"Scritch-scratch!"

Charlotte took the application form Lin Zhong handed her and signed her name in the president slot.

"Next? The club name?"

Her clear eyes shot Lin Zhong a questioning look.

"Aester and Her Servants!"

"Su Han and Lin Zhong’s Club."

It wasn’t Lin Zhong who answered, but Aester and Su Han. They seemed deeply invested in the name, replying the moment Charlotte spoke.

"Uh…"

Charlotte’s delicate eyebrows knotted together. Her pretty face looked troubled—she wanted to refuse but didn’t dare say it.

"Cut it out."

Lin Zhong snatched the form from her hand and swiftly scribbled his answer in the club name field.

Fool’s Court.

"Fool’s Court?"

Charlotte stared at the name in surprise. Academy clubs were all named after the twenty-one Major Arcana tarot cards. But directly using the school’s name… was it really okay?

"As the 0th card in the tarot deck, the Fool represents a beginning, doesn’t it?" Lin Zhong smiled, pointing at the Fool. To him, it symbolized a fresh start—a reckless adventure. Perfect for their club’s name.

"Mm!"

"No problem. That’s settled."

Lin Zhong handed the form back to Aester.

"Still worse than ‘Aester and Her Servants’," Aester muttered, but took the form anyway. She pulled out her phone.

[Management System, Login]

A voice chimed from her phone. She aimed it at the form in the folder.

[Reading information]

[Reading complete. Inputting data]

[Beep!]

The same sound echoed on Lin Zhong’s and the others’ phones.

[Information read complete. Club Fool’s Court established.]

[Club system activated.]

Lin Zhong tapped the notification.

[President: Charlotte Flo Jeanmel (Bounty: 100,000)]

[Vice President: White Reaper - Lin Zhong (Bounty: 300,000)]

[Member: Freya - Su Han (Bounty: 5,000,000)]

[Member: Seraphim - Aester Galaha Anoz (Bounty: 3,000,000)]

[Member: Moonlight Swordmaster - Sebastian Bach (Bounty: 700,000)]

[Total value: Bounty 9,100,000 credits]

Charlotte’s eyes widened at the total credits. Five members with nearly ten million in combined bounties—this achievement rivaled top-tier clubs.

Four title-holding students, three wielding Exclusive Weapons.

Charlotte knew no one would believe this was just a rookie five-person club. Yet she had to accept it: it was real, and she was its president.

[Allocating activity space]

[Allocation complete: Activity Room 608]

[Club chat room activated]

Lin Zhong closed the club info. A fourth name appeared in his sparse friends list.

Fool’s Court.

"Where’s Activity Room 608?" Charlotte asked weakly, raising her hand toward Aester, who was still fiddling with her phone.

"The building behind the teaching block houses club activities. Eighth room on the sixth floor."

Aester kept scrolling. Her role wasn’t just member—she was also Fool’s Court’s club advisor.

An advisor’s duties rivaled the president’s workload. Though usually held by teachers, student council members could fill it too.

That’s why council members needed immense strength. Yet this scenario had never happened before.

Aester was the academy’s first student advisor. The responsibilities still felt unfamiliar.

"That building?" Charlotte’s eyes widened. She knew it well—she’d tried entering before but hit an invisible barrier.

"Right. It’s off-limits until you join a club."

The club area wasn’t peaceful. Competition thrived everywhere, fiercest in that zone.

Clubs were the only path to power, but weaklings got crushed on entry.

That barrier blocked underclassmen. Strong enough, though, and it vanished.

"With the club system active, can we enter Team Dungeon Instances or Plot Instances now?" Lin Zhong’s eyes lit up. Every academy had two dungeon entrances: one before the teaching building for Solo and Multiplayer Instances.

The other, in the club area, was the sole gateway to Team and Plot Instances.

Team Instances were deadlier, requiring alliances or large clubs. Plot Instances featured high-IQ NPCs—clearing them wasn’t just about killing Monsters.

Rewards dwarfed normal runs. That’s why clubs mattered.

Sadly, none present had ever entered either—not Lin Zhong, not Su Han, not Aester, let alone Charlotte.

Lin Zhong rarely got invites. Su Han ignored endless offers, sticking by Lin Zhong.

Aester’s council duties left no time. Charlotte’s strength drew zero interest.

"Mm, probably," Aester replied vaguely. She’d never entered the club area herself. Not that she couldn’t—her admin privileges granted instant access.

But why go? Factions there outmuscled the student council.

She was a three-million-bounty elite, yet not the strongest. In Fool’s Court, Su Han surpassed her.

Even Su Han avoided that zone. Aester? Forget it.

There, no one spared you for being council president. To them, you were just three-million-credit prey.

"That’s really great."