Rohan stopped chewing his jerky and stared at his smartphone.
[Spider Lily Bookstore – Hiring part-time staff for weekdays and weekends.]
His gaze shifted to the photo included in the post.
It was a small bookstore tucked away in an alley, far from the bustling streets filled with clustered shops.
Compared to the large libraries and bookstores run by companies in the Academy City, its simplicity stood out.
The address is in District 2.
The location wasn’t far from Orion Academy and the photo showed familiar scenery.
Everything about it confirmed that this was a shop he remembered.
“Hmm…”
He moved his jaw again and resumed chewing the jerky.
The salty taste spreading in his mouth helped him calm down, tempering the faint excitement and restoring his composure.
It’s worth giving a shot.
The Spider Lily Bookstore that Rohan found in the job listings might not have been famous in the academy city of Elysium but to Abyss City players, it was a nostalgic and familiar name.
After all, it was part of the part-time job system within the game.
The concept of part-time jobs in Abyss City was simple.
Players worked at specific shops located in the academy city, interacting with the characters who visited.
It served to raise favorability levels and was also tied to various achievements.
There was even a chance that special quests would trigger.
People used to complain quite a bit about how many special quests only occurred through part-time jobs.
Unlike those other players, Rohan particularly enjoyed this aspect of the game.
Just observing the tranquil everyday life within it made him feel as if his mind was softening and relaxing.
Maybe I should look for other shops too.
That thought lingered in his mind.
Rohan continued his search and began to remember the names of other shops that had been part of the part-time job system along with the Spider Lily Bookstore.
However, no other shop was hiring staff.
Even the Spider Lily Bookstore post stood alone amidst the hundreds of job listings that piled up in an instant.
It felt almost like fate to have stumbled upon it.
Alright. Let’s give it a try.
Without hesitation, Rohan began filling out the application form through the app.
The minimum hourly wage didn’t even register in his mind.
***
After lunch, the afternoon classes began.
Class 1 gathered in the gymnasium where they had previously taken their practical test under Joo-yeon’s guidance.
Inside the gymnasium stood a huge iron cage that seemed to have been prepared without anyone noticing.
Within the cage were countless monsters, each with eyeballs the size of a human head and wings as big as fists.
The sight was grotesque enough to make some students frown in discomfort.
“These are F-rank monsters known as Gero Eyes, collected by Elysium’s Public Safety Department and provided to us as teaching materials. You’ll come across these creatures frequently, even in urban areas.”
With that explanation, Joo-yeon gripped the iron bars of the cage and gave it a vigorous shake.
She woke the monsters who were cowering under the weight of her energy.
– Gehrok! Gero-rok!
– Ger-reuk! Ger-reuk!
Despite having no mouths, they emitted guttural cries while flying chaotically within the iron cage.
“Today, each of you will catch one of these creatures.”
For anyone skilled enough to enter Orion Academy, it was an act so simple it might induce yawns.
Even so, there were students whose expressions betrayed unease. Joo-yeon knew exactly what their face meant.
“We’ll delay the explanation of Gero Eye traits for now. First, let me explain the purpose of this lesson.”
Joo-yeon released the cage bars and stepped in front of the students.
Sweeping her gaze across them, she noted their discomfort and surprise at the lesson’s content.
“I don’t know when each of you began preparing for admission to Orion Academy, but as your instructor, it’s my duty to maximize the combat potential of Class 1 and develop you into individuals suited for battle.”
“…….”
“Even though the Academy was founded with this goal in mind, many students who pass the entrance exam have no actual experience facing monsters.”
Though they had grown up following flawless elite training courses, less than half of them had experienced life-and-death battle.
They had used their weapons countless times to gain entry to Orion Academy.
But they had never extinguished a life.
“I’m not blaming you for that. But you must remember that voluntarily taking the entrance exam and stepping foot into this academy is an expression of your intent to make fighting your way of life.”
Behind Rohan, he heard the sound of someone nervously gulping.
The timid swallowing noise likely came from Wikitree.
“After graduating from Orion Academy, each of you will have various career paths ahead of you.”
Joo-yeon unfolded the documents she had tucked under her arm and quickly scanned the evaluation sheets that were still enclosed.
“Students from the Flying School of the Sepia Archipelago will receive bonus points when joining the Heavenly Bow Knights as officers. And… those who graduated from the Martial Arts Academy of the Three Nations Alliance and entered this academy could set their sights on becoming generals of the Three Nations Alliance.”
“.…..”
There was no need for her to add the word “but”.
Her fierce gaze conveyed with painful clarity the truth that stood in contrast to her earlier statement.
“Each of you stands in different positions and holds different ranks. But the nature of the work you’ll be doing isn’t so different. I trust you all understand that.”
