It’s an Academic Fact That Rankers Are Model Students – Chapter 36

Chapter 36: You Can’t Study Because It’s Too Loud? This Is What Concentration Looks Like (2)

Vitriol Acid dropped a very peculiar item.

Not a weapon, staff, armor, or accessory. It was something that didn’t belong in a fantasy world.

It was something I’d never seen before, but I had a hunch what it was.

It was a battery.

[Malfunctioning Mana Battery]

▶A wondrous object born from the knowledge of another world called ‘science’ combined with magic. It is the realization of a perpetual mana device that was believed to be impossible.

There are traces of it going out of control, and now it is broken and its power has been greatly reduced.

▶Being in possession of it will inflict the 『Mana Overflow (Weakened)』 status.

▶This knowledge was too much for me… -Sever-

▶Item Grade: Unique

“Sever……?”

<That’s the name of the owner of the Bibliotheca Antiquarian Bookshop, Siri’s father.>

Kyung-joon couldn’t help but be deeply surprised.

Science, the knowledge of another world that didn’t exist in the fantasy game world of World.

There was another NPC besides him who was interested in it.

“……Ah, so that’s why Siri said the general chemistry book would be here.”

He wondered why a general chemistry book would be in a Unique Dungeon.

However, if Siri’s father and the owner of this Underground Villa, Sever, was interested in science, it would be a different story.

The transmutations that had been out of place so far began to slowly fall into place.

“This knowledge was too much for me…… And Mana Overflow?”

First, he checked the status window to see what Mana Overflow was.

[Mana Overflow (Weakened)]

▶Every second, MP recovers by 1%. After MP reaches 100%, MP recovers excessively, and HP decreases by that amount.

▶Magic attack power increases by the amount of HP consumed (up to 100% increase).

The ability to gain strong magic attack power through self-harm.

And it increases up to 100%.

It seemed a bit tricky to use because of the HP option, but if used well, it was an ability that truly lived up to its Unique value.

In the case of a magic attack dealer, DPS would instantly double, making it an irresistible item.

If he put this up for auction, the bidding would go crazy.

Nevertheless, what interested Kyung-joon was the description below.

NPC’s occasional comments attached to items.

▶Ugh, the rampage won’t stop! At this rate, the village! I can’t let it get to Siri……! -Sever-

The rough outline of the story was drawn.

The Malfunctioning Mana Battery obtained by catching Vitriol Acid.

This was the core of it all, and the very culprit that created it.

What on earth was Sever doing to end up like this?

While he was thinking about it.

<Master, I’ve looked around, but I couldn’t find any other door besides the entrance.>

“What?”

Then he couldn’t get the general chemistry book?

Could this be a wasted trip?

It wasn’t.

<But I found something strange.>

“What do you mean strange?”

<→>

<Please take a look at the bookshelf over there. It’s strangely intact.>

As Teemo pointed out, he shifted his gaze.

A single empty bookshelf with no books.

As soon as he saw it, he got a feeling.

What exactly was strange.

“Everything else is corroded and messed up, but only that is intact……?”

<Yes, that’s the point.>

It didn’t make sense.

He didn’t know when Vitriol Acid was born, but it must have been in this room for at least a few months.

Other experimental tools were already corroded and showed signs of melting everywhere.

But only that bookshelf was intact?

<I checked. It has the same anti-corrosion magic as the floor.>

“As expected.”

Kyung-joon, realizing something, strode towards the bookshelf.

Naturally, even when he looked closely, he couldn’t see anything.

“Such an obvious trick. It’s too classic.”

He reached out, grabbed the bookshelf, and pulled it back.

It was a bit heavy, but thanks to his strength stat of 70, it wasn’t a problem.

Screech. Thud!

As the bookshelf scraped against the ground and tilted back, a door came into view.

It was the only Unique door in this Underground Villa besides the entrance.

Creak.

Opening the door revealed countless books.

Just from a glance, he could see:

The Magic Theory of Water, The Magic Theory of Fire, The Correlation between Water and Poison, Classical Magic……

“……Ugh!”

Kyung-joon instantly covered his nose.

A terrible stench.

The smell of decay he had never smelled in his life.

Although it was mosaic-censored because he was not yet 18 years old, it was clear what it was.

A corpse.

It was the corpse of Siri’s father, Sever.

“As expected.”

Next to Sever lay a journal.

It was a research journal.

『April 3rd, P.C. 786

I blew up my entire lab again today while doing research. I’m already on thin ice with the dean after he overheard me badmouthing him as a thousand-year-old toad, and now I’m definitely getting fired, aren’t I?

But I wish the dean of Fairy-Elven Magic Academy would understand. This ‘science’ research will be a groundbreaking study that will turn the world upside down.』

“Science……”

Kyung-joon muttered to himself and continued reading Sever’s journal.

『May 14th, P.C. 786

Fortunately, thanks to Frankel changing his mind, I was able to avoid being fired from my professorship. Instead, he told me to stop doing pseudoscientific research and focus on proper magic research.

Pseudoscience? He doesn’t know what he’s talking about. This kind of systematic logical approach cannot be found anywhere in magic theory. I believe wizards should acknowledge and fully adopt science.』

『February 15th, P.C. 787

It’s proven! It’s proven! Science is not pseudoscience!

