Kurose Akira woke from his sleep, washed up briefly, and headed to school.
The moment he stepped into the classroom, the first thing that caught his eye was the bold countdown written on the blackboard—
Nine days until the National College Entrance Examination.
He glanced around.
Most of his classmates were buried deep in revision, expressions tense and focused. Only Liu Xue stood out as an exception.
Having already been specially admitted to Zhehai University, she didn't need to take the exam at all. Compared to everyone else, she looked almost leisurely.
Akira gave her a casual glance before returning to his seat.
No sooner had he sat down than his phone vibrated in his pocket.
He took it out.
A message from Liu Xue.
CuteKanaBunny:"Akira, I ranked up to E+ yesterday!"
Akira:"Congrats, congrats! 🎉"
CuteKanaBunny:"Too bad though. The new adventurer I recruited was only normal quality. Guess my luck's all used up ╮(╯▽╰)╭!"
Akira stared at the message.
He'd originally wanted to comfort her—low-rarity recruits were actually very common—but after a moment's thought, he deleted what he'd typed.
Because… he really wasn't qualified to say that.
Instead, he changed the subject.
Akira:"We're literally two or three meters apart. Why are you chatting with me on WeChat?"
CuteKanaBunny:"So I don't disturb the other students."
"..."
Akira fell silent.
CuteKanaBunny:"Oh right, have you been paying attention to the World Channel lately?"
Akira:"No. Why?"
CuteKanaBunny:"I heard several B-rank guilds picked up a special quest. The reward's insanely good! Supposedly it's worth ten B-rank quests!"
"Ten B-rank quests?"
Akira's eyes lit up instantly.
Based on Ye Lingxi's previous B-rank quest—50 gold coins and one epic-grade piece of equipment—this special quest's reward would easily exceed 100 gold coins.
There was even a chance of receiving legendary-grade equipment upon completion.
At that scale, it was practically on par with an A-rank quest.
"How much do you know about that special quest?" Akira asked.
The fact that multiple B-rank guilds had access to it meant this wasn't an exclusive assignment—it was likely a multi-guild participation quest.
CuteKanaBunny:"Not much. Apparently only B-rank guilds and above can even see or accept it."
"Got it. Thanks."
Akira put his phone away and sank into thought.
The reward was tempting—no doubt about that.
But he knew himself well.
Anything beyond his current capabilities, especially something with extreme risk, wasn't something he'd touch lightly.
Unless…
It directly involved him.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was afternoon.
After school, Akira slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed home.
The moment he logged into the game, a private message popped up.
Fei:"You've been put on a wanted list."
Akira's heart tightened.
He immediately opened the link Xu Feiyan had sent. His expression darkened at once.
An anonymous client had issued a special quest to all B-rank and higher guilds:
Objective: Capture the target alive and escort them to the Royal Capital of the Starfall Kingdom.Reward: 300 gold coins + 3 epic-grade equipment items.
A reward like that…
Even A-rank guilds would be tempted.
And yet—
Akira frowned deeply.
He'd been wondering all morning what special quest Liu Xue had mentioned.
Now he knew.
The target was none other than Virola, a member of his guild.
Fei:"The reward's huge, but only three or four guilds have accepted so far. Still, they're all B-rank. Be careful."
"Thanks for the warning."
Akira replied sincerely.
As for why only a handful of guilds had taken the quest, he already had a rough idea.
The quest description was extremely vague—only stating that the target was a Deer Maiden who had joined a guild. No appearance details. No location. No additional leads.
That lack of information significantly raised the difficulty.
Most guilds weren't willing to sink massive time and manpower into chasing an uncertain target.
But…
Akira narrowed his eyes.
For him, this was still a serious problem.
It meant he couldn't safely dispatch Virola to any mission area.
Once she was seen by other adventurers, it would trigger endless pursuit.
The most direct way to prevent that—
Was to identify and eliminate the client who issued the quest.
"Could it be Prince Thales?"
Akira pondered quietly.
Thales was the most likely candidate—but not the only possibility.
"Guild Master, why do you look so troubled?"
As Akira was thinking, Virola stepped lightly toward him, her deer legs graceful and soft. She tilted her head and asked gently.
At the same time, she extended her tongue and lightly licked Akira's cheek, trying to soothe him in her own way.
"It's nothing."
A smile slowly formed on Akira's face.
Her way of showing concern—licking his cheek—made him feel a little ticklish.
Though apparently, this kind of special treatment was reserved solely for her guild master.
"That's good~"
Virola smiled brightly, warm as sunlight.
The branch she held suddenly sprouted another orange-colored fruit.
"Guild Master, please take this."
"?"
Akira accepted it.
A system message appeared:
[Orange Rainbow Fruit]Effect: A fruit that makes people happy. Removes most negative emotional states. Increases work efficiency by 50%.
"Thank you."
Akira smiled and gently patted Virola's antlers in gratitude.
She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch like a contented cat.
"Kurose Akira, what quest are we doing today?"
A flash of white light shimmered as the teleportation array activated.
Ivsha stepped into the guild hall with elegant strides.
After being nourished by Akira's life energy the day before, she was in exceptionally high spirits, practically overflowing with vitality.
"Today, we'll start attempting D+-rank quests," Akira said, turning toward her.
There were only five D+-rank quests available—but every single one came with a degree of difficulty.
"Leaving now? I can't wait!"
Ivsha hurried to Akira's side and threw herself into his arms.
The sparkle in her eyes wasn't just anticipation for the quest—it was also hunger for the rewards afterward.
Ever since the church's finances had improved, Ivsha's craving for Akira's life energy had surpassed even her interest in quest rewards.
"Let's wait for Lucia. She hasn't—"
Before Akira could finish, a message arrived.
[Something came up at the Church. I'll be late.]
"..."
Akira didn't mind much.
Adventurers weren't always free. Everyone had things to deal with from time to time.
Lucia was occupied.
Fuli and Flora were undergoing baptism at the Elf Mother Tree.
Virola couldn't participate due to the bounty on her head.
That left only Ivsha, Loserine, Alice, and Marei Rhine.
The numbers were fewer—but their combat strength was more than sufficient for a D+-rank quest.
Akira opened the quest panel and reviewed the five options.
In the end, his gaze settled on a gathering quest.
It was the only non-combat mission among the five.
[Commission Quest]
D+ Quest: Collect Purple Snow Ice Emperor Flower (0/1)Reward: 5 gold coins, 50,000 EXP
"This one."
Akira activated the teleportation gate to the quest location, then turned his attention toward the bedroom.
Ivsha, Loserine, and Alice were already fully prepared.
But Marei Rhine was still fast asleep.
Akira rushed into the room in three quick strides.
"Wake up!"
"Human! I was this close to tearing that female dragon to pieces! Why did you interrupt my perfect dream?!"
"Ahhh—!"
"It's all your fault! (I'll bite you to death!)"