Chương 24: FIRST PAY

Jimin said, "I'm Sam Jimin." The man standing in front of him lowered his gaze to the tablet in his hand. His eyes flicked between the screen and Jimin's face, as if confirming a match.

"Hm," the man murmured.

"Sam Jimin." He was middle-aged, with neatly combed hair streaked faintly with gray and a white coat that marked him unmistakably as staff. There was an air of calm authority about him.

"I'm Yun Young-chul." the man said.

"I'm the supervisor for this floor." Jimin straightened instinctively.

"Nice to meet you, sir." Young-chul gave a short nod.

"Follow me." Jimin didn't hesitate. He stepped aside as the man turned and began walking deeper into the hall. As he followed, Jimin's eyes kept wandering around. The place was overwhelming. The hall was even larger from the inside than it had first appeared. Rows upon rows of desks stretched across the floor, arranged with careful precision. Each desk was occupied by an appraiser, men and women of various ages, all focused on their work. Some stared intently at floating appraisal windows only they could see.

Others spoke softly into tablets, recording results. Young-chul stopped near the middle of the hall and gestured to an empty desk.

"This will be your desk," he said. Jimin stepped closer. The desk was simple; metal frame, reinforced surface, a built-in scanner, and a tablet dock. It was practical and functional.

"Here's how it works," Young-chul continued, his tone clear and businesslike.

"Items will be brought to you in batches. If you can fully appraise an item, fill in all the details and submit it." He paused briefly, making sure Jimin was listening.

"If you can only partially appraise it, pass it to your senior E-rank appraiser. And if you cannot appraise it at all, then put it in the transfer batch. Those will be sent to the upper floor.." He met Jimin's eyes.

"Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Jimin said immediately. Young-chul studied him for a moment longer, then nodded.

"Good. Get started." With that, the supervisor turned and walked away, already absorbed into another part of the hall. Jimin swallowed and sat down at his desk. Alright, he thought. It's the first day. Don't mess this up. He barely had time to settle before a staff member approached, pushing a cart stacked with sealed crates.

"New batch," the man said curtly, placing a crate beside Jimin's desk before moving on. Within a minute, Jimin exhaled slowly and picked up the first item. It was a sword. He focused and activated Appraisal. A window appeared before his eyes. —------------------------------------ Name: Ashline Short Sword Category: Weapon Type: Sword Rank: E Description: A mass-produced blade used by novice Rifters. Lightweight, reliable, and easy to maintain.

Stats: STR +1, AGI +1 Damage: 30-35 Effects: Slightly increased cutting efficiency against low-defense targets. Durability: 97/100 He immediately began filling in the details on the tablet, carefully matching what he saw to the required format. Just like he did in the test, but this time there was a voice feature. So, it made work faster and more efficient. He double-checked each field before submitting. He placed the sword aside and picked up the next item. Then, the next. Time began to blur for him.

Some items were straightforward; E-rank armor pieces, simple accessories with minor stat boosts, beginner weapons with simple enchantments.

Others; he could see either partially or nothing. Those, he set aside without hesitation. By the time the first batch was done, his temples throbbed faintly. He flexed his fingers and accepted the second batch. Then, the third. During that time, he had also received a notification. ['Appraisal' has reached Lv. 6] When it was finally over, Jimin leaned back in his chair and exhaled. He counted silently. Thirteen. Out of thirty-six items, he had successfully appraised thirteen.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Only thirteen… Huh. A quiet thrill ran through him, but he kept his expression neutral. This wasn't the place to react. As he organized the remaining items, Jimin paid attention to the flow of the room. He noticed something interesting. Some of the appraisers nearby hesitated when faced with certain items. They frowned, attempted appraisal, then shook their heads and passed them along. Jimin had learned a few things.

First of all, a few of them were actually certified E-rank appraisers, who couldn't successfully appraise D-rank items yet. Jimin had put the D-rank items directly in the transfer batch. Since he could only partially appraise them, nobody on that floor could do it successfully either. The items that he couldn't appraise were collected from his transfer batch and placed onto a separate cart. Staff members periodically collected those and loaded them into the lift at the far end of the hall.

Also, the items they couldn't appraise at all, were sent to the upper floors via a lift, where higher ranked appraisers were stationed. The process was repeated on each floor. —--- Once everything was sorted and submitted, Jimin took his tablet and walked over to where Young-chul was reviewing reports.

"Sir," Jimin said. Young-chul looked up.

"Done already?"

"Yes." He took the tablet, scrolling through the entries. His brows rose slightly as he went through the records.

"You appraised all the E-rank items you were given!" he said.

"Good job for the first day." A small spark of pride flared in Jimin's chest. Young-chul continued, "You have successfully appraised thirteen items. It's been added to your record." He handed the tablet back.

