I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 36: The Anticipated Progress (1)

Screeeech!

Various monsters let out ghastly cries, flaunting their presence and engaging in territorial battles amidst the ruins.

At the outskirts of this chaotic scene, Shion arrived, breathing heavily. She retrieved the tracking device and sniper rifle she had hidden earlier and checked the time.

“Phew... Phew...”

Perhaps it was because she had sprinted at full speed in an effort to shake off the intrusive thoughts and worries clouding her mind. Her head felt completely full, yet, to her surprise, she found she still had more time than she expected.

‘I hope I didn’t get caught.’

If not for her training in sniper positions, staying still for long periods would have been an implausible excuse.

Luckily, this type of training was something Shion had genuinely undergone.

“...”

The girl, now carrying the enormous firearm, tucked the tracking device into her vest pocket.

Lifting her head, she stared blankly at the night sky.

To be honest, what she wanted most was to throw caution to the wind and rush straight to Tigrova to face the Great Emperor Seolho.

If she could hear the testimony of someone directly involved in the incident, the past’s outline would become much clearer.

But reality reminded her that a towering figure like the Great Emperor Seolho was not someone she could simply decide to meet.

‘Right now, it’s all just a fantasy.’

Facing reality, Shion glanced at the hamburger in her hand.

The food, now cold, had a number scrawled on its wrapper identical to the one written on the notepad.

“...”

Given her current relationship with Rohan, what on earth made her think she could trust this enough to eat it?

Normally, even if she were starving, her pride would prevent her from touching it.

Yet Shion unwrapped the packaging with a crinkling sound.

Without checking the smell or contents, she took a bite of the hamburger.

If something went wrong after eating it, she felt she could accept that outcome with a strange calmness.

Her mental state teetered precariously close to resignation.

Her worn-out spirit reflected just that.

“Mm...”

So far, she didn’t notice any immediate issues.

How long had it been since she’d eaten something so flavorful and stimulating? It was so delicious she could almost call it euphoric.

Shion quickly devoured the hamburger, gulping down water from her canteen in large swigs.

“Phew!”

With her stomach partially full, she felt as if a bit of energy had returned.

Rustle!

She crumpled the now-empty wrapper in her hand. Just moments ago, she had been in Academy City, but now it felt like a dream.

Even the conversation she had there seemed surreal.

‘...Rohan.’

Surely, it was an alias.

Even so, Shion was certain she wouldn’t forget the name.

Although she hadn’t encountered many people during her time outside, one thing she knew was that none of them had been ordinary.

The groups the elders had contacted and summoned were all steeped in a suffocating stench of blood.

‘What kind of life has he lived?’

Her instincts, honed by experience, told her that compared to Rohan, everyone else she had met so far was just ordinary—mediocre at best.

‘...An intriguing person.’

He was, in many ways, a figure who piqued her curiosity.

Sometimes, his outward appearance clashed starkly with the weight he carried, a weight that felt profoundly heavy.

That gravity, however, was entirely different in nature from the elder council’s.

If anything, it reminded her of the father she had once looked up to as a child.

Beep! Beep!

The clock’s chime snapped her back to reality.

It was time to head back without further delay.

“Huuu...”

Shion filled her lungs with the crisp night air, steeling her resolve.

‘If everything I heard today is true...’

Crackle!

Electricity crackled from Shion’s hand, reducing the hamburger wrapper to ash.

***

As another day passed, Rohan opened his eyes and immediately had a thought.

‘I wonder if Shion made it back safely.’

With no way to contact the elf girl, an uneasiness lingered in his mind. He didn’t like being in a position where he could only wait.

Of course, Shion’s combat prowess and natural talent were impressive.

But those weren’t the only things one needed to survive.

From Rohan’s perspective, Shion was just a girl who constantly triggered his concern.

“Hmm.”

He raised his upper body from the bed.

‘Well, at least I didn’t mention those who filled the elders’ heads with nonsense...’

Though his mind was constantly churning with different thoughts, his body followed its usual routine.

No matter how special the previous day might have been, Rohan’s daily life rarely changed.

Until clear signs or unexpected events appeared, he focused on honing his strength and keeping tabs on key individuals.

In addition, he diligently attended Orion Academy.

‘Alright. Let’s get going today as well.’

Rohan enjoyed the repetition of his routine and turned the doorknob with a determined motion.

***

That day, like so many others, Rohan crossed paths with Ichinose in the training room.

At the Academy, he sat next to Gilbert during Jooyeon’s lecture.

After class, he grabbed a simple meal at the cafeteria and headed to the Red Spider Lily Bookstore.

“Alright then, take care.”

“Yup! Thanks for the snacks!”