Today, a revelation came to all the inhabitants of the world. The existence of another world, ‘Players’, is coming. And with that, books I had never seen before began to appear in the library. That’s where I found ‘science’.

So it was true! Science was the study of Players! It wasn’t pseudoscience or a lie!』

『March 21st, P.C. 787

I met a Player to ask about science. But every Player I met was clueless. None of them seemed to know what science really was. Half of the Players I asked always answered like this: They were liberal arts majors? From now on, I shouldn’t even bother talking to liberal arts majors.』

『April 17th, P.C. 787

Today, I tried to experiment with the oxidation-reduction reaction I learned in the book Chemistry 1…… and failed miserably.

Not only my lab, but the entire 17th Magic Experiment Building was covered in an unknown yellow substance and melted. Fortunately, there were no casualties. They were all high-ranking wizards. But I’m going to be out of a job now.

More importantly, that unknown yellow substance! It’s incredibly toxic! Even I, a Water Wizard who studies poisons, have never seen anything like it! This is amazing! This is huge!』

『May 1st, P.C. 787

I was cleanly stripped of my professorship and came home to tell Siri with a bright face, only to get beaten up. My wife in heaven was the same, but to think my own daughter wouldn’t even respect her father……』

『May 12th, P.C. 787

The Beginner’s Village, the hottest place since Players appeared! I think it used to have a different name in the past. Did they change the name after the Players appeared?

Anyway, Siri and I are starting a new life here. Siri is opening a secondhand bookstore. I guess I’ll just have to find a place with plenty of water and build a lab.』

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.

.

『September 27th, P.C. 787

I learned about something called a battery and decided to try making one. It is said that the yellow poison, sulfuric acid, which melted the 17th Magic Experiment Building before, can generate a small amount of electricity.

To think that you can generate electricity from poison…… Truly, the limits of science know no bounds.』

『October 1st, P.C. 787

I failed again.

Mana is constantly surging out of control. I can’t control it. Why? Did I miss a calculation? But I can’t even begin to calculate it. What in the world are derivatives and integrals? I looked it up and it’s called mathematics, but I thought mathematics was simple arithmetic like 1+1? What kind of math is this?』

『October 2nd, P.C. 787

It’s been a week since I’ve been trying to control the runaway mana battery. I finally gave up and tried to destroy it, but it was too late.』

『October 3rd, P.C. 787

The sulfuric acid I used as a material for the battery…… It somehow combined with mana and became the core of a monster. A yellow monster made of sulfuric acid. Even if I wanted to fight it, I’m not a Battle Wizard in the first place. There’s no way I can defeat such a monster.』

『October 7th, P.C. 787

Damn it…… I finally realized it. You know what I realized? Why wizards don’t take an interest in science. Science was too much knowledge for us.』

『October 8th, P.C. 787

I cast an anti-corrosion spell on the entire room to somehow contain the yellow monster. I also stayed inside the warehouse. If I run away now, that yellow monster will spread to the nearby Koepi River. Then countless people will die. Including Siri.

I have to keep holding on. I have to keep renewing the anti-corrosion spell and endure.』

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.

『January 19th, P.C. 788

The food in my inventory has run out. I feel like I’m going crazy from the stench of the surrounding filth and the poisonous sulfuric acid gas. Blood, not saliva, is coming out of my mouth. I keep using purification magic and healing magic, but I’m reaching my limit.』

『February 7th, P.C. 788

I saw a ridiculous status window. It said I became the owner of the Unique Dungeon 『Contaminated Underground Villa』 or something.

This is… ridiculous.』

『February 8th, P.C. 788

I can feel death approaching. If I’m going to die anyway, I’ll use all my remaining life force to hold that yellow monster back for as long as possible.

I’ll be a murderer, a goddamn son of a b *tch.

There’s no way I can atone for this.』

『February 15th, P.C. 788

My eyes are closing.

I can’t feel my lower body.

I just wanted to know…… A new change in the stagnant study of magic…… To make the world a better place…… Siri, I’m sorry…… I……』

The research journal ended there.

As he closed the journal with a heavy heart, status windows appeared before his eyes.

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

[Cleared within 1 day (Time Limit: 7 days).]

[Most of the contaminated water has been purified.]

[The situation ends with NPCs in Beginner’s Village suffering from mild stomachaches.]

[Unique Quest 『Siri’s Request』 has been completed.]

[You can receive your reward from Siri.]

Both the Linked Quest and the Unique Quest he had received earlier were completed at the same time.

Immediately, all the books in the warehouse turned into obtainable objects.

He was also able to find the general chemistry book he was originally aiming for.

“General Chemistry, General Physics, Electromagnetism, Introduction to Physical Electronics…… There are all sorts of science books.”

There were almost all the major textbooks related to physics and chemistry.

On the other hand, he couldn’t find a single book related to mathematics.

Seeing that, Kyung-joon came to a conclusion.

“Sever, you should have studied some math too. Look what happened because you tried to do science without even knowing calculus……”

Kyung-joon let out a short sigh and shook his head.

Naturally, there was no answer.

Dead men tell no tales.

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