It’s an Academic Fact That Rankers Are Model Students – Chapter 130

Chapter 130: Epic Quest (1)

“Well, good is good, I guess.”

Anyway, thanks to this, the Science Certification Exam was successfully completed.

Getting level 2 in both physics and chemistry this time won’t be a problem at all.

The next level 1 exam will be around December.

Until then, I’ll focus on school and territory work.

I also need to properly start looking at the set of workbooks I got from the Luxemb defense.

Territory work…… well……

“……Now that the Science Certification Exam is over, should I start expanding my farmland in earnest?”

I had to expand my business when I had the time.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

The famous Russian guild 『Ruski Komrade』 with a business site in real-life Vladivostok.

<Ruski Komrade>

▼a12b2368

<Ruski Komrade>

▼a12b4289

<Ruski Komrade>

▼a12b4889

．

．

．

Their nameless nicknames gave off a strangely inhuman feeling.

They were all equipped with the same gear, as if they had used some kind of cloning technique.

Of course, they all had different Western faces, but their soulless expressions made them look like dolls rather than humans.

But among them, there was one man with a name.

<Ruski Komrade>

▼AngerManagementVodka

『AngerManagementVodka』, the 11th highest-ranking executive there, was moving somewhere with dozens of his subordinates.

Thud.

AngerManagementVodka suddenly stopped walking, and the subordinates behind him also stopped.

In front of them stood an NPC with a scar over one eye.

He looked like he was in the business of doing rough and tough jobs.

<Broker of the Aegis Protectorate>

▼Broki (NPC)

“So, did you bring the goods?”

“Blyat.”

(※Blyat(блять): Russian curse word)

Hearing Broki’s words, AngerManagementVodka let out a short breath and laughed.

And then he got angry.

[Anger increased by 1.]

[Unique skill 『Boiling Rage』 activated.]

[Damage increases by % based on accumulated anger.]

▶Anger: 7 (Damage increased by 7%)

‘This NPC thinks he has nine lives.’

AngerManagementVodka was in a very bad mood today.

Because for some reason, hunting wasn’t going well today.

‘The only things in the world that should be doubled are vodka and borscht……’

AngerManagementVodka calmed his boiling anger.

Anyway, he had to pay for today’s hunting.

“You guys, bring the goods quickly.”

“Da!”

(※Da(Да): Russian for ‘Yes’)

As soon as AngerManagementVodka spoke, his subordinates began to lay things in front of Broki.

[Arliv Branches]

[Arliv Lumber]

[Arliv Sap]

Arliv farming.

It was the hunting that AngerManagementVodka had been leading his men to do recently.

『Arliv』 is a monster commonly referred to as the spirit of the tree.

Its habitat is the Arliv colony located in the 『Whale Forest』.

Although the monsters in Whale Forest are notoriously difficult due to their strength, nothing is as profitable as this Arliv farming these days.

Arliv lumber and branches are used as materials for pretty decent weapons, and the sap is also an excellent material for potions and elixirs.

“Here are the goods. What about the payment?”

If they collected these and brought them to this NPC named Broki, he would give them a considerable amount of money along with high-quality experience points.

However, Broki frowned slightly as he examined the goods AngerManagementVodka had brought.

“It’s less than last time. What’s the problem? It hasn’t been going well lately.”

“Don’t even get me started. I don’t know what’s going on these days, but those tree bastards are getting more and more vicious. They say the trees are angry. So am I.”

[Anger increased by 2.]

AngerManagementVodka got angry again.

He was already about to die of frustration because hunting wasn’t going well, so he couldn’t help but get angry when this guy said something like that to him after he had gone through all the trouble of finding him.

But he didn’t get angry right away.

‘Hoo… I have to be patient.’

It was a business he had worked hard to find.

Although earnings haven’t been great lately, it’s definitely more profitable than other businesses.

He couldn’t screw it up when he hadn’t even milked it for six months yet.

“I see. They’ve become ferocious.”

Broki nodded slowly, listening to AngerManagementVodka.

And then.

“So, no crystal cores again today?”

“Here’s one. There are no twos.”

AngerManagementVodka showed Broki the 『Arliv Crystal Core』.

A transparent, amber-colored crystal core.

It was a rare item that was sometimes obtained while hunting Arliv.

“Oh! Finally!”

Broki’s eyes lit up as he tried to take the crystal core.

However, as if waiting for this moment, AngerManagementVodka quickly pulled his hand away.

And then he asked.

“I have a question for you.”

“……What is it?”

Broki looked at AngerManagementVodka with slightly subdued eyes.

AngerManagementVodka shook the Arliv crystal core at Broki as if to show it off.

“What is this? Why are you so eager to collect it?”

“Tsk, didn’t I tell you last time? I don’t know either. I’m just delivering the items I received here to another place.”

“And you expect me to believe that?”

“Believe it or not, it’s up to you. Anyway, I’m charging an extra commission for the crystal core. That means you guys are getting a lot from my side, right?”

“Tsk, NPCs are so secretive. The only things you should be hiding are prohibition and moonshine.”

AngerManagementVodka clicked his tongue and tossed the crystal core to Broki.

Broki, startled, quickly catches it.

“Whoa! What if it breaks?!”

“It’s done since you caught it. Everyone, back to the forest.”

“Da!”

With the shouts of his subordinates, AngerManagementVodka turned his back.

“What a temper…… But you’re going back to catch them again? You just got here.”

“Two transactions, two rewards.”

“……He’s not very sociable … Anyway, I’m looking forward to you bringing a lot this time! Bring me two or three crystal cores next time!”

“……Blyat.”

AngerManagementVodka muttered a curse under his breath and headed back to the Arliv colony in Whale Forest with his subordinates.

“Huff, huff.”

His subordinates, who had been Arliv farming for over twelve hours without even being able to log out.

Although it was in the game, their mental strength was greatly weakened by the repeated labor without any break time.

However, Ruski Komrade is a workshop guild.

There is no break time for them.

AngerManagementVodka says to his subordinates who are not moving quickly enough.

“No sleep or food for the slow worker. Hurry up and move.”

“Huff, huff……!”

Their connection gear is illegally modified, so they won’t be forcibly logged out even if their mind or body is damaged.

So it doesn’t matter how long he keeps them logged in and makes them do hard work.

As an executive, all he had to do was lead his subordinates and give orders, but the subordinates had to do all the hard work in the game.

Naturally, it was also their job to defeat monsters.

Whoosh!

Something stabbed at one of the subordinates who was passing by the edge of the bush!

Puck!

“Keuk—!”

[Player 『a12b3456』 has died.]

[You will be forcibly logged out.]

“Kwuruk!”

[Whale Forest Horned Rabbit]

▶Level: Lv.157

▶A horned rabbit commonly found near the tail of Whale Forest. Its agility and strength are very high, so a single blow aimed at a vital point is very threatening.

▶I never thought it would aim for the eyehole of the plate helmet… -Aegis Protectorate Knight D, who became one-eyed-

A horned rabbit that can barely exceed level 20 in other areas!

But in Whale Forest, it was a level 157 powerhouse.

Its muscular hind legs and sharp, hard horns seemed all too easy to kill a man.

“Don’t mind him and keep moving.”

“Huff, huff……!”

AngerManagementVodka didn’t care about the dead subordinate and urged them to hurry up and take care of the monsters.

Thump! Crack! Stab! Boom! Munch!

AngerManagementVodka and his subordinates continued to advance, defeating monsters.

At that moment.

Rustle.

A small shadow emerged from beyond the bushes.

Dark skin and a height that didn’t look to be even 150 centimeters tall, like a human child.

<Black-skinned Silva>

▼Ceram (Monster)

It looked like a human, but it was a monster.

“W, Who are you……!”

Clang!

One of the new recruits immediately raised his weapon upon confirming that it was a monster.

This is Whale Forest, after all.

It’s a terrible place where the monsters that appear give you shitty experience points and are all difficult to deal with.

Just now, one of them got his heart pierced by a horned rabbit hiding in the bushes and died instantly.

The moment they let their guard down, it was game over.

If that happens, Ruski Komrade will say that they are hindering the business because of them and charge them ridiculous fines or something.

But.

“Stop! Get away!”

“D, Da…?”

AngerManagementVodka, an executive of Ruski Komrade, stopped the new recruit.

Then, as if he was used to it, he approached the monster Ceram and greeted him.

“Oh, Mr. Ceram. It’s been a while.”

“Yes. Hello.”

Amazingly, Ceram spoke in human language.

Originally, Silvas are fairy-type monsters and communicate in the ancient fairy language that is no longer used.

Ceram continued after the greeting.

“It’s a bit much to say it’s been a while when we just saw each other yesterday, don’t you think?”

“Haha! That just means I wanted to see you that much, right?”

“Hmm.”

AngerManagementVodka had seen Ceram in the forest before.

When he first met Ceram, he also pulled out his weapon without a word like the new recruit, but immediately changed his mind after hearing Ceram’s human words.

Well, anyone who’s played the game a bit would know, right?

‘He looks like the type to give a hidden quest. I can’t just let this go.’

AngerManagementVodka’s prediction was spot on.

In fact, he had been regularly clearing Ceram’s limited-time quests since about six months ago.

[Ceram’s Trivial Request]

▶Collect the suspicious stone powder, pebbles, and rocks that can be found in Whale Forest.

▶Quest Reward: A small amount of experience points and liyan, a certain chance of +1 rapport with Ceram

▶Quest Type: Daily Limited

▶Quest Grade: Common

※Currently completable

Of course, the reward was as meager as the stones needed to clear the quest.

It gave a measly amount of experience points and liyan.

Despite this, the reason AngerManagementVodka continued to clear this daily limited quest was because of Ceram’s rapport.

‘There’s definitely something if I raise the rapport.’

AngerManagementVodka believed that if he raised Ceram’s rapport to a certain level, a hidden quest would definitely open up.

However.

[Quest completed.]

[Experience points increased by 2,030,000.]

▶Experience (Lv.207): 9.2%→9.3%

[Acquired 178,400 liyan.]

[Rapport with Ceram has increased by 0.]

What’s the point of clearing the quest with that belief?

The affinity wouldn’t budge.

‘Damn it! Half a year has passed and the hidden quest still hasn’t appeared……!’

It said there was a certain probability of affinity increasing, but that probability was absolutely abysmal.

The affinity might go up by 1 after clearing it five times.

This was the reason why AngerManagementVodka had been in a bad mood lately.

He had been clearing the limited-time quest every day for the past five days, and it was only natural to get angry when the affinity didn’t increase even once in a row.

No, it wasn’t five days in a row.

With this, it had been six consecutive days of zero affinity increase.

‘It should go up at least once after six consecutive times! Damn it!’

[Anger increased by 5.]

[Accumulated anger has exceeded 10.]

[Unique skill 『Rage Amplification (Lv.9)』 activated.]

[The rate at which anger accumulates increases.]

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