I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 58: Monolith (5)

[ Rohan’s story is being unlocked. ]

Though his gaze remained fixed on the dungeon's sky, the sensations seeping into his consciousness made him forget the oppressive heat.

Rohan's mind began to drift elsewhere, to a place far removed from the current moment.

Images vividly unfolded in his mind, as if memories he had never experienced were now being etched into his consciousness. Whether these were newly formed or long-forgotten fragments resurfacing, he couldn’t tell.

[ Restricted Video #1 is now playing. ]

With the notification, his awareness flickered briefly, and the dungeon before his eyes dissolved into an entirely different scene.

Click. Click. Click.

He was walking through an elegant, old-fashioned building, the atmosphere laden with sophistication.

He didn’t know the exact location, but he instinctively recognized that this was somewhere in Solarea.

‘No.’

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This wasn’t him. The perspective was male, like his own, but it clearly belonged to someone else. He was merely borrowing someone else’s gaze, unable to intervene, only able to observe.

"Hmm."

The man stopped naturally, his attention drawn to a large painting hanging in the corridor.

The artwork depicted a horizon bathed in sunlight, rendered in bold, vivid strokes of oil paint. Beneath it, a plaque displayed the title: Radiance.

Even as an observer, Rohan could sense the emotions tied to the scene.

‘...He feels something for this.’

The man seemed to hold great affection for this painting. Pausing briefly to admire it was, for him, part of starting the day with a sense of resolve.

"Master!"

The man, who had been silently appreciating the painting, turned his head at the sound of a voice, acknowledging the presence he had already sensed approaching.

‘So that’s how this works,’ Rohan thought, noting how the borrowed perspective fed him bits of information. He was certain of the details as they surfaced in his mind.

The woman addressing him was the adopted daughter of someone named Faelor.

"■■■. You’re out early," the man said.

Though the name seemed to have been spoken, it was garbled, distorted with static and noise, making it incomprehensible to Rohan. Additionally, the woman’s face appeared blurred, as if it had been deliberately obscured. He could only infer her gender by looking below her neck.

‘Is this intentional information suppression?’

Perhaps it was the man’s perception—or lack thereof—that caused this distortion.

‘...Who is Faelor’s adopted daughter? And who is Faelor?’

The name was unfamiliar, yet Rohan felt a strong instinct that knowing this woman’s identity was important. He focused intently, trying to absorb even the smallest surrounding details.

"I wasn’t exactly early—I just didn’t leave yesterday," the woman replied.

"Take care of yourself. Faelor would worry," the man said with a soft smile, turning back to the painting.

He offered no further pleasantries.

He was polite, but Rohan could sense it—this man did not trust the woman.

The man, addressed as "Master," seemed to believe that no matter what intentions ■■■ had in working here, all he needed to do was uphold one simple principle to preserve his friend Faelor’s honor.

‘As long as I keep that child hidden, it’s enough.’

Finishing his brief exchange with the woman, the man resumed walking. He checked his surroundings repeatedly, ensuring there were no witnesses, using magic to confirm that no one was nearby.

In Solarea, no one could escape his sensory magic—not even ■■■.

Creak—

Satisfied that he was alone, the man entered his private study. He sank into his chair, tilting back comfortably as sunlight poured through the windows.

The thriving Solarea outside was a stark contrast to the ruined Abyss City.

"Good weather," the man murmured casually, his demeanor relaxed.

But Rohan could feel the man’s emotions.

‘He’s uncomfortable. Why?’

Beneath the calm exterior was a gnawing guilt, an emotion that felt out of place on a face accustomed to habitual smiles.

After spending some time gazing at the sky, the man rose from his chair and approached a bookshelf. Pulling out a book, he infused it with magic, revealing a translucent passage hidden behind the shelves.

He stepped through, entering a secret chamber.

"Why are you so late?"

A woman greeted him with irritation the moment he arrived.

Unfortunately, this woman’s face was also unrecognizable to Rohan. But unlike the previous woman, her face wasn’t pixelated—it was blurred as if smeared by tears.

Still, Rohan could discern some details.

‘She’s smoking.’

The man dismissed her annoyance with a smile and asked, "How is it?"

"Same as always," she replied.

"Good. Thanks for keeping watch, but don’t smoke around the kid."

"Ugh... I shouldn’t have taken this job," she grumbled, stubbing out her cigarette in an ashtray.

The man nodded in satisfaction and shifted his gaze toward one corner of the room.

A soft smile spread across his face as he approached and greeted the figure sitting there.

"Good morning."

"..."

A boy sat in the chair. Even at a glance, it was clear he wasn’t in a normal state.

