I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

Status Screen!!!

[ Quest Completed. ]
[ Rewards Acquired. ]
[ Shop Unlocked. ]

The moment I opened my eyes, these messages filled my vision.
I stared at them blankly for a moment, swiping my hand through the air to dismiss the floating windows.
Gazing at the unfamiliar ceiling above me, I let out a small chuckle.

"At least I didn’t end up sleeping on the streets."

This was the thought that struck me right after the practical exam ended.
Seeing Noah and Ichinose in person had been great, but the real question was—where do I go now?
I had no plan for where to stay or what to do in the days leading up to the start of the semester, which left my mind in a chaotic mess.

With no immediate solutions in sight, I’d even braced myself for the possibility of sleeping outdoors.
But as I left the gymnasium amidst the crowd of students, I overheard someone talking about buying snacks to bring back to the dorms.
That’s when I remembered to search through my smartphone for the Orion Academy handbook.

From there, I followed the directions and walked, and walked some more.
Eventually, I found the dormitory located a short distance from Orion Academy.

Exhausted, either from using my skill or from the tension I’d been suppressing,
I collapsed onto the bed as soon as I arrived and fell into a deep sleep.

Now, as I woke up and stared at the ceiling, I felt a certainty settle over me.

"So it wasn’t a dream after all."

The lingering doubts had vanished.
I was still inside Elysium, the Academy City.
And that realization brought me an immense sense of satisfaction.

The events I’d experienced so far were so surreal that waking up to find it was all a dream wouldn’t have surprised me.
But the unchanging reality I faced now had me smiling endlessly.
This was real, and that certainty filled me with joy.

“Phew...”

Still grinning, I lazily stretched my body on the bed before reaching for the smartphone lying in the corner.

"February 26th, 8:40 PM."

It was still the day of the placement exams.
Even though I felt well-rested, it seemed I’d gone to sleep early, so the day wasn’t over yet.

"That’s... a bit awkward timing."

I sat up on the bed and ran my hands over my face, shaking off the remnants of sleep.
It was time to get myself together.
There were plenty of things I needed to think through, things I’d been putting off in the rush to enjoy this new world.

“Oof.”

I got off the soft bed, stretching my stiff body, then hung my academy uniform over the back of a chair.
Taking a look around the room, I began noticing details I’d missed before.

"There’s a sense of lived-in comfort here."@@novelbin@@

On opening the wardrobe, I found some casual clothes—not exactly stylish, but functional.
In the shoe rack, a pair of well-worn sneakers rested, their soles nearly worn through.
The desk held thick textbooks, likely for classes, alongside a bag. Everything I’d need for basic daily life was accounted for.

"I guess my character must’ve stayed in this dorm before."
"Maybe I swapped into this world while heading to the placement exam?"

That seemed like the most logical explanation, but pondering further wouldn’t lead anywhere productive.

What mattered now wasn’t the past but the present and the many things I needed to figure out going forward.

First priority:
Have I escaped the shadow of imminent death?

Did I manage to pull my neck away from the guillotine before the blade fell?

Tap. Tap.

As I moved toward the bathroom to shower, I caught sight of myself in the mirror.
A profound sense of unfamiliarity hit me.

My body was spotless, without a single scar or blemish.
While the slightly frail physique wasn’t ideal, it wasn’t the main issue.

"The signs of necrosis and the scars are gone..."

The diseased veins that had spread from my heart and the scars left by countless battles had vanished entirely.
It must have been because I’d been transferred into a new body.

"I was waiting for death, wasn’t I?"

Unlike the high-ranking hunters who could afford expensive treatments to erase their wounds and extract the poison left by monsters,
most hunters like me were struggling to survive as our abilities weakened.

The day when hunters’ powers would fade completely, leaving them as ordinary humans,
was a death sentence waiting to happen.
And I knew I was likely to be one of the many swept away in that storm, sooner or later.

But now, those chains were gone.
I was free.

"Alright! I’ll take that as a win!"

The unanticipated joy of escaping death filled me with lightness.
My steps to the shower felt as though I were walking on air.

Even though I’d tried to maintain a calm façade, the constant awareness of my impending demise had been eroding my sanity.

Ssssshhhhh──!

As I waited for the water to heat up, I moved on to the next item on my mental checklist.

Second priority:
Where is the protagonist of Abyss City?

"If they’re in the same class as the key characters, doesn’t that mean they’ve already taken the placement exam?"

The protagonist’s gender and name depended on the player’s choices in the game.
In this world, I didn’t even know whether the protagonist was male or female.
They hadn’t stood out in the crowd of students after the practical exam.

"Looks like I’ll have to wait until the semester starts to find out."

If time in this world flowed like it did in the game,
then once the protagonist arrived, Elysium would be thrown into chaos like never before.

As someone who cherished peace and quiet, that was a bit disappointing to consider.

“...”

Ssssshhhhh.

Warm water finally cascaded from the showerhead, splashing against my hands.
I stepped under the stream, letting the water soak me as I turned over my thoughts.

"Next on the list..."

