It’s an Academic Fact That Rankers Are Model Students – Chapter 32

Chapter 32: The Beginning of Studying Starts with Finding the Right Materials (2)

North of the Beginner’s Village residential area, where one of the many tributaries of the Koepi River flowed.

That’s where Kyung-joon was headed.

“Is this the right way?”

<Yes. Go straight ahead.>

“Okay. There’s no road or anything, so I almost got lost. Why would anyone build an Underground Villa in a place like this?”

An Underground Villa.

That’s what Siri, the owner of the Bibliotheca Antiquarian Bookshop, had told him about.

She said he might not find a general physics book there, but he could at least find a general chemistry book.

“It was definitely a Unique Quest, right?”

Kyung-joon recalled his conversation with Siri just a few hours ago.

[A Hidden Quest (Grade: Unique) has occurred.]

━I don’t know much about general physics, but general chemistry…… I know where to find that. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to get it though……

━There’s my father’s Underground Villa near the fourth tributary of the Koepi River, north of the village. You’ll definitely be able to find a general chemistry book there.

━I’m sorry, I’m not good at explaining things in detail. But if you’re going there… could you give my father a message from me?

Siri’s voice had been strangely subdued as she spoke.

Ding!

[Siri’s Request]

▶There’s an Underground Villa near the fourth tributary of the Koepi River, north of Beginner’s Village. Deliver a message from Siri to her father there.

▶Quest Reward: Unique Magic Book and more

▶Quest Type: Hidden

▶Quest Grade: Unique

Kyung-joon accepted the quest without hesitation.

He had to meet her father if he wanted to get the general chemistry book anyway, so delivering a simple message wasn’t a big deal.

But the quest grade was Unique.

It meant it was a difficult quest, but he couldn’t figure out why.

“Is Siri’s father some kind of eccentric?”

<Or maybe they have a very bad relationship. Considering they live separately in an Underground Villa.>

“Don’t tell me making them reconcile is a Unique-level difficulty? How bad is their relationship?”

Kyung-joon continued walking through the forest.

Soon, a humid scent began to fill the air, and he saw a river flowing between the lush trees.

But the river was strange.

Green liquid was floating on the surface.

It smelled pungent and didn’t look good at all.

That’s when it happened.

[The content of the Hidden Quest (Grade: Unique) 『Siri’s Request』 has been updated.]

[Linked Quest 『Contaminated Underground Villa』 has been generated.]

[Contaminated Underground Villa]

▶Siri, the owner of the Bibliotheca Antiquarian Bookshop. The Underground Villa where her father lives separately is already contaminated.

Polluted water is flowing out from there. If you don’t clear the dungeon in time, the village will be in danger.

▶Quest Reward: Everything inside the Underground Villa (including the dungeon)

▶Quest Type: Linked

▶Quest Grade: Shared with 『Siri’s Request』

Suddenly, a light flashed before his eyes, and a portal he had never seen before appeared.

It was a dungeon entrance portal.

[Dungeon: Contaminated Underground Villa]

▶Recommended Level: Lv.150 or higher, 1st Promotion or higher

▶Time Limit: 7 days

▶Failure Penalty: 50% of Beginner’s Village residents will be wiped out.

▶Dungeon Type: Quest Dungeon

※This dungeon is a quest dungeon and can only be entered alone.

▶Dungeon Grade: Unique

“…… Now I understand why it’s a Unique Quest.”

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

The World Monitoring Team Branch 10.

Kim Bu-ha, a low-ranking employee there, rushed to the team leader with wide eyes.

“T, Team Leader……! Someone opened the Unique Dungeon ‘Contaminated Underground Villa’ in Beginner’s Village!”

“What?!”

As soon as Kim Bu-ha reported, a full-scale emergency was declared in Branch 10.

The opening of the Contaminated Underground Villa was that big of a deal.

“Who on earth met the conditions so soon……!”

The conditions for opening the Unique Dungeon ‘Contaminated Underground Villa’ in Beginner’s Village were as follows:

『1. Siri, the NPC of the Bibliotheca Antiquarian Bookshop, must judge the player strong enough to clear the Contaminated Underground Villa.

Enter Beginner’s Village and talk to Siri.』

To summarize, you just had to become strong enough, visit Siri in Beginner’s Village, and ask for the quest.

