Chapter 53 - 52: Pure Frustration

Chapter 53: Chapter 52: Pure Frustration

3 weeks later,

Three weeks had passed since Ricky had coasted by, and now he found himself seated across from the most intimidating man in America, John D. Rockefeller.

*Sigh*

Ricky sighed, having spent the last hour sitting in Rockefeller's childhood home while Chester repeatedly refreshed the Genjutsu.

Between training under Alexander, spending time with Maria, making half-hearted attempts to seduce Ms. Collins, barely putting in any effort at school, slacking off during Skull and Bones meetings, delegating all his tasks to his underlings, and shirking every other responsibility, Ricky was coasting through life with a careless ease.

However, lately, Ricky had become increasingly tense, caught in an unexpected dry spell that left him feeling more agitated by the day.

These slumps usually every so often, but this time, the lack of action was starting to grate on him.

It was as if his polarity had been flipped in the opposite direction, his usual antics acting as repellent.

It had gotten so bad that Ricky found himself trying to break the streak by revisiting past flings, despite his earlier resolve to give them space.

For Alina, it was still too soon, but with another, he felt he'd let her simmer long enough and finally, Ricky decided it was time to confront Dolly.

*Flashback*

Ricky, wearing his usual greaser attire that complemented the era, held a bouquet of daisies that matched Dolly's silky blond hair.

*Knock*

*Knock*

*Knock*

'Remember Ricky, you're not desperate until you exhaust all options and she's still one of them.' Ricky, clearly aware of his cold streak, urged himself while the door slowly creaked open.

"R-Ricky?" Dolly's eyes shrunk, instinctively ducking half of her body behind the door.

Even then, Ricky's smile curved into a sleazy grin as he took in how beautiful Dolly had become since he last saw her, radiating an exuberant glow that made his pants tighten.

"Hey beautiful, can I come it-" Ricky was already stepping into the doorway, poised to make his move and finally loosen his clogged and rusted gears, until Dolly bit her lip.

"NO-" Dolly suddenly yelled, Ricky flinching at this sudden declaration.

*COUGH*

"I-I mean, not right now." Dolly couldn't even look Ricky in the eye, ashamed at what she had done with him.

"Did I do something wrong?" Ricky asked, confused at why he gave this reaction until he realized something.

'Did she find out about Sammy?' Ricky thought, knowing that his family was responsible for his death.

However, Dolly simply clutched the door tightly, her eyes welling with tears while showing it wasn't anger that held her back, but it was guilt that froze her.

Everyone was different, and situations were perceived in their own unique ways and for some, they could overlook Ricky's actual age, as he neither looked nor behaved like it.

But for others it was different.

Dolly was too pure for her own good and from the moment she intertwined her body with his, she believed she had wronged him.

In her mind, she was the one taking advantage of Ricky, and with a recent revelation, she could hardly stand to face herself in the mirror.

Ironically, it was this very innocence that had drawn Ricky to her in the first place, yet it was also what now kept them apart.

Dolly's misguided guilt had completely twisted the situation against herself, proposing Ricky as the victim and her being away from him was supposed to benefit the very person who acted first.

*Sniff*

"I'm so sorry Ricky, for what I did to you." Dolly's eyes watered, looking at Ricky who was frozen at the sudden twist in the situation.

"What-"

"I-I defiled you, I was supposed to look out for you as an adult and I took advantage of that trust, and I'm so sorry." Dolly choked on her own tears, Ricky completely flabbergasted at what happened as he thought of something.

'Wait a second, am being cock blocked by sincerity?' Ricky suddenly thought, scratching his head but shaking his head.

"Dolly you didn't do anything, I came here-"

"Oh Ricky, sweet innocent Ricky." Dolly rubbed her eyes, laughing a bit while Ricky looked around as if this was a practical joke.

'Innocent?!?!?!?!' Ricky thought, baffled since he'd been cursed out by a school of nuns before.

