"Famous delinquent high schools like Ichimatsu, Kyokuto, Furin, Oya High, Suzuran, Housen..."
"You could say that the high school world is the true stage for all delinquents, and it is also the best time for me to build my own faction."
Ren Takahashi pondered this as he unconsciously arrived at the door of his apartment.
He understood that no matter how good his ideas were, he needed sufficient personal strength to back them up.
Only then could he tame these wild horses.
He had one year to prepare.
During this period, it would be best if he could raise his strength by at least another major level.
He pushed open the door, revealing a simple room.
Aside from a bed, there was almost no furniture. Instead, the space was filled with training equipment: dumbbells, sandbags, an ab wheel, and more.
There was even a pull-up bar wedged into the doorframe.
Upon returning home, Ren immediately began his workout. Push-ups, pull-ups, shadow boxing with dumbbells...
He could feel every muscle in his body stretching and pumping.
He didn't stop until his last ounce of strength was squeezed out and drops of sweat slid down his chiseled muscles.
Only then did Ren stop training.
In truth, this was his daily routine. Every day, he put in a little more effort to enhance his strength.
After finishing his workout and resting for a while, Ren followed his habit and took a shower, then stood before the mirror.
Looking at his reflection, he scanned the muscles across his body.
"I wonder how strong I actually am right now. Judging by the definition of my muscles, I should be a bit stronger than I was a month ago."
Ren wasn't being narcissistic; he was simply trying to gauge his progress through the state of his body.
Sometimes, he wished he had a combat power detector.
Just like the Scouters in Dragon Ball.
One scan, and you'd know exactly what your power level was.
That way, he could not only judge his own strength precisely but also scout the strength of others.
He could even recruit talent based on their combat power.
Of course, Ren knew this was just wishful thinking.
He understood that no matter what, this world was grounded in reality.
How could something like a combat power detector actually exist?
Ren shook his head. Just as he was about to head to the bedroom, he suddenly noticed a popup interface appearing in front of him.
"Hmm?"
Ren stopped in his tracks and rubbed his eyes.
He realized the popup interface was still there. It wasn't an hallucination.
Text began to surface on the screen.
[100 meters to the Southeast, two tasks have been detected: "The Girl Walking at Night" and "The Path of the Scum Thug"]
[Task: The Girl Walking at Night]
Description: A young girl is walking home, but she has unexpectedly attracted the harassment of three thugs.
Completion Condition: Help the girl escape her predicament.
Reward: One Combat Item and the girl's affection.
.....
[Task: The Path of the Scum Thug]
Description: Three thugs are walking at night when they spot a beautiful girl and are struck by desire.
Completion Condition: Help the three thugs capture the girl.
Reward: The title "Ultimate Evil" and the worship of the three thugs.
.....
[Please choose to accept one of the tasks.]
[Note: You have 20 seconds to decide. Even if you decline both, there is no penalty. Even if you fail a task, there is no penalty.]
Having lived in this world for over ten years, this was the first time Ren had seen something like this.
For a moment, his brain was a bit stunned.
But he reacted quickly.
"Is this... the 'System' from those novels? The exclusive cheat code for transmigrators?"
"Has my cheat finally triggered?"
"It looks like a quest trigger in a video game."
Ren had read plenty of novels before he transmigrated, so he wasn't unfamiliar with the concept of a "Golden Finger" or cheat system.
He just hadn't figured out exactly how his specific system worked yet.
But the gist was clear: complete tasks, get rewards.
Ren understood that much.
"Accept!"
He immediately chose to accept a task.
As for which one, it was undoubtedly "The Girl Walking at Night."
And it was definitely not because the reward included "the girl's affection."
Mainly, Ren simply couldn't bring himself to do something as scummy as helping people assault a girl.
Ren threw on his clothes as fast as he could and dashed out the door.
He sprinted toward the southeast, 100 meters away.
Chapter 3: Saeko Busujima
Deep purple long hair, dressed in a white sailor uniform and a long black pleated skirt. She was tall, though her face still carried a hint of youthful innocence—Saeko Busujima.
She was walking home, a wooden sword in her hand.
Currently a third-year middle school student, she had just finished her kendo training at school for the day.
Due to road construction, she had chosen a route she didn't usually take.
Walking down the street, Saeko's emotions were calm. She took step after step, unhurried and steady.
It wasn't until three guys who looked like thugs suddenly appeared nearby that she stopped.
"Kawaii ne, Missy!"
"Walking alone on the street this late at night?"
"I know a really fun place. Do you want to come play with us?"
The three thugs blew cigarette smoke into the air, wicked grins on their faces as they approached Saeko.
There was no panic in Saeko's eyes. Her right hand gripped her wooden sword tightly. Watching the three thugs get closer, she stepped back inch by inch.
That retreating motion made the thugs think Saeko was afraid of them, which only made them close the distance faster.
"What's wrong?"
"Are we that scary?"
"Relax, we won't do anything bad to you. We just want you to keep us company for a bit."
"Trust me, you'll feel amazing soon enough."
The three thugs got closer and closer, the wicked smiles on their lips curling upward even more.
It was as if Saeko was already theirs for the taking.
Just as the distance between them closed to two meters...
"Hey! Three grown men bullying one girl? Isn't that a bit shameless?"
A voice suddenly rang out.
"Hah?"
"Who's there?"
The three thugs turned their heads in unison.
"Just someone seeing injustice on the road."
Ren Takahashi walked slowly out of the darkness where the streetlights didn't reach, emerging from a nearby corner.
"Oi! Kid, I advise you not to meddle in other people's business."
"Do you know who we are?"
"If you mess with us, you'd better be prepared to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair!"
The three thugs turned their bodies completely, moving to surround Ren.
"Is that so?"
Ren tilted his head, scanning the three thugs with a look of utter contempt. "People like you pieces of trash think you can do that?"
"Bastard!"
"You son of a bitch!"
The three thugs were instantly enraged and began cursing.
Just as the three of them were about to lunge forward...
Ren struck first, pouncing on the thug directly in front of him.
His fist, which had been gathering power, sliced through the air.
Bam!!!
The loud sound of a fist smashing into a face pierced the night sky.
The thug, unable to react in time, had his head snapped violently backward by Ren's punch.
A tooth mixed with blood sprayed from the thug's mouth, painting a streak of crimson against the dark night.
Not far away, Saeko Busujima watched the blood stain the darkness. She wasn't frightened by the violent scene.
On the contrary, she felt her heartbeat suddenly accelerate.
Saeko instinctively pressed her hand over her heart.
Her eyes were fixed tightly on Ren as he retracted his fist, spun around, and delivered a solid side kick right into another thug's stomach.
Splurt—
The thug was sent flying instantly. He spat a large mouthful of blood into the air before crashing heavily onto the ground.
Saeko felt her heart beating even faster.
Ren's movements didn't stop there.
He tilted his head to dodge the attack of the final thug, a guy with dyed yellow hair.
As the yellow-haired thug's fist grazed past Ren's hair...
Ren countered with a backhand uppercut, smashing ruthlessly into the thug's chin.
It all happened in a flash.
The transition between offense and defense occurred in a split second.
Crack.
The sound of teeth colliding and shattering echoed in the air.