The speaker was Su Han. As soon as those words left her lips, every gaze snapped to her.

Stronger than her? That was utterly insane.

Neither Aester, Sebastian, nor Charlotte could believe their ears. They knew Lin Zhong was powerful—but never equated him with Su Han.

Freya, the Fool’s top combatant? That wasn’t a joke. No one in the entire Fool’s Court could guarantee victory over her. If she had a weakness, it was unquestionably Lin Zhong.

Yet Lin Zhong and Su Han were inseparable. Exploiting that weakness was near impossible.

Lin Zhong stronger than Su Han?

"H-He’s... stronger than you?"

Aester’s finger trembled as she pointed at Lin Zhong. Her lips twitched uncontrollably—this was simply too unbelievable.

"We’ve spent thirteen years together. Fought 1,359 duels. My record? Zero wins."

While the others reeled, Su Han remained calm. She lifted Lin Zhong’s teacup and took a slow sip of the black tea.

Zero wins. Such a jarring record.

"Really?"

"Why would I lie?"

Su Han shot Charlotte a disdainful glance.

She had no reason to deceive them. Though others might resent such a record, Su Han held no grudge against Lin Zhong’s superiority.

"Huh? That many times?"

Lin Zhong vaguely recalled defeating her often, but they’d rarely gone all out—usually stopping short of full force.

"Alright, let’s drop this topic."

Aester wiped sweat from her brow, struggling to process the revelation. She’d prepared to test Lin Zhong’s strength herself, but now it seemed unnecessary.

"How much do you know about the Club System and this activity zone?"

She raised her phone. The screen opposite descended smoothly, projecting her device’s display.

[Club System Activated]

"Nothing."

All four shook their heads. The Club System only appeared in the student handbook app after creation. Until then, it remained locked—and inaccessible.

As for this activity zone?

Even Aester, as student council president, was stepping here for the first time. She’d accessed partial data via her privileges earlier, but without firsthand experience, she couldn’t confirm details.

"Fine. You must know the Dual Emperors, Four Generals, and Thirteen Apostles."

Seeing Charlotte’s blank stare, Aester continued.

She tapped the screen. Two photos appeared: a middle-aged man and a figure wearing a white mask. Labeled beneath them: Dual Emperors.

"The Dual Emperors reign over all twenty-two academies. ‘World’s strongest’ isn’t an exaggeration. Fortunately, we likely won’t cross paths with them."

Lin Zhong and Su Han’s expressions stiffened at the photos—but luckily, no one noticed.

"The Dual Emperors are the Sword Emperor of the Emperor faction... and our Fool’s Court’s... Joker."

Aester’s finger hovered over the masked figure. "Though he’s ours, he stays low-key. No one knows his true identity. He won’t interfere with us."

*Not exactly...* Lin Zhong wiped his brow, silently correcting her.

"Next: the Four Generals. They’re the strongest fighters under the Dual Emperors—leaders of four top-tier factions. Each rules a different academy. None belong to Fool’s Court, so encounters are unlikely."

The projector displayed photos of three men and one woman.

"The Four Generals: Spade of the Magician, Heart Queen of the Hermit, Club of the World, and Square of the Pope. Their titles match playing card suits—just memorize their faces."

Spade: a polished Western gentleman. Heart Queen: an elegant woman in a kimono. Club: a burly giant. Square: a grotesque, middle-aged man.

"Finally, the Thirteen Apostles. Each academy’s peak fighters. I’ll skip others—focus on ours."

Thirteen photos filled the screen. Two familiar faces stood out: Su Han and Aester.

"Among the Apostles, I rank seventh—Seraphim. Su Han ranks third—Freya. You know this. These eleven," she excluded their photos, "will be our enemies."

"Eight Apostles attended yesterday’s duel besides us. After seeing Lin Zhong’s strength, all eight will try to recruit him."

Three photos vanished from the screen. Eight remained.

"Now that you’ve joined our club, you won’t leave easily. That means these eight become our adversaries."

Aester’s tone turned grave. This wasn’t trivial.

"If Su Han’s words hold true, we have three Apostles’ strength—enough to handle what’s coming. But if they unite..."

Eight Apostles allying wasn’t impossible. A threat like Lin Zhong wouldn’t be spared. Entering the academy meant gambling your life.

Being targeted could cost you everything. Lin Zhong’s position was precarious.

His final move yesterday—Flower Dance Thousand Soul Slay—was Apostle-tier. Any faction gaining him would secure a second Apostle.

They’d spare no effort to protect him. But now? He wasn’t in an Apostle’s club. He was in Fool’s Court.

Three Apostles’ strength meant little for a five-member rookie club. Against established factions, they were hopelessly outmatched.

Real fights wouldn’t involve protective gear. This wasn’t a lawful society. Here, might made right.

Worry tightened every throat.

"They won’t unite. They’re greedier than you think. Sharing resources to destroy one Apostle? Unlikely. Especially when we have three."