I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

Ichinose casually shared her number, and as a result, Rohan found himself humming a tune in the training room’s shower.

Her profile picture was of a small dog, likely taken on a walk, and just seeing it was enough to wash away the day’s accumulated fatigue.

The academy’s daily routine followed.

Rohan didn’t know how the other instructors conducted their classes, but from his perspective, Jooyeon’s practical lessons were both enriching and easy to understand.

Starting today, the lessons focused on achieving bodily reinforcement without any magical leakage. Both Noah and Ichinose had already mastered this technique perfectly.

As a result, they spent the time refining more advanced skills, but Rohan and the rest of Class 1 couldn’t participate at that level.

Rohan, while managing to control his magic to some extent—almost akin to a supernatural ability—still struggled with making it neat and precise.

He simply had no proper training in the past.

But those grim days were behind him.

“Rohan, magic isn’t something you suppress and dominate.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Don’t forcefully drive it through your body to add strength. Instead, embrace it, accept it gently, and let it permeate. At first, the pace will feel frustratingly slow, but...”

Jooyeon’s teachings, akin to those of a first true mentor, began to guide Rohan’s magic in the right direction.

Then came the dreaded theory class.

“While monsters are rarely encountered in urban areas, stepping into unmanaged zones outside the cities can lead to encounters every few steps.”

“Most monsters form groups through reproduction, but certain ones, such as Monoliths—those black obelisk-like forms—or dimensional rifts, appear via special methods that have also been frequently observed.”

The instructor added an explanation about the Void Whale that had destroyed the South, describing how it created a massive dimensional rift within its mouth.

Rohan listened calmly and diligently took notes.

However, when it came to theories involving numerical formulas, he hit a thick wall. It felt as if a battalion of drowsiness stormed in like a special forces unit, choking him.

Still, knowing he had someone he could ask for help brought a sense of relief.

“Good work today. Go home and rest.”

“““Thank you, instructor!”””

Once the academy day ended, Rohan grabbed a quick meal at the cafeteria and headed straight to his part-time job.

‘Wow, if the cafeteria didn’t exist, I’d probably be dividing a pack of ramen into four portions by now.’

Mulling over his pitiful bank balance, Rohan made his way toward the Spider Lily Bookstore.

As he walked, the notification he’d been waiting for finally appeared.

[The store catalog has been updated.]

Time to satisfy his curiosity.

Stopping in his tracks, Rohan immediately opened the store interface.

‘I’ve saved up a little bit of points.’

Between two achievements from his workouts, one from the bookstore, and an encounter where he’d punted a Gero Eye during a late-night stroll, his remaining points had increased slightly.

Hoping he could afford something useful, he checked the store.

<Store — Lv.1>

◇ Unique Skill Level-Up - 2,000P (One-time purchase)
◇ High-Protein Jerky - 3P
◇ Cloud Bread - 2P
◇ Coral Jelly - 2P
◇ Energy Drink - 2P
◇ Bottled Water - 2P
...
...
[Remaining Points: 273P]

“Unique skill!?”

A new mechanism had appeared.

Just looking at it made his hands itch with anticipation. The idea of upgrading his skills or evolving the store system made his heart race.

‘Does “one-time purchase” mean all skills level up at once? Or does it unlock something that can be upgraded again?’

In Abyss City, energy accrued over time could be invested in farming materials in specific dungeons.

This seemed to be a direct replacement for that mechanic.

As Rohan moved his legs again toward the bookstore, the steep price tag brought him back to reality.

“2,000 points...”

The price was insane, like his sanity had gone on a vacation.

Earning points just through achievements wouldn’t suffice.

If the store’s level increased, it was inevitable that even more expensive items would appear, making this approach unsustainable in the long run.

‘Should I head south? Or go around Academy City killing every monster I see...?’

Closing the store interface, the Spider Lily Bookstore came into view.

For now, work took priority.

Deciding to focus on doing his job properly, Rohan cleared his mind and tied on his apron.

It was already a little late when Clara once again visited the Spider Lily Bookstore. Perhaps, as usual, she planned to stand there reading until closing time.

Rohan, observing the girl, prepared the bait he had in mind.

“Perfect. No customers besides Clara today.”

While the shopkeeper was away, Rohan turned on a game on his smartphone at the counter.

