Rohan stopped chewing his jerky and stared at his smartphone.
[Flowering Chrysanthemum Bookstore – Part-time job available on weekdays/weekends.]
His eyes were drawn to the photo in the post.
A small bookstore tucked away in an alley, far from the bustling commercial district.
Compared to the large chain bookstores run by corporations in the academy city, its simplicity stood out.
‘The address is in District 2.’
The photo showed a familiar scene, not far from Orion Academy.
Everything about it gave him the certainty that it was the same store from his memory.
“Hmm…”
He moved his jaw and started chewing the jerky again.
The salty taste lingering in his mouth helped suppress his excitement and brought back some calm.
‘It’s worth checking out.’
The Flowering Chrysanthemum Bookstore that Rohan found in the job listing.
Though it might just be a small, unknown shop in the academy city of Elysium, to the players of *Abyss City*, it was a warm and familiar name.
After all, it was part of the game’s part-time job system.
The part-time jobs in *Abyss City* were simple.
You worked at specific shops within the academy city and interacted with characters who visited.
It was a way to raise affinity, and it was also tied to various achievements.
Sometimes, special quests would trigger randomly.
‘There were quite a few complaints about how many special quests were locked behind part-time jobs.’
Unlike those players, Rohan loved this part of the game.
Just watching the quiet daily life unfold made him feel at ease.
‘Should I look for other shops too?’
Just in case.
Rohan pondered the names of other shops tied to the part-time job system and continued searching.
But aside from the Flowering Chrysanthemum Bookstore, there were no other shops hiring.
The post for the bookstore was the only one in the flood of hundreds of listings.
It felt almost like fate that he had come across it.
‘Alright. Let’s give it a try.’
Rohan started filling out the application form on the app without hesitation.
The low hourly wage didn’t even register in his mind.
··
··
After lunch, the afternoon class began.
Class 1 gathered at the gymnasium where they had taken their practical exam under Juyun’s guidance.
In the gymnasium, there was a massive iron cage that no one knew when it had been prepared.
Inside, there were monsters with eyeballs the size of human heads and wings as big as fists.
The sight was bizarre enough to make some cadets frown.
“These are F-rank monsters, Gero Aida, collected by the Elysium Security Bureau and provided as educational materials. They…”
“Even in the wick, it’s a common sight.”
Juyun, along with that explanation, grabbed the iron bars and rattled them noisily.
She woke up the monsters, who were cowering under her aura.
─ Gero! Geroro!
─ Gerruk! Gerwuk!
Despite lacking a mouth, they let out cries. They flew around chaotically inside the iron cage.
“Today, we’re going to catch these guys one by one.”
For someone with the skills to enter Orion Academy, it’s as easy as yawning.
Yet, there were cadets who looked uneasy. Juyun knew exactly what that expression meant.
“We’ll talk about the characteristics of these Geros later. First, let me explain why we’re conducting this kind of training.”
Juyun stepped away from the cage and stood in front of the cadets.
She glanced around, noticing the cadets who were flustered by the lesson content.
“I don’t know how long everyone in Class 1 has been preparing to enter the academy. But as an instructor, it’s my responsibility to maximize your combat abilities and train you to be suitable for battle.”
“…”
“Even though Orion Academy was founded with that purpose, many of the cadets who passed the entrance exam have little to no experience facing actual monsters.”
Though they’ve followed elite courses without fail, less than half of the cadets have likely experienced life-or-death combat.
They’ve swung their weapons countless times to get into Orion Academy.
But they’ve never extinguished the spark of life.
“I’m not here to blame anyone for that. But remember, voluntarily taking the exam and stepping into this academy is a declaration of your will to live by strength.”
From behind Rohan, the sound of someone swallowing hard could be heard.
The awkward gulp was likely from Wicketree.
“After graduating from Orion Academy, your paths will vary.”
Juyun unfolded the documents tucked under her arm and quickly scanned the still-attached evaluation sheets.
“Cadets from the Sepia Archipelago Flight School will receive bonus points for joining the Celestial Knights as officers… Those who graduated from the Samhwa Martial Arts Academy and entered this academy can aim to become generals of Samhwa.”
“…”
There was no need to add a “but.”
Juyun’s fierce gaze conveyed a starkly different reality from the previous statement.
