I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 114: Junior Candidate and Sense of Crisis
[You have purchased a special weapon.]
Rohan reached into the rippling space.
Nothing is caught. Only the pulsing, heart-like beats can be felt.
A voice seeps into his consciousness.
[Two become one, and one is for the sake of two.]
Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.
The heartbeat stops. The concentrated power flows through his hand.
Rohan instinctively empties both hands.
He returns the sword with a damaged blade back into its scabbard.
The pistol borrowed from Shion is placed on the ground.
The energy that crossed the space takes shape.
First, his right hand grasps a longsword with a crossguard and pommel.
[Glory]
◇ Flame Judgment Sword mana consumption reduced
◇ Flame Judgment Sword increased power
◇ Can be repaired by consuming points when broken
◇ Accumulates experience and grows when reaching the limit
It has the perfect weight.
It feels as if it was custom-made, fitting perfectly from the grip.
The longsword, heated by the flames, carries a heat unlike any blade he’s used before.
The blade seems to love the flames and embraces them.
Then, in his left hand, he grasps the automatic pistol.
[Brand]
◇ Weakness application mana consumption reduced
◇ Bullets inserted within enter a Fire Seal state, increasing mana absorption and hardness
◇ Can be repaired by consuming points when broken
◇ Accumulates experience and grows when reaching the limit
Its silver gleams in a simple form. Again, the size is just right, and it fits comfortably in his hand.
One full magazine is loaded.
‘Stacking? Growth...?’ This is the first time he's encountered equipment with such options.
In Abyss City, to finalize a weapon, it requires summoning the same weapon six times to reach the fifth level of stacking.
But what about this weapon?
The attack power or additional efficiency isn’t listed in clear numbers, and it talks about growth through experience, not stacking.
Click!
Rohan feels a tinge of regret in his hand and pulls the slide back with his mouth holding the pistol.
‘Ah, forget it. I don’t have time for complicated thoughts.’
What’s certain is one thing: it’s the perfect weapon for me.
That’s enough.
“Oh, oppa?”
“Rohan... what’s that?”
Surprised eyes at the sudden appearance of the weapons.
Still, they’ll probably accept it, just like Noah’s special weapon, Fimbulvetr, which also exists in a compressed form.
“I’ll explain later. Let’s handle things quickly.”
He focuses mana on the pistol named Brand.
The mana flows into the bullet like water, and the skill is instantly loaded.
Rohan pulls the trigger.
Bang!
The target is a massive scorpion with thick ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) exoskeletons. The bullet sinks into it.
—Kweeek!!!
The monster’s cry filled with pain.
The effect is already clear.
[The target has been assigned a physical weakness.]
The commonality among Rohan’s group is physical damage.
After Rohan fires the bullet, he rushes forward with Shion and Clara following behind.
Click!
As he runs, he reloads the skill.
He fires at the head of a large beetle beast that had been slamming into a store shutter.
—Crrrk! Crrrk!
[The target has been assigned a physical weakness.]
The beetle, which had been stubbornly rubbing against the tough shutter, lifts its head.
The beetles with bullets lodged in their heads turn toward Rohan.
“I’ll take the right! You two handle the left!”
He instructs Shion and Clara, then tightens his grip.
He swings the sword in his right hand.
[One Slash – Flame Severance]
—Swoosh! The massive scorpion is cleaved horizontally, not vertically.
The hard pincers and armor-like shell split smoothly.
The monster opened like bread waiting for its filling.
[+5P]
At the same time, the monster’s life was cut off.
“!”
Rohan was surprised by the sensation of no resistance at all.
Even though a weakness had been applied, he’d expected to need more force to split such creatures.
It felt as if he were splitting stiff paper without any burden.
This blade, called Glory, is definitely a legendary sword.
“Not with both hands, but with just one... impressive skill.”
“Of course, oppa...!”
The two girls, having dealt with the large beetle, were now in awe at the clean cut of the scorpion’s body.
Regardless of the skills Rohan possessed, the mark left by his slash left them in admiration.
“Is it over now? You two worked hard.”
Rohan returns the pistol he’d placed on the ground to Shion and scans the situation.
No need to force open the shutter to rescue the civilians.
The head of the mummy’s group has already been finished off by Ichinose and Noah, and the peacekeepers are quickly handling the remaining monsters, so the situation should stabilize soon. There are no visible monsters left.
‘Should I report to the instructor?’
If multiple rifts have appeared in Academy City, Juyeon must be extremely busy.
Just a message saying they’re safe and unharmed would be enough.
“Rohan.”
“Yeah?”
“So, what’s with that weapon?”
“I’m curious too...!”
What should he explain?
He’s sure they’ll believe him no matter what, but he doesn’t like piling lies in this relationship.
If he continues like this, an irreversible time will come.
“You remember my skill that can find things like drinking water, right?”
He recalls the time when the two girls were dragged into the Monolith.
They seem to have already grasped it, letting out an “Ah!” in realization.