Her voice drilled into their ears with deliberate clarity.
“To survive, to protect what is precious, we must not hesitate to take the lives of monsters and heinous criminals.”
Joo-yeon stepped forward to the iron cage. Her fiery red hair was rippling like flames.
The sound of her heels echoed sharply through the gymnasium.
“But don’t ever become indifferent to losing comrades. No matter how shameless it might seem, that’s how one survives the battlefield.”
“……..”
“Did you understand your instructor’s uncompromising values?”
“““Yes!”””
Creak!
The iron cage swung open.
The monsters, who were frozen in place remained rigid within the cag. They were immobilized by the oppressive aura emanating from Joo-yeon.
It was a scene hard to believe, considering the frenzied movements Gero Eyes typically displayed in the wild.
“Gero Eyes are F-rank monsters. According to the guidelines in the manual, they are the kind of creatures an average adult male equipped with a weapon should be able to handle with ease.”
– Gehk, Ger-rok!
One of the Gero Eyes squirmed desperately as Joo-yeon seized its wing in her hand.
“These creatures have eyes the size of a person’s head. If you meet their gaze, they’ll induce dizziness and nausea. That’s all there is to them.”
In reality, they were weak monsters.
Individuals with a certain level of magical power were unaffected by the disorienting effects of the Gero Eyes.
“However, if we see this monster, we must never leave it be.”
The problem lay with ordinary people. In urban areas, these monsters were especially dangerous to drivers.
There had been numerous incidents where a Gero Eye perched atop a traffic light caused dizziness, which led to severe traffic accidents.
“Its entire body is a weak point. You can strike it anywhere. Even the shell covering its eyeballs isn’t particularly tough, so killing it won’t be difficult, even without using magic.”
With the information about the monster conveyed and the upcoming activity explained, everything was set.
What was about to happen was obvious.
“Inside this cage, there is exactly one Gero Eye for each student in Class 1. This session will end with everyone hunting one of these monsters.”
Rohan found Joo-yeon’s teaching method highly appealing.
These monsters had a much lower psychological hurdle to kill compared to humans.
Even so, for students without prior experience in taking lives, this was a stressful yet important class.
“Pick a weapon of your choice from the ones hanging on the wall.”
Rohan jumped up, grabbed a longsword, and returned to his seat.
Noah chose to remain barehanded just like in the placement test. Ichinose also grabbed a sword just like during the placement test.
“We’ll proceed in order, starting with the students in the front row.”
And so the session began.
Ichinose unsheathed her blade and, without hesitation, sliced the Gero Eye to pieces.
Noah who wore a cheerful expression grabbed a Gero Eye, froze it solid, and shattered it with sheer grip strength.
“Monster… Go to paradise!!!”
Gilbert swung his blunt weapon with a unique roar.
Dick Wicktree, who had no prior experience with killing, trembled as he gripped his glasses and spear. He eventually was pushed to the last turn.
Rohan, however, was straightforward.
He simply brought his longsword down and split the monster cleanly in half. He felt no aversion to killing monsters.
Instead, what he harbored was anticipation.
[You have unlocked the Novice Hunter achievement.]
[You have received 10P as an achievement reward.]
This was the first achievement anyone unlocked upon starting monster hunting.
It was the reward he had been looking forward to.
In addition to that, there was an unexpected bonus for Rohan.
[+1P]
***
In an abandoned building with no electricity, figures sat around a round table.
“The Yard-Pound brothers. Have we lost contact with them?”
“This is why I said we should hire the slightly more expensive ones.”
“They’ve served their purpose until now. They were bound to wear out sooner or later.”
Their voices were all dry and rasping as if scraping against parched throats.
The figures seated around the round table were old men of unknown age.
If there was anything notable about their appearance, it was their pointed ears.
The flashy outfits that contrasted with the dusty building also stood out.
“Tch, are we going to have to find another puppet?”
One of the old elves muttered.
At his words, the elf sitting next to him moved his dry cracked lips and spoke.
“That’s hardly a concern. As you all know, the real problem is making sure this doesn’t reach the princess’s ears. Keep your mouths shut.”
“Hah, it’s truly frustrating…”
“It certainly is. The princess still isn’t ready to accept this part of reality.”
A voice lamented when the princess would finally face reality.
As the chatter about her dragged on, the old man holding the most ornate staff tapped it sharply against the floor to draw their attention.
Then he declared with conviction.
“There’s no need to rush.”
“….…”
“The path to regaining the glory stolen by the Snow Tiger Emperor will inevitably require some minor sacrifices. The princess will soon accept this truth.”
They told the princess every day.
As a noble-blooded elf, she bore the duty of leading the revival of the fallen elves.
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