I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City - Chapter 124



123 – Succubus’s Nest

From the moment Rohan stepped out of Orion Academy after showering, and stopped for a coffee.

There had been a gaze fixed on him, clinging like a burr.

Devoid of any malice, overflowing only with affection.

The identities of the pair would have been obvious to anyone watching.

It was Sion and Clara, having left the mansion with some expensive piece of observation equipment they had recently purchased.

For months, they had remained by Rohan’s side, but they failed to make significant strides.

Even so, their time spent in unrequited love wasn’t entirely wasted.

The two girls had managed to sharpen their so-called female intuition considerably.

Starting from when Rohan introduced them to a restaurant called Anshimjeong (安心停), suggesting they eat out since it was good.

From the moment they knew that it was a place that Noah Frozenheart and Ichinose Yui had recommended and shared meals.

From the moment he told them he would be having dinner with a friend tonight.

Having sensed something, the girls began to follow Rohan, equipment in tow.

And.

The instant Rohan stepped out of the taxi and met Ichinose Yui, who had been waiting…

Sion and Clara caught sight of the expression on Ichinose Yui’s face as she spoke with him.

It was like looking in a mirror.

Exactly the same as the expressions they themselves wore when with Rohan.

Sion glanced at Clara, and Clara at Sion, both understanding.

“…”

On the rooftop of the building. Clara pulled away from the telescope, looking at Sion beside her.

Judging by her serious expression, Sion felt the same way.

“Sion, unni…”

“So, we’re in the same boat. There’s no way Rohan wouldn’t be popular with girls while at the Academy.”

Ignoring any rose-tinted glasses, their competition was stronger than they could have imagined.

Samhwa, one of the major powers. And Ichinose Yui was the heir to Cheonoecheon, the country’s largest conglomerate. Composed, beautiful, even.

“Hmm.”

Sion contemplated deeply, the night wind of the high-rise building blowing around her.

Clara, meanwhile, returned to observing Rohan and Ichinose through the telescope as they moved.

‘If she’s from Samhwa, it might be difficult to join forces.’

It was a country that rejected the concept of polygamy.

Could Ichinose Yui, who grew up in a country with such different values, so smoothly agree to their plan like Clara?

‘Regardless…’

Her own feelings were as strong as anyone’s; she had no intention of giving up Rohan.

Over her dead body. No matter what it took.

Absolutely not.

‘This makes things urgent…’

Gathering their equipment, Sion and Clara moved to the next building, continuing to tail Rohan.

Now that they had confirmed the existence of a competitor besides Lethe, who had recently started video calling and sending Rohan gifts, they really needed to do something.

Hopeless. For all her talk of confessing as a mere confirmation of their feelings, she was making little progress.

How could she possibly change her relationship with Rohan?

She’d tried the methods suggested online, as well as some Clara had seen in anime, but the effects were unclear.

“A fine state of affairs, paralyzed by fear of being disliked.”

Sion sighed, her gaze drifting to the night sky, a fleeting escape.

“U-unni!!!”

“?!”

Clara’s urgent cry yanked Sion’s stargazing head back down.

There they stood, in the alley.

Before them, a black obelisk materialized.

Confirmation.

“…Monolith!”

The two girls abandoned their gear, instinctively kicking off the rooftop.

The objective: plunge in before the ominous entity could establish its domain.

They sprinted with all their might.

But the long distance, initially secured for safe observation, became the problem.

As they closed over half the gap, the Monolith devoured Rohan and Ichinose.

“…”

“…”

Only a crater remained in the alley.

Sion and Clara, stunned, stared at the void.

*

“…”

Rohan opened his eyes.

He was lying down, his back pressed against something. Thankfully, Ichinose was still in his arms.

‘Where…’

His eyes captured the alien ceiling of the world.

A moon, exuding an unnatural chill, hung in the sky. Neither blue nor black, but a shifting canvas of subtle reds and violets, creating an enigmatic aura.

Rohan raised his head, surveying his surroundings.

A forest overflowing with black roses, sprouting everywhere.

A thick fog hung in the air, heavy and sweet with an unknown fragrance.

Once more, he checked the quest.

[Succubus’s Nest]

From noble mtl dot com

◇ Quest: A Monolith, a symbol of anomaly, has appeared in the Academy City. Escape the twisted space safely with your companions!

◇ Type: Sudden

◇ Success Reward: 30,000P, Party Full Heal, Exclusive Main Story Unlocked

◇ Failure Penalty: None

‘…Nightmare. This isn’t good.’

Incubi do exist among monsters.

However, in Abyss City, the term Nightmare usually implies a Succubus.

A monster that inflicts the heinous status ailment known as Enchantment.

A particularly cruel and unforgiving mechanic for male characters.

My head already aches.

“Rohan…?”

“Ichinose. Are you alright?”

She stirs in my arms and lifts her head.

Rohan releases the hand he was holding, and she clears her throat, getting to her feet.

