I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

11 – Random Skill Book

After returning to the dormitory, Rohan finished his shower and shoved his clothes into the laundry basket.

Lying on the bed, he used 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

Mineral Water – 2P

[ Remaining Points – 722P ]

Just looking at it makes you feel secure.

Even after spending 3P on jerky, this many points have been accumulated.

‘Abundant!’

50P earned from facing Instructor Juyeon and 300P received upon completing the quest.

Rohan has already decided what to purchase now.

‘It’s the Random Skill Book.’

No matter what anyone says, this choice is absolute.

However, until the purchase, or perhaps even after, there’s one unresolved question.

“.”

Rohan stared intently at the words “Random Skill Book” and pondered.

‘Will only things I can learn come out from here?’

How far does the category of randomness extend?

Is it provided in the form of a skill book, or do you learn something the moment you buy it?

It’s unpredictable. Rohan doesn’t know how the shop skill will behave.

In the worst case, a skill with a completely different attribute might come out of the randomly selected skill book, making it impossible to learn and wasting points.

‘I need to draw a physical or fire attribute skill…’

At moments like this, the existence of attributes feels very tricky.

Just because you have a common physical attribute doesn’t mean you can shoot shockwaves, and just because you have a fire attribute doesn’t mean you can emit flames from your body.

It might be possible if the level goes up, but at Rohan’s current stage, the attributes he possesses only show their true value when learning skills.

‘Let’s trust in luck.’

Before his worries deepened, Rohan reached out his hand.

After all, there’s no option not to buy it.

[ You have purchased a random skill book. ]

A space flickered along with the consumption of points.

As Rohan recalled the experience of buying jerky and reached out his hand, a change occurred in the shop skill.

[ Updating the shop list. ]

[ You can still purchase existing items while the shop list is being updated. ]

[ Estimated time remaining 46:01:56 ]

The time required had increased absurdly, but this was definitely the notification window he saw on the day of the placement test.

Had it entered rearrangement because he had purchased all the items that could only be bought once?

While continuing his reasoning.

!

The skill seeped deep into his consciousness.

In a very vivid form.

[ Scorching Blade Grade: D ]

Uses magic power to heat the blade.

Huh?

As he mastered the skill, Rohan blinked. The emotion Rohan felt now was neither clear disappointment nor definite joy.

Only a fog-like doubt.

Whose skill is this?

Rohan prided himself on knowing all the skills that could be learned in Abyss City, so he was puzzled.

Even characters that haven’t been developed can grasp the skills to some extent.

But this was a skill he had never seen before.

Although a D-grade skill isn’t extraordinary, the existence of an unfamiliar skill left him dumbfounded.

It was truly shocking.

What the…

Rohan pondered once again how far the realm of ‘random’ could encompass.

He came up with a plausible hypothesis.

Could it be that not only the skills of playable characters but also those used by enemies or NPCs are included?

Rohan sprang up from the bed and grabbed the blade placed on the table.

He tried using the skill on the knife he had brought as loot.

Zzzt!

The sound of dry firewood splitting.

It wasn’t the form of flames blazing, but the blade itself heating up and starting to turn red.

Rohan observed the alien heat created by magic.

‘Not bad?’

Worried that the blade might melt, Rohan withdrew the magic.

As the magic evaporated, the knife instantly returned to a cold blade. It was indeed different from ordinary flames.

‘Rather than a skill suitable for murder…’

It was definitely a skill suitable for killing monsters more vulnerable to fire than humans.

When it comes to killing humans, nothing beats the status effect of bleeding.

Additionally, there is another aspect that comes to mind regarding the skill’s utility.

‘If I cauterize a wound with this, it would stop the bleeding quickly.’

It’s a method commonly known as cauterization.

Compared to other methods, it is more accessible and was often used for hemostasis in urgent battles.

‘If I assume using this as a longsword…’

Zzzing!

Rohan’s thoughts were interrupted by the vibration from his smartphone.

It was time to sleep if he wanted to go out for a workout at dawn.

*

“Hmm.”

Juyeon, while waiting for Rohan who had requested the interview, meticulously reviewed the evaluation papers and documents in the counseling room to gather information.

‘Rohan. A native of the South, his weapon of choice is a sword… Judging by the timing, he was left alone when the Void Whale appeared.’

