I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

Returning to the dormitory, Rohan finished his shower and stuffed his clothes into the laundry basket.

He lay down on his bed and accessed the shop.

< Shop ─ Lv.1 >
◇ Random Skill Book - 500P (one-time purchase)
◇ High-Protein Jerky - 3P
◇ Cloud Bread - 2P
◇ Coral Jelly - 2P
◇ Energy Drink - 2P
◇ Bottled Water - 2P
··
··
[ Remaining Points - 722P ]

Just looking at the hefty point balance was reassuring.

Even after deducting 3P for jerky, he had managed to accumulate this many points.

"Plenty!"

The 50P earned from encountering Instructor Jooyeon and the 300P from completing the quest had added up nicely.

Rohan already knew what he was going to buy.

"The Random Skill Book, obviously."

No matter what anyone said, this was an absolute choice.

Still, there was one nagging question he couldn’t solve before—or even after—the purchase.

"..."

Rohan stared intently at the words Random Skill Book and began to ponder.

"Does it only give me skills I can actually learn?"

How far did the randomness extend?

Would the skill book appear in the form of an actual book? Or would he learn the skill the moment he purchased it?

It was impossible to predict. Rohan had no way of knowing how the shop’s skill acquisition system operated.

In the worst-case scenario, he could draw a skill book with an entirely incompatible attribute, rendering it unusable and wasting his points.

"I need to draw something physical or fire-based..."

Moments like these made attributes feel particularly restrictive.

Just because he had a physical attribute didn’t mean he could unleash shockwaves, and having a fire attribute didn’t mean he could produce flames from his body.

Perhaps those things would be possible at higher levels, but for now, his attributes only mattered when learning specific skills.

"Time to trust my luck."

Before his doubts could deepen further, Rohan reached out.

There was no choice but to buy it anyway.

[ You have purchased the Random Skill Book. ]

As his points were deducted, the space around him shimmered.

The moment Rohan reached for it, recalling the experience of buying jerky, something changed in the shop system.

[ Updating the shop inventory. ]

The absurdly long update time reminded him of the notification he’d seen during the placement exam.

Was it because he’d purchased all the one-time items, triggering a rearrangement?

While considering this theory, something unexpected happened.

"!?"

The skill seeped deeply into his consciousness.

It was as vivid as a sharp image.

[ Scorching Blade (灼熱刃) ─ Grade: D ]
◇ Heats the blade using magic power.

"Huh?"

As he absorbed the skill, Rohan blinked. His feelings weren’t those of clear disappointment or joy.

Instead, they resembled a hazy sense of doubt.

"Whose skill is this?"

Rohan prided himself on knowing all the skills that could be learned in Abyss City.

Even for characters he hadn’t trained, he was familiar with their skill sets.

But this skill was entirely unfamiliar.

Although a D-grade skill wasn’t particularly remarkable, the existence of a skill he didn’t recognize left him stunned.

"What in the world..."

Once again, Rohan pondered how far the randomness of the shop extended.

He came up with one likely hypothesis.

"Does it include skills used by enemies or NPCs, not just playable characters?"

Leaping out of bed, Rohan grabbed a blade from the table—a knife he had taken as loot.

He decided to test the skill immediately.

Zzzzt──!

A sound like dry wood splitting echoed.

Instead of bursting into visible flames, the blade itself began to glow red as it heated up.

Rohan observed the unnatural heat created by his magic.

"Not bad."

Fearing the blade might melt, he withdrew his magic.

The knife instantly cooled, returning to its original form as if nothing had happened. Unlike ordinary flames, this heat was entirely different.

"This isn’t exactly a skill for killing people..."

It seemed better suited for taking down monsters vulnerable to fire.

After all, when it came to killing humans, there was nothing as effective as inflicting bleeding.

Additional thoughts on the skill’s utility began to surface.

"This could be used for cauterizing wounds to stop bleeding."

A method often referred to as thermal cauterization.

Compared to other techniques, it was highly accessible and frequently used in emergencies during battles.

"If I used this on a longsword..."

Bzzzzt──!

The vibration from his smartphone broke his train of thought.

It was time to sleep if he wanted to wake up early for his morning training.

***

"Hmm."

Jooyeon, waiting for the meeting requested by Rohan, carefully reread the evaluation sheets and documents in the counseling room to gather more information.

‘Rohan. A southern native who uses a sword… Judging by the timing, he must have been left alone during the Void Whale’s appearance.’

