Chương 66: MYSTERY CHEST (1)

Next morning, at the old factory- Jimin had just finished his training. His breathing was steady. He sat down. Closed his eyes. And started meditating. His mind slowly cleared. Today's training wasn't anything special. Though his 'Telekinetic Spin' and 'Telekinetic Barrier' had reached level-11. After a while, a sudden realization hit him. Everything feels… stagnant. His brows furrowed slightly. This place is no longer suitable for my training. It has become much harder to increase my stats nowadays.

He opened his eyes slowly.

"I need a proper training space for myself," he murmured quietly. He thought for a few seconds. Then nodded faintly. Yeah… Maybe I should choose a house with a training room in the basement. He let out a long sigh. But that will require even more money… Then, his expression sharpened again.

"I just hope I hit a jackpot in today's event," he muttered. After selling my loot and gear yesterday… I now have around 304. 3 million won. His fingers touched his chin. A C-Rank chest costs 25 million won. It's 100 million for a B-Rank... And A-Ranks cost 600 million. His eyes narrowed slightly. So that's out... I should go for two B-Ranks and four C-Ranks. With that Jimin finished his training and left the factory. He was jogging back to the orphanage. Wind brushing past his face, his steps light.

I'll just hit up the F-Rank Rift for the last time. Can't waste those Exp And LP. After finishing breakfast and freshening up, he headed for the Rift.

Unfortunately, today wasn't his day. As he couldn't get the Boss.

"Damnit," is all he could shout, as the monsters vaporized in front of him. Just when he was about to reach the Boss's lair. After exchanging his loot, he went to the Appraiser Center for work. By the time he left, it was already 3: 30 PM. He boarded a bus and took a seat near the window. The city moved behind outside. They said to attend at least an hour early. He glanced at his watch. There's still over an hour left. I can make it in time... But there's no point in hurrying.

After a while, he eventually reached the Appraiser Federation Headquarters. But he decided not to enter immediately. As a thought crossed his mind. I shouldn't go in as Sam Jimin. This is a gathering place of socialites. People will take me more seriously… and bother me less, if I just attend as Night Monarch. He immediately went into a nearby alley. The shadows swallowed him briefly. And moments later, the Night Monarch stepped out. He adjusted his attire slightly. Then walked forward.

Maybe, I should really create a skill for changing fast.

After showing his ID, he entered the premises. The place felt way more busy than usual. And it was also lightly decorated. Cars were lined up. And more were entering. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. But today, Jimin wasn't supposed to enter through the main entrance. He followed behind a bunch of other people. To the side entrance at North. He stepped inside. But it was different. It looked even more posh and refined than the main entrance.

Polished floors, soft lighting, luxury furniture. Everything screamed money.

"Damn…" he muttered softly. This looks so extravagant. I didn't even visit this part during my time here. Jimin entered an elevator. Pressed the button. 5th floor. The doors closed quietly.

Upon reaching the 5th floor, Jimin walked into a rather quiet place. His gaze moved around. Only a few people gathered around the reception. Strange… I didn't expect it to be this quiet…

"Anyway…" He straightened slightly. I should complete my registration first. At the reception, a well-dressed receptionist greeted him.

"Welcome, Sir. Your ID, please." Jimin handed it over. She scanned it quickly. And after the check was complete, she returned the ID.

"What is the maximum rank of 'Mystery Chest' you would like to buy, Sir?"

"B-Rank," said Jimin.

"Alright. If you wish to purchase B-Rank chests… You will need to deposit at least 220 million won." Apparently, people needed to deposit a fixed amount of money, given the maximum rank of chests they wanted to buy. Jimin controlled his grin somehow. So, that's the entry barrier. Makes sense. Weed out small players from the start. This requirement alone reduces a lot of competition. Only those who can actually afford the gamble would even be allowed to play. He gave her his card without hesitation.

"I'll deposit 300 million." The receptionist nodded and took the card.

"Understood." After the transaction was completed, she handed him a small token tablet. It was sleek and minimal. A single number glowed on the screen. [29] Twenty nine, huh?

"Your token," she said.

"Please wait in the lobby until the event begins." Jimin nodded once. Then turned and headed to the lobby.

The moment he entered, His eyes bulged slightly.

"Damn..." The lobby was massive. Lavishly decorated. Crystal chandeliers. Soft music playing in the background. People gathered in clusters. Talking. Laughing. Drinking. Jimin scanned the crowd quietly. Expensive suits. Designer dresses. Luxury watches. Perfumes lingering in the air.

