Chương 17: A NEW PATH

It was almost evening. The sky outside was painted with deep orange, slowly melting into purple as the sun dipped behind the city skyline. Streetlights flickered one by one. Jimin stepped out of the fast-food chain's side door, the faint smell of fry-oil clinging to his uniform one last time. His three-hour shift had ended, and for the first time in months, he started feeling a quiet, detached relief. The manager handed him a small envelope with his monthly salary. It was 700, 000 Won. Not bad for a part-timer…

But now? This amount of money isn't going to work anymore… —---- He stared at the envelope as he walked down the street, neon lights flickering across the pavement. His mind ran over the necessities he needed for growth; Mana-rich herbs, supplements for stamina, cheap gears, even transport. Everything that mattered in the Rifter world required money. Real money. He closed his fist around the envelope. Yeah… 700, 000 won won't cut it. Not even close.

He stepped into the bus, rode silently, and eventually walked the short distance back to his orphanage. At the orphanage entrance, he found Mrs. Han dusting off a row of potted flowers. She looked up, noticed him and coughed lightly before greeting him.

"Welcome back, Jimin."

"Good evening, Mrs. Han," he replied. Her expression softened.

"How was the first day? This course can be pretty tough." Jimin thought of the challenge, the duel, the burst of pain during the fight, Ryu Seong-ho's words, and the moment he stood tall victorious afterward.

"It was… better than I expected," he said.

"Actually, it was really interesting."

"That's good to hear." She nodded in relief.

"Then go up and take a proper rest. Big days are ahead."

"I will. Thank you." He climbed the stairs and walked into his room. Once the door closed, he let out a deep breath and fell onto his bed. The springs squeaked under him. Today replayed behind his eyelids; every moment, every mistake, every unexpected victory, and the strange yet oddly grounding conversation with Seong-ho afterward. His body felt lighter compared to yesterday, even with the fatigue. But money… He needed a new income source now. As he had quit his part-time job. It was inevitable.

That amount of pay wasn't going to cut it anymore. He needed resources; real ones. And he had already planned for everything before he quit his gig. He sat up and opened his 'Skillmaster window'. He checked his current LP. [Current LP: 1030] More than enough. He opened the Skill Creation window. A blank form appeared. He took a breath and typed the name and entered the description. A confirmation window popped up.

Would you like to create this skill? [Yes] [No] He whispered, "Confirm." The next window materialized instantly.

[Skill: Appraisal] Type: Active Category: Utility Rank: Rare Level: 1/50 Description: Allows user to analyze and reveal hidden properties of items, artifacts, herbs, and monster parts. Accuracy improves with level, and higher levels can bypass concealment enchantments. Scaling: WIS → Improves accuracy of appraisal. INT → Expands detail of results. Cooldown: None Cost: Minor mana usage. Required LP: 350 【Create】　【Edit】　【Delete】 Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent.

Report sightings. He stared at it and analyzed everything. Exactly how he wanted it to be.

"Create." A system notification popped up. [Skill Successfully Created]'Appraisal' – Acquired. Total LP: 680 A tingling sensation ran across his eyes, like electricity dancing between his nerves. He opened the skill window once more just to admire it. It was a rare skill. A path to making money. His heartbeat picked up. His breathing steadied. The excitement he'd been holding back; since the moment the idea entered his mind; finally overflowed. He looked around the room. He marked some objects to appraise.

Let's try this. First the chair. He whispered, "Appraise." And a small window popped up.

[Basic Wooden Chair] Durability: 68/100 Material: Low-quality nails, pine wood Notes: Slight wobble in back-left support Next, the bed.

[Standard Dormitory Bed] Durability: 45/100 Material: Medium-quality wood Notes: Springs slightly rusted; frame stable Then his books. The simple objects produced simple results. It was no surprise. Nothing special. But it worked. He was satisfied with results This… this can earn me money. With this skill, he could become an Appraiser. He remembered what Instructor Han Sora had explained briefly in class; about professions related to Rifter support roles.

It had only been a small part of today's lecture, but it stuck in his mind. Appraisers. Rare, valuable and essential. Those who could see information, which others couldn't see.

He remembered how the teacher had emphasized their position. Every guild wanted them. Every party prayed for one. Every Rifter family competed to recruit them. Families; especially those with old money; guarded their in-house Appraisers like treasure. Because Appraisers were the backbone of the entire Rifter economy. They were the ones who determined whether an herb or gear was worth a hundred Won or a hundred thousand. Whether a monster fang carried any worth.

Whether an artifact was real, cursed, defective, or priceless. They saved parties from wasting time and money in rifts by instantly identifying which materials mattered and which were trash. Some organizations kidnapped or coerced Appraisers to control information. A top-tier Appraiser could tilt the balance of power in an entire region. That was why the Appraiser Federation existed. To regulate and protect them. To ensure Appraisers weren't exploited… at least publicly.

A novice Appraiser license was the entry point; to be registered. With that, one could work at an Appraiser Federation Center until they became a certified Appraiser; but not independently. They would appraise items brought in by smaller guilds, independent Rifters, and small parties. Or… They could go underground. Shadow Appraisers; unregistered, illegal, and highly sought after in the black market. But Jimin had zero interest in that. He needed legitimacy. Appraiser… Yeah. That's the way.

He planned to go to the Appraiser Federation tomorrow; after school. He washed up, had a simple dinner, and fell into bed. Sleep came fast. —---------- The next morning, he woke early. No hesitation. His body moved on its own, almost fueled by drive. He washed, dressed, and left the orphanage quietly. His footsteps echoed faintly on the empty street as he walked toward the old factory. His training ground. Inside, sunlight filtered through broken windows in thin, dusty beams. Jimin took a breath.

It was training time. Just like yesterday, he began with Telekinesis drills; precision, strength, endurance. Floating metal scraps, controlling angles, rotating bolts at high speed while maintaining stability. Then, it was the turn for Dash. He practiced acceleration bursts, braking, redirecting momentum mid-step, sharpening footwork. Then Appraisal on nearby objects. Then, he started meditating. His mind sank deeper, faster, clearer than before, and soon; a notification popped up. ['Meditation' has reached Lv. 3] A pulse of calm spread through him. Next was 'Growth'. He pushed himself harder than the previous day; more repetitions, sharper control, tighter sequences of movements; until eventually- ['Dash' has reached Lv. 2] After a while- ['Growth' has reached Lv. 2] He was panting hard when the notification suddenly blinked. A different one. Something he hadn't seen before. (+1 STR, +1 END) His mind blanked for a full second. Then he rushed to open his Status Window.

【STATUS WINDOW】 Name: Sam Jimin Age: 16 Rank: E Level: 1 HP: 260/260 STA: 63/130 MP: 100/100 PE: 150/150 STATS: STR: 6(+1) AGI: 6 END: 6(+1) INT: 8 WIS: 7 VIT: 5 CHA: 4 PSY: 11 LUK: 10 FREE STATPOINTS: 0 Unique Skill: Skillmaster Skills: Telekinesis (Lv. 3) Meditation (Lv. 3) Growth (Lv. 2) Dash (Lv. 2) Appraisal (Lv. 1) He blinked.... It actually increased. His HP and stamina had risen too. His breath caught. His hands trembled slightly. His muscles felt lighter yet stronger. His body felt more stable.

His breathing felt deeper. He clenched and unclenched his fist slowly. This is real. —- He trained a while longer, letting the small surge of new strength settle into his body. Eventually he decided to wrap up, dusting off his clothes. Before heading back, he tried a few Appraisal uses on random scrap metal pieces.

Each use felt smoother than the last. He walked back to the orphanage with a small, satisfied smile tugging at his lips. He ate breakfast; twice like yesterday. He washed up again, changed and grabbed his bag. Stepping out of the orphanage, he felt the early morning sun warming his face. A new day had begun. And so had a new path.