"Alright, the teleportation magic circle back to Kizen is on the exhibition building's rooftop. Just head up those stairs."Shun hugged Simon tightly, his eyes brimming with tears."I, and Blue Harbor, will never forget this kindness. No matter what happens to you in the future, we will always be on your side. You're always welcome, Simon-hyung.""......."Simon smiled, patting Shun's head."Thank you, Shun. I'll never forget what happened here either."With that, the Overlord was transferred into Simon's subspace, and Erzebet also entered. Simon bid farewell to Shun and walked up the stairs.Indeed, a teleportation magic circle leading to Kizen was drawn on the exhibition rooftop.An agent bowed his head respectfully."Are you ready to return to Kizen?""Yes."Simon grinned."Let's go."***The magic circle functioned normally. Simon, having safely returned to Kizen, took a deep breath."Haaah! I missed this air."He leisurely walked down a hill covered in wildflowers and arrived at the first-year campus.Since it was still during the mission period, it should have been quiet until today......."Huh?"It wasn't quiet at all!Colorful triangular party flags, giving off a festive vibe, hung high above the campus, and flashy banners and balloons were everywhere. Promotional banners were even hung on the building walls.Most notably, the first-year campus plaza was filled with numerous large and small booths.Students inside the booths were enthusiastically shouting, trying to attract customers' attention, and the area was swarming with students browsing the booths and handing out flyers.'What? What's going on?'After being away for so long, the school was suddenly in a festive mood.As a bewildered Simon looked around, a female student in a Kizen uniform approached him."Hey, you! Are you a first-year?"She specifically asked if he was a first-year, and a red mark symbolizing her second-year status was visible on her uniform collar.Simon quickly bowed his head."Yes, Senior! Good morning!""Huh? Oh, good morning."She held out a flyer from her pocket and said,"I'm from the Dungeon Research Club. Come check us out if you're interested.""......Yes?"She winked and walked away, then was seen handing out flyers to other passing students.'A club?'Simon picked up the flyer.<The Monster's Treasury, the Greatest Mystery of the Current Era where Danger and Treasure Coexist! Aren't you curious about 'Dungeons'?> <Membership Benefits - Activity funds, club points, free exploration equipment rental, dungeon exploration instead of missions!>'So today was Club Season.'He had briefly heard about clubs from Dick.Looking up, he saw an unbelievable sight unfolding.The usually dignified second-years were completely breaking down because of Club Season. They were wearing ridiculous costumes and making fools of themselves, or grabbing passing juniors and acting cute.'This is a bit disorienting.'From the perspective of Kizen's first-years, the second-year seniors weren't exactly welcome people.Of course, there was a certain respect for them, as they had endured and survived this life for over a year, but the second-years were all arrogant and sensitive.They often got yelled at for not greeting properly or for being thoughtless whenever they met, and sometimes they even ordered personal errands or took juniors to secluded alleys for disciplinary training (though this would result in disciplinary action if caught by professors or teaching assistants).Recently, there was even an incident where commoner second-years persistently bullied noble first-years, making the situation even more sensitive.In such an atmosphere, it was strange to see the second-years actively approaching the first-years first. In fact, it was a sight only seen during Club Season.Simon walked towards the dormitory, looking around.A fierce competition was unfolding.Beautiful female seniors were pulling on both arms of an overweight first-year male student, fighting over him. The male student's face was flushed, and he looked dazed.And on the opposite side, a sculpted male senior was pushing a first-year female student against a wall, waving a club flyer.Just as she was about to be swayed, a tough, athletic senior with a club flag suddenly burst in and started yelling at him. She tried to stop them, saying 'Don't fight because of me,' but was also diligently rolling her eyes, trying to decide which side to choose.'.......'Simon felt his head spin.This wasn't the end of the world Kizen; what on earth was happening?'I need to get out of here quickly.'Just as Simon, feeling an instinctive sense of danger, tried to move towards the dormitory. "First-year! There's a first-year here!""Where are you running off to!"Second-years spotted Simon and rushed forward, blocking his path."Hey, first-year! Physical strength is national power! Won't you join the Physical Club?"A male student abruptly lifted his uniform shirt, showing off his toned abdominal muscles."Get lost, muscle-head! Hey, first-year! No, Senior First-year! Are you interested in dark magic that lets you dream whatever you want?""Kizen is all about practicality! How about our Transformation Club instead of those? It's a huge help for infiltration missions......!"Murmur, murmur, murmur!As more seniors crowded in, Simon, isolated, desperately looked for an escape route.Just then, a female student grabbed Simon's wrist and started running."Haha! This first-year is coming with our Jet Black Swordsmanship Club!""They're escaping!"Other second-years