"One day, you're going to make a woman so happy and just being a part of your life has been such a blessing." Dolly's face showed a gentle and sad smile, looking down at the ground.

"But I don't want to be the reason that stops you from reaching a brighter future." Dolly closed her eyes, RIcky shaking his head along with the flowers in his hand.

"Dolly, I swear by the heavens themselves that you were not the one that took advantage of me-"

"Goodbye Ricky." Dolly steeled her bleeding heart, closing the door as Ricky showed his face in the constantly diminished slither.

"Dolly, Dolly, don't close the door, Dolly-"

However, the door was abruptly shut in Ricky's face as he stood there, momentarily shocked and frozen, much like the door behind him, and he lightly thumped his head against it.

'Oh my god, no way that just happened.' Ricky thought, chuckling softly at an experience he had never encountered, even in his past life.

'F*cking cold streak.'

*FLASHBACK END*

Trying to put this evident fact behind him, Ricky put his focus on preparing for his drug smuggling mission in Mexico, knowing he had to act quickly to avoid missing his window of opportunity.

*Yawn*

"Do you have any fours?" Ricky asked Alexander, who frowned and slid the card of his own size over to him.

"Man, you haven't even gotten a smidge better." Ricky made a snarky comment, causing Alexander to frown even deeper.

"Your words of discouragement do not quell my fighting spirit in the least."

"Do you have any three's?"

"...." Alexander was speechless, staring at the lone card left in his hand, a three.

Ricky hesitated before slowly taking the card, though Alexander clung to the edges until it was forcibly pried away.

"The bitter taste of defeat, we meet again." Alexander sat on the old table while Ricky began shuffling the cards.

"Another bout?" Ricky asked before Alexander shot right back to his feet.

"I SHALL!"

10 minutes later,

"The bitter taste of defeat, we meet again." Alexander repeated his earlier words like a broken record, collapsing back onto the table in frustration.

Though it might seem cruel to crush Alexander's spirit repeatedly, Ricky preferred this over dealing with the smug Alexander who boasted about his victories time and time again.

*Huff*

*Huff*

*Huff*

"Done." Chester fell back, but Ricky was prepared and easily caught him, while Rockefeller's eyes remained hazy.

"Then let's get out of here." Ricky stood up with Chester in tow as Alexander scurried up his arm and settled on his shoulder.

"Although you have won this battle, the war-"

"Yeah I know 'The war is still everlasting as long as I draw breath' I get it Alexander." Ricky said, knowing what the gerbil would say while walking out the backdoor.

"Am I-....am I becoming predictable?" Alexander asked, still hesitant, reflecting on how the biggest weakness of a general in war is being predictable, a notion that continues to haunt his persona to this day.

"Yes." Ricky and Chester were ruthless in their response, causing Alexander to dramatically collapse onto Ricky's shoulder as he got into the car.

Sliding down Ricky's arm, Alexander rolled onto the passenger seat, while Chester hopped into the back.

"Oh how my mighty self has fallen to the grip of hellish fate sisters-"

As they drove back, Alexander began his dramatic tirade, but Ricky simply ignored him.

For a straight hour of driving, Alexander poetically voiced his struggles, while Ricky's eyebrows twitched in constant irritation.

"GOD DAMMIT ALEXANDER, SHUT THE F*CK UP!" Ricky lashed out at Alexander, who flinched as Chester cracked one eye open briefly before shutting it again.

"You dare talk to your master like so? When I was under Aristotle-"

"You never went out of line and followed whatever he said to the letter, I know BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS SAY THE SAME SH*T!" Ricky yelled, but Alexander merely scoffed, crossing his arms.

"I do not-"

"Yesterday, when I missed a shot and you gave me slack for it, I responded with a snarky remark, and you said the same damn thing!" Ricky hit his head on the steering wheel in frustration, while Alexander frowned.

"You should be grateful to learn from such an excellent general, someone who has carved his name in the annals of history and-" Alexander puffed out his furry chest, raising his paw in a dignified manner.

