Chương 69: STRATEGY

By the time Jimin reached the orphanage, he was quite late. He adjusted the strap of his bag slightly before entering. As Jimin entered, he could hear the other kids' chattering from the dining hall. A faint smile appeared on his face. But it quickly faded as a realization hit him. Shit. I need a good excuse today. He immediately headed upstairs, his footsteps quick. He entered his room, dropped his bag on the bed, and headed straight for the washroom.

Cold water splashed against his face; wet fingers ran through his hair before washing his hands thoroughly. Then, without wasting any more time, he grabbed the bag of choco pies, before heading downstairs. And crashed the dinner. The moment he entered the dining hall, all heads turned toward him. Jimin raised the bag of choco pies slightly.

"Yo." Mrs. Han immediately gave him a sharp look. Jimin froze for a second, then responded with an awkward smile. But the tension didn't last long. Because the kids' eyes had already locked onto the bag in his hand.

"What's that?" one of the younger kids asked, while leaning over the table. Jimin raised an eyebrow.

"This?" He shook the bag lightly.

"Choco pies." All the kids immediately exploded with excitement.

"CHOCO PIES!"

"No way!"

"Hyung, give me one!"

"Me first!" The entire table erupted into chaos instantly. Some younger kids stood up, some even tried to rush toward him. BANG! Mrs. Han slammed her hand on the table.

"Sit down!" Instant silence. The kids froze and slowly returned to their seats. Though their eyes remained glued to the bag.

"Eat your dinner first," she said firmly.

"You'll get them after dinner. Let him sit first." Jimin let out a breath of relief and moved to his usual seat. That was close. He sat down and started eating quietly. For a few moments, everything felt normal again. But suddenly-"Is it because of work again?" said Mrs. Han. Jimin froze. The question came out of nowhere. He looked up. Mrs. Han was watching him with a sharp look. Jimin forced a casual expression.

"Uh… no. I went to see an apartment for rent." The room went quiet. Even the kids stopped talking for a moment.

"Oh…" Mrs. Han nodded slowly.

"It's about time you did. So, how did it go?"

"It didn't work out. But I have a few more options." He took a bite, then continued calmly.

"I think I'll find one in a few days." Her voice softened slightly.

"I see." Everyone understood the situation. So, no one said anything. The silence lingered for a moment. But Jimin broke it.

"About the choco pies…" He looked up, a small smile forming.

"I got a bonus at work. So, I brought those for everyone." The atmosphere flipped instantly.

"Thank you, Hyung!"

"You're the best!"

"I want two!"

"Me too!" Jimin chuckled lightly.

"Finish your food first." Mrs. Han sighed quietly but didn't interfere this time. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

After dinner, everyone enjoyed their dessert. Then, Jimin went upstairs. After freshening up, he finally lay down on his bed, starting to feel relaxed. He closed his eyes, lost in thought. An E-Rank Rift is vastly different from a F-Rank. There's actual danger. He exhaled slowly. Luckily, it's a Goblin forest. The skills I already have are enough to pummel the goblins. The attack power is sufficient. But the issue is how long I can sustain… Then, there are the other issues. He opened his eyes and sat up.

I need to create 'Contract' and 'Absolute Oath' as soon as possible. He let out a big sigh.

'Contract' is still far-fetched; it needs 10, 000 LP. Not happening anytime soon.

'Absolute Oath' is the first priority. Especially if I need to fight alongside a party. It needs 2, 700 LP. He grinded his teeth. But that means I'll need to save LP for at least a week. Unless… His eyes sharpened. I can increase the amount of LP I gain. He immediately opened his skill creation window. I don't need to worry about the LP decreasing for a while. The LP gain should remain the same until I reach D-Rank. And E-Rank monsters give much higher LP.

"Yeah… This should be the best way," he muttered. He carefully filled in the name and description of the skill. And after a while, a window with the full details appeared.

[Skill: Monster Hater] Category: Passive Type: Utility Rank: Custom Description: Killing monsters grants +10% extra LP. Cost: None Cooldown: None Required LP: 220 LP —------------------------------------------- Jimin stared at the window for a moment. Then scoffed lightly.

"As always… The system nerfed the skill." Still… 10% is more than I expected. This will do. Jimin created the skill immediately. A notification popped up.