also rushed after Simon. Just as a chase was about to break out, out of nowhere."Ugh!"Suddenly, the swordsmanship club female student bowed her head, her face drooping."Ugh...... So tired.""S-Senior? Why are you......?"The rest of the second-years also suddenly complained of fatigue and began to collapse onto the floor.As a bewildered Simon blinked, he saw a man approaching him, perfectly fine.He was a tall man, at least 190 cm, with Jet Black flowing from his entire body. As he stepped, the surrounding grass and flowers withered or drooped. "Found you. Simon Pollentia."The man stopped in front of Simon."I am the president of the Kizen Curse Research Society."An inexplicable ominous feeling made all the hairs on Simon's body stand on end. As the man raised his arm, Simon tensed, preparing himself.Thud. "......?"But he suddenly knelt before Simon."Please, join our Curse Research Society!""W-what?""Please! If you don't join, I'll die!"The second-year senior grabbed Simon's pant leg. Simon, flustered, tried to lift him, but he wouldn't budge.'How did I end up like this...!'The president of the Curse Research Society could still not forget the look in Bahil's eyes from a week ago.-Use any means necessary to get Simon Pollentia, the first-year, to join the Curse Research Society.-P-Professor?-If you can't even accomplish this much, then our connection ends here.Bahil's lips curled into a grin.-If you fail, step down from your direct disciple position.He absolutely, under no circumstances, could step down from Bahil's direct disciple position.He didn't know how amazing this first-year was for Bahil to go to such lengths, but for him, it was a matter of his Kizen life."S-Senior! Don't do this here!"Simon tried to lift him, but he stubbornly resisted.Just 5 more seconds. If he could just hold on for 5 more seconds, a high-purity mental curse would settle into Simon's body. After that, whatever he did would be simple.......Swoosh.Just then, a red thread shimmered between Simon and the Curse Research Society president. His eyes widened dramatically.Boom!Blood magic activated in mid-air, pushing both of them back. The Curse Research Society president fell backward with a thud."A senior, by name, shouldn't resort to such dirty tricks, should they?"A blonde female student wearing a coat embroidered with red patterns approached them.The surrounding students murmured and made way for her. Simon also raised his head to look at her."I am the president of 'Sadam', the Hemomancy Research Society."She said with emphasis."Ah, yes. I'm Simon Pollentia, first-year.""I've received reports about your new blood type, SM-1. It's not about being good at curses or summoning. You are a unique existence in our field of Hemomancy."She slowly approached and ran a finger under Simon's eye."Jet Black depletion symptoms. This mission must have been quite tough.""......!"She crossed her arms again."If you join 'Sadam', we will mobilize all our research capabilities to study the SM-1 blood. SM-1 has the effect of amplifying Jet Black by consuming blood. If you train sufficiently, you will finally be able to overcome Jet Black depletion and handle a vaster amount of Jet Black."Simon blinked. He wasn't particularly interested in clubs, but this was quite an enticing offer.'Come over.'She, too, had been waiting for Simon to appear. And for good reason.-The emergence of SM-1 blood will turn the world upside down. And, I plan to put your name after mine on the SM-1 research paper.Syllage, who had taken her as a direct disciple, had said that.Syllage wanted Simon Pollentia as his direct disciple, and the first step for that was joining Sadam, the Hemomancy Research Club.If he got interested in Hemomancy through the club, there would naturally be room for him to change his major."Hey."At the voice from behind, she quickly reacted and stepped back. The ground she had been standing on was rotting black."Follow the order, won't you?"Swoosh.The Curse Society president, his previous humiliated expression gone, stood up with a murderous look."Order, my foot. Is this a cafeteria line?""You've grown a lot. It feels like just yesterday you were crying after losing in the first-year evaluation."At that, the Sadam president scoffed."Why do you conveniently omit that I've had 3 consecutive wins against you since then? You were just a stepping stone for my growth.""......You!"Just as the two were about to activate their cores, looking ready to fight.KWAANG!Suddenly, a chair fell from the sky. Both presidents, as well as the surrounding students, screamed and backed away.'Ugh!'Simon looked through the dust-filled air. He saw a man sitting arrogantly on the chair with his legs crossed.He was in a uniform, but he wore a cloak and a crown on his head. He rested his chin on his hand and grinned."Are you Simon, Special Admission Student No. 1?""Ah, yes."He was a second-year. He casually tossed a club application form at Simon's feet."Consider yourself lucky! I'll specially grant you the honor of joining 'Noble'!""......Yes?"KWAANG!BOOM!Half of the chair the man was sitting on rotted away, and the other half was covered in blood. The man quickly jumped off the chair and clicked his tongue."There are some nuisances."""I was talking first!!""The three glared at each other with murderous intent.And Simon, watching his seniors from a slight distance, had only one thought.'Ah, I want to go try out the Overlord quickly.'
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