Chương 80: HOUSE HUNT (1)

Later that night- Baek Sang-hoon was leaning back on his chair. He was smoking a cigar in his maroon night gown, intently watching a recording of a raid battle between his guild members and a boss monster on a large holo-screen on his table. The room looked poshly decorated, with expensive art pieces resting around his room. It gave off the feeling of an ideal aristocratic private study room. The raid footage reflected across his sharp eyes.

A massive lion-like monster roared on the screen while several armored Rifters coordinated attacks around it. Sang-hoon quietly puffed smoke into the air.

"They're still too slow," he muttered.

"If that had been a B-rank mutant, half of them would've died." His expression remained calm, but irritation lingered underneath visibly. The recent Rift outbreak had already cost him enough headaches. Media pressure. Association pressure. Internal instability. And now this. Suddenly, his phone rang. Sang-hoon paused the recording and looked at his phone. Without hesitation, he put his cigar down and answered it immediately.

"Hello?" Frantic blabbering followed immediately from the other side. Sang-hoon's expression instantly darkened.

"What?" he asked in a raging, yet nervous tone.

"Yeah. Their van was found in a street of the Namyeong area. It had a busted front tire. Police found it, when they went to check the source of their busted surveillance feed," said Park Ho-jung.

"But it was swept clean. That means they had time to erase the traces. I think… They failed in a kidnapping." Sang-hoon clenched his fist but didn't say anything.

"We haven't found them yet. And we don't have any clues either. But don't worry, boss. The police won't find anything. And they won't reveal anything either… The only issue is the person-" Sang-hoon cut the call. And at that instance, he stood up and slammed his fist against the table with full rage, shouting, "FUCK!" The table vibrated, as a sharp noise cut through the air. The holo-screen flickered violently before the entire display short-circuited with a crackling spark. The room suddenly fell silent.

Sang-hoon breathed heavily for a few moments.

"What went wrong?" he muttered.

"What the hell is happening?" His jaw tightened. Ever since that Rift outbreak I've been having an off feeling. And now this… He slowly sat back down and grabbed his head. All the things I've done to make my family reach this point… The pressure behind his temples worsened. No… Everything will be fine. He leaned back on his chair again and picked up the cigar that had almost dimmed. Those maggots can't reveal anything. And even if anything happens, I'll have it covered up. He took a long puff. But this bad feeling…

For the first time in a long while, genuine unease crept into his mind. He slowly let out a huge load of smoke. Maybe… I should stop by that old quack for once.

Next morning at the old factory- Jimin stood straight wearing only his shorts. His toned body was covered with cuts, bruises and dried blood stains. And one dagger remained lodged in his back while two others hovered in the air. Suddenly, one of them pierced deep into his thigh, as blood slowly dripped down his leg. Yet, his expression barely changed. His wounds were already healing slowly at a visible pace. The flesh around the stab wound slowly tightened and regenerated.

Then- ['Regenerative Healing' has reached Lv. 2] ['Pain Regulation' has reached Lv. 2] Jimin simply chuckled at the notification. Never ever have I thought that I would be doing things like this to grow stronger.

"If someone saw this, they'd probably think I'm insane," he muttered. The dagger stuck in his back slowly began to retract, as if his body was pushing it out on his own. The pain still stung slightly But compared to before, it felt like a light muscle cramp.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Then, he flexed his leg slightly before continuing again. After continuing for a while longer, he shifted to his regular training. Time passed steadily. Eventually, his training finally ended. Jimin stood up, while stretching his body and limbs slowly. Today's training had been quite fruitful. Because, a bunch of his skills had leveled up.

'Regenerative Healing', 'Pain Regulation' and 'Purification' had reached level-3.

'Telekinetic Barrier', 'Telekinetic Spin' and 'Growth' had reached level-12.

'Heal' and 'Overtime' had reached level-8.

'Repair' had also reached level-10, restoring 13 to 15 durability with each repair now. And he had even gained +1 STR and +1 PSY. A face radiated the expression of satisfaction. He checked his current LP. [Current LP: 314] I've got enough LP now. Without hesitation, Jimin selected 'Spatial awareness' from his draft and created the skill.