Void Whale.

The largest monster observed to date, and one of the highest-ranking monsters.

A dreadful calamity that, upon appearance, opens its mouth to endlessly spew out monsters. It is the monster that annihilated the South, once a powerful nation, in an instant.

It was also the decisive event that caused the three nations of Samhwaguk, Tigrova, and the Sepia Archipelago to cease political conflicts and unite.

‘A native of the South…’

Juyeon stared at Rohan’s photo.

He knew that a small village, cultivated by survivors, remained in the ruined South.

Only those in that village are recognized as residents of the South, like Rohan.

But what is the current state of the South?

It has transformed into a hideout for criminals from various countries. He heard that even that small village had been attacked by criminals, leaving only a few survivors.

‘What a headache.’

He was reluctant to consider surviving the calamity as good luck.

This was not something Juyeon could judge.

Rohan might consider himself unlucky for surviving alone.

‘Be careful with word choice during the interview.’

Juyeon scribbled Rohan’s name in his notebook and updated additional information.

He did not want to use words that would stir up the cadet’s nightmares.

“Sigh…”

Why did he request a meeting?

Juyeon opened her tumbler and took a sip of tea to quench her parched throat.

‘He’s here.’

She sensed movement outside.

Juyeon tidied up the documents she had laid out and made her desk neat.

Knock, knock, knock.

A polite knock. A voice followed immediately.

This is Rohan, who requested the meeting.

“Come in.”

Rohan entered softly, bowing his head.

“Sorry to bother you when you’re busy.”

“No need for formalities. Have a seat.”

“Excuse me.”

Before starting the consultation, Juyeon checked the time one last time.

Fortunately, there was still some time before the morning assembly.

“So, why did you request a meeting?”

Juyeon stared straight into Rohan’s eyes.

Rohan immediately got to the point.

“I’d like to get permission for a part-time job.”

“A part-time job?”

“Yes. I haven’t found one yet. But I understand I need to get permission before job hunting.”

Juyeon knew it too. It was clearly stated in the academy’s guidelines.

However, it was rare for an Orion Academy cadet to have a part-time job.

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

“Yes. I need living expenses and I also want to buy a cheap weapon.”

Juyeon felt a bitter taste every time he saw the dark cycle of society in this way.

A stiff tone that didn’t match the badge of a freshman cadet. That tone, as if already accustomed to the system, added to the bitterness.

‘…’

The vast majority of Orion Academy cadets have financial freedom. It means they don’t have to worry about making a living.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this is why they were able to enter Orion Academy.

An elite course taken from a young age.

The academy is full of cadets who have received systematic training without wasting time, so Orion Academy cadets are overwhelmingly skilled compared to their peers.

Therefore.

‘It’s a vicious cycle.’

Juyeon knew.

That the future academy life would follow a similar pattern.

In the case of someone like Rohan, he would inevitably have to invest time in a part-time job, but other cadets could devote all their time to training without such worries.

The same goes for scholarships.

Cadets who used their time wisely had a higher chance of receiving excellent grades. However, Rohan, who was weak in theory, would find it difficult to receive one immediately.

“…I see. Have you thought about what kind of part-time job you want to do?”

“I haven’t decided anything clearly yet. I think I’ll have to see what positions are available first.”

From Jooyeon’s perspective, analyzing Rohan’s sentence, it seemed he wasn’t in a position to be picky about work.

“Of course, you know, illegal work is not allowed.”

“Yes!”

Jooyeon felt ashamed and resentful of his situation, having to end with a formal remark.

But seeing Rohan respond so cheerfully, he could smile faintly.

‘How admirable.’

The fact that he had the ability to enter Orion Academy but didn’t fall into survival crimes.

The fact that he entered this academy despite the harsh environment.

Remarkable.

It’s just a pity that he can’t provide direct support due to fairness issues.

“When you decide on a part-time job, organize it and send me a message. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Thank you.”

Seeing Rohan happy with the permission, Jooyeon stood up.

Naturally, he reached out and gently patted Rohan’s head as if to soothe him.

“…Hang in there.”

Now that it was time for the morning assembly, Jooyeon took the lead, saying they should go to the class.

Rohan followed, feeling puzzled by the gentle touch.

‘Was he always like this?’