ALL NOVEL The Strongest Solo Gamer with Terrible Social Skills Reincarnates as a Hated NPC in a VRMMO Chapter 40
40: Three Tasks
――SIDE: Feng Hongyu――
Afternoon classes were supposed to be ABYSS exploration, but that guy, Shouma, didn’t show up. Mr. Kageyama was proceeding with the lesson in a stunned manner. I thought he might be late, but Shouma didn’t attend today’s class at all.
“I might have said too much…”
As we advanced to the second floor, the topic of Shouma came up, and I started complaining to everyone.
“…It’s not Feng’s fault, right?”
“That’s right! Whether to attend classes or not is their own choice, so don’t worry about it!”
“But…”
“Maybe Shouma was feeling unwell and took a sick leave?”
“Without telling Mr. Kageyama?”
“He doesn’t seem like the type to bother with trivial matters, does he?”
“That’s so typical of Ishizuru-kun…”
We laughed together, and in the warm atmosphere, my energy was slightly lifted.
The real deal was after the exploration.
Until then, I wouldn’t hold anyone back, so I had to stay focused――!
With renewed determination, I, along with my friends, embarked on a 2-hour ABYSS exploration. Hou and Souji’s levels had risen, and they were now at level 3. I and Kaoru were still at level 2. It was harder to level up than I thought.
There were no issues with our teamwork, and I was thinking of acquiring magic skills and switching to a Sorcerer job. Kaoru, who aimed to be a Healer, was mainly using items for recovery, but her desire to learn self-recovery skills was strong and evident.
My personal income was +800MP.
The MP I earned was divided into four equal parts, so the amount I received was small. From now on, I’ll have to consider part-time jobs in the exploration area as well. Exploring ABYSS alone wouldn’t be enough to cover my expenses.
“Hey, I found a cute café, and Red Feather-chan can work with us too, right?”
That was a proposal from Song Sound.
I was curious about what kind of genre “cute” referred to, but since I was invited, I lightly agreed.
What if I had to wear a frilly uniform that was too cute? I felt a bit uneasy, but I decided to leave it to the emergency transfer light.
“—We’re back. The others are in fifth place.”
As soon as we returned to the transfer zone, Shadow Mountain-sensei said, looking at us. When I glanced around, I saw that the PTs that had returned earlier were “Yoshikawa,” “Sakaki,” “Isozaki,” and “Mihonmatsu.” We were quite late.
“—The ones who haven’t returned are—”
Just as I muttered, the transfer stone began to shine again.
“Oh ho ho! We’re back now!”
“Ahh, it was tough… Can we stop by the beef bowl shop on the way back, Dan’na?”
“…That’s fine.”
“How about you, Wakaki-chan?”
“Ahh… I’m hesitant, but I’ll pass. I have a report to submit to the journalism club later.”
“Good luck with that!”
“We should learn from them too.”
“Hey, what about me!? You’re leaving me behind and chatting away!”
The group that had returned, including Musashibou-san, was chatting with their friends in a lively atmosphere. Wakaki, who was laughing and chatting, had already become one of them.
I’ll have to talk to Wakaki later.
Just then, Shadow Mountain-sensei, who had confirmed everyone’s return, cleared his throat to get our attention.
“—It seems like everyone has returned safely. Today, you experienced the second ABYSS exploration. You must have realized the vastness of ABYSS by exploring the layers. The exploration area is vast, and it takes more than two hours to update the layers. Therefore, I’ll ask each of you to spare some time on the weekends.”
“Hmm, does the school stay open on holidays too?”
Sekigawa-kun from the judo club tilted his head and muttered.
“There are no holidays in the Academy. The shops in the exploration area operate on their own schedule, but the transfer zone is open to the public on weekends, so you’ll see a different atmosphere. You can experience something different from usual.”
“Hmm…”
Kikuta-san, with blue hair and glasses, expressed interest. Her target was probably the shops in the exploration area. Since she was usually busy, she might be happy to see them open on holidays.
“We call the ABYSS exploration on weekends ‘free exploration.’ Unlike regular classes, there’s no time limit. As long as you submit your report by Monday’s HR, it’s fine. Exploration comes with individual responsibility. The student council and management committee won’t guarantee your life during free exploration. You’ll be treated the same as other explorers, and you’ll have to take full responsibility for yourself.”
“…”
No one responded.
What we were told was serious, but we still hadn’t shaken off our carefree attitude. Shadow Mountain-sensei’s warning about the danger to our lives weighed heavily on our chests.
“Also, on the last Friday of the month, we’ll have the first class-based competition. Each of you should prepare and strengthen yourselves accordingly.”
“W-what?! A class competition…!?”
“It’s too soon!”
Three Mihonmatsu-san and Shiina-san were shocked and protested. I felt the same way.
Everyone was shocked and making a fuss.
“…There may be many things you want to say, but it’s already been decided. This will be the first face-off between A to D classes. We’ll send out the details of the competition next week, so I’ll ask each of you to select a class representative, the ‘class leader,’ by then.”
“Class leader…?”
Ubu-kun muttered.
“That refers to the student who will represent D class. The class leader will be in charge of everything, including leading the class to victory. The person selected should be someone who can lead D class to victory, with good grades and popularity. You can decide on the selection method, such as volunteering or recommending someone. Choose carefully, without any regrets.—That’s all for now.”
“Disbandment” was all it took for Mr. Kageyama to leave the scene. The remaining members of our group were left in a complex state.
“Free Exploration”
“Class Competition”
“Class Leader”
It’s already overwhelming to have one task, but now we’re faced with three simultaneous assignments.
“…The teacher said so too, so let’s just disband for now? We can think about the ‘Class Leader’ thing tomorrow.”
Total’s proposal was met with no objections from the bewildered members, and the group began to disperse.
And I was about to say…
“Kakihana!”
“Huh? Is that you, Akane-chan?”
I was about to leave when I quickly contacted Akane, who was hurrying out…