“Each of you stands in a different position and holds a different rank. But the work you’ll do isn’t so different. You all know that.”
Juyun’s voice continued, each word clear and piercing.
“To survive, to protect what’s precious, we must not hesitate to take the lives of monsters and heinous criminals.”
Juyun stepped toward the cage. Her red hair swayed like flames, scattering around her.
The sound of her heels clicked sharply.
The gymnasium echoed with the sound.
“But don’t get numb to losing comrades. Even if it seems shameless, that’s how you survive on the battlefield.”
“…”
“Did you understand the instructor’s forced values?”
“““Yes!”””
Creak! The iron gate opens.
The monsters were frozen inside the iron bars, unable to move under the pressure emanating from Juyun.
A scene hard to believe if you think about the chaotic movements of a Gero child in the wild.
“Gero children are F-rank monsters. According to the textbook standards, they can be dealt with by an average adult male if armed. That’s what they are.”
─ Gek, gerok!
A Gero child with wings caught in Juyun’s hand began to struggle.
“Here, if you meet eyes with its eyeball, it causes dizziness and vomiting. That’s all.”
In truth, it’s a fragile monster.
Those with a certain level of magical power are not affected by its dizziness.
“But if we see this monster, we can’t just leave it be.”
The problem is ordinary people. It’s especially fatal for drivers in urban areas.
There have been quite a few incidents where Gero children sitting on traffic lights caused dizziness, leading to major traffic accidents.
“Their weakness is their entire body. You can hit anywhere. The shell covering the eyeball isn’t tough, so it’s not hard to kill them even without using magical power.”
The explanation about the monster and the upcoming actions were finished.
Now, it was obvious what to do.
“There are exactly as many Gero children in this iron cage as there are cadets in Class 1. This session ends with each of you hunting one.”
Rohan really liked Juyun’s teaching method.
Monsters are a lower psychological barrier than killing humans.
Still, it’s a class that can impose significant stress on cadets without killing experience, and it’s a necessary class.
“Take one of the weapons hanging on the wall that you like.”
Rohan jumped up, grabbed a longsword, and sat back down.
Noah, as in the placement test, went bare-handed. Ichinose also took a sword, just like in the placement test.
“We’ll start with the cadets in the front row.”
And so the class began.
Ichinose sliced the Gero child without hesitation with a draw of her sword.
Noah caught the Gero child with a smile.
Then, she froze it solid and crushed it with her grip, showing off her performance.
“Monster… rest in peace!!!”
Gilbert swung his club with a unique scream.
Dick Wikitree, with no killing experience, trembled with his glasses and short spear in hand, pushed to the last turn.
Rohan was simple.
He just cleaved it cleanly in half with his longsword.
Killing monsters? No problem, no hesitation here.
In fact, what I’m holding onto is pure anticipation.
[You’ve achieved the Beginner Hunter achievement.]
[You’ve earned 10P as an achievement reward.]
The first achievement you get when you start hunting monsters.
Exactly the reward I was hoping for.
And on top of that, Rohan got an unexpected bonus.
[+1P]
*****
An abandoned building with no electricity.
Inside, there are figures sitting around a round table.
“Brothers Yard and Pound. Have we lost contact?”
“This is why I said we should’ve hired more expensive ones.”
“They’ve served us well so far. They were bound to hit their limit eventually.”
Their voices were dry, like they were scratching parched throats.
The figures sitting at the round table were old men of uncertain age.
The only distinctive feature about them was their pointy ears.
Their extravagant outfits, in stark contrast to the dusty building, were also a clue.
“Tsk, do we have to find more puppets again?”
One wrinkled elf muttered, and the elf next to him moved his dried lips.
“That’s not even the real issue. As we all know, the most important thing is to keep our mouths shut so the Princess doesn’t hear about this.”
“Ugh, how frustrating…”
“Indeed. The Princess isn’t ready to accept this reality yet.”
Their voices were filled with frustration, wondering when the Princess would face reality.
As the idle chatter dragged on, the old man holding the most ornate staff tapped the floor, gathering everyone’s attention.
Then he declared confidently,
“There’s no need to rush.”
“…”
“The path to reclaiming the glory taken by Lord Seolho comes with minor sacrifices. The Princess will soon accept this truth.”
They repeated this to the Princess every day.
That as elves of noble blood, they had a duty to restore the fallen elves.