Chương 62: OPTIMIZATION

By the time Jimin reached the orphanage, dinner had already been served.

"Damn it. I'm too late," he murmured. Jimin didn't waste a second. He quickly went upstairs, dropped his bag near his bed, and headed straight back down. As soon as he entered the dining hall, a few of the kids noticed him.

"Hyung!" one of them called out.

"Did you fight monsters today?" another asked excitedly. Jimin waved them off lightly.

"Eat your food first." But before he could sit down, Mrs. Han's voice cut through.

"You're late." Jimin stiffened slightly. He scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry, Mrs. Han… I got caught up with work." She crossed her arms, clearly not convinced.

"You've been coming late quite often these days." Jimin lowered his gaze for a moment.

"I'll be more careful." There was a brief silence. Then, she sighed.

"Sit down and eat before it gets cold." Jimin nodded quickly.

"Okay." He took a seat and started eating without wasting time. The food was already a bit cold, but he didn't mind. Right now, he was just hungry.

After dinner, the usual chatter followed. But Jimin kept his answers short. Eventually, he slipped away and headed toward the stairs.

As he was heading toward the stairs, he noticed Mrs. Han standing nearby. She looked at him quietly. Jimin stopped. She spoke first.

"Is there too much pressure at work?" Jimin shook his head immediately.

"No no… I was just working overtime for some extra cash." She studied his face for a moment.

"I understand that stepping into the real world must be overwhelming." Jimin stayed silent.

"But you shouldn't push yourself too much," she continued.

"Even if you need funds, if your body gives up, everything will become a mess." Jimin nodded slowly.

"I understand, Mrs. Han." Her expression softened slightly.

"It's good if you do." There was a brief pause. Then she asked, "Anyways, are you managing to save enough money for moving out?" Jimin hesitated for a split second.

"Ah-yes, Mrs. Han. I'm planning to visit the Rift from now on. So, I think I can manage enough money before it's time." She didn't respond immediately. Instead, she let out a small sigh.

"That's good to hear. Just be careful… And best of luck."

"I will. Thanks, Mrs. Han." She smiled faintly. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

"Now go and rest. Good night."

"Good night, Mrs. Han." Jimin bowed his head slightly and went upstairs.

Jimin freshened up quickly and lay down on his bed. The moment his body hit the mattress, a wave of fatigue spread through him.

"Finally… I can rest a bit," he murmured. But his eyes didn't close. I can't relax yet. He opened his status window while lying down. Then, he checked his current LP. [Current LP: 587] His gaze lingered on the number. Hmm… There's something I have been curious about. Then, he opened his skill edit window and selected the 'Meditation' skill. The skill window appeared in front of him. Jimin stared at it quietly. After a brief thought, he started editing the description.

Description: Meditation increases MP and PE regeneration and minor STA regeneration. If done regularly for prolonged sessions, there is a high chance of increasing PSY, INT and WIS. Also, hones control over mana & psyche. Regeneration speed and amount increases with each level. Is always active regardless of any stance and activity. Required LP: Error Jimin frowned slightly.

"As expected…" he murmured. He leaned back slightly. The high chance for stat gain isn't the issue… His eyes narrowed. But being active regardless of any stance… That's what breaks the balance. Jimin edited it again.

Description: Meditation increases MP and PE regeneration and minor STA regeneration. If done regularly for prolonged sessions, there is a high chance of increasing PSY, INT and WIS. Also, hones control over mana & psyche. Regeneration speed and amount increases with each level. Activates when the user is not doing heavy activity, regardless of stance. Required LP: Error

"Still an error!" he muttered. He leaned forward.

"What went wrong…?" His mind started racing.

"Wait…" His eyes widened slightly.

"Oh… I see…" He quickly edited the description again. And this time it was a success.

[Skill: Meditation] Type: Active Category: Utility Rank: Rare Level: 7/50 Description: Meditation increases MP and PE regeneration and minor STA regeneration. If done regularly for prolonged sessions, there is a high chance of increasing PSY, INT and WIS. Also, hones control over mana & psyche. Regeneration speed and amount increases with each level. Passive: Activate when the user is not doing any heavy activity, regardless of stance.

But regeneration is greatly lessened and stat gain is disabled, unless skill is activated in the proper stance. Scaling: WIS & INT → depth of benefit and efficiency. Cooldown: None Cost: None Required LP: 260 [Save] [Cancel] —------------------------------------------------------- Jimin stared at the window.

"Finally!" A grin spread across his face. Just being able to recover resources while I walk… that's more than enough. He saved it without any delay. A notification popped up.

['Meditation' Successfully Edited] Total LP: 327 Jimin let out a satisfied breath.

"It was worth it." He leaned back again. Well… just one more. He then opened the skill edit window for 'Telekinesis' and tried increasing the base weight limit by one kilogram.

Base Weight: 23(+1) kg + (27 × 1) kg = 50(+1) kg Required LP: 45

"Huh… One kilo increase in weight costs 45 LP!" He leaned forward. What if I increase it by ten?

Required LP: 420

"Woah… That's a 30 LP save," Jimin muttered. His eyes sharpened. Then, he continued experimenting further and discovered that increasing the multiplier by 1 cost 1800 LP. And increasing the range and its multiplier by one cost 80 LP and 3300 LP respectively. He leaned back slowly.

"Damn…" he muttered. For now… increasing weight by 10 kilos seems the most efficient… Maybe even 20. But his brows furrowed again.

"This isn't enough." He shook his head. I can't come to a conclusion until I check the numbers after the skill upgrades. He closed the window screen. I'll deal with it later.

Jimin got up and sat on the edge of his bed. I need to get some work done first. He reached into his inventory and took the gear out, which he bought for repair. Then, he started with appraising them. But when he appraised the fourth item, a notification popped up. —-----------------------------------------'Appraisal' has reached level-11 —----------------------------------------- Damn… It took a week to level up after hitting level-10. His gaze darkened slightly. And it will only get slower with each level…

He clicked his tongue. No wonder it takes others years to rank up. Jimin then continued his repairing work. After finishing his work, he lay on his bed again. The ceiling stared back at him, as he was contemplating. Should I create more skills or focus on leveling up the existing ones? Jimin shook his head. Leveling the skills through only training is getting more difficult. Especially once the skills hit level-10. He paused for a bit. Well, that's the norm…

My current roster of skills seems to be enough for the Rift. But will they be enough for the E-Rank Rift? The thought lingered. There's still a month left before that. I think these will be enough, if I focus on leveling them up. He let out a big sigh. Then, something clicked in his mind, as he stiffened immediately. Except… there's a few…