Chương 21: NOVICE APPRAISER LICENSE

The person behind the counter was a middle-aged man in sophisticated attire. His suit wasn't flashy, but it fit perfectly; clean lines, muted colors, the kind of clothing that didn't beg for attention yet showed authority. His hair was neatly combed back with a hint of gray at the temples, and a thin pair of rectangular glasses rested on his nose. Jimin walked forward through the rows of tall shelves lining the room.

Each shelf was packed with objects of every kind; blades sealed in transparent cases, crystal vials glowing faintly, chunks of monster materials preserved in stasis frames and various strange artifacts. The air itself felt different here. It was dense and quiet. They made eye contact. Jimin stopped in front of the counter and straightened instinctively.

"I am Sam Jimin," he said.

"I came here for the test." The man glanced briefly at the Verification Card resting on the counter, then back at Jimin. His expression didn't change.

"Yes. I got that from the Verification Card." An awkward silence followed. Jimin swallowed. Is that it? The man seemed to notice the tension and after a brief pause, spoke again.

"Let's proceed with the formalities." Jimin let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"I am Park Min-jae," the man continued calmly.

"I'll be in charge of your evaluation today." His gaze sharpened slightly.

"Let's not waste any more time." He reached beneath the counter and pulled out a thin tablet, placing it in front of Jimin.

"The evaluation method is simple," Park said.

"I'll present you with several items. You will appraise them and enter exactly what you see into this tablet." Jimin nodded, "Yes, sir." Park turned slightly and retrieved a massive sealed chest. He opened it and placed the items on the counter one by one. A dagger, a potion vial, something that looked like a piece of hide, a faintly glowing orb. And finally, a sword. Five items, neatly aligned.

"If you are decent enough," Park said, folding his arms, "You'll be approved. After that, you'll be registered and receive your Novice Appraiser License." He paused.

"Are there any questions?" Jimin shook his head.

"No, sir."

"Good," Park replied.

"Then, let's start."

Jimin stepped closer to the counter. What do we have here? He glanced at the tablet first, familiarizing himself with the input layout. Fields for name, category, rank, effects, etc. It was clean and efficient. Okay. Don't overthink it. Just do what you always do. His gaze shifted to the first item. The dagger. It rested on a black velvet mat, its blade slightly curved, surface etched with faint serrations near the spine. The hilt was wrapped in dark leather, worn but well-maintained.

Jimin inhaled slowly and thought, Appraise. The sensation washed over him immediately; information appeared in front of him; precise and structured. A window appeared before his eyes. —-------------------------------------------- Name: Fangblade Dagger Category: Weapon Type: Dagger Rank: E Description: Forged from a Shadow Panther's fang. Designed for swift strikes and agility-focused combat.

Stats: STR +10, AGI +5 Damage: 40–55 Effect: Bonus critical chance against beast-types (+5%) Durability: 80/100 —-------------------------------------------- Jimin didn't hesitate. His fingers moved across the tablet, entering the information exactly as it appeared. He double-checked each field before confirming. Done. He glanced briefly at Park Min-jae. The examiner hadn't reacted. He was simply watching. Next- It was the potion. A crimson vial sealed with a silver stopper.

The liquid inside shimmered faintly, like embers suspended in glass. Appraise. —-------------------------------------------- Name: Vitality Potion Stolen story; please report. Category: Potion Grade: Low Description: Brewed from Fireleaf herb and salamander extract. Effect: Restores 400–600 HP instantly. Duration: Instant Quality: Medium —-------------------------------------------- Jimin felt a flicker of satisfaction. It was the first time he appraised a potion.

He filled the tablet carefully, making sure the numbers were accurate.. The third item was the hide. It was coarse, brownish-gray, with a faint earthy smell clinging to it. Small scorch marks dotted the surface. Appraise. —-------------------------------------------- Name: Kobold Hide Category: Material Type: Monster Hide Rank: E Description: Hide harvested from an E-rank Kobold. Commonly used for low-tier armor crafting. Effect: Minor physical resistance when processed.

Quality: Medium —-------------------------------------------- As expected. Still, Jimin felt a subtle ease as the appraisal went through without friction. The fourth item was the orb. A translucent sphere of the size of his palm, faintly glowing blue from within.. Appraise. —-------------------------------------------- Name: Mana Core Fragment Category: Material Type: Crafting Core Rank: E Description: A refined mana fragment extracted from low-rank monsters. Used in gear enhancement and enchantment processes.

Effect: Improves mana conductivity in crafted equipment. Quality: High —-------------------------------------------- He filled the tablet once more. Now, only one left. Jimin's eyes moved to the sword. It was longer than the others, resting in a reinforced holder. The blade was straight, well-balanced, faint runes etched near the guard. Even without appraisal, it radiated a different presence. This one feels heavier… Appraise. A partial window appeared.

—-------------------------------------------- Name: Silverwolf sword Category: Weapon Type: Sword Rank: D —-------------------------------------------- That was it. There was no description, no stats or any effects. Jimin frowned slightly. Again… Appraise. The same result. His brows furrowed. Come on… He tried once more, pushing himself to focus a little more. The window flickered; but it still refused to reveal anything beyond the rank. D-rank… So that's my limit. A quiet frustration stirred in his chest.

He could feel the pressure building behind his eyes.

"Don't push yourself," Park Min-jae said suddenly. Jimin looked up, startled. The examiner was watching him closely now.

"You've reached what you can safely extract," he said calmly.

"Pushing further won't help. It'll only strain you. You could turn it in, if you are done with the others." Jimin hesitated, then nodded.

"Yes, sir." He exhaled slowly and stepped back, turning the tablet toward the examiner.

"I'm done." Mr. Park took the tablet and began reviewing it. Jimin waited. His heart beat louder than he wanted it to. Park's finger paused on the screen. Then-"Ho…" Jimin's breath caught.

"The information on these four items is quite detailed," Park said. He looked up.

"And you correctly identified the sword's name and that it was a D-rank." He placed the tablet down.

"This will do." Jimin blinked.

"…You mean?"

"Yes," Park said simply.

"You pass." The words hit him with quiet force. A wave of relief washed through him. He kind of knew the end result. But, it still made him happy. [+20 LP] He clenched his fist under the counter. Mr. Park continued, "I'll send the results to the administration now. Go to the Registration Office. It's on this floor. Complete the formalities, and you'll receive your Novice Appraiser License within an hour." Jimin straightened.

"Yes, sir."

"One more thing," Park added.

"After receiving your license, come here starting tomorrow. You'll be assigned to appraise low-grade items." He paused, then said casually, "You'll receive thirty thousand won per successful appraisal." Jimin froze.

"Thirty thousand?" Mr. Park raised an eyebrow.

"Is there a problem?" That much! Jimin shook his head quickly.

"N-No, sir." Mr. Park's lips curved faintly.

"It's low for now." It's low?! Mr. Park continued, "But after you become certified, the same work pays around sixty thousand won." Jimin's mind went blank. Sixty thousand… per appraisal? But he quickly gathered his thoughts and asked,.

"For how long," Jimin asked, "do I have to do this before getting my Appraiser License?"

"At least three hours a day," Park replied.

"The rest depends on you. After you complete one hundred successful appraisals, you may apply for certification." One hundred…

"After that," Park continued, "you can officially join the Appraiser Federation and work at other centers or go independent." The answer is obvious… Jimin bowed deeply.

"Thank you, sir." Then, he took his leave. — He went to the Registration Office. The Registration Office was efficient. Forms, verification, biometric confirmation, Mana signature recording, etc. And after almost an hour- He received the card. A clean, metallic badge with his name engraved on it. Novice Appraiser License. Jimin stared at it in his hand. I did it… After that, he stepped out, with his license secured. Near the main gate, the same receptionist spotted him and smiled.

"Did you get your license?"

"Yes," Jimin replied, unable to hide his grin.

"Congratulations," she said warmly.

"Come here starting from tomorrow."

"Thanks. I will… Ms. Kim." Jimin said as he left. She was a bit confused, as she never told him her name. But she understood. It was her nameplate. And after all this, Jimin finally left for home. Today's return felt different.