I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 84: Exciting Life on a Deserted Island

As soon as Rohan returned to Orion Academy after a busy lunch break,

He ran into Ichinose in the Class 1 hallway—perfect timing.

He casually asked if she had managed to get the merch she wanted,

And Ichinose beamed, leading him to her locker to proudly display her prize.

"They said other items will be available later,

But this acrylic stand was limited per location—only a few per store."

"Oh! So you actually got it? That’s insane!"

"Right? I really got lucky.

The odds were so low that I was actually planning to go again tomorrow during lunch."

A chef Ullul and a server Blueby.

The background and outfits made it clear—

It was themed around working at the collaboration café.

Some people might think—

“It’s just an acrylic block with a printed design—what’s the big deal?”

But Rohan understood.

He knew exactly why this was a big deal.

"Limited edition merch? Yeah, that's huge."

Having enjoyed Abyss City in the same way,

Rohan could fully empathize with Ichinose’s passionate dedication.

"Noah must’ve come in clutch."

"She did! But since we got it so early, I couldn’t feed her as much as I planned.

We even ended up going to a normal restaurant afterward."

Even with her eyes open,

Ichinose’s chirpy voice made her seem like a cheerful little canary.

Technically, someone like her didn’t even need to visit the store in person—

She could’ve just had it acquired for her.

But she clearly valued the thrill of the hunt and understood the etiquette of fair competition.

Rohan found it especially admirable that she never leveraged her influence over the franchise or company.

"More than anything, I'm happy I didn't have to buy from scalpers."

"Oh...! I totally get that."

"Hehe. And nothing beats the joy of knowing my love for them is sky-high."

With that, the conversation naturally drifted back to Class 1.

Ichinose never brought up Shion or Clara.

And once they reached the classroom, she simply returned to her seat.

"She wasn’t fishing for information either."

Maybe she saw this as an internal Tigrovan matter—

Something a Samhwa citizen like herself had no business interfering with.

It was hard to tell what she was thinking.

"..."

As Rohan entered the room,

He noticed Noah, lazily sprawled out in post-meal satisfaction.

Despite clearly hearing something from Ichinose,

She only shot him a curious look but kept her questions to herself.

"At least there won’t be any immediate issues."

With one less thing on his mind,

Rohan focused on preparing for class.

Today’s afternoon session was a theory lecture.

After pulling out his textbook and chatting with Gilbert,

Their homeroom instructor, Juyun, entered the room.

As always, he stood at the podium, exuding his usual perfect composure.

"You all know that midterms start next week."

Juyun’s voice made the Class 1 cadets immediately sharpen their focus.

After confirming that no one was slacking off,

He nodded in satisfaction before continuing.

"If you’ve done your research on Orion Academy,

Or browsed the Orion Circle,

Then you probably know that first-year midterms have always been pretty standard—nothing too extravagant."

But then, he shifted the topic—

To the world’s changing landscape, centered around Academy City.

"However, that changes this year.

A final decision was just made unanimously in the meeting."

Above the podium,

A holographic projection of a Monolith appeared.

The ominous structure, once feared for spawning monsters,

Had become even more terrifying—

Now, it swallowed humans, sending them into dungeon-like anomalies.

"You’re all aware that the world has been in an uproar over these Monolith anomalies."

The few who have returned described their ordeal as grueling.

But many more never made it back.

This phenomenon was ongoing,

And as of now, no one had returned completely healed—

Except Rohan.

"Since recorded cases are still limited,

And the number of returnees is still too small,

We lack the necessary data to draw definitive conclusions."

"..."

Juyun swept his gaze across the cadets,

Ensuring they were fully engaged before delivering the real reason behind the change in midterm evaluations.

"That’s something the bigshots from each nation are sorting out.

All we need to do is train and prepare so that we can handle things better when the time comes."

Up until now, Orion Academy’s training had focused heavily on combat against monsters.

