I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City - Chapter 68



67 – Restricted Access #2

[ purchased a skill book.]

A ripple occurred as 5,000 points were swiftly deducted.

Along with it, the same notification window appeared. The one that rearranges when purchasing a one-time-only item.

[Updating the store list.]

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

‘Huh? Estimated time?’

Compared to before, one notification window was empty.

Thinking that, Rohan reached out his hand. For now, resolving this curiosity came first.

A hand that entered the distorted space.

Rohan immediately showed doubt.

“Huh?”

It wasn’t like the moment he learned the Scorching Blade, where knowledge came the instant he put his hand in.

This time, it was different.

There was something inside that had a definite shape and could be touched. A sensation similar to purchasing tangible food or water.

Thud!

In Rohan’s hand, what emerged from the void was an old tome.

True to its name as a skill book, it took the form of a book without any deceit. Rohan was rather taken aback.

A real book…?

He checked the front and back. There were no letters inscribed on the cover.

Flipping through it, all the pages were blank. Not a single dot, completely empty.

What is this?

His expectations had swelled with the promise of luck, but he couldn’t figure out how to use it.

The only use that came to mind was as a ramen coaster.

Hmm.

Rohan pondered as he felt the texture of the book.

The power to activate such an unknown object, the key to revealing its identity, a password more intricate and varied than a fingerprint.

The answer was clear.

Magic power.

Rohan channeled the magic power within his body into the book.

From noble mtl dot com

The change was immediate.

Rustle!

The book opened wide on its own. The pages flipped rapidly and then stopped abruptly in the middle.

Rohan quietly observed the poltergeist-like phenomenon.

[Opening Restricted Book #2 for Authorized Personnel Only.]

This time, it’s a book, not a video?

Rohan stiffened as he read the notification window.

Now that the number had shifted from 1 to 2, it was impossible to predict what would happen next.

How long had he waited for this phenomenon, with no countermeasures in place?

Sssssss!

A spark moved across the book, burning the paper as it passed. Surprisingly, no smoke rose, and there was no smell of burning.

The blackened marks gathered and transformed into letters.

Rohan’s eyes naturally began to read them.

[It is a sorrowful and tragic fate. How lamentable it is that the flame, which burns even reason and nature, must ultimately be held in the hands of a human who has endured the ashes.]

[Even if humans lose everything, they will never let go of the flame… This is our blessing and our punishment.]

[Lowell… Jenny… To fulfill your wishes…]

The words seemed like someone’s lament.

Just from the shape of the characters, pressed down with force, he could understand the emotions contained within.

It was as if he could hear a voice.

‘A flame that burns reason and nature?’

Was it a metaphorical expression?

If it wasn’t such a vague expression, he would have wanted to ask where in the world there was a flame that could burn such intangible things.

As soon as Rohan read this passage, an image came to mind.

‘What I saw in the video…’

My childhood self, sitting in a chair. It’s funny to call it myself, but anyway, me.

It was just a guess, but somehow, the image he saw back then wouldn’t leave his mind.

And who are these people?

The names Lowell and Jenny. Names he had never heard in Abyss City.

Yet, they did not feel unfamiliar.

A resolve to investigate the two names etched intensely in his mind.

Hmm…

Rohan’s voice, pondering in his increasingly complicated mind, seemed to signal something.

The open book snapped shut with a thud!

This time, flames gently rose on the cover, engraving the letters deeply.

[]

The title of the book appeared, embers glowing.

Seeing the Chinese characters, Rohan murmured, tasting a sense of enchantment.

…Cheonilseongjae.

With his voice, flames erupted from the book.

The blaze on his hand was not hot. Nor was it surprising.

For some reason, Rohan felt this process was entirely natural.

The crackling, burnt book turned into divine ash and seeped into Rohan’s body.

A voice was heard.

Shine in the abyss, the night always comes, and there is no night without a dawn.

You who grasp the embers and cut through the veil of night, this is the path of salvation we have chosen.

Follow the journey engraved by Cheonil ().

[End of Restricted Access Book #2]

The fire attribute, which had been a decorative element in the status window.

Rohan sensed an intense change befitting it. He opened the skill window.