[Skill Successfully Created]'Spatial Awareness' – Acquired. Total LP: 114 Jimin could feel the skill settle in. And as soon as he closed his eyes, the world around him suddenly became clearer. Much clearer. His senses expanded naturally through the surrounding area. He could sense faint sounds across the floor. He could also sense the water droplets falling nearby. Even the positioning of scattered objects around him felt strangely vivid. Jimin slowly opened his eyes.

The intensity lowered slightly, but the heightened awareness still remained.

"Man…" he muttered. It will take time to get used to this feeling. A slight grin formed on his face. This is going to be insanely useful during combat… Especially against ambushes. Jimin put his clothes back on. And without wasting any time, he finally left for the orphanage.

Jimin sat by the window of the bus, looking outside as the buildings went by. The morning traffic of Seoul moved steadily outside the glass. Cars lined up near intersections while office workers hurried through sidewalks carrying coffee cups and briefcases. The city looked alive as always. But Jimin's attention remained elsewhere. The three listings I saw are all in the outskirts of Yeoksam. So, I'll technically be living in Gangnam. But the prices are slightly lower than the usual market price…

He had already suspected something after comparing the listings online last night. Good properties in Gangnam simply didn't become "cheap" without a catch. His eyes narrowed slightly. It's that kind of deal, huh? The bus stopped briefly. A few passengers got off while others entered. Jimin leaned his head lightly against the window. Honestly, even thinking about buying a house still feel surreal to him. Just a few months ago, his biggest concern had been surviving day-to-day life.

And now- He was going around Gangnam looking for property. Life… Really changes fast.

After reaching Yeoksam, he had visited all three houses that he shortlisted. The first one looked flashy from outside but felt cramped internally. The second one was larger but poorly maintained. Then came the third one. The moment Jimin had stepped out of the car and looked at the building, something had clicked. A small duplex villa stood quietly along a relatively peaceful street. It wasn't extravagant. But it looked clean. Minimalistic. Modern. The white-grey exterior gave off a calm feeling.

"This is the final property, Mr. Jimin," the realtor said with a practiced smile. Jimin quietly nodded. The realtor opened the gate and guided him inside. The interior was spacious enough. Sunlight entered naturally through the large windows. And the living room connected smoothly with the dining space and kitchen. Most of the furniture followed a simple white-toned design. Jimin slowly looked around while listening to the explanation.

"The first floor contains the common living area, kitchen, garage access and storage room," the realtor explained.

"The second floor has two bedrooms with one attached and one shared bath. Everything is already furnished." Jimin glanced around and asked, "What about the training room?" The realtor smiled slightly.

"Ah. That's the highlight." Then, he guided Jimin downstairs. As they walked in, Jimin's eyes widened. The underground training room was significantly larger than Jimin expected. The walls and floors were also reinforced with mana. Jimin's eyes glittered slightly. This is actually good. For a psychic-type Rifter like him, having a proper isolated training space mattered a lot. So, he could train here safely. And that is what sold him. A few months ago, he couldn't even imagine living at a place like this.

After finishing the tour, Jimin sat down with the realtor in the living room for discussion. The realtor placed a digital document pad on the table.

"Please take your time reading everything carefully," he said politely. Jimin nodded and started looking through the documents. The conversation continued naturally.

"The three buildings you visited today are owned by the same housing company," the realtor explained.

"We specifically work with active Rifters."

"Mhm…" Jimin hummed.

"The full property value for this villa is 2. 6 billion won." Jimin remained calm outwardly.

"The minimum initial deposit required is 600 million won," the realtor continued.

"Afterward, there's a monthly installment structure. The first three years have a higher payment schedule, though re-negotiation becomes possible with additional lump-sum payments later. And there's also a monthly two million won maintenance fee until full ownership transfer." Jimin just silently continued reading. His eyes moved carefully across every clause. Then- He found it. There it is. [Property seized upon death clause] But he didn't let his expression change.

"If the owner passes away without a registered nominee," the realtor explained casually, "the property automatically returns to the company. But If there is a nominee, installment responsibility will transfer accordingly." Jimin nodded slightly.

"But you don't need to worry, Sir. There's a two-month grace period before repossession procedures begin, in case the client is declared missing or all payments are completely missed. In confirmed death cases, the property is reclaimed immediately." The realtor gave a professional smile.

"Of