third-year seniors.
To talk about challenging them at this time...
"The school distributes points on the first of every month. Now is when the seniors have money in their pockets. If we don't seize this opportunity to make a big profit, when else can we?"
Aragaki Shun gave his reason with such conviction.
He suspected the school intentionally used the one hundred thousand points at the beginning of enrollment to corrupt their minds.
After they became complacent, there would be an assessment to deduct all their points, using this disparity between wealth and poverty to let them experience the cruel and ruthless nature of society.
So, finding ways to get more points now was always a good idea.
After all, according to what Hoshinomiya said, points could buy anything in the school!
Of course, for Aragaki Shun, this was also a way to expand his influence.
In the past, because he was young, and to avoid appearing too abnormal, Aragaki Shun had always increased his influence through methods that would make people notice and recognize him as a genius, but would not transcend common understanding.
For example, holding the first place in the entire grade at school, occasionally challenging various clubs, and trying to be a Good Samaritan outside of school... all these ways to reasonably obtain Source Power were things he had consistently done in the past.
At the same time, he discovered that in this world, there seemed to be many light novelists and illustrators who could publish works while still in elementary or junior high.
Aragaki Shun couldn't help but try it himself.
This cumulative influence could continuously provide him with Source Power.
The three wisps of Source Power he could acquire each month now were the manifestation of this influence.
And besides this kind of steady, long-term gain, some one-time achievements could also settle Source Power.
According to his observations, this might be related to the amount of luck or Source Power each person carried.
One could only say that the world was never fair.
It was one thing for people to be born into different family backgrounds, races, and countries, but even metaphysical concepts like luck and Source Power manifested very differently in each person.
The reason Aragaki Shun came to Advanced Nurturing High School was also because he sensed that this place gathered the attention of Japan's upper echelons and had collected special talents with extraordinary luck from all over the country.
At his current age, it was definitely an excellent place to obtain Source Power.
Sure enough, after he stepped into Advanced Nurturing High School and completed his enrollment, an extra wisp of Source Power was automatically added to his personal panel.
This meant completing a small achievement.
Enrolling in other high schools would likely not yield this benefit.
But since Advanced Nurturing High was so rich in Source Power, how could he just take a small sip and waste such resources?
His proactive stance in Class B to explore school rules was also to better expand his influence.
After all, controlling a class was easier to influence the school than being a lone wolf.
However, controlling Class B was a long-term plan.
Now that he was free, Aragaki Shun prepared to earn some achievements on this new map first, so he naturally turned his attention to the numerous clubs in the school.
He was very familiar with this.
Whether in elementary or junior high, as long as he felt certain skills were useful, he wouldn't mind checking in at the corresponding clubs.
Kanzaki Ryuuji and Shibata Sō didn't know his thoughts, but seeing his determination, they thought he was preparing to explore school information through the clubs, so they also followed behind.
"I heard that the Advanced Nurturing High clubs are all of a very high level, and there are even outstanding members who can achieve good results in national high school competitions. Are you really going to challenge those clubs right after enrolling?"
Kanzaki had gathered some information about the school clubs on the school forum and asked Aragaki Shun with some concern.
"Isn't that better? If the school's clubs are really that excellent, it proves the school has some skill in training talent. Even if this challenge fails, it's not a bad thing."
Aragaki Shun's goal was to obtain Source Power; he didn't care much about winning or losing.
It's not like he hasn't lost before when he was a child
Besides, apart from Martial Arts and Writing, which had reached lv.4 and were just one step away from lv.5, symbolizing the limit of mortal skill, where he was confident he was top-tier even among professional players, he didn't think he was invincible in other skills that weren't singled out but uniformly categorized under [Miscellaneous].
But even so, relying on the strength of his four basic attributes, among at most 480 peers at Advanced Nurturing High, he didn't think he would easily encounter an existence capable of defeating him in these miscellaneous items.
Kanzaki Ryuuji saw Aragaki Shun walk unstoppably to the club building, looking like he truly didn't care about the success or failure of the challenge.
He could only helplessly pull Shibata Sō along, deciding that if a conflict really occurred later, the three of them advancing and retreating together wouldn't be at a disadvantage.
"You still haven't said which club you're going to challenge now?"
"Since it's a challenge, naturally we have to challenge competitive clubs where a winner can be clearly determined. However, let's postpone those time-consuming events for later. For the rest, we'll challenge whichever one we come across."
