I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

17 – Abyss City 1.0 -1-

Ichinose readily gave his number.

Thanks to that, Rohan hummed a tune in the training room shower.

Ichinose’s profile picture was a short dog that seemed to be taken on the street, and just looking at it made all the accumulated fatigue disappear at once.

After that, the academy’s routine.

Rohan didn’t know what style other instructors’ classes were, but from his perspective, the practical classes of the protagonist were substantial and easy to understand.

From today, the classes aimed at physical enhancement without leakage of magic power, and Noah and Ichinose had already mastered this part perfectly.

So the two had time to train in more advanced techniques.

However, the rest of Class 1, including Rohan, could not attend.

Rohan was somehow controlling the power called magic, which had a face similar to but different from supernatural abilities, but if asked whether its form was neat, it was not.

Because he had never learned it properly.

But such gloomy circumstances were a thing of the past.

“Rohan. Magic is not a power to be suppressed and dominated.”

“Yes!”

“Don’t forcefully push your back, claiming to add strength to your body. Embrace the magic power and gently accept it, letting it seep in. At first, the pace will feel frustratingly slow, but…”

This was the teaching of Joo-yeon, who was like Rohan’s first mentor.

Thanks to this, the direction in which the magic power was being harnessed began to take shape.

And then, the problematic theory class.

“Monsters are rarely encountered in urban areas, but if you step into unmanaged areas outside the city, they are common enough to meet every few steps.”

“Most monsters call their groups through breeding activities, but it has also been frequently observed that they appear using special methods such as monoliths or dimensional rifts.”

An additional explanation was given that the void whale, which destroyed the south, creates a massive dimensional rift inside its mouth.

I continued to take notes while listening to the class indifferently.

As for the theory… the moment I saw the formulas with numbers, I felt a thick wall, and the water demons rushed in like a special force, blocking my throat.

But since I had someone to ask, I decided to somehow embrace the joy.

“Good job today. Go back and rest.”

“Thank you for your hard work!

After the academy ended, Rohan quickly resolved his meal at the cafeteria and went straight to his part-time job.

‘Wow, if it weren’t for the cafeteria, I would have had to divide a pack of ramen into four.’

On the way to the Flower Murut Bookstore, confirming his pitiful balance.

The awaited notification window appeared before his eyes.

[The store list has been updated]

Time to satisfy his curiosity.

He stopped on the road and immediately used the store skill.

Ive saved up a few points.

Two achievements from exercising and one from the Flower Murut Bookstore.

Adding to that, the points accumulated from kicking a stray kid during a late-night walk, the remaining points have slightly increased.

With the expectation that shopping might be possible right away.

Rohan checked the shop.

＜ Shop Lv.1 ＞

Unique Skill Level Up – 2,000P (One-time purchase)

High-Protein Jerky – 3P

Cloud Bread – 2P

Coral Jelly – 2P

Energy Drink – 2P

Mineral Water – 2P

[ Remaining Points – 273P ]

Unique Skill!?

A new mechanism has appeared once again.

Just looking at it makes his hands itch. His heart races at the thought of how the Weakness Affix and Shop Skills will evolve.

If its a one-time purchase, does it mean all skills go up at once? Or do I buy and then renew?

In Abyss City, he had to invest the energy accumulated over time to gather materials in specific dungeons.

This must be the appearance that replaced that point.

Rohan moved his halted legs and slowly headed towards the bookstore.

The price tag attached to it was too absurd to indulge in happy imaginations.

‘2,000 points…’

It was a price that made one’s mind go astray.

This was something that couldn’t be dared with just one achievement.

If the level of the store goes up, it is natural that more expensive items will take their place, but the limit of obtaining items through achievements was already starting to show.

‘Should I go south? Or should I kill all the monsters I see while wandering around the academy city…’

As he erased the store, the Higanbana Bookstore came into view.

First, work.

With the thought of doing his job properly, Rohan emptied his mind and put on an apron.

It was a bit late.

Clara visited the Higanbana Bookstore as usual. Would she think of reading while standing until closing time today as well?

Rohan, looking at such a girl, loaded the bait he had prepared.

‘Good. There are no customers other than Clara.’