[Skill Successfully Created]'Monster Hater' – Acquired. Total LP: 292

"Nice," he murmured. Yet, his expression didn't relax. But only this won't do. It will take a long time if I just fight with my party. I need to go solo for at least the first half of the raid. That would maximize my gains. He took a deep breath. I just need something to keep track of them. Without hesitation, he opened the skill creation window again and began filling in the details. A new window with details appeared.

[Skill: Mark] Category: Active Type: Utility Rank: Uncommon Level: 1/50 Description: Marks a target with mana, allowing the user to sense their location and condition through a mental link. Maximum Distance: 500 m Cooldown: 1 minute (After deactivation) Cost: 20 MP Required LP: 210 【Create】 【Edit】 [Draft] 【Delete】 A faint grin formed on his face.

"Exactly how I wanted," he muttered. The range is long enough. Without any hesitation, Jimin immediately created the skill.

[Skill Successfully Created]'Mark' – Acquired. Total LP: 82

"Cool," he murmured. Jimin leaned back slightly. Now I just need a skill to detect monsters and traps. Teacher said the goblins usually lay traps in the forest. His expression grew more serious. That could be dangerous. He started filling up the details for another skill. A new window appeared.

[Skill: Detection] Category: Active Type: Utility Rank: Common Level: 1/50 Description: Reveals the presence and location of all entities and hidden traps within a 100m radius. Cooldown: 10 Seconds Cost: 8 MP Required LP: 170 【Create】 【Edit】 [Draft] 【Delete】

"Hmm… The cost and cooldown is quite low. I can use it every now and then," he muttered as he nodded. I'll create it in the morning. This should be enough for tomorrow's raid… But I need to start creating some healing and resistance type skills soon. Jimin saved it as a draft. Then, he started meditating. And after continuing his meditation for a while, he went to sleep. Next morning, at the old factory- Jimin was meditating after finishing his morning training. His breathing was steady. Controlled and calm.

Today's training had gone smoothly. While training, he had gained [+1 INT]. And his 'Energy Bank' and 'Weight Distortion' skill had reached level-8 and level-7 respectively. A faint sense of satisfaction lingered within him. Jimin slowly opened his eyes. Without wasting time, he opened his 'Telekinesis' skill window.

Base Weight: 65 kg + (58 × 1) kg = 123 kg Range: 19. 25 m + (32 × 0. 55) m = 36. 85(+0. 55) m After wearing the headband… the power of my Telekinesis has really increased. My attacks were a lot smoother… and faster. And the PE consumption was also lower. His gaze sharpened. Maybe… I can try that thing now. Jimin stood up slowly and stepped forward into the open space of the factory floor. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he focused his telekinesis to lift himself. Telekinesis activated.

His feet started to rise above the ground slowly.

He rose a meter above the ground and then stopped, hovering still in the air. He started a wobble a bit suddenly but quickly stabilized himself. His expression started to tighten slowly. The strain was visible on his face. His control wavered slightly. Not good. Then, he slowly put himself down. But the moment his feet touched the ground, he grabbed his head.

"Damnit…" he groaned. A sharp headache throbbed behind his eyes. That was straining as hell. He exhaled heavily and immediately sat down to meditate. The strain gradually faded. Bit by bit. Anyways… That was a success. I can lift myself in the air… Though for a short time. He opened his eyes slightly. It can definitely help with fast movement on uneven terrain right now. If it grows even stronger… His gaze sharpened. Maybe I can even fly… Or just create a skill for that. He chuckled a bit.

"That might be easier." After his meditation was complete, he created the 'Detection' skill right away.

[Skill Successfully Created]'Detection' – Acquired. Total LP: 106

"Good." Now that covers the traps and ambushes. His lips curled slightly. Not bad. Then, he ended his training and left for the orphanage.

After finishing his routine, he stepped outside while fully covered in his gear. Though it was mostly his old gear, except the boots. He started checking and adjusting his gear before leaving. I can't just walk in with a bunch of new gear. Yuna won't stop questioning. He could already imagine it. It's such a hassle. He let out a big sigh and checked the time. Anyways, Assembly is in 20 mins. I better hurry. With that, Jimin embarked on his way to his school.