The door swung open with a clang, revealing a scene bathed in golden afternoon sunlight.
The light streamed through an open window, causing the light blue curtains to flutter gently in the breeze. This soft movement not only made the curtains ripple like the hem of a lotus leaf but also caused the shoulder-length hair of a girl sitting behind a desk to sway.
She was an unfamiliar girl, seemingly one Sam had never seen before. She had been reading a book but looked up at the sound of the door opening.
Her bangs, a blend between a middle part and straight across, seemed to shift with her mood. Her cheeks were smooth and fair, untouched by blemishes, and her large, clear eyes sparkled like jewels.
Dressed in a black pleated mini skirt, her legs were neatly together, straight and slender.
Her aura wasn’t like that of Angel or Sophie upon first meeting; there was no sense of haughtiness or pride stemming from her beauty. Instead, she seemed ordinary, even a bit curious and pleasantly surprised.
A normal person? In this game world, a normal beautiful girl?
Since Sam didn’t know her and her demeanor was within the range of normal human emotions, just this glance almost brought him to tears.
Observing Sam, who seemed to be staring in a daze at the doorway, the girl didn’t frown but blinked her lively eyes and asked, "Hello, this is The Ultimate Human Department. We haven’t started activities yet due to a lack of members. Are you here to inquire or join?"
Polite! Courteous! Gentle! And not self-absorbed!
Sam nearly teared up at this. He quickly composed himself, fearing that his prolonged exposure to such high-pressure situations had made him a bit strange and sensitive.
Approaching the girl calmly, Sam handed over his application form. "I’m Sam. Alice recommended I join this club."
The girl seemed surprised as she took the application form, then looked up at Sam. "You’re Sam?"
"Yes, you know of me?"
She smiled softly, her face lighting up with charming dimples. "Of course, I’ve heard of you. You’re quite famous in our school, a real heartthrob. Did you know that many girls secretly rank the boys in school, creating a list of the most charming ones? You’re at the top."
Sam wasn’t surprised; the letters and love notes in his locker every day were proof enough. But hearing it from someone else made him blush.
"Ah... I haven’t paid much attention to that. I’m mostly focused on my studies," Sam said with a bit of shameless exaggeration.
The girl, looking at Sam, raised her lips in a small smile and said softly, "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m the president of The Ultimate Human Department, Isabella."
She even extended her hand to Sam—a gesture of politeness and formality.
Sam gently shook her hand, then released it. "Nice to meet you, Isabella."
Isabella nodded, then said, "Alice had mentioned this to me earlier, but I didn’t expect you to join so soon. I’m curious, Sam, why have you decided to join The Ultimate Human Department now, when you’ve always been reluctant to participate in clubs?"
Sam politely replied, "Because I couldn’t avoid it anymore, so I had to join yours."
While Sam’s manner was courteous, his content was somewhat impolite, even a bit excessive. However, Isabella didn’t show any displeasure; instead, she nodded.
"That’s a very honest answer... It seems your character, unlike your handsome appearance, is not one to sweet-talk. So, Sam, do you know the purpose of our club?"
Sam recalled for a moment. "To learn everything that can be learned and become the ultimate human?"
He had previously thought this goal was absurd. After all, who seriously considers becoming the ultimate human? Just being a hero in one’s own life is challenging enough.
Isabella nodded and sighed softly. "That’s just an external objective, a rather stringent one. My true intention is to encourage members to join me in engaging and learning from both interesting and mundane activities. To constantly improve ourselves, tap into our potential, and live life to the fullest, aiming to have no regrets at any stage."
This seemed more realistic, but still, the goal was lofty. After all, living without regrets is nearly impossible.
"That sounds difficult, doesn’t it? Given our limitations in time and energy, it’s impossible for someone to be perfect, a universally acknowledged truth, right?"
Isabella blinked. "Yes, it’s impossible. But what I hope for is that everyone strives to be a better version of themselves than they were yesterday, to challenge and overcome themselves, to defeat the inferior versions of who they might have been."
"Then... why not call it the Self-Challenge Department?"
"Doesn’t sound as cool as The Ultimate Human Department, right?"
Watching Isabella’s innocent gaze, Sam hesitated for a long time. Why did her reasoning seem so sound?
No, wait! Both names are indeed bizarre!
"Alright... I accept that reasoning." Sam said.
Isabella sat up straight, the red bow tie at her collar fluttering in the wind. Her chest contour was beautiful, not overly exaggerated, yet not as understated as Sophie’s.
She was a true gem in every sense – in temperament, appearance, and behavior, a beautiful girl who wouldn’t be disliked by anyone. A real treasure in this game world.
Sam’s assessment was straightforward, but he couldn’t fully let his guard down. After all, appearances can be deceiving, and who knows what the future holds?
"If you’re joining, I’d be happy to have you," Isabella said. "But once you’re a member, you’ll need to be available for club activities outside of your home rest time. Can you commit to that?"
Sam hesitated. He had to work after school, and although club activities could serve as a good excuse to handle the situations with Angel and the other girls, it was hard to predict if there would be conflicts.
Seeing the hesitation on Sam’s face, Isabella said, "Of course, you can inform me in advance about personal matters, like your part-time job... I know the school doesn’t allow it, but don’t worry, I won’t tell the teachers. Everyone has their own life to struggle with, and I consider part-time work as part of becoming the ultimate human too."
She was incredibly understanding.
Sam calmed himself and nodded. "If that’s the case, I can accept."
Isabella smiled sweetly. "Great, please sign here!"
As Sam sat down to sign, there was suddenly another knock at the door.
"Is there someone else?" Sam asked, puzzled.
Isabella, as if suddenly remembering, raised a finger. "Oh! Yes, there’s another new member joining today. After all, a club is officially recognized by the school only with three members... Come in, please."
Something about her belated realization didn’t sit right with Sam. It seemed things were not as straightforward as he had thought.
The door slowly opened, and Sam instinctively looked back. Then he saw a familiar face, one that brought back deep memories.
The girl with the backpack, her typically aloof expression, shifted to astonishment upon seeing him.
Both uttered in unison, their voices tinged with surprise.
"Sam?!"
"Sophie?!"
Isabella’s gaze darted between the two, apparently catching on to something. She clapped her hands together, her face brightening with joy.
"You know each other? That’s great!"
Great? Hardly.