“So it’s not just food... That’s incredible power.”
“But this kind of weapon requires an enormous amount of resources. It’s not something like bottled water or food.”
“Oppa... then what about the gun shop...?”
“I’ve got the pistol, but I still need a holster, so we’ll have to go. Also, we need to stock up on bullets.”
Clara’s expression brightens at hearing the schedule.
It seems like she really wants to go.
“For the sword, I’ll just cut up the leather scabbard I already have in a pinch.”
“Not a bad idea, but wouldn’t it be better to order a new scabbard today?”
“If I find a shop that can do it, I’ll have them make it. With the situation as it is, I’m not sure if they’ll be open for business.”
“Oh, actually, on days like these, wouldn’t weapon shops be doing good business?”
“True, Clara, you make a valid point.”
The longsword with the remaining installments was now time to say goodbye.
It had been roughly handled, and after cutting through a few beetles and scorpions without applying weakness, the blade had gotten a bit worn.
Considering the repair costs, it’s best to part with it here.
‘You suffered under a bad owner.’
The longsword, having been harshly swung up until now, had earned its reputation by stabbing deeply into a head of a leader-class creature.
Rohan bids farewell to the weapon.
Meanwhile, Shion and Clara look up.
Their gazes are filled with nostalgia.
“I hope we can find the items we bought.”
“Ah...”
They realize that the underwear and pajamas they’d purchased are already wrapped up and waiting at the store.
The girls remember.
As Rohan and his group cooperate with the peacekeepers in the investigation at the shopping mall, Ichinose and Noah finish speaking with other officers and join the group.
"Is everyone safe?"
"Ugh! I’m starving from all the physical work!"
The two of them clearly seemed unharmed.
Noah appeared oddly excited, as if mildly intoxicated by the heat of the battle. It was evident even among beastmen that her bloodline was aggressive.
"We're safe. We’ve reported to the instructor," Rohan said.
"Uh... we’re fine," Ichinose exhaled with a sigh of relief.
Noah, as if she already knew this, swished her tail lightly.
"What kind of disaster is this... I received a report that not only in Academy City but also in Samhwa Country, many small rifts have appeared," Ichinose said.
"Tigrova too! But they suppressed it quickly! Other countries are having similar situations," Noah added.
"The signs are worrying," Rohan thought as he adjusted the scabbard that was awkwardly strapped to his back.
He wasn’t in a position to feel relief over the miracle of no casualties inside the mall.
‘This isn’t how surprise quests go,’ Rohan thought. Rift openings or Monolith anomalies suddenly appearing were common in Abyss City, but simultaneous occurrences like this, happening without any response, were unheard of.
‘Was that a game mechanic, and is this reality...?’
Could it be related to the disruption in the main story?
At any rate, he had a feeling things were going to get more difficult from here.
"Students, the emergency shutters have been released, so you may retrieve your items now," the peacekeeper said.
"Ah! Thank you."
The peacekeeper, thankful for their cooperation, hurriedly began moving while holding a radio. Rohan stared up at the impossibly high ceiling of the mall.
"Shall we just grab our things and leave?"
As he began to walk, a hand grabbed the collar of his clothes. The grip wasn’t like that of Shion or Clara, so he instinctively turned his head.
"Hmm?"
A young girl caught his eye. She wasn’t in academy attire but casual clothes, making it unclear if she was a student.
Shion and Clara, who had been walking toward the items, froze, and Ichinose held her breath, watching Rohan and the girl.
Noah, however, just blinked in a casual manner.
"U-um!"
"Who are you?"
With her short hair, someone might mistake her for a boy from the back, but seeing her face, it was clear she was a feminine girl with a bright smile.
"Thank you so much for saving me!" she said loudly.
Rohan recognized her instantly.
"Ah!"
She was the girl who had fought against monsters while protecting people in front of the vending machines earlier. He vaguely recalled her using her fists and feet.
"You fought well. Good job," Rohan said.
"I’ll keep improving!" she responded enthusiastically.
Her distinctive speech and movements seemed like something one might see at a dojo.
"And also..."
"And what?"
"I’ll be graduating from high school next year... and I’m aiming to enter Orion Academy!"
The girl's gaze as she looked at Rohan was pure and sincere.
Her eyes, filled with clear goals, sparkled brightly.
“If you get in, I’ll be your senior. Work hard.”
"Senior! I’ll work hard and definitely get in!" she said, trembling as if she had developed a slight case of tremors.
She fumbled with her phone and held it out to Rohan.
"Th-th-thank you...! I... I’d like to ask something about the academy...!"
"Are you asking for my number?"
She nodded slowly, as if she had never done this before, her face turning bright red.
Rohan laughed, enjoying the experience, and entered his number into her phone.
The girl bowed her head almost to the ground in thanks, then quickly ran back to her group of girls.
Squeak! Squeak! Her characteristic, lively voice rang out from her group.
"..."
The women who had been watching from upstairs without going up started to be filled with various emotions.