“Ahem, I’m fine. But this sticky smell…”

She wrinkles her nose with a serious expression, then opens her eyes wide.

She looks around, her face quickly shifting to one of shock.

“I heard the Monolith sends people somewhere, right?”

“…A dungeon, then.”

“That’s right.”

Rohan confirms, surveying their surroundings.

‘Need to get my bearings, first.’

There’s no immediate need to explain that this is a Nightmare’s nest.

Ichinose will quickly draw that conclusion based on the monsters they encounter here.

‘Hard to judge with this much fog.’

If we could see a building, we could at least make some guesses, but the fog is so thick that even Rohan is finding it difficult to get a sense of direction.

Still, I’m relieved that I made sure to grab my weapon.

It gives me the space to calmly assess the situation.

‘Maybe I should leave a trail as we move forward.’

I’ve made my decision.

Tearing my gaze from the blooming black roses, I looked at Ichinose.

Frozen stiff in her spot, seemingly too anxious from this first-time experience to even look around.

In a way, it was only natural she’d be like this.

Rohan approached Ichinose and poked her soft cheek with his finger. *Poke!*

Her head turned toward him, her pretty face etched with unease.

“Don’t worry. I’ll figure something out.”

“Rohan…”

“I *am* the first survivor of the Monolith, remember? Trust me.”

Rohan hadn’t exactly advertised that fact, but Ichinose surely knew.

Information like that would have reached the upper echelons of the great powers.

“Huuu…”

Ichinose exhaled a long breath.

Looking a little less tense now.

“Crybaby-nose, you can start preparing to buy me steak when we get back.”

“…If we get back, I’ll rent a restaurant and let you eat everything.”

“That’s culinary torture. Just buy it normally.”

Rohan pulled out his phone and started a timer.

Then, he snapped off a branch and plucked one of the black roses blooming on the ground.

He pinned the flower down with a stone to leave a trace, and then started walking.

Ichinose followed cautiously behind Rohan.

Had they moved in silence for about five minutes?

Ichinose couldn’t hold it in any longer and spoke.

“Rohan. Where are we?”

“Judging from experience, this is a completely different world. The sky’s a weird color, after all.”

“…They said dungeons were like that, weren’t they? That was a stupid question.”

“Not at all? It’s a reasonable question.”

Rohan said that as he *shwing!* drew the Radiance from his back.

Ichinose, sensing the unknown lifeforms slowly approaching, placed her hand on Yoru(Night) , ready.

Unlike the tense Ichinose,

Rohan could anticipate the approaching monsters.

‘The nightmare’s servants come in two broad types.’

What becomes of humans after succumbing to a succubus or incubus.

It’s part of the Orion Academy’s theoretical curriculum.

Creatures whose essence has been completely drained and discarded by nightmare beings. Husks, only shells remain.

Pleasure Dolls, who, due to their appearance or abilities, captured the interest of the nightmares and became playthings.

Husks, true to their name, are like a discarded candy wrapper, so the likelihood of encountering them in forests or on the outskirts is high.

Pleasure Dolls are mainly found in the nightmare’s abode.

Husks are no different from zombies, making them easy to deal with, but Pleasure Dolls and nightmares can vary wildly depending on the case.

─ Ughhh… err…

─ Ueo…

Things that emit meaningless voices reveal themselves.

As Rohan expected, three Husks approached.

Translucent gray skin, sunken eyes, and emaciated faces.

They move listlessly, like zombies.

‘Is there any anomaly in the dungeon?’

Looking at the Husks’ gender, only men are present.

The probability of succubi, not incubi, being here becomes overwhelmingly high.

“Ichinose. Husks.”

“Husks, you mean…”

One piece of information to give is enough.

Now Ichinose will have finished deducing what kind of monsters are in the dungeon.

“Hiss!”

Rohan took a step, creating a semicircle with radiance.

The Husks’ waists split, and they crumbled.

[+2P]

[+2P]

[+2P]

Rohan did not hesitate to cut down those who were once human.

For them, only death is liberation and rest.

“Rohan…”

“Yeah.”

“What if Rohan falls for the succubus’s allure…?”

So, that’s the conclusion we’ve reached.

Rohan felt a sense of accomplishment, but Ichinose felt a pang in her heart even as she spoke.

Her mouth went dry and her hands began to tremble.

“Just stab him in the thigh or something. Or smack his sternum with the scabbard. If it hurts, he’ll snap out of it.”

“H-how could I do that!”

There are various ways to counter a succubus’s charm.

The most well-known and reportedly effective method is pain that shocks one back to reality.

“Got any other ideas?”

“…”

Persuading her with a serious voice, Rohan started walking again.

“If I hesitate and turn into a Husk, Ichinose, you have to kill me.”

“Rohan. Isn’t there another way…”

“Didn’t they say eating plants like sage or lavender helps a little? Though having a strong mind is best in the first place.”

What Rohan mentioned was one of the standard methods written in textbooks.

But both of them knew.

That there were a few other ways to break free from the allure.