"Huh? Shouldn't you challenge the club activity you're best at?"
Aragaki Shun smiled without speaking, leisurely strolling down the corridor of the club building.
Within two minutes, he saw a club that interested him.
Table tennis, or by a name he was more familiar with, ping pong.
Since this club existed, he definitely had to go in and play!
He decisively chose to walk into the table tennis club's activity room and soon attracted the attention of the club members inside.
"Classmate, may I ask if there's anything? If you want to join the club, please wait until after tomorrow's club information session," a table tennis club student came up to greet him.
"Let's not talk about joining the table tennis club for now. Seniors, can you first let me see the strength of everyone in the table tennis club? By the way, I'm a newly enrolled first-year student. I heard that Advanced Nurturing High's various clubs have hidden talents, but I'm deeply skeptical about this."
"New student, what do you mean?"
Hearing these unfriendly words, a table tennis club member, feeling offended by a junior, glared angrily at Aragaki Shun.
"Can't understand?"
Aragaki Shun still maintained that calm demeanor that was infuriating to people.
"Then let's be more direct. I'm here to challenge you!"
Aragaki Shun took out his phone, displaying the one hundred thousand points he had supplemented by borrowing some from Kanzaki.
"The school is really generous, giving out so many points right after enrollment. If I lose this match, these one hundred thousand points will be my apology to the table tennis club. But if the seniors lose, please also give me one hundred thousand points."
"Kid, you're very arrogant. You should know that these one hundred thousand points are your living expenses for this month. If you lose them all, you'll have to wait until the first of next month for new points to be issued."
Hearing the commotion here, other members of the table tennis club also rushed over.
Among them, the table tennis club president warned with some displeasure.
"It doesn't matter. See these two friends beside me? If I really lose, I'll borrow some points from them for living expenses. Anyway, the school will issue another hundred thousand points next month."
Hearing Aragaki Shun's words, Kanzaki Ryuuji and Shibata Sō, who were being stared at by all the members of the table tennis club, although a bit flustered, could only step forward to show their support for him.
"...Very well, let me see what gives you the audacity to be so arrogant!"
Hearing Aragaki Shun nonchalantly state that the school would issue another hundred thousand points next month, several members of the table tennis club showed subtle expressions.
Having been in this school for a year or two, they naturally knew how the monthly point distribution worked.
Seeing this new student so naive, they subconsciously lowered the already little importance they placed on him.
As second and third-year seniors, being challenged so impolitely by a newly enrolled student, they naturally had to give a stern lesson.
Otherwise, if word got out that the table tennis club didn't even dare to accept a new student's challenge, how would they recruit new members?
The funds approved by this school for clubs were related to the number of club members.
With the previous batch of graduates having just left, if they couldn't recruit enough new students, the future club activity funds would be greatly reduced.
"However, to prevent you, new student, from reneging on your debt if you lose, I will call a teacher over, and then we will sign a contract guaranteed by the school. Is that alright?"
"Oh, what's the effect of this contract? I was originally planning that if the seniors didn't give me the money afterwards, I'd let the school forum properly judge your seniors' abilities."
"Don't worry, the contract guaranteed by the school is compulsory. You should worry about how many points you'll have to borrow to get through this month if you lose."
The table tennis club member showed a contemptuous expression, quickly called over a nearby supervising teacher, and signed this match contract between the two parties with Aragaki Shun.
Aragaki Shun handed the contract document to Kanzaki, casually walked to one side of the ping pong table, and looked with interest at the table tennis club members opposite him who were vying to teach him a lesson.
"Have you decided? Who among you will compete with me?"
Perhaps because the total number of students in the entire school was less than five hundred, the membership requirement for clubs at Advanced Nurturing High was surprisingly low.
A club could be established with just three members.
The table tennis club, even after the previous batch of graduates left, still had five members, which was not a small number.
"I'll do it!"
The table tennis club member who had initially received them stepped forward.
He picked up his paddle and stood opposite Aragaki Shun, a cruel expression of assured victory on his face.
He absolutely did not think he would lose!
Advanced Nurturing High School selected students from all over the country.
Students who could enter this school based on their special talents were definitely among the best of their peers in their respective fields.
Moreover, after a year of training, he could clearly feel the transformative difference compared to when he first enrolled.
How could he possibly lose to a newly enrolled student!
"Kid, don't think that just because you had some achievements in junior high, you're invincible in the world!"
"Let me show you the cruelty of this world!"
...