I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City - Chapter 60



59 – Monolith -7-

It had been several hours since Rohan and his party were swept into the Monolith and fell into the dungeon.

In the original world, it was just after lunchtime.

The Elysium Security Agency had quickly detected the ominous magical wave that occurred within the academy city.

That is why Juyeon, who should have been in class at the academy, was at the Security Agency.

The video shown by the security officers.

Juyeon’s face hardened as he checked the footage, and he cautiously uttered a single word.

“Monolith…?”

“That’s correct. But as you can see, the situation is a bit different. If a monster had appeared, we would have dispatched a team to handle it, but…”

The situation was indeed different, just as the security officer said.

The only measure the Security Agency could take was to impose a no-entry zone in the affected area.

“Embarrassingly, we security officers are also ignorant of this phenomenon. We have shared the situation with various countries and requested information, but we also want to hear the General’s opinion.”

Dimensional rifts and monoliths that cause chaos in the world and result in massive casualties.

There was no veteran in the academy city with more experience facing and confronting these disasters than Juyeon.

Moreover, the academy cadet involved in the incident was also a familiar face to the security officers.

Wasn’t it the face that had been exposed here and there after recently dismantling a human trafficking organization and rescuing people?

The security officers were well aware that the cadet was being taught by Juyeon.

“…Show me the video again.”

“Yes!”

At Juyeon’s request, the security officer moved the mouse and replayed the video.

A video captured by the security CCTV in the alley.

No sound can be heard. But the situation is clear.

Jooyeon hoped it wasn’t true, but reality is often cruel.

No matter the angle, the cadet in the video was undoubtedly Rohan.

At the moment when he seemed to be parting with a woman who appeared to be an elf.

A monolith emerged, breaking through the ground. It exuded powerful magic.

From here, an unexpected anomaly.

Originally, monsters should have poured out after this.

But the three people evaporated like smoke along with the monolith. This phenomenon was distinctly different from what the monolith had caused so far.

I even tried calling, thinking they might have just been relocated.

But not even a signal reached Rohan’s smartphone.

Tracking his location through the police was impossible. The officers on foot had no results either.

“Sigh…”

Jooyeon closed his eyes tightly and took deep breaths repeatedly. He tried to suppress his emotions and regain his composure.

He erased the ominous assumptions. There were no confirmed facts yet.

For the officers waiting quietly for an answer, Jooyeon retraced his experiences so far.

Naturally, no sharp solutions or information emerged.

“I don’t think I can be of help. This is the first time I’ve seen such a situation.”

“Is that so. Should we consider the monolith that appeared in the academy city to be special…”

The officers showed a reaction as if they had anticipated this.

The fear that Miji brings. The atmosphere subtly grows heavier.

In the midst of this, Joo-yeon, who watched the video once more, woke up the floundering officers with her voice.

We might be able to sense something from the remnants of the magic. May I go to the scene?

Of course! I will guide you right away.

The officers, who had come to their senses at Joo-yeon’s request, quickly stood up, put on their equipment, grabbed their car keys, and hurriedly prepared.

*

Rohan opened his eyes after a long sleep.

As he lifted his eyelids, a girl with doll-like features greeted him with a smile.

Ah…! Oppa! Did you sleep well?

Are you awake?

The sound of Sion’s approaching footsteps. At that moment, the fan made of vine leaves also finished its role.

As Clara’s hand stopped, warm air penetrated Rohan’s dazed consciousness. It reminded him that they were in a dungeon.

Sorry. I’m fully recovered now.

Rohan apologized as he raised his upper body.

Looking down, he saw that his shoes were off and his clothes were in disarray. He understood what the two had done.

No wonder I felt so comfortable.

As he began to fasten the loose buttons and belt, Clara and Sion averted their gazes.

After putting on his shoes and standing up, Clara asked with worried eyes.

From noble mtl dot com

Oppa. Are you really okay?

I’m really okay now. Sorry.

Calming Clara, he took out his smartphone from his pocket.

Rohan checked the timer that was running in real-time.

And then, silence.

‘…What?’

He almost did a somersault in surprise when he saw the timer.

How many hours had he slept? He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but the numbers didn’t change.

He thought he had only slept for a short while, but he had slept for over five hours.

“I decided that a 10-minute break was insufficient.”

Clara nodded vigorously at Sion’s words.

Rohan had nothing to say except to apologize. Since it had already happened, he could only make up for it by doing well in the future.