—Company Wave!

The sound was faint, with the volume barely raised by one notch. But in the quiet bookstore, it was loud enough for anyone to hear.

‘I’m even playing gacha games here...’

Rohan’s fingers moved smoothly over the familiar interface.

The game Clara had been playing previously was Company Wave.

It was a well-known title—easy to identify with the few clues he had gathered from her screen. The game involved running a company specializing in monster extermination.

While it ranked around 50th in monthly sales, it was widely regarded as a pillar of the defense genre, solid and unshakeable in its niche.

‘Should’ve started this earlier. I missed the collab event.’

Surprisingly, the game was enjoyable, with high production quality. Even if Rohan wasn’t aiming to connect with Clara, he might’ve continued playing just for fun.

The only painful part was not being able to get what he wanted due to lack of funds.@@novelbin@@

—Three Chain!
—Energy Replenished!

Even with the volume kept low, the game’s sound effects carried through the quiet shop.

Rohan knew the skill-activation sound alone would catch Clara’s attention.

‘I’ve finished my dailies... Let’s give this a try.’

Rohan, recalling everything he knew about Clara from Abyss City, finalized his strategy.

The plan was simple: lure her in by playing poorly.

He purposefully set up a terrible formation and let the game run on auto mode, where failure was inevitable.

Placing healers and damage dealers in the front line on an easy stage to ensure they self-destruct was part of the strategy. Even the order in which the characters’ defeat cries played out was designed to provoke curiosity.

The nonsensical team composition was another deliberate irritation.

The problem? Even Rohan was starting to feel his patience fray.

Watching the wasted energy made his hands tremble with frustration.

“Hmm, guess I can’t clear this.”

—Mission failed... somehow, we must complete it...

The voice signaling his failure rang out, and Clara’s shoulders visibly flinched in reaction from behind the bookshelf.

“Why did they make this so hard? Is it just to push microtransactions?”

At his muttered complaint, Clara’s hands, clutching her book, began to tremble.

Rohan noticed her internal struggle—should she approach him or not?—and deliberately turned his head away to avoid making eye contact.

‘Never approach her first.’

Clara was the kind of girl who would flee a hundred steps if someone took just one toward her.

She had to come to him voluntarily.

With patience as his only weapon, Rohan sighed in frustration and put his phone away, remaining at the counter until closing time.

***

The next day was Saturday.

Both the academy and his part-time job were on break. While he hadn’t expected the Spider Lily Bookstore to close as well, the shopkeeper had mentioned wanting to take the weekend off to celebrate his grandson’s birthday, and Rohan had readily agreed.

‘What should I do for two days?’

Should he wander Academy City in search of signs of quests, or should he focus on his lacking theory studies?

As Rohan returned to the dormitory, mulling over his options, he checked a subscription to an online news site.

“...!”

Finally, he came across something that signaled the start of the main storyline.

[30-Year-Old Content Creator Disappears While Exploring Forbidden Zone Ruins]

—Following the trail of his last call with an acquaintance, it is suspected that he was attacked during filming. According to data released by the Elysium Department of Public Safety, only a severed leg was found at the scene...

‘It’s here!’

The main storyline of Abyss City 1.0, notorious for its frustratingly sparse content at launch, had begun.

The format was nearly identical to the original game.

[Quest Initiated.]

As soon as Rohan recognized it, a notification window popped up.

[Shattered Crown, Act 1]
◇ Quest Objective: Investigate the gruesome crime in Academy City. This incident may be linked to those monitoring Noah Frozenheart. Solve the case and act before the Elysium Department of Public Safety.
◇ Category: Main Storyline
◇ Reward: Erasure of battle traces, Murderer’s Manual skill book, Random Point Pouch
◇ Penalty for Failure: None

‘The rewards are excellent.’

The Murderer’s Manual was a skill Rohan already knew about.

It was a passive ability that increased damage dealt to humans or humanoid monsters—useful and versatile.

And the Random Point Pouch? While the “random” aspect was unsettling, free points were always welcome.

“...”

Squeak!

Back at the dormitory, Rohan pulled on a black hoodie and grabbed the mask he had purchased earlier.

He tucked a knife into his pocket.

For wandering through the dimly lit streets of Academy City at dusk, that was all he needed.