"Yes Alexander, you've been a great teacher." Ricky interrupted Alexander since these words didn't simply come out of his ass, but had merit.

Ricky not only learned from Alexander but also discovered his own ability to acquire skills independently.

"Beginner Archery" had appeared on his skill list, along with "Beginner Swordsmanship" and "Beginner Spearmanship," though he focused more on practicing archery than the other two.

However, the biggest takeaway for Ricky was the realization that he could acquire genuine attributes through hard work, rather than through trivial pursuits like impressing women.

It was purely by accident that Ricky found himself in a bind when Ms. Collins assigned a book report.

He had never put much effort into his classes, except for hers, driven by his desire to eventually get into her pants by forming a pent-up feeling within her by his touch culminated by a favorable impression.

Although he slacked off, he managed a B in her class, the only thing holding him back from an A was his poor test-taking skills.

Ms. Collins, an avid history buff, focused heavily on homework assignments and regularly assigned book reports.

With everyone suddenly occupied, Ricky was actually forced to handle his own homework for once.

However, instead of giving up, maybe prompted by the cold streak, he went out of his way to get a decent grade, diving into reading, researching, and writing.

To his surprise, the effort led to a sudden improvement that left him stunned, particularly when he finished his report on Benedict McCornwick.

*Ding*

+1 Intelligence

Ricky wasn't surprised by how poor his intelligence stat was compared to his other attributes.

However, he remained at a loss for how to improve it until now which made him even more aggrieved that it couldn't be easier to gain like other attributes from the missions.

Ricky also wondered why he wasn't improving on the physical front since he effectively trained with Alexander every day.

But the reason for his stagnation was that Alexander was still trying to develop an effective training regimen to match his evolving physique, which seemed to change every other week.

"Am I really becoming predictable?" Alexander rubbed his chin as he had thought they were messing with him at first.

*Sigh*

"I don't know Alexander, I just think you should switch it up-"

*WEOWEOWEO*

"DAMMIT!" Ricky slammed his steering wheel at the sight of the flashing lights, but instead of stopping, he slammed on the gas.

There was no one on the back road, and Ricky wasn't in the mood for common sense as his frustration from Alexander's incessant blabbering drove him to act even more recklessly than usual.

"Ricky, you should pull over. Fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony." Chester said, since while he was recovering, he had been learning about the customs of this world and had become quite intrigued by its laws.

In his own words, Chester described American laws as a 'perplexity,' noting that they seemed straightforward until one observed how those who defined the very terms applied them in such fascinating ways.

"It might cost a pretty penny," Lucky said with a smirk, already deep in thought.

"But from the rumors I've heard about Charles, the owner of the New York Giants, and the American soccer league, I'm confident we could strike a deal." Lucky began mapping out his plans while Ricky rose from his seat.

"Have fun with your little girlfriend tonight." Lucky didn't look up from his notebook, but a wry smile crept across his face as he saw Ricky mimic his actions.

"Oh, I will."

Ricky enjoyed a pleasant drive to school, the frustration from yesterday completely behind him. He parked his car in a teacher's spot, unbothered by the stares he drew.

Whistling a cheerful tune, he turned his gaze to the front entrance, only to let out a deep sigh.

'God f*cking dammit.'

"Betty please, give me a second!" Joseph pleaded desperately, gripping Betty's arm tightly as his urgency only served to make her eyes well up with tears.

"You're hurting me~" Betty whined, trying to break free from Joseph's grip as she wriggled around without avail.

Unfortunately for Ricky, Maria had started to fill that void Ruth left in her heart with Betty as their friendship started to form.

The problem with this was that Joseph literally seethed at the sight of Ricky causing so many annoying interactions between them.

Ricky hated being dragged into tedious problems that didn't concern him, but it seemed he couldn't escape this problem's grasp no matter how much he fought and resisted.