It made sense—

In the modern world, running into monsters while starving or dehydrated was an improbable scenario.

But now, the world had decided otherwise.

It had changed drastically, practically screaming at cadets—

“Survival isn’t just about fighting—learn every skill you need to stay alive.”

"The practical exam will take place on an uninhabited island infested with monsters,

Just like the second-year final exams from last year.

By now, you should have a pretty good idea of what that means."

That was just how the world was now.

If you got dragged into a Monolith,

You wouldn’t just die to monsters—

You could also starve to death.

And even if you had food and water, that wasn’t the end of it.

You’d have to manage conflicts among increasingly desperate individuals,

Act as a mediator,

Handle disputes over food rations between civilians and combatants.

If ordinary people were getting abducted into dungeons,

The problems would only keep piling up.

"This recent change in Monolith behavior is extremely serious.

Survivors have found themselves in horrific conditions—

With harsh environments, escalating conflicts,

And a constant downward spiral into madness."

It seemed like this was as much as Juyun could share for now.

But that was enough.

The message had been delivered loud and clear.

The Academy wanted cadets to understand—

Why this training was necessary.

"Remember what I always tell you.

Orion Academy’s goal is to train specialists, not generalists."

Juyun turned and wrote the schedule on the board.

The practical exam would begin right after the written tests.

Five days—Monday to Friday.

"In a controlled environment, there are limits to how much you can learn."

With a sharp tap, he ended the explanation.

And then, he lightened the mood.

"Of course, the written exam will be the same as always.

No changes there, so don’t panic."

Rohan, who had been listening intently,

Unconsciously let out a deep sigh at the reminder of the written portion.

"...Hah."

Juyun caught the subtle shift in tension.

His gaze landed directly on Rohan.

And then—a smirk.

An unspoken expectation flickered in his expression.

"Your exam score isn’t everything,

But it is a strong testament to your effort,

And a solid foundation for your future after graduation."

What he really meant was—

"I hope the cadets I’ve trained can prove their worth."

Rohan and Noah instinctively gulped.

"I need to do well this time."

The entrance placement test had been... well.

A disaster.

This was his chance—

To prove that his efforts weren’t wasted.

He’d already hit rock bottom with his written scores.

This was his shot at reshaping his reputation—

From a troublesome enigma to an actual standout.

"This concludes the announcement.

Let’s begin class."

And with that, the theory lecture started—like clockwork.

The first-years fell into routine.

After the first afternoon class, during the break—

Rohan contacted Camellia Bookstore to inform them of his exam schedule.

They approved his leave for the duration.

And at the same time—

A thought crossed his mind.

"I should probably start cutting back on this job... or quit entirely."

It was a bit earlier than planned,

But the time had come.

With his bounty rewards coming in soon,

His financial situation would stabilize.

And in hindsight—

The biggest perk of the bookstore job had been meeting Clara.

There were still potential events he could trigger from working there,

But right now—

"I need to focus on training my body."

"I need to push myself further."

"I should talk to the manager today."

Decision made, he headed back toward class.

Bzzt!

His phone vibrated—

A message.

[Clara: Shion just left... ㅠㅠ]

[Clara: (photo attached)]

In the photo,

A sky train was soaring through the air.

Inside—Shion was on her way to Tigrova.

"A flying train? Damn, that’s crazy."

"I should call her during the next break."

He quickly sent a group message—

[Rohan: Be safe. Message whenever you can.]

[Rohan: Clara, you too. Get back safe.]

Just as he was about to enter the classroom—

Another notification popped up.

[Store catalog updated.]

"Oh?"

This was another thing he’d been waiting for.

The skill shop update had been delayed for who-knows-how-long.

And it hadn’t even given an estimated time for the patch.

"What the hell did they add that took so long?"

He activated the store skill—

And then—his breath caught.

"...!"

This chapt𝓮r is updat𝒆d by ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom.

The newly added item—

It was something he never expected to see.