Chapter 1

Tokyo, Japan, Arakawa Ward, Rikoku Private Academy.

After school, in a small grove beside the old school building.

The sunset, fragmented by the branches, cast a dim yellow shadow, like an old man on his last breath, weak and powerless.

Just like the two delinquent boys lying in front of Ryūya Rikoku.

"Ouch... It hurts, it hurts!"

"Big Brother Ryūya, we were wrong, please forgive us!"

The two delinquents curled up like overcooked shrimp, trembling as they looked at the long-haired, cold-eyed boy in front of them.

It was hard to imagine that just a minute ago, they were laughing arrogantly and ordering Ryūya to hand over his money.

Similarly, the delinquents never thought that this dark and isolated boy, who seemed so easy to bully, would suddenly resist them.

And he had beaten them down effortlessly.

He didn't seem to exercise much, did he?

Last time in PE class, he was panting heavily after running. How did he suddenly become so strong?

Something must be wrong, but they couldn't figure it out.

"You two, what do you think being a man is all about? How can you beg for mercy so easily!"

Naoto Tani, with his slicked-back hair, scolded his two subordinates with a mix of frustration and disappointment.

"Damn it, let me show you the eldest son of the Tani family..."

"Bang!"

In response, a simple, unadorned straight punch. It was fast, accurate, and ruthless, leaving Naoto Tani's so-called "manliness" completely ineffective. He couldn't dodge it no matter what.

First, a pain in the abdomen, followed by a clean and precise joint lock, twisting his arm backward and pinning it to his back.

A wave of intense pain washed over him.

Naoto Tani, defeated!

"Ugh... It hurts, it hurts!"

Ryūya Rikoku said succinctly: "Money."

"Y-Yes! Yes!"

The two delinquents frantically searched their pockets, even helping to empty Naoto Tani's pockets.

Naoto Tani: "..."

Ryūya Rikoku quickly counted the money, which amounted to about 50,000 yen.

Most of it was loose bills and 500-yen and 100-yen coins, likely extorted from other students that day.

'Tonight's dinner is secured!'

Thinking of this, Ryūya Rikoku's gaze softened slightly as he looked at the three delinquents, almost like he was looking at an ATM in a bank.

He wondered if he should find them again sometime.

'After all, this is the fastest way to make money.'

Taking money from these guys, Ryūya Rikoku felt no guilt—before he came to this world, the original Ryūya had been "borrowed" much more than this amount.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth!

With the spoils of his victory, Ryūya Rikoku left the scene, satisfied.

This was Tokyo in 2002.

It had been about ten years since Japan's economic bubble burst, but the economy had not improved as economists and politicians had predicted. Instead, it continued to decline. People of this era didn't know that for the next few decades, Japan would remain in a state of stagnation.

The lost decade would turn into a lost twenty years, and perhaps even a lost thirty years.

But what did that have to do with him?

A cool spring breeze blew through the evening.

Ryūya Rikoku walked through the school grounds, the sounds of students' chatter coming from a distance. It was the time for club activities, and the energetic high school students were freely enjoying their youth.

But Ryūya Rikoku was different. He was worried about money.

Having been transported to Tokyo, he was the unluckiest of the unlucky.

Others at least had parents, a comfortable home, a sister, or a house. At the very least, a family dojo!

Ryūya Rikoku had none of that. Instead, he was burdened with a significant debt.

The 50,000 yen he took from the delinquents could only solve his immediate needs, but it was a drop in the bucket for his financial situation.

The original Ryūya's state at school was also dire. He consistently ranked around 300th in his grade (out of 353 students) and had terrible social relationships.

The most pitiful thing was... he didn't have a single friend!

Isolated and strange.

Being bullied by delinquents was a daily occurrence—Naoto Tani and his two companions had intended to "borrow" some money from Ryūya as usual, but they ended up being the ones "borrowing" money.

This had been a problem since middle school. The original Ryūya had even attempted self-harm, as evidenced by the multiple piercings in his earlobes and lower lip, which he had to cover with long hair and glasses, making him look even more gloomy and creating a vicious cycle.

After the death of his parents and another tragic experience, he had decided to end his life, leading to the current Ryūya Rikoku.

In short, apart from his good looks, the original Ryūya had left behind a complete mess.

On the first day of his arrival, Ryūya Rikoku discovered that the gloomy high school student, hidden behind the long hair and glasses, had an exceptionally handsome face, about one-tenth as good as his previous self.

Speaking of which, wasn't there another fast way to make money?

—Becoming a host, seducing wealthy women, and eventually becoming the king of the host world, reaching the pinnacle of life!

Ryūya Rikoku had seriously considered this path until he discovered the system.

["School" placed for 8 hours!]

[Stamina +2!]

[Charisma +1!]

[Intelligence +2!]

[Academic Ability +4!]

[Do you want to claim the reward immediately?]

'Yes.'

Ryūya Rikoku responded in his mind.

A warm current flowed through his forehead, warming his entire body and invigorating his spirit.

Following this, a wealth of knowledge about high school subjects flooded his mind.

Japanese, Math, History, English...

It was as if this knowledge had spontaneously appeared in Ryūya Rikoku's mind, or as if he had learned it through a day of intense study, with no sense of unfamiliarity or awkwardness.

Some of it came from his previous life's memories, but through repeated practice and reflection, the problem-solving techniques and application of knowledge that he had once learned but forgotten were now fresh and vivid, like a salad washed clean with water.

It was a feeling of fullness, a complete and satisfying fullness.

Each time he claimed the placement reward, it was a unique and wonderful experience.

From what Ryūya Rikoku knew so far, his system was like a placement game he had played before.

In simple terms, as long as he placed himself somewhere, he would continuously generate rewards, and he just needed to log in periodically to claim them, making it incredibly convenient.

[Name: Ryūya Rikoku]

[Age: 15]

[Placement Locations: School, Home]

[Strength: 52]

[Agility: 52]

[Stamina: 45]

[Intelligence: 60]

[Charisma: 85]

[Academic Ability: 65]

(Average is 50)

[Skills: [Hand-to-Hand Combat] (Proficient) (12/100), [Cooking] (Beginner) (67/100)]

(There are five levels: Beginner, Proficient, Expert, Master, and Extraordinary)

[Money: 82,150 yen (-1,200,000 yen)]

[Items: None]

It was clear that, except for charisma, Ryūya Rikoku's other attributes were around the average.

This was the result of his efforts over half a month, indicating how poor the original Ryūya's physical condition had been.

If not for the proficient [Hand-to-Hand Combat], he probably wouldn't have been a match for the three delinquents.

This was something the original Ryūya had learned out of interest before his death, for self-defense, but he had only reached the beginner level.

Using the placement system to reach the proficient level was a recent development this month.

Even at the proficient level, it was more than enough to teach these three delinquents a lesson.

"That's enough for today at school."

Ryūya Rikoku muttered to himself, quickening his pace and breaking into a jog.

There was still a tough battle waiting for him.