As the bookstore owner left for the day, Rohan began the final part of his routine.

Buzz! Buzz!

Before he could even tuck his phone into his apron, it vibrated.

Rohan glanced at the screen.

[Clara: (⊙_⊙)‼]

The emoji-laden message gave him a good idea of what it meant, so he raised his head.

Sure enough, Clara was peeking around the corner, just as she had in the past, watching him.

‘So, she’s already here today.’

It seemed she’d been keeping quiet, blending in with the customers browsing books.

When Clara was determined to remain silent, she could make herself almost undetectable.

Instead of calling out to her, Rohan gave her a small wave.

This time, unlike before, she didn’t flee but instead bowed her head slightly.

It was a truly remarkable improvement.

‘I should reply to her message.’

He sent a quick response, asking if she was looking forward to the weekly boss fight and if she’d be okay staying until they finished.

Clara’s face lit up, and her lips quirked into a faint, shy smile. Her excitement was obvious and, frankly, adorable.

As the night grew late and the bookstore emptied, Rohan began mopping the floor in preparation for closing.

Clara quietly stepped outside, making sure not to get in his way.

“Phew.”

Clank! Click!

After locking the door and pocketing the key, Rohan saw Clara waiting. She recited the line she had rehearsed.

“...You’ve worked hard!”

“Thank you. It’s just my job, but it must’ve been tiring for you to wait.”

Clara shook her head vigorously, insisting it wasn’t.

“Shall we head out? I kept thinking about the game even while working—it was a struggle.”

“Ah! I-I totally get that!”

As Rohan started walking, Clara hurried to follow.

Once they exited the alley and reached the main street, Rohan scanned the open shops before stepping into a franchise café with Clara.

“I’ll get a muffin, a sandwich... What would you like to drink? Pick whatever you want.”

“You don’t have to buy me anything! I have money, too!”

“Oh?”

“Um, I’ll just have a coffee. The smallest size, please!”

Clara pulled out everything in her pocket—a total of 23 tokens.

It was roughly worth 2,300 won in Korean currency.

Her eyes sparkled as if asking, “How’s that?”

But the amount was so pitifully small that Rohan couldn’t bring himself to accept it.

“Today, I’m the one getting help from you. Let me cover this.”

“But last time, too...”

Rohan had no choice but to cut her off.

“Are you sure coffee at night is a good idea?”

“...”

Perhaps she’d only ever thought about its cost, not its effect.

Seeing her hesitate, her eyes darting uncertainly, Rohan chuckled and turned to the menu.

“Let’s see... How about a decaf drink—hmm, a fruit yogurt?”

Before Clara could respond, still flustered, Rohan had already ordered two drinks and some food.

“Don’t overthink it—just eat. You can repay me by helping with the game.”

“Ugh... Th-thank you!”

As they sat down, Rohan placed the tray of food and drinks on the table.

Company Wave!

When Rohan started up the game on his device, Clara’s demeanor shifted entirely. Her expression turned serious, and her fingers, with their neatly painted nails, tapped furiously on her phone screen. She showed him something with a determined look.

“This is a build I came up with.”

Her phone’s notepad displayed a carefully crafted build, complete with a timeline for skill usage.

Rohan studied it silently before asking about the pool of characters it referenced.

“You made this yourself?”

“Yes! I figured I might not always be able to join you, so I wrote it out. If you follow this, you’ll be able to clear it in under a minute.”

“This is seriously well thought out...”

“It turns out you don’t need to invest all your resources in a tank. As long as you level up Glass enough to increase their health pool, they can last until their skills recharge. And Order only needs skill level 3 or higher to work just fine.”

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“Impressive.”

Her eloquence was almost startling.

When it came to the game, Clara transformed into a fluent and confident speaker.

After clearing all the weekly bosses together, Rohan spent his in-game resources on a character draw and ended up with nothing.

The two of them shared moments of joy and frustration in rapid succession.

They played through every bit of content available for the day, and by the end, Clara had reverted to her usual self.

“Playing together is so much more fun.”

“Hehe...”

She smiled in agreement, sipping her drink through a straw while glancing at Rohan from time to time.

The sweetness lingered in her mouth.

As she watched Rohan type a reply to someone, Clara’s voice slipped out unconsciously.

“Um...”

When their eyes met, she hesitated, fidgeting with her fingers before continuing.

“I... I stay at the bookstore every day until closing, right?”

“Yes.”

A fact he already knew.

He nodded without denying it.

“Did the manager tell you anything about it?”

“No. Nothing at all.”

“Then... why don’t you ask why I stay so late every day?”

If it wasn’t just her imagination, it seemed like she was about to confess something.

Rohan instinctively felt it.

The progress he had been waiting for had finally arrived.