“Everyone’s hungry, right? And the water in the canteen must be running out.”

First, he thought to replenish the supplies.

As Rohan moved his hand, Clara hurriedly spoke up.

“Oppa…! Wait a minute!”

“Huh?”

After stopping Rohan’s actions, Clara exchanged glances with Sion.

Then, with serious faces, they nodded simultaneously. Rohan watched them quietly, wondering what they were up to.

“Oppa, is it okay if I ask you something?”

“Rohan, it might be a sensitive question, but we need to ask for the future.”

“Did something happen while you were sleeping?”

Clara shook her head, her twin-tails swaying.

Clara glanced at Zion and cautiously opened her mouth.

“About that skill you use to get water…”

“Yeah.”

“Did you collapse because of the cost of that skill? Tell me honestly.”

Rohan understood what the two girls were trying to say.

So he firmly assured them without a lengthy explanation.

“No. That’s a separate issue. Even if there’s a cost to the skill, it doesn’t consume something like lifespan.”

“.”

Zion and Clara closed their mouths at Rohan’s resolute attitude.

Their faces didn’t completely lose the uneasy expression, but they didn’t dig deeper into what the cost was.

“Let’s fill our stomachs and replenish our water. Wait a moment.”

Rohan moved his stiff body and went outside.

He marveled at the still scorching sunlight and checked the shop.

There was no need to ponder or scroll down to find the right item. It was right there.

[Purchased large combat rations.]

The first 5-point food purchase.

The description of “large” seemed to mean it was large for one person. Even if the three of them couldn’t eat to their fill, it looked sufficient to stave off hunger.

If he bought one more, they might feel full, but he restrained himself.

It didn’t make sense to eat to the point of sluggishness in a situation where a battle could break out at any moment.

Is it a self-heating meal? The calories are quite high too.

Looking at the packaging, it says, ＜Just pull the string and wait 15 minutes!＞.

Fortunately, it doesn’t require water or fire. It reminded him of a time he missed yet didn’t miss at all, causing his eyes to tremble slightly.

Finally, he added three bottles of water, spending an additional six points.

Rohan came in with the purchased items, handed out the water, and sat down.

Clara showed interest in the combat rations she had never seen before, and in Sion’s case, although he had seen combat rations often, this was the first time he had seen this type, so he showed a different kind of interest.

Just wait 15 minutes.

He pulled the string attached to the box.

As white steam flowed out, Clara made a sound of admiration, seemingly fascinated.

Normally, Rohan would have found her reaction cute and smiled, but now his mind was busy organizing his thoughts.

The man called the head of the family… What kind of head of the family is he? And this body…

It was fine to borrow someone else’s perspective. That alone wasn’t particularly burdensome and was an experience that only brought benefits.

However, tasting emotions was a different matter with clear pros and cons.

While it greatly helped in understanding the situation clearly, forcibly tasting negative emotions not only drained his mental strength but also…

It created an instinct to constantly be aware of who he was. The mental fatigue from that was no joke.

No matter what.

There was no option to stop thinking and learning.

Rohan was only holding back because the path wasn’t clear.

Curiosity was always there.

What kind of life had this body lived until it was confirmed to enter Orion Academy and set foot in the academy city?

The contacts on the smartphone were blank. There was no trace of a single photo taken in the gallery.

This body, showing no relationship with anyone, was a bundle of questions.

‘When I gain strength, head south.’

I now felt like I had a bit of a grasp on that part.

Of course, I hadn’t figured out anything definite or clear. But it felt like I had found the path to knowing those things.

For now, I am satisfied. It’s enough.

“Come on, let’s eat!”

Rohan took out a paper lunchbox and poured hot sauce over the rice.

Curry and Mapo tofu.

The girls’ eyes sparkled as they swallowed their saliva at the smell that stimulated their hunger.

“Wow…”

“A proper meal in a place like this. It’s truly the ultimate luxury.”

The girls started eating, moving their rough spoons.

Rohan was satisfied watching the two eat well. At the same time, he was grateful. He regretted not being able to feed them to their fill.

“Eat, sleep a little, and then let’s move. This time, I’ll stay awake.”

Considering the time, Sion and Clara also needed to close their eyes for a bit.

After eating and digesting briefly.

Rohan forced the two, who said they were fine, to lie down and fanned them to sleep.

Despite the situation, Rohan’s party, in excellent condition, headed towards their destination, which was starting to become clearer than before.