Though there were no visible injuries on his body, his vacant eyes and unresponsive demeanor gave him the appearance of a hollow doll.

‘What the hell is this?’

Watching the scene unfold, Rohan was overwhelmed with confusion.

No matter how young the boy in the vision appeared, there was no denying it—that boy was Rohan himself.

"Hey, I’m telling you, he’s not going to remember this."

"You wouldn’t understand, being so focused on theory. I’m certain he will."

"There you go again with your nonsense."

"Hey, watch your language around the kid."

The man, referred to as the master, looked at the woman who was glaring at him, her eyes sharp. Despite her irritation, he held a deep sense of gratitude toward her.

Rohan could feel it too.

This man found rare moments of peace when he was with this woman.

"And besides, I’m saying this as much to myself as to him."

"Whatever, do as you please," the woman muttered with a sigh, shaking her head in exasperation.

She pulled out another cigarette and walked off, likely to chain-smoke in the next room.

The man knelt down in front of the boy seated on the chair, taking the child’s hand gently in his own.

He spoke softly, as if making a solemn promise.

"Remember this. Never forget this resolve."

"..."

"You are not like us. You are not waging war against them."

Never stand on equal footing with those beings. That’s the only way to defeat them.

Humanity still doesn’t fully understand the Abyss.

"You will simply hunt them down and crush them."

When the dark ones committed their relentless sins, we became certain.

They fear this power.

That’s why they push themselves to overflow.

The torrent is surging, trying to cross the line.

The master seemed to sense that the end—whatever it might look like—was drawing near.

And yet, he didn’t care. He would not struggle.

He was ready to lay down his life without hesitation. No, he was even happy about it, almost euphoric.

The path he was forging now was terrifying enough to shake those beings to their core.

"And..."

The man paused. What he was about to say wasn’t something he needed to tell the boy—it was something he wanted to say.

It was personal, heavy with emotion. He hesitated, biting his lip as if unsure whether to let the words escape.

But just this once, he decided to speak.

"You... of all people... must never forgive me."

"..."

"When I die, come to my grave. Drive a blade into it and curse me. Only then will I feel at peace."

Those words burned into Rohan’s mind like a scar, causing his thoughts to whirl in chaos. His vision blurred as if his consciousness were being sucked away.

‘Ah.’

For a brief moment, his awareness flickered.

[ Restricted Video #1 has ended. ]

"Ugh!"

Rohan, who had been muttering in a daze, suddenly staggered violently.

Shion and Clara instinctively jumped toward him.

"Big brother!"

"What’s happening all of a sudden?"

Their voices, filled with concern, reached Rohan’s ears as they helped steady him.

Rohan, feeling his awareness slowly floating back to the surface, opened his tightly shut eyes.

‘Ah, the video’s over... Am I back?’

Sitting down heavily, he ran his hands over his face, trying to shake off the mental fog that clung to him.

His body and mind felt sticky, as if they were sinking into a swamp, making it hard to recover.

"Haaah..."

A deep, weighted sigh escaped him, seemingly endless.

Borrowing someone else’s perspective, and even their emotions, had left him feeling utterly drained.

Slowly, his scrambled senses began to untangle themselves.

"Are you finding it hard to move? Could it be heatstroke?" Shion asked, her tone calm but worried.

"Big brother, are you okay?" Clara crouched beside him, trying to meet his eyes, her face full of worry.

"I’m fine. I just need a moment to catch my breath."

Rohan forced a weak smile to reassure them, but the expression wasn’t as convincing as he thought.

To Shion and Clara, the forced grin felt unnervingly out of place—completely unnatural.

"It’s no use. We need to find a safe place for you to rest," Shion declared.

"Y-Yes, let’s do that!" Clara agreed quickly.

Though Rohan tried to assure them that he just needed a short break to recover, the girls weren’t having it.

His dizzy state and inability to even stand properly spoke for itself.

"Clara, I’ll check inside the building for a safe spot. Stay in the shade and administer first aid until I return," Shion instructed.

"F-First aid?" Clara asked hesitantly, her tone implying she didn’t know what to do.

Shion handed her a canteen filled with cold water and began explaining in her usual calm manner.

"First aid for heatstroke is simple. Loosen his clothing to help him cool down. Wet his body with water and fan him to lower his temperature."

"A-Ah..."

"Then, use this canteen as an ice pack and place it on his neck, under his arms, and between his thighs to cool him down."

"!?"

Leaving those instructions, Shion entered the small shop nearby to scout it out.

Clara, now holding the canteen, glanced between it and Rohan, who was still slumped on the ground.