"All dressed up, elite trash of society, have gathered here," Jimin murmured quietly. He adjusted his mask slightly. His own outfit wasn't cheap. But compared to this crowd, it barely registered. He brushed it off. Doesn't matter. Suddenly, he spotted cheesecake slices on a table, served as refreshments. These look quite appetizing. Jimin found it difficult to resist, so he didn't. He picked a plate, walked to a corner and took a seat. And took a bite, as he adjusted his mask slightly.

As soon as he took the bite, his gaze sharpened. Damn it's so good. Finished in a minute. [+20 LP] Jimin had also been noticing a few other masked appraisers. But he avoided interaction with anyone. And fortunately, nobody approached him either. Time passed. More people entered. Then- The doors opened. A man in a tailored suit walked in. Confident and composed. The manager. He stepped to the center and clapped once.

"May I have your attention, everyone." The chatter slowly died down. Eyes turned toward him. He gave a polite smile.

"Registrations are now complete… We have a total of 73 participants today. And a total of 374 mystery chests this time" A faint murmur spread. Seventy three, huh… Not too many. Good. The manager continued,"Each participant may purchase up to 5 chests in total. Regardless of rank." Shit… I planned to buy six.

"But I would like to inform you that this time, there is no S-Rank Mystery Chest." A few disappointed murmurs spread.

"However… There are 46 A-Rank, 94 B-Rank, 157 C-Rank and 77 D-Rank chests." Jimin's eyes sharpened instantly.

"We will only place A-Rank and B-Rank chests in the first round. And each participant can select up to 2 chests in the first round… Selection order will depend on your priority rank." Then the manager cleared his throat.

"We will now conduct a lottery to decide the order of selection priority." Excitement surged in the room instantly. Suddenly- BEEP! Every token tablet lit up. The numbers glitched and changed. Jimin looked at his token immediately. [14] A grin slowly formed under his mask.

"Damn… I'm fourteenth," he murmured. Most of these idiots will go for A-Rank chests first. That means I will have a monopoly over the B-Ranks. Meanwhile, a few participants started complaining.

"What the hell?"

"Sixty eight!"

"This is rigged." The manager raised his hand again.

"Please remain calm." Silence returned gradually.

"We will now open the Display Hall. You may enter and start looking around. The event will begin after the signal." That was enough. The crowd started moving. Jimin stood up immediately. He also moved with the flow. But slightly ahead. The corridor stretched ahead. Polished floors. Bright lights. Low murmurs echoed as participants walked. Jimin's heartbeat became fast. Finally, he stepped inside the Display Hall. His eyes widened slightly. It was massive. At least double the size of the lobby. Well decorated.

Rows upon rows of two-storied racks filled the hall. The mystery chests of various colors and patterns were placed on them. Jimin took a deep breath. This is the moment I trained for. For a month- Jimin had been visiting various shops and commerce halls to train his 'Treasure Hunter's Sense'. He used to activate the skill to gauge and memorize the intensity and brightness of the aura, gear of each rank emitted. He has managed to grasp the use of the skill by now. Jimin's eyes sharpened.

"Let's see…" He immediately activated 'Treasure Hunter's Sense'. As soon as he activated the skill, a golden aura started forming around the mystery chests. He was currently in the A-Rank section. His gaze swept across the racks. But he noticed that only a handful of the chests emitted the strong, dense aura of an A-Rank gear. A few had the aura of lower ranked gear. But almost half of them had no aura at all. He started looking around and discovered that it was the ratio on average.

"No wonder there aren't many participants. Most of these are duds," he murmured. No point in wasting any time here. Others will fight over these anyway. Jimin quickly moved to the B-Rank section. But suddenly- A siren went off. Is that the signal? The other participants also froze for a split second. Tension spiked. They started looking at their token tablet and around them. Suddenly, Jimin heard a beep, coming from somewhere in the hall. That's the first guy. It has started. His focus snapped back immediately.

He immediately started moving. To check the remaining chests. There was no reason for others to hurry. But that was not the case for Jimin. He knew what he was looking for. Several beep sounds followed. His number was approaching slowly. His gaze moved rapidly across the shelves. And just then, something caught his eye. A glowing chest. Jimin approached the chest. His eyes locked at it. A grin started to form under his mask. This aura… It's an A-Rank.