His progress had allowed him to unlock a second set of skills: Ghost Sword Techniques.
These techniques were the fundamental skills of a "Ghost Knight"—the base class from a certain action RPG. They didn't include any specialized advancement skills, but Haruki now had access to a versatile arsenal: Triple Slash, Silver Stream, Gore Cross, Mountain Press, Wave Sword, Wave Wheel Slasher, Ghost Slash, Kazan's Soul, and the most fundamental skill of all—Block.
Having already mastered the Wuju Style, Haruki found that his learning speed for these new techniques was incredibly fast. However, he hit a major roadblock.
Once he reached Level 2, thrashing local thugs and high school delinquents no longer provided him with experience points. This was common in any game; the higher the level, the more experience was required. The legend of the "Level 100 Slime Killer" was a rarity for a reason.
If Haruki wanted to level up further, he needed to find stronger "monsters" to fight—or at least an opponent on his own level. But such a wish was doomed to go unfulfilled in this peaceful, everyday world.
This was why he had become increasingly lax lately, even allowing Shizuka Hiratsuka to drag him off to some "Service Club." If it were possible, he honestly wished for some Kaijin from a Sentai show or a giant monster to appear, just so he could finally cut loose.
"We're here."
Shizuka led Haruki to a deserted, remote classroom and slid the door open without knocking.
The room was cluttered with spare desks and chairs. In the center sat a girl with long black hair, reading a book alone in the glow of the setting sun. It was a scene of aesthetic beauty that would have left any ordinary high school boy breathless.
Haruki, however, didn't care about the atmosphere. He was too busy searching his brain—currently stuffed to the brim with sword techniques—for her identity.
To be clear: before transmigrating, Haruki had been a dedicated fan of anime and manga. He wasn't some casual viewer; he had over a decade of "otaku" knowledge. But during the transmigration process, something had gone wrong, and his memories of specific anime plots and characters had been wiped clean.
He was now more of a "tourist" than an expert. Aside from a few iconic names, most of his meta-knowledge had vanished. For instance, looking at the black-haired girl now, he had a nagging feeling she was famous...
What was it again? Snow something? Snow White? No, that's not it.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, I believe I've asked you to knock before entering," the girl said without looking up.
"Even when I knock, you never answer."
"That is because you enter before I have the chance to respond."
The girl and Shizuka seemed to be on familiar terms. After their habitual bickering, the girl finally turned her gaze toward Haruki. The moment she saw him, her eyes flickered with a mix of surprise and complicated recognition.
"What is the meaning of this?" The girl—Yukino Yukinoshita—evidently knew who Haruki was. "This is the Service Club. It isn't the Kendo Club, nor is it a gathering place for delinquents."
Haruki was quite famous at Sobu High. This was largely due to the fact that shortly after enrolling, he had single-handedly dismantled the entire Kendo Club and spent a full day "disciplining" every delinquent in the school in the third-floor restroom. Even the dignified Yukinoshita knew his reputation.
"Unfortunately, Yukinoshita, I brought him here specifically because this is the Service Club," Shizuka said calmly. "I want him to join. I want him to undergo a 'personality correction' here. I've already made the decision, and I won't be accepting any objections!"
SystemShizuka's words were final, leaving no room for Haruki or Yukino to argue. But that didn't mean they didn't have opinions—especially Yukino, whose distaste for Haruki was written all over her face.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, may I hear the reasoning behind this?" Yukino asked, clearly trying to remain rational despite her annoyance.
"As you can see, Haruki's personality is... difficult. He's a good kid at heart, but he's a total 'tsundere' about it," Shizuka said, rubbing her forehead. "I want him to join the Service Club to learn how to actually interact with people. After all, you can't survive in this society just because you have the biggest fist."
"I have to disagree with you there, Sensei," Haruki chimed in. "Even in modern society, if your fist is big enough, surviving is actually quite easy."
"See? This is exactly what I'm talking about. He's a complete martial arts nut who thinks violence solves everything," Shizuka said, ignoring Haruki's interjection. "So, can I leave him here? I want you to change that twisted outlook of his."
"I see..." Yukino hesitated. She eventually turned to Haruki and spoke formally. "You are Haruki Aizawa, correct? My name is Yukino Yukinoshita, the president of the Service Club. Are you certain you wish to join and follow our rules?"
"I've been meaning to ask—what exactly does this 'Service Club' do?"