The Void Whale.

The largest monster ever observed, both in size and classification.

A catastrophic creature that, upon surfacing, opens its massive maw to unleash an unending horde of monsters. It was this monster that single-handedly obliterated the Southern Kingdom, one of the great powers of its time.

Its appearance became the critical turning point that prompted Samhwa Nation, Tigrova, and the Sepia Archipelago to cease political conflicts and unite.

‘A southern native…’

Jooyeon stared at Rohan’s photograph.

She was aware of a small village of survivors that had managed to rebuild amidst the ruins of the South.

Only those from that village were recognized as southern residents, like Rohan.

But in reality, what was the current state of the South?

It had devolved into a haven for criminals from various nations. That small village, too, had reportedly suffered frequent raids by criminals, leaving only a handful of survivors.

‘What a mess.’

Judging someone as lucky for surviving such a catastrophe felt wrong.

This wasn’t Jooyeon’s place to make such a judgment.

For all she knew, Rohan might consider himself unlucky for having survived alone.

‘Be cautious with word choice during the meeting.’

Jooyeon scribbled Rohan’s name in her notebook and updated the information with a faint scritch-scratch.

She was determined not to use any words that might stir up the cadet’s nightmares.

“Phew…”

Why had he requested this meeting?

Jooyeon took a sip of tea from her tumbler to ease her parched throat.

‘He’s here.’

She sensed someone’s presence outside.

Jooyeon quickly tidied up the documents on her desk, leaving it neat and organized.

Knock knock knock.@@novelbin@@

A polite knock was followed by a clear voice.

─ This is Rohan, requesting a meeting.

“Come in.”

Rohan entered softly, bowing his head respectfully.

“I’m sorry for disturbing you when you’re busy.”

“No need for such formality. Take a seat.”

“Excuse me.”

Before starting the counseling session, Jooyeon checked the time one last time.

There was still enough time before the morning assembly, much to her relief.

“So, what brings you to request a meeting?”

Jooyeon looked Rohan directly in the eyes as she asked.

Rohan wasted no time in getting to the point.

“I’d like to request permission to take a part-time job.”

“A part-time job?”

“Yes. I haven’t found one yet, but I understand I need approval before looking.”

Jooyeon nodded. It was indeed stated in the academy’s guidelines.

Still, it was rare for Orion Academy cadets to work part-time.

“A part-time job… is it for living expenses?”

“Yes. I need funds for living expenses and to purchase at least a basic weapon.”

Jooyeon couldn’t help but feel a bitter taste in her mouth whenever she witnessed the dark cycles of society through moments like this.

The stiff speech, unbecoming of a freshman cadet, added to her discomfort. It was the tone of someone already too familiar with structured systems.

‘...’

Most Orion Academy cadets enjoyed financial freedom.

They didn’t have to worry about basic needs, which often allowed them to enroll in the academy in the first place.

It was an elite course, paved from a young age.

The cadets were overwhelmingly skilled compared to their peers, thanks to systematic training and efficient use of time.

Which meant…

‘A vicious cycle.’

Jooyeon understood.

Rohan would have to dedicate time to part-time work, while other cadets could fully focus on training without such burdens.

Scholarships were no different.

Cadets who efficiently used their time had a higher chance of achieving excellent results.

But for Rohan, who struggled with theoretical subjects, securing a scholarship seemed out of reach for now.

“I see. Have you thought about what kind of part-time job you’ll do?”

“I haven’t decided yet. I plan to see what’s available first.”

To Jooyeon, Rohan’s words suggested he wasn’t in a position to be picky about jobs.

“As you probably know, illegal work is strictly forbidden.”

“Understood!”

Jooyeon felt a pang of guilt and frustration over having to end with such a formal warning.

But Rohan’s straightforward response brought a faint smile to her face.

‘He’s admirable.’

He had the skills to gain admission to Orion Academy but hadn’t turned to survival crimes.

He had come this far despite a harsh environment.

It was commendable.

The only regret was that fairness issues prevented her from offering direct support.

“When you’ve decided on a job, send me the details in a message. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Thank you.”

Jooyeon rose from her seat as she watched Rohan’s face brighten at her approval.

She instinctively reached out and gently ruffled his hair, as if comforting him.

“...Hang in there.”

With the morning assembly approaching, Jooyeon took the lead toward the classroom.

Rohan followed, puzzled by the soft gesture.

‘Is this what she’s like?’