But this was virtually impossible.

Once you leave Beginner’s Village, you can’t go back.

It was a system restriction, so there was nothing you could do about it.

That meant you had to stay in Beginner’s Village and level up, but that was also impossible.

The recommended level for the Contaminated Underground Villa was 150 or higher and required 1st Promotion.

Reaching level 150 and achieving 1st Promotion in Beginner’s Village, where the highest level monsters were around 10-20?

It was absurd.

That’s where the Fairy-Elven Magic Academy came in.

You had to be recognized by Professor Frankel there.

Then, Frankel would ask you to deliver his regards to his close friend, Sever, temporarily lifting the access restriction to Beginner’s Village.

This would allow high-level players to enter Beginner’s Village.

This was how the development team originally envisioned the scenario: A high-level player would enter Beginner’s Village, receive the hidden quest from Sever’s daughter, Siri, and unlock the Unique Dungeon 『Contaminated Underground Villa』.

“But no players have even entered Fairy-Elven Academy yet……”

They thought it would take at least another 2-3 years after the game’s release.

They believed it would take that long for players to earn Frankel’s recognition with their magic skills, considering how strict he was.

But it had already been opened.

Less than a year and a half after the game’s release.

“H, How did they do it? Pull up the monitoring screen of the user who opened the dungeon, now!”

“Y, Yes, sir!”

A 3D hologram screen appeared in the center of Branch 10’s monitoring room.

There was a familiar figure on it.

“Gasp, isn’t that user Kyung-joon?”

“W, What? Why is he there?!”

The team leader felt like banging his head against the desk.

How on earth did he manage to open the Contaminated Underground Villa?

User Kyung-joon had only been studying recently, hadn’t he?

“W, Well…… according to the logs, it seems he received the quest directly from Siri.”

“But how is that possible? He can’t meet the first condition. He recently leveled up with something about energy ellipses, but he’s still not even level 20.”

“You’re right……”

“Is it a bug……? No, it can’t be a bug.”

They couldn’t just conclude it was a bug without proper investigation.

After all, the Energy Tower incident wasn’t a bug either, was it?

The team leader took a moment to compose himself and asked in a calmer tone.

“What about other logs? Everything else normal?”

“Uh, well……”

Kim Bu-ha examined the logs further.

“Yes. Both the first and second conditions were met normally. There’s no trace of a bug.”

“Hmm…… then, any other peculiarities?”

“Yes. There is one……”

Kim Bu-ha scrutinized the logs further.

“Huh…? The Fame System is involved?”

“What? Fame?”

The team leader squinted his eye at the word he hadn’t heard in a long time.

Then, it hit him.

‘That’s it!’

“Bu-ha, run a big data analysis on Beginner’s Village and pull up some keywords.”

“Keywords related to user Kyung-joon, right?”

“Y, Yes, user Kyung-joon.”

“Got it!”

A while later, Kim Bu-ha rushed back with a few sheets of paper.

The team leader read through them and nodded with a wry smile, as if he had expected this.

“Oh boy. Ever since his Fame exceeded 100, the rumors have been insane. The descendant of the Great Sorcerer, the Child of Mana……”

After Kyung-joon demonstrated his Unique Baking Magic in front of Bread, rumors about him spread like wildfire.

A wizard who could control mana with incredible precision and combine various spells to cast never-before-seen magic.

That’s what the NPCs of Beginner’s Village saw in Kyung-joon.

Even the current top-ranked wizards couldn’t dare to imitate him.

It was impossible for rumors not to spread.

“That’s why Siri had no choice but to acknowledge him.”

“Excuse me?”

“Didn’t you see it while you were pulling the data? Here, read it. It’ll click.”

Kim Bu-ha took the papers from the team leader and scanned through them.

It didn’t take long for realization to dawn on his face.

“Ah! So that’s why Siri from the bookstore judged Kyung-joon strong enough?”

“Exactly. The first condition wasn’t about a specific level, but whether Siri deemed him strong enough. His Fame influenced her judgment. Very significantly, too.”

“Well…… he didn’t just learn Unique Magic, he created it. Even if it was used to make bread.”

“Right, exactly. But this isn’t something we should be happy about……”

The team leader banged his head on the desk.