The quest rewards and the shop.
It was finally time to check on that smug skill that claimed it needed five hours to update.

Bzzzzzt─!

A large, translucent screen appeared before me, the text unfurling like rapid-fire typing.
The shower’s stream passed right through the screen, drenching me but leaving the display undisturbed.

<Shop - Lv.1>

◇ Random Skill Book - 500P (1-time purchase)
◇ Status Screen - 100P (1-time purchase)
◇ High-Protein Jerky - 3P
◇ Cloud Bread - 2P
◇ Coral Jelly - 2P
◇ Energy Drink - 2P
◇ Bottled Water - 2P
...
[Remaining Points - 100P]

“Whoa!”

A short exclamation echoed in the tiny shower booth.
Staring at the list, I couldn’t help but swallow my saliva.
As I lathered my hair with bubbles, I read the shop menu once more.

"What are the chances this shop will eventually sell gear as its level increases?"

Considering that skills are already being sold, the possibility seems high.
For now, aside from the top two options, everything else is consumable food or drinks.
But the potential for growth in this shop is definitely exciting.

“Ah, refreshing!”

After finishing my shower and sacrificing a towel to dry off,
I dressed in comfortable clothes and fixed my gaze intently on the shop screen.

"What happens when I buy food? Does it just drop out of thin air?"

I was feeling a bit hungry, and the curiosity almost tempted me to buy a cheap 1P item.

But my eyes locked on to something else:

"Status Screen...!"

One particularly tempting option stood out, perfectly matching my remaining points.
Unable to resist, I made the purchase.

[Status Screen Unlocked.]

In game terms, it was like unlocking the C shortcut key.
Hunger could wait; curiosity could not.
Grinning with satisfaction, I immediately called up the Status Screen.

『Name: Rohan

HP: 100%
MP: 87%

Affiliation: Southern Wastes (殘鄕)
Organization: Orion Academy

Attributes: [Physical] [Fire]
Status: ─
Remaining Points: 0P』

"Fire!?"

I expected Physical, but I was caught off guard by the other attribute.
Why do I have a Fire attribute?

“Hm...”

I paced around the room, trying to figure it out, but no clear answers came to mind.
During my Hunter days, my ability had been as plain and straightforward as it could get—
definitely not related to fire.

After walking in circles and thinking it through, one plausible guess finally emerged.

"Maybe it’s meaningless?"

Remembering the speculation from the community forums about the attributes of the upcoming character,
it made sense. Many had already theorized that the new character would likely have Fire as their secondary attribute.

Accepting the predetermined nature of it, I decided to shift my focus.
With lingering curiosity, I put on my sneakers, ready to explore more.

Meanwhile: Ichinose Yui

***

Ichinose Yui stepped out of the dormitory and onto the streets.

Having left the expansive comfort of her home, she now lived without a chauffeur or bodyguards.
Whenever she spoke to her parents on the phone, she resolved to endure these two years and do her best.

Today was no exception. After completing her training, she planned to dive into her studies.
However, no late-night study session would be complete without sweets,
so she decided to explore the nearby convenience stores and cafés.

And, of course, scouting for a beauty store to buy cosmetics was a necessity.

The night breeze in February remained chilly, and the sparkling nightscape of Elysium Academy City felt vastly different from her homeland, Sanhwa.
It was dazzlingly vibrant, even more prosperous than she had imagined.

"Not bad."

Just walking outside seemed like it would stave off boredom for a while.
It even felt like a nice route for a post-meal stroll.

Of course, that was if she knew where she was going.

“...”

Things had gone perfectly up to the point where she bought snacks from the convenience store.
The abundance of unfamiliar treats, ones she had never seen in Sanhwa, left her feeling unexpectedly excited.

Holding a bag of snacks in one hand and her phone in the other,
her treasured katana Yoru rested in her other hand as she walked back toward the dormitory.

At least, that was her intention—until she realized she was on an unfamiliar path.

Bzzzzt──.

The vibration of her smartphone broke the silence.
Ichinose opened her eyes to check the screen.

[Noah: Why aren’t you in your room? Lost again? ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

She had explicitly told Noah not to visit tonight because she’d be studying, but Noah clearly hadn’t listened.
And the content of the message? Absolutely infuriating.

"Who said I was lost!?"

Ichinose resolved to warn Noah not to treat her like a perpetual child.

“Hmph!”

With an air of indignation, Ichinose marched on.
She wasn’t lost—of that, she was certain.

"If I can make it back, it doesn’t count as being lost."

There were plenty of ways to find her way back.
She could ask the Elysium City Security Force for assistance or use the map app on her phone.

But relying on those would mean admitting she was lost,
and her pride would never allow that.

Click. Click. Click.

Ichinose wandered aimlessly through the night, pretending to enjoy the stroll.
It wasn’t long before something caught her attention.

A peculiar presence caused her to pause.
Slowly, she opened her golden eyes and focused on the source.

"That man?"

A vending machine sat in a dimly lit alley, its shadows barely illuminated.
A familiar figure stood before it, his face etched with concentration.

"...99?"

It was unmistakably the man who had sliced the test golem clean in half.