While the store manager was away, he turned on the game on his smartphone at the counter.

Company Wave!

The volume was turned up just one notch. The name of the game resounded clearly.

Even if the sound wasn’t loud, it was enough to be heard in the silent bookstore.

‘I play gacha games even here…’

Rohan’s fingers moved swiftly, following the familiar structure.

The game Clara was playing last time is this ‘Company Wave.’

It’s a famous game, well-known enough to be recognized just by the clues seen on the screen, about running a company that cleans up monsters.

In terms of monthly sales rankings, it sits around 50th place, but it’s reputed to be a pillar of the defense genre with a solid concrete layer.

‘Should have started a bit earlier. Missed the collaboration.’

Surprisingly, it’s fun. The level of completion is high.

The game itself was so captivating that it was worth continuing even without aiming for a connection with Clara.

It was painful not being able to get what I wanted due to lack of money.

Three Chain!

Energy Supply!

The game sound can be kept to a minimum like now. Even if the manager can’t hear it, Clara will.

Just hearing the voice using the skill, the girl would know what this game is.

‘Finished the daily quest… Shall we do it properly?’

Rohan, who had thoroughly reviewed all the information about Clara seen in Abyss City, set his strategy.

A way to stimulate a girl who is serious about comics and games.

‘Clean water operation in front of stagnant water.’

He runs auto with a composition that has terrible efficiency, as if to show off.

Placing the healer and dealer in front to self-destruct at an easy difficulty level is essential. Just hearing the voices of the characters falling would raise questions.

A formation without synergy is also a good part to scratch Clara.

The problem might be that even I feel like going crazy while doing it.

Watching the wasted energy makes my hands tremble.

“Hmm, it doesn’t break.”

Uh, I have to complete the mission somehow…

A miserable voice signifying the failure of the strategy.

Clara’s shoulders, hidden between the bookshelves, shook.

“Why did they make it so difficult? Is this a section designed to make you spend money?”

I could see Clara’s hands trembling as she held the book.

I felt conflicted about whether to look in her direction or not, so I turned my head completely to avoid eye contact.

‘Never approach first.’

Clara is a girl who would run a hundred steps back if you take one step forward. She must come willingly.

So, patience-based waiting is the only answer.

Rohan sighed with regret about the game, put away his smartphone, and stayed at the counter until closing time.

Tomorrow is Saturday.

Because of that, both the academy and the part-time job are on break.

I didn’t expect the Flower Murut Bookstore to be closed as well, but the manager said he wanted to take a break this weekend for his grandson’s birthday, and I readily agreed.

‘What should I do for two days?’

Should I continue wandering around the academy city to find the precursor to the quest, or should I focus on the lacking theoretical studies? I’m in the middle of such a dilemma.

Rohan, who was carrying such conflicts, checked the subscribed online newspaper while returning to the dormitory.

!

Finally, I discovered something that could be called the prelude to the main story.

[A 30-year-old male creator went missing while exploring the forbidden zone ruins and making a video]

As a result of tracking his last call with an acquaintance, it is presumed that he was attacked by someone during the filming. According to the data released by the Elysium Security Agency, only a severed leg was found at the scene.

It’s here!

The main story that had a tantalizing amount of content in the 1.0 version when Abyss City opened.

This incident is definitely that.

The format itself is almost identical to the main story.

[A quest has occurred.]

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

[ Act 1 of the Broken Crown ]

Quest content: A heinous crime that occurred in the academy city! This incident may also be related to the group monitoring Noah Frozenheart. Identify and handle the case faster than the Elysium Security Agency’s officers.

Classification: Main Story

Success reward: Erasure of battle traces, Murder Manual skill book, Random point pouch

Penalty for failure: None

The rewards are good?

The Murder Manual is a skill that even Rohan knows.

It’s a generally good passive that increases damage against humans or humanoid monsters.

And the other reward, the point pouch, is also interesting. The word “random” is bothersome, but it means points are given anyway.

“.”

Screech!

Rohan arrived at the dormitory, pulling up the black hoodie and grabbing the mask he bought last time.

In his pocket, a single knife.

That was enough to wander the dusky academy city after sunset.