hotmtlnovel Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Rohan stopped chewing his jerky, staring at his smartphone.
[ Spider Lily Bookstore - Hiring Part-Time Staff for Weekdays/Weekends ]
His eyes focused on the photo attached to the post.
It depicted a small bookstore tucked away in an alley, far from the bustling commercial district.
Compared to the massive chain bookstores and corporate-owned libraries in Academy City, it had a quaint charm.
"The address is in Area 2."
The location wasn’t far from Orion Academy, and the familiar scenery in the picture confirmed it for him.
"Hmm..."
He resumed chewing his jerky, the salty flavor grounding him and helping him regain his calm.
It’s worth checking out.
The Spider Lily Bookstore Rohan had discovered in the job listings was just a small, unremarkable shop to the residents of Academy City Elysium.
But to players of Abyss City, it was a beloved and familiar name—a nostalgic part of the game.
In Abyss City, part-time jobs were simple.
You worked at specific shops in the city, interacting with characters who visited.
These jobs weren’t just for raising favorability; they were tied to various achievements and even triggered special quests with some probability.
"There were always complaints about the sheer number of special quests tied to part-time jobs."
Unlike those users, Rohan had always loved this aspect of the game.
Watching the tranquil, everyday moments unfold gave him a rare sense of peace.
Should I look for other shops too?
Just in case, Rohan searched for other job listings related to part-time systems in the game.
However, no other shops were hiring.
The post from the Spider Lily Bookstore was the only one on the overcrowded job board, where hundreds of listings piled up in an instant.
It felt almost like fate.
Alright, let’s do this.
Without hesitation, Rohan began filling out the application on the app.
The minimum wage listed didn’t even register in his mind.
***
After lunch, the afternoon classes began.
Class 1 gathered in the gymnasium under Jooyeon’s guidance, the same gym where they had taken their practical exams.
Inside, a massive iron cage had been set up, though no one knew when it had been prepared.
It was filled with monsters the size of human heads, their eyeballs prominent and wings no larger than fists.
The grotesque sight made some cadets grimace and furrow their brows.
"These are Gero Eyes, F-grade monsters provided as training material by the Elysium Public Safety Bureau. They’re common even in urban areas."
With that explanation, Jooyeon grabbed the cage and rattled it violently.
The monsters, previously subdued by her aura, were startled awake.
─ Gerok! Gerorok!
─ Gerurk! Gerwuk!
Though they had no mouths, they emitted strange cries, flitting about chaotically inside the cage.
"Today, each of you will catch one of these."
For those skilled enough to gain admission to Orion Academy, this task was laughably easy.@@@@
Yet some cadets hesitated, their discomfort evident. Jooyeon knew what those expressions meant.
"I’ll explain the traits of the Gero Eyes shortly, but first, let me tell you why we’re doing this exercise."
Rohan appreciated Jooyeon’s teaching approach.
While killing monsters posed a lower psychological hurdle than killing humans, for cadets with no prior experience in taking lives, this lesson was both challenging and essential.
"Take a weapon of your choice from the wall."
Rohan promptly stood up, grabbed a longsword, and returned to his seat.
Noah, as during the placement exam, chose to fight barehanded. Ichinose, similarly, picked a sword again.
"We’ll start with the cadets in the front row."
Thus, the lesson began.
Ichinose drew her blade and dispatched her Gero Eye without hesitation, slicing it cleanly.
Noah, smiling, froze her Gero Eye solid and then crushed it with her bare hands.
"Monster, may you ascend to paradise!"
Gilbert swung his blunt weapon with a theatrical bellow.
Meanwhile, Dick Wikitree, who had never killed anything before, trembled as he gripped his glasses and spear, inevitably being pushed to the last turn.
Rohan’s approach was straightforward.
He simply brought the longsword down, slicing the Gero Eye cleanly in half. He felt no hesitation about killing monsters.
In fact, what he felt was anticipation.
[ You have achieved the "Novice Hunter" achievement. ]
[ You have received 10P as an achievement reward. ]
It was the first achievement players unlocked when they began hunting monsters—just as Rohan had expected.
But there was an additional, unexpected reward.
[ +1P ]
***
A dilapidated building with no electricity.
Inside, figures were seated around a round table.
"The Yard-Pound brothers... No word from them?"
"I told you we should’ve hired someone more expensive."
"We’ve been satisfied with them up to now. They were bound to run out of usefulness sooner or later."
Their voices were raspy, as if scratching at dry throats.
Seated around the table were elderly individuals whose ages were indeterminate.
The most distinctive feature about them was their pointed ears.
Their extravagant clothing contrasted sharply with the dusty, decrepit surroundings.
"Tch, does this mean we’ll need to find another puppet?"
One of the wrinkled elves muttered, his face lined with frustration.
Another elf beside him, his lips parched and cracked, spoke up.
"That’s a trivial matter. What’s more important is ensuring none of this reaches the princess’s ears. Keep your mouths shut."
"Hah, how tiresome..."
"Indeed. The princess wouldn’t be able to handle this part of reality yet."
Their voices carried a hint of frustration at the princess’s naivety.
As their idle complaints dragged on, the oldest elf, holding the most ornate staff, tapped it against the floor, drawing everyone’s attention.
"There’s no need to rush."
"..."
"The path to reclaiming the glory stolen by the Celestial Emperor will inevitably involve sacrifices. The princess will come to understand this truth soon enough."
They told the princess the same thing every day.
That as a noble elf of royal lineage, she had a duty to restore the fallen elves to their former glory.