"Those who possess grace should extend a hand to the less fortunate. Much like providing aid to developing nations, serving food to the homeless, or helping socially inept boys learn to speak to girls. In short: we lend a hand to those in need. That is the essence of this club."
"So it's a 'Good Samaritan' club..." Haruki finally grasped the concept. He gave a wry smile. "Technically, I've been doing that even without a club."
"I am aware of your... exploits," Yukino said, her eyes narrowing. "To be fair, many students have indeed been 'helped' because of your actions against bullies. However, helping people through violence is not a true solution."
"How so?"
"Violence only breeds more violence. Society exists because of order and the rule of law. Violence only brings chaos. Haruki-kun, even if your strength is peerless, individual might cannot change the world."
Yukino stated her viewpoint firmly. Surprisingly, Haruki didn't argue. He simply nodded. "True. You're absolutely right."
"Oh?" Yukino was taken aback. She hadn't expected him to agree so readily. Her intense dislike softened slightly, replaced by a flicker of curiosity. Maybe he wasn't as thuggish as the rumors suggested.
But Haruki's next words shattered that illusion immediately.
"The reason violence can't help everyone is simply because the power isn't great enough," Haruki said with a straight face. "If one becomes strong enough—strong enough to flip the entire world on its head with a single thought—then one can truly do anything."
"Do you honestly believe such power exists?" Yukino stared at him, wide-eyed.
"I don't know." Haruki shook his head.
He wasn't a dreamer. He knew that with his current strength, he couldn't change the world. And even if he stayed in this everyday world for the rest of his life, his power would never reach a level where it could impact global order. Since it was impossible here, he had to accept reality.
"Ahem. Well, it seems you two have gotten to know each other," Shizuka said, feeling her job was done. "From today on, Haruki is a member of the Service Club. Work with Yukinoshita on whatever requests come your way."
"Fine. Since it is a request from a teacher, I cannot ignore it... I accept," Yukino said reluctantly.
"I'm fine with it too," Haruki agreed.
He knew he had caused Shizuka a lot of headaches over the past year. If this was what she wanted, he would play along. Besides, he was stuck at Level 2. If he couldn't get stronger through training, he might as well try something else to kill time. Who knew? Maybe something interesting would happen.
Shizuka left the room, leaving Yukino and Haruki alone.
Since he was now a member, Haruki grabbed a chair from the corner and sat down at the long table in the center of the room. He pointedly chose the seat diagonally opposite Yukino, keeping as much distance as possible.
"So, what are the club activities?" Haruki asked, seeing Yukino return to her book.
"Until a client arrives with a request, there are no restrictions on your actions."
"How often do clients show up?"
"Sometimes in a day or two. Sometimes it takes months."
"So the Service Club's KPI is basically at the bottom of the school, huh?"
"..." Yukino had no comeback. She simply buried her face deeper into her book, trying to ignore him.
Seeing that she wasn't going to talk, Haruki didn't press her. He closed his eyes and naturally entered a state of Meditation.
As a Wuju Style skill, Meditation didn't just heal wounds; it was a method to sharpen his mental focus and perception. Each time he meditated, his senses grew slightly sharper. After a year of training, he could now sense the trajectory of a falling leaf outside the window without opening his eyes.
To Yukino, it just looked like he was napping while sitting upright. She didn't bother him. As she had said, as long as he didn't interfere with others, he could do as he pleased.
As Haruki meditated, letting his perception spread out like invisible tendrils, a strange line of text suddenly flickered across his mind:
[Infinite Multiverse System: Suitable Host Found]
[Host Bound: Haruki Aizawa]
[Main World Dimension Locked]
[World Crossing Mechanism Initializing...]
[Target World: Chivalry of a Failed Knight]
[Main Mission: Complete the Hagun Academy Selection Matches and qualify for the Seven Star Sword Art Festival.]
[Mission Countdown: 3 Days]
"What?"
Haruki's breathing hitched, breaking his meditative state. He quickly regained his composure, but his face was filled with an expression of shock—and then, pure, unadulterated excitement.
A self-proclaimed "Infinite Multiverse System" had suddenly appeared within him.
An ordinary person might have been overwhelmed or confused by such a sudden development. But for Haruki Aizawa, who had already transmigrated once, this wasn't a shock—it was the greatest gift he could have asked for.
His biggest frustration had been the sheer boredom of this peaceful world. While a "normal life" was a dream for many, Haruki craved excitement and growth. As he had told Yukino, he sought absolute power.