I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City

0 – Hunter Collaboration

The era has changed dramatically.

The act of tearing apart monsters and mercilessly annihilating supernatural criminals.

Hunters, who proudly claimed such violent acts as their specialty, have now become rare.

The new era of peace did not want such brutality.

If you boasted of your rough appearance as a strength, it became difficult to survive in society.

Now, with the frequency of monster appearances dropping to the bottom, jokes are starting to emerge about whether gates are urban legends.

The profession of a hunter has become infinitely closer to that of a celebrity or influencer.

The reason why hunters with power do not display overwhelming force to the public was simple.

Because they are feeling the phenomenon of finding peace in full swing.

As the frequency of gate occurrences approaches extinction, the fact that the supernatural abilities they possessed are gradually degenerating. The reality that their strong bodies are returning to ordinary.

Thus, hunters voluntarily changed. They lowered their noses that had risen to the sky.

To maintain their name value and fame, they started appearing on entertainment shows, taking photoshoots, selling autobiographies, and establishing channels to upload videos.

It is said that the era has arrived where the head of the Hunter Association, known for being heavy-bottomed, doubles as a trot singer.

Meanwhile, as for me.

I, who was also in the profession of a hunter, purely admired their actions.

There was no reason to point fingers or criticize them for being shameless.

The first thought that came to mind was that their courage to quickly accept reality and boldly challenge new fields was remarkable.

Now that the threat of monsters has disappeared and supernatural abilities have begun to scatter.

Only those who quickly accepted the plummeting value and position of hunters could hold on to the wealth they had accumulated.

The hunters who cast aside their pride and boldly ventured into new fields were the first to notice it.

However.

I, ‘Lee Rohan,’ was a person who, despite sensing the future, did not reach out to the rapidly changing currents.

I was one of the hunters who always contributed to maintaining public order.

Ding!

“Hmm?”

As if urging me to throw myself into the swirling world.

A message flew to me, who was clinging to the computer after work.

[ Hello. Hunter Lee Rohan. This is Solomon, the director of Sunday Games. ]

A familiar company name with a familiar nickname.

I jumped up from my chair and grabbed my smartphone.

‘Sunday Games!?’

A company well-known to anyone who has dabbled in subculture games.

The company that takes care of my leisure time while emptying my wallet.

I rubbed my eyes and checked the official account mark several times at the sudden message from that place.

[ Every time Hunter Lee Rohan mentions our game, all the employees of Sunday Games listen attentively. I was also amazed by the information post you left on the official site… ]

I rolled my eyes and read the long message word by word.

[ To briefly explain the project ‘Salvation’ that we at Sunday Games want to achieve with Hunter Lee Rohan… ]

I realized it was real. At the same time, a hollow laugh came out.

A mix of emotions that couldn’t be easily expressed made me feel excited and heated.

“No, this is…?”

Like a true Korean, I blurt out “No” first and try to reorganize the unbelievable information.

In conclusion, it all started when I posted on SNS that I was enjoying Sunday Games’ “Abyss City.”

They made a sweet proposal, saying they wanted to create a new character based on me.

“Me, as a game character?”

Considering the company’s experience, they should know that collaborating with a real person in a gacha game is a high-risk event.

They must be aware of it.

But still, why? Why me? Even if they were to do it, wouldn’t it make more sense to call an idol?

“Besides, there are plenty of pretty and handsome faces among the hunters, so why choose me?”

Various speculations and assumptions bubbled up in my mind like foam.

Who was the crazy person who made the decision to model an unknown male hunter?

Moreover, isn’t this a game with more male users than female users? I can clearly imagine gamers asking, “Who is this guy?” and complaining about another male character pickup.

“But still!”

Even so!

What gamer could refuse a proposal to become a character in their favorite game?

Regardless of their ulterior motives, it’s a dizzying temptation worth sticking my head into.

“Um!”

I immediately replied, saying I would be in their care.

…

…

How long has it been since we started collaborating with the game company?

Until today, I obediently followed the instructions of the game company staff.

Last week, I spent the whole day repeating the action of swinging a sword in a strange outfit.

Today, I heard that we are filming an interview for the making film and the official broadcast.

‘I’ve really come this far.’

I wet my dry throat with coffee, nervous.

Sitting and fiddling with my smartphone, I heard a voice.

“Hunter! The shoot is ready!”

“Oh, I’m coming!”

I squeezed between the cameras and sat in the empty chair.

Next to me was the female host I had only seen on Sunday Games’ official broadcast, making my fan heart flutter.

“Even though it’s an interview, it’s nothing grand. Just think of it as a chat and answer comfortably.”

“Got it. Please take care of me.”

To me, who always watched the update broadcasts, the current situation felt mysterious.

Even more so than facing a big-shot hunter.

The host straightened her back, flipped through the cue cards, and cleared her throat.

Seeing the signal from the camera, she whispered to me that she would start, then smiled brightly and spoke in a cheerful voice.

“With the tension in Academy City reaching its peak! Many students are looking forward to the upcoming story! The new winds and conflicts that will blow through Academy City…”

Her loud voice, filled with joy and sorrow, continued.