And faced the result.

[Heavenly Sun Holy Judgment Sword () Lv.1]

First Sword () – Flame Sever ()

Second Sword () – Dawn’s Fall ()

The subtle luster flowing through the skill name and the level proving its potential for growth. Unlike the murder manual or the blazing man, there is no grade.

It means it’s a unique skill that only he can use.

A curse slipped from Rohan’s lips as he recognized it.

“…Crazy!”

Possessing two unique skills was a symbol of S-rank in Abyss City.

Rohan already had two unique skills: Weakness Grant and Shop.

There wasn’t a single character in Abyss City who was S-rank and had only one unique skill. Nor was there a playable character with three unique skills.

But now that rule was broken.

Because three unique skills were now in my skill window.

‘Swordsmanship… Such martial arts-like skill names existed outside of Samhwa Kingdom too.’

He could roughly guess what the South, which hadn’t been spotlighted much in Abyss City, felt like.

‘How will it be?’

Rohan wanted to test this swordsmanship immediately. His hands were itching.

To stave off hunger, he needed to wash up and get ready to go out, but his gaze wouldn’t leave the skill window.

His lips twitched at the still unbelievable luck.

Should he just buy a proper sword on an installment plan instead of a dagger, run to the academy to swing it around, and then head to the instructor’s house?

‘Or should I just borrow a sword from the instructor?’

Rohan suddenly stood up, thinking he should get ready first.

He wrote down the names Lowell and Jenny in his notebook and smartphone memo.

Below that, he continued to jot down the words that the voice had left in his memory.

[Shine in the abyss, the night always comes, and there is no night without a dawn.]

[Holder of the ember, who will cut through the veil of night, this is the path of salvation we have chosen.]

[Follow the path engraved by the heavenly sun.]

‘There is no night without a dawn… not bad.’

Leaving those thoughts behind, Rohan moved to wash up.

*

The water pressure was so strong it startled him, and hot water poured down like a waterfall.

On top of that, there were expensive shampoos, treatments, body washes, and cleansing foams that he had only seen in bookstore magazines.

Clara trembled at the luxury as she finished her shower.

She dried her naked body with a soft towel that absorbed water cleanly with just one wipe.

Creak.

Clara peeked her head out through the crack in the door.

The white steam that had been trapped in the bathroom flowed out into the living room.

The girl moved her head this way and that, searching for clothes.

Seeing nothing, she had no choice but to call out to Jooyeon.

“Um…”

“Clara.”

“Y-Yes…?”

With a serious expression, Jooyeon strode over.

Clara, worried her frail body might be seen, quickly pulled her head back inside the door, leaving only her eyes blinking.

“I’ll go buy you some underwear, so please wait a bit. It’ll take some time to run the dryer.”

“Th-The thing is, underwear…”

Jooyeon must have seen her underwear size.

Clara’s face flushed red at the thought of exposing her private matters.

“If not, I don’t have clothes that would suit you, but I can give you something thick enough to cover you.”

“Just the clothes… please.”

That was better.

At Clara’s small request, Jooyeon brought over the clothes from the sofa.

A thin sleeveless shirt to wear underneath and a thick hoodie.

For pants, a pair of black sweatpants.

Clara accepted the clothes with a word of thanks and went into the bathroom.

She came out wearing the oversized clothes.

Juyeon looked at Clara and thought.

Isn’t that the kind of woman who is loved by men?

‘What a cute and beautiful girl.’

Even her hair, still damp, looked charming.

If he had a younger sister, often worried about by those around her, would she be like this?

“Come here. I’ll dry your hair.”

“!”

As Juyeon reached out his hand, Clara froze like a statue.

Juyeon’s hand passed by the tense girl. The moisture at the tips of Clara’s hair disappeared cleanly.

Retracting his hand along with his magic, Juyeon spoke as he looked at the restless Clara.

“Clara. I have a question.”

“Yes…?”

Juyeon thought of those small pieces of cloth spinning around in the washing machine.

Just thinking about it made him swallow nervously.

But under the pretext of breaking the ice and understanding the cadet better, Juyeon asked as nonchalantly as possible.

“Are you… dating Rohan?”