Club (1)

With the monsters slain, Daemon pressed forward, his steps steady despite the pain that gnawed at his body. Wounds littered his arms and legs, a testament to the gruelling battle he had just endured. Yet, beneath the exhaustion, a sense of accomplishment welled within him.

He had done it. Alone.

A dungeon designed for teamwork, cleared by his own strength.

Reaching the end of the stage, Daemon stood before a massive door etched with intricate runes. The symbols pulsed faintly, as if responding to his presence. Without hesitation, he placed his hand against the cold surface.

At that moment, a brilliant white light engulfed him.

The sensation was brief—a mere heartbeat—before he felt solid ground beneath his feet once more. As the glow faded, he found himself standing in a different room.

His sharp eyes quickly scanned the area. The first thing he noticed was Amelia, Alex, and Lydia, already present. He met Amelia's gaze for a fraction of a second before turning away, uninterested.

Instead, he searched for something else.

'Did any other teams finish before me?'

After all the effort he put in, the last thing he wanted was to lose to someone else.

However, he didn't have to look for long as he heard a familiar chime in his mind.

[Congratulations! You have completed the quest.]

[All your stats have increased by 10.]

Daemon felt the change instantly. Strength surged through his limbs, his mana reserves expanding beyond their previous limits. He clenched and unclenched his fists, testing the newfound power.

'This will make things easier next time,' he thought, recalling the difficulties he had faced in the dungeon.

Satisfied with his reward, he turned to leave. Though his injuries weren't real—since the dungeon was artificial, created by the academy—he still felt mentally drained. All he wanted now was to return to his room and rest.

Before he could take another step, an examiner stepped forward.

"Team 6: Congratulations. You were the first to complete the dungeon." The examiner's voice was steady, professional. He paused briefly before continuing. "You'll receive the details of your evaluation by the evening. For now, you are dismissed."

That was all Daemon needed to hear. Without waiting, he turned to leave.

But just as he reached the exit, a sharp, commanding voice rang out.

"Stop."

It was Amelia.

Daemon didn't bother looking back. He simply kept walking, ignoring her completely.

Seeing this, Amelia's expression darkened. Her fingers clenched, and a fiery heat began to radiate from her body.

'How dare someone like him ignore me?' she thought, her pride stinging.

"I said stop!" she commanded again, this time releasing her mana pressure.

The air around them grew hotter. The temperature in the room spiked, causing Alex and Lydia to step back instinctively.

For the first time, Daemon halted. He turned, his gaze locking onto Amelia's burning amber eyes. His own purple eyes held nothing but cold indifference.

"What do you think you're doing?" His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.

Amelia took a step forward, her presence dominating the space. "You've been disrespecting me since the beginning. I tolerated it because we were in the dungeon, but now, I want answers." Her tone was filled with authority, as though she expected obedience.

Daemon narrowed his eyes. His voice dropped to an icy tone.

"You talk as if I owe you something, Amelia," he said. "I am neither your subordinate nor one of your so-called admirers. I don't have to answer you."

With that, he turned away and walked out, completely ignoring the oppressive heat lingering in the air.

**************

After a brief rest in his room, Daemon felt refreshed. His energy had returned, and with it, a reminder—he still hadn't registered for his second club.

At Aegis Hunter Academy, every student was required to be part of at least two clubs. Since he had some free time now, he decided to take care of it.

Sitting up, he opened the academy forum and started browsing through the list of available clubs. He wasn't looking for anything too demanding. A club with minimal meetings and little to no participation requirements would be ideal.

Unsurprisingly, that left him with very few options.

As he scrolled, one particular club caught his attention.

[Research Club]

"...."

Daemon stared at the name in silence. It was obvious, whoever created this club clearly didn't put much thought into naming it.

Curious, he checked the details.

Current Members: 2Looking for: 1 Member

'They must be looking for one more person to make it official,' Daemon thought.

At least three members were required to formally establish a club.

'This one must have been newly formed.' Daemon thought to himself as he scrolled to the next section.

Activity: Research

"...."

That was it. No further details. Just one word: Research.

Daemon blinked at the screen. An entire page, and that was all they had written.

He wasn't sure whether to be impressed by this or completely speechless. 

'I guess I should at least visit them.'

Technically, there was no need for a personal visit. The academy's club system allowed students to apply remotely, and the club could either accept or reject the request with a single message.

But something about the Research Club's vague and minimalistic approach intrigued Daemon.

With that thought, he got up from his bed and made his way toward the clubroom.

The club rooms were located in a separate building dedicated to student activities. Upon entering, he glanced at the details once more.

Room 34. Second floor.

Daemon climbed the stairs, his footsteps echoing in the quiet hallway. Soon, he found himself standing in front of the door.

He stared at it for a moment, wondering what kind of people ran a club with such an effortless description.

Without hesitation, he reached for the door handle and pushed it open.

As Daemon stepped inside, his eyes quickly scanned the room.

It was simple—almost too simple. A single wooden table sat in the center, with two chairs neatly placed on either side. No decorations, no shelves, no signs of any actual research happening here.

But Daemon wasn't focused on the room.

"Hello, Freshman."

A soft, serene voice greeted him.

Daemon turned his attention to the girl seated at the table. Her raven-black hair cascaded down her back, contrasting against her flawless, pale skin. Crimson eyes gazed at him with curiosity, framed by long, dark lashes.

She was beautiful—undeniably so. Her delicate features and graceful demeanor gave her an almost ethereal presence. If she wanted to, she could easily capture the hearts of half the academy. In fact, she probably already had.

And yet…

'Who is she?'

With a face like that, it was strange that she wasn't part of Arthur's harem. In the original game, Arthur's love interests were numerous. By the later stages, his harem had easily surpassed ten members.

Daemon quickly shook the thought away and got straight to the point.

"I'd like to join the club."

The girl tilted her head slightly, watching him with an unreadable expression. She didn't answer right away. Instead, she brought a hand to her chin, as if deep in thought.

'She's not the one who wrote that lazy club description, is she?'

Daemon observed her carefully. Everything about her—from the way she carried herself to the sharp glint in her eyes—suggested that she was a serious person. Someone like that wouldn't create a half-hearted recruitment page.

Just as he finished his analysis, the girl finally spoke.

"No."

Daemon blinked.

"…What?"

Of all the responses he expected, outright rejection wasn't one of them.