The host read the script flawlessly without a single mistake.

I nodded awkwardly from the side, fiddling with the microphone.

“First, I should introduce the special guest sitting next to me, right? Some of you may have already guessed…”

The host, who had finished over a minute of monologue along with my introduction,

made it clear that he was going to ask a question by sending a glance my way.

“I have a personal question for Hunter Lee Rohan! There’s a rumor that a hunter’s dynamic vision never misses a parry against any boss. Is that true?”

“In that regard, I think hunters do have an advantage. When I actually play the game, I turn off all the corrections.”

“Wow! Then you must have cleared all the combat achievements?”

“Not really. I only raise and play characters that I have an attachment to, so there are quite a few blanks.”

As we exchanged a few words, I started to relax a bit.

I felt it was thanks to the host’s gentle consideration.

After chatting about this and that,

a cue card flipped over, and a new question came flying.

“What do you think is the unique charm of our Abyss City?”

I had received the script the day before and thought about this question in advance.

Thanks to that, my mouth opened without hesitation.

“I started my career as a hunter early, so I couldn’t properly attend school. It would be a lie to say I don’t have any fantasies about my school days. I think the biggest charm for me is that it satisfies that part vicariously.”

“Ah! Abyss City not only focuses on action but also pays attention to the warmth of everyday life!”

This is a part that gamers have mixed feelings about.

I preferred the everyday parts like part-time jobs over combat.

“Yes. I always think, if there were a school where only hunters gathered, it would be like this… And since I really like open worlds, just exploring the map is enjoyable.”

“So then…!”

A light Q&A session followed, which seemed unlikely to be used in the video.

The host quickly exchanged glances with the camera and, contrary to my worries, signaled with a satisfied face that it was the last question.

“The pickup event for ‘Rohan,’ modeled after Hunter Lee Rohan, will run from June 2nd for a month! And new stories and various quests will be updated, so please look forward to it!”

“Thank you very much!”

We stood up together, greeted each other, and ended with applause.

Seeing the cameras all pointing at the ceiling, I exchanged greetings with the host as well.

“Hunter Lee Rohan, thank you for your hard work!”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“When the character comes out, you must get it, right?”

“I’ll break through all the limits, regardless of performance. The money I received for this job will be returned soon.”

She laughed, saying she would have done the same.

After a short conversation, we made a promise, not quite a promise, to greet each other next time.

I moved to find the bag I had thrown in the corner.

‘Next is the voice recording.’

I wondered what skills and story my character would have.

Reflecting on the time and conversation earlier, it hit me once again.

I was going to be released as a character in my favorite game.

Honestly, I didn’t even want to get paid. I wanted to pay them.

‘What kind of sudden luck is this?’

After death, the mad movie of the deceased’s life that will be played at the funeral is confirmed.

‘When I get home, I need to scrape together all the growth materials.’

With happy thoughts, I picked up the bag lying on the floor and straightened my back.

A female employee with a badge around her neck approached, her eyes sparkling.

“Hunter! Hunter!”

“Yes.”

“Before you move, could you take this?”

“What is this?”

What she handed over was a clean box with nothing written on the outside.

It seemed to be the same size as the box I received when I bought a smartphone.

“The CEO is a huge fan of Hunter and wanted to give you a gift.”

A statement that made me doubt my ears.

I blinked and asked again.

“The CEO of Sunday Games…?”

“Yes! He really wanted to come today, but he was too busy, so he asked me to deliver this instead. He was very disappointed!”

Is this some kind of lip service?

For some reason, it was hard to react easily.

‘Isn’t the CEO Japanese?’

As I stood there with a puzzled look on my face,

She continued with a light-hearted explanation as if she had just remembered.

“I don’t know the details, but the CEO said he was once chased by a monster and got help. Where was it? Was it some department store in Apgujeong?”

“!”

In an instant, the fog that had clouded his mind cleared.

Lee Rohan was momentarily lost in the past.

‘Apgujeong.’

The time when a huge gate opened there, and literal hell broke loose.

He had gone out to assist in evacuating and rescuing civilians.

He distinctly remembered cutting down the swarming minions and entering the department store.

‘Is that why he gave me this job…?’

Sometimes, there were cases like this.

A time when he had been running around so frantically that he couldn’t remember who was there, but for someone else, it had been their only lifeline and salvation.

He had received quite a few thank-you letters from people who called him their savior, but this was the first time he had received such a grand gift.

“Whew.”

With a sense of understanding and relief settling in, he let out a long breath.

He looked at her and asked,

“May I open it?”

“Of course.”

Click! Opening the box, a square card greeted him.

A design familiar to anyone who enjoyed Abyss City.

He couldn’t help but smile.

“Is this a picture of me? It feels so youthful.”

It wasn’t the photo, but the name that confirmed it.

A student ID card merchandise of the character ‘Rohan’ modeled after me.

It was the best gift.

I should express my gratitude once again.

With that thought, I lifted my eyes from the student ID card.

“…?”

The woman who had been dangling her employee ID was no longer in front of me.

In the first place, I wasn’t even at the shooting location.

“Huh?”

A new world unfolded before my eyes.