He thought to himself,

‘That Unique Magic Book 『Venom Grimoire』 obtainable as a reward from that quest…… It’s a skill that will have a huge impact on the war content we’ll be updating later…’

『Venom Grimoire』, meaning a grimoire of poison magic.

It was the life’s work of Sever, who used to be a professor at the Fairy-Elven Magic Academy.

‘……No, it will show insane lethality even before the update, it’s no different from a weapon of mass destruction! And that’s in the hands of user Kyung-joon? He’s already an Irregular, driving us crazy…… Ugh!’

The team leader, lost in thought, greeted his team members with a zombie-like expression.

Then, he gave out his orders.

“……From now on, we’re going on 24/7 full monitoring for a week.”

“What?! But my shift is about to end…?”

“Apply for overtime pay. What’s our company motto? 『Keep rolling! You’ll be rewarded for your hard work!』 Isn’t it?”

“R, Right……?”

“Don’t worry. They’ll stuff bonuses and overtime pay down our throats until we’re sick of it…… Hahaha! Keep rolling! Keep rolling until you die!”

“Gwaaaah!”

It all started because of Kyung-joon.

The week-long, non-stop, infinite overtime of Branch 10’s Monitoring Team……

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

“Hmm, this is a headache.”

For the first time, Kyung-joon was genuinely troubled by the game.

The Unique Dungeon ‘Contaminated Underground Villa’ with a recommended level of 150 or higher and 1st Promotion.

He was worried if he could actually clear it.

“……Can I do this?”

<I can’t give you a definite answer, but based on your stats alone, Master, you’re well over level 100.>

“Really?”

Currently, Kyung-joon’s stat window looked like this:

[Kyung-joon]

▶Job: Infinite Knowledge Seeker

▶Race: Human (Player)

▶Level: 19

▶Experience: 17.4%

▶HP: 640/640

▶MP: 232/2320

▶Strength: 76 Agility: 10 Intelligence: 316 Stamina: 64 Mana: 232

▶Dexterity: 164

▶Water attribute affinity: 51 Earth attribute affinity: 47

▶Fame: 117

▶Remaining Stat Points: 90

Over 300 Intelligence and over 200 Mana!

All of it gained from studying for his finals.

Excluding the base stat of 10, converting all five main stats to points resulted in a whopping 648 stat points.

It was an amount he wouldn’t have until at least level 130.

Moreover, he still had 95 unused stat points.

He had practically already achieved the first part of the 『Recommended level 150 or higher and 1st Promotion』 requirement.

“But what’s the 1st Promotion?”

Kyung-joon asked Teemo.

<Every 100 levels, you get a chance to promote. When you reach level 100, it’s 1st Promotion, at 200, it’s 2nd Class Promotion, and so on.>

“Hmm, so it’s like a job change? I haven’t done that, so clearing the dungeon will be tough.”

<Master, don’t you already possess six Rare skills and one Unique skill? Compared to other ordinary jobs, you’ve practically completed your 1st Promotion already.>

This was why the team leader of Branch 10’s Monitoring Team called Kyung-joon an Irregular.

Furthermore, Kyung-joon didn’t just learn a Unique skill, he ‘created’ a whole new one……

Kyung-joon, listening to Teemo’s explanation, nodded.

“So you’re saying I can clear it?”

<If it’s you, Master, I’m sure you can. It won’t be easy, as it is a Unique Dungeon, but I’ll do my best to support you.>

<ᕙ（”｀д´）ᕗ>

Teemo displayed an emoticon full of confidence.

Seeing that, Kyung-joon made up his mind.

“Alright, let’s give it a shot. I have to go inside to get the general chemistry book anyway.”

Studying in the game had become far more efficient than studying in reality. He couldn’t just give up now.

[Would you like to enter the Quest Dungeon 『Contaminated Underground Villa (Grade: Unique)』?]

※This dungeon is a quest dungeon and can only be entered alone.

※Time remaining until failure: 6 days 23 hours 48 minutes

“Okay, summer break is short, so let’s clear this quickly. I need to get that book and study.”

With that, Kyung-joon stepped into the portal, where the pungent odor was intense.

[You have entered the Quest Dungeon 『Contaminated Underground Villa (Grade: Unique)』.]

The first thing that greeted him upon entering the dungeon was, of course, the stinging stench.

And it wasn’t just any ordinary stench.

[Toxic fumes are penetrating your entire body.]

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