"LET GO-AHH~" Betty tried to jerk away from Joseph's hold, but he let go just as she stumbled backward.

Both Betty and Joseph's eyes widened in shock as she began to free-fall down the long staircase.

*DING*

[Mission Received: Betty Eagen]

Difficulty: Medium

Character Sheet: C

Description: Betty Eagan is the youngest daughter of the founder of American cast iron pipe and is the fiance of Joseph. The previous sentence has been used to describe Betty for as long as she can remember. The overshadowing of her other siblings and her fiance's demanding personality has made her a shy and unapproachable woman who rarely ever talks to other men, at least, until you indirectly caused a rift in their relationship.

Objective: She's engaged but there's no ring so it's not entirely cheating if you look at it an obtuse way so why not breed her.

Reward: 50,000 IP

Main Mission:

Impregnante Once:

Rewards: 100 Gacha or Betty's Skills

Impregnate Twice:

Rewards: ?????????

Additional Missions:

Impregnate Betty while she's still engaged to Joseph(Incomplete):

Reward: Epic/Rare Coupon

Impregnate Betty with Joseph in the premises(Incomplete):

Reward: Epic/Rare Item

Bonus Missions:

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'Whatever, why not.'

"Gotcha." Ricky grabbed Betty who went pale in fear, her eyes turning down the long stairway to see not her demise but Ricky's embrace.

"You alright?" Ricky asked though once he did, Betty started to ugly cry at the possibility of her falling and hurting herself while Joseph remained frozen.

*Sigh*

Ricky helped Betty to her feet before handing her his backpack to which she unconsciously took as Ricky started loosening his shoulder.

"W-W-W-Wait Ricky-" Joseph immediately snapped out of it as he took two steps back in fear.

*BAM*

Ricky socked him right in the face as Joseph almost bent backwards, collapsing onto the ground before Ricky strolled back to Betty and reached for his backpack.

"Ricky?" Maria asked in a questioning tone, and Ricky froze as he glanced at Maria, then turned his gaze back to the unfolding scene.

To the passing eye, it looked as if Betty was being robbed by Ricky which didn't help with the constant whispering around him.

"It's not what it looks like I-'' Ricky immediately started trying to explain as Maria's lips started to twitch.

*PFFFT*

"I know." Maria began to laugh softly as she approached Betty, patting her on the back and offering support as a true friend.

"I just wanted to tease you~" Maria winked at Ricky who looked surprised at this sudden interaction but wasn't against it.

"Tease away my dear sweet Maria-"

*Sniff*

"MARIA~" Betty let out a wail, hugging Maria as Ricky's eyebrow twitched while looking at the wall of Betty form between them.

'I should've let her fall.' Ricky forced a smile as he walked to Maria's side.

"Are we still up for tonight?" Ricky whispered in a tone that Maria could only hear as she blushed but gave him a reassuring nod.

"Then I'll see you later." Ricky backed away while giving her a wink since he didn't want to be in the vicinity of Betty's crying.

Ricky strolled to class, flashing a smile at Ms. Collins, who was already seated at her desk, grading papers.

"Good morning Ms. Collins." Ricky cheerfully said, her entire body shivering at his sight as her lips instinctively quivered before she immediately regained herself.

Ricky had been focusing his 'Wet to the touch' on the tuff cracker that was Ms. Collins as he would constantly use any excuse to touch her.

It got to the point where by his mere touch, without using the skill, Ms. Collins would start to blush which made Ricky all the more pleased but she wasn't ripe enough to pick.

Ms. Collins adjusted her glasses and nodded at Ricky, who took a seat in the front row instead of his usual spot in the back.

The class went on with Ricky trying to make eye contact with Ms. Collins as she desperately tried to avoid his area of view.

The entire day, Ricky had purposely paid attention as he had been doing for the past week while trying to answer questions, even the ones he didn't know weren't spared as Ms. Collins had no choice to interact with him.

*RING*

As the bell rang, students rushed to the door, eager to dive into their Friday plans while Ricky walked over to Ms. Collins.