"Go to the Cashier's office on the second floor of the main building. There, you can collect your payment for today."

"Yes, Sir!" Jimin said, unable to hide his excitement. He bowed lightly and turned away, walking faster than he meant to. Payment... Money… He navigated through the corridors, following the signages until he reached the Cashier's office. A fingerprint scanner was installed beside the door. He pressed his thumb against it. Access granted. The door slid open. Inside, multiple cashiers sat behind glass counters, each with terminals and scanners. The atmosphere was calm and professional.

Jimin approached one of the counters.

"Good afternoon," the cashier said.

"Good afternoon," Jimin replied.

"Fingerprint, please." He obliged. The seconds passed. His heartbeat grew louder in his ears. Finally, the cashier nodded.

"Payment has been transferred to your account. Please check your account." Jimin's phone had already buzzed.

"Please, check the amount." He didn't hesitate. His eyes locked onto the screen as the number appeared and the cashier recited calmly at the same time.

"390, 000 won." His breath caught. He already knew the amount. But seeing the numbers in real, made him unable to control himself. 390, 000 won! That's more than half of what I earn in a month at my part-time job. But I earned this much… in one day. Jimin thanked the cashier, barely containing himself, and left the office. He walked through the corridor; his steps light. Money is no longer a problem for now, he thought. I'll have enough to buy basic gear soon.

But as he neared the exit, he spotted a familiar figure.

"Is that you, Ms. Kim?" he called out. The woman turned. For a moment, he couldn't recognize her. As she was dressed casually now; simple clothes instead of her work uniform.

"Oh!" she said.

"Mr. Sam."

"Are you leaving now?" he asked.

"Yes. My shift is over. Are you done as well?"

"Yes," Jimin replied.

"I'm leaving too, Ms. Kim." They started walking toward the main gate together.

"How was your first day here, Mr. Sam?" she asked.

"It was great, actually," he said honestly.

"Thanks for asking."

"That's good to know," she said with a small smile. They walked in comfortable silence for a few seconds before she spoke again.

"Mr. Sam… could you please not call me Ms. Kim?" He blinked.

"Why?"

"I'm not that much older than you," she said.

"You can just call me Ji-hye Noona outside work."

"Uh-okay, Ms… I mean Ji-hye Noona." She chuckled. Then suddenly, without thinking, he asked the Forbidden, "By the way, how old are you, Ji-hye noona?" Her expression shifted. Jimin froze internally. Shit. I'm not supposed to ask a woman her age.

"That's rude, you know," she said flatly.

"I'm sorry."

"…Anyway," she said after a pause, "I'm almost seventeen."

"What?!" Jimin blurted out. Her expression turned unreadable.

"S-sorry, Noona," he rushed out.

"I mean… you don't look seventeen."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I-I meant it in a good way!" She stared at him intensely for a second. But then suddenly burst into laughter.

"You don't need to get so worked up," she said.

"I was just pulling your leg. I am used to that kind of reaction." Jimin let out a deep breath. She seriously doesn't look seventeen…

"I awakened last year," she added.

"So that makes me your senior, only by one year… hehe." Wow. Her personality is totally different outside work.

"Then," Jimin said, "you should just call me Jimin too."

"Okay." By then, they were outside the main gate.

"Which way are you going?" she asked.

"The bus stop," he said.

"I'm heading there."

"Oh!" she said.

"Me too."

"Let's go together." Wow… She's really friendly… huh. —--- They walked side by side.

"By the way," Jimin said after a moment, "if you don't mind me asking… how did you get a job here? I mean you said you awakened last year, but you're already working in a place like this." She smiled faintly.

"My uncle is an appraiser here. I got this part-time job through him. They pay much better than other jobs." As they talked, Jimin learned more. Her parents weren't Manaborns. So, she worked here to support her training and prepare for the upcoming entrance exam. And that she was a healer-type. He also shared bits about him. —--- They were nearing the bus station when something changed suddenly. Before they took their last turn, they started hearing some noises. Suddenly, a sound echoed from ahead. A scream.

It was sharp and filled with terror. They stopped.

"That…" Ji-hye began. Another scream followed; closer this time. A man suddenly stumbled into view from around the corner. He collapsed onto the pavement, groaning in agony. Ji-hye screamed at the sight.

"He… That man…" Jimin couldn't process anything either. Blood… Why is there a dagger stuck on his back? But before either of them could move, another figure stepped out from the corner. It had a menacing laugh. A high-pitched, sickening sound. Jimin and Ji-hye's eyes shot bigger. It was not something one would expect to see on a road like this. More like, they hope not. But Jimin recognized it on the spot. The word came out from Jimin's mouth by instinct,"Goblin?!"