"Ms. Collins, I have a question." Ricky leaned down as Ms. Collins tried to make eye contact with him but failed, his eyes greedily scanning her body.

"Y-Yes Ricky." Ms. Collins nervously adjusted herself as Ricky's hands slowly placed a piece of paper on her desk.

"I'd like to make a tutoring session next friday, if that's alright with you that is?" Ricky smiled warmly at Ms. Collins who hesitated but nodded.

"I'm free in the morning-"

"After school is the only time that works for me." Ricky swerved the conversation into his favor as Ms. Collins brought out her appointment book but closed her eyes at the time slot after school.

"It looks like you're free." Ricky didn't even wait for the confirmation and spoke for her before she finally started to write down his name.

"See you then." Ricky backed up until Ms. Collins looked up, smiling at her before promptly leaving the classroom.

Ms. Collins stared at the doorway for a while before she took off her glasses and set them down next to her.

*Thud*

Then, she slumped onto her desk, hitting her forehead against the stained wood table with a deep sigh.

Side-eyeing the door, seeing no one was there, she slithered her hands down and under her skirt before her hands had carried a wet spot forming on her white panties.

'I'm horrible.'

After enduring another hour of the tedious Skull and Bones meeting, Ricky found himself mostly watching Maria, who wore a nervous smile throughout.

As the meeting drew to a close, Ricky couldn't shake a foreboding feeling.

Maria was the first to approach him afterward, grabbing his coat with a determined expression.

"Ricky, about our date." Maria immediately uttered the only words Ricky didn't want to hear, shattering his previously cheerful mood and leaving him visibly frustrated.

"Yeah?" Ricky side-eyed Betty on the side with an intense glare as she ducked her head like a scared puppy.

"Can we have it after you come back from your trip?" Maria asked, and something within Ricky shattered. Maintaining his fake smile felt like the most challenging endeavor of his life.

"I'm so sorry, and I'm such a bad girlfriend." Maria said in a rush, panic rising as she saw Ricky's clearly irritated and slightly devastated expression.

"I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll give my everything to make it right." Maria desperately tried to calm him, hoping to ease his frustration.

"It's-...it's fine." Ricky nodded, laughing off his anger that boiled within his very being.

"It's because of that bastard Joseph that all of our plans went to sh*t." Ricky decided to swerve the blame onto someone else as Joseph on the side flinched in horror.

"Woah Ricky, calm down." Henry obviously heard him and Ricky started to laugh.

"Calm, I'm completely calm." Ricky let out in a murderous tone, gazing towards Joseph who fell out of his seat.

"Oh Joseph, he's really going to kill you." Jerry whispered from the side to fan the flames.

"Ricky I promise I'll make it up to ten fold~"

Just as Ricky was about to charge at the frightened Joseph, Maria wrapped her arms around his back, holding him back.

"Okay." Ricky forced a wide and toothy smile, turning around to take Maria into a kiss.

Ricky's aggression was palpable as he seized Maria's lips with his own, catching her off guard.

Initially, she stiffened in surprise, but as his passionate kiss deepened, she slowly began to melt into his embrace.

For the next five minutes, Ricky, oblivious to his surroundings, kissed Maria with a fervent intensity.

The room became thick with an air of discomfort as their public display of affection continued unabated, leaving those around them feeling increasingly uneasy.

Letting go, Maria let out steamy breaths as Ricky caressed her cheek with serious blue balls.

"I'll see you after my trip, alright?" Ricky walked out of the room with a smile, leaving without saying another word.

As soon as he was out of sight, his smile faded, replaced by a look of deep frustration while slamming his fist into one of the lockers.

*BAM*

In a sudden burst of anger, Ricky's fist left a print in the wall, the force of his blow echoing his frustration.

The anger he felt at everything that was happening had coalesced into a furious and reckless expression, his rage now evident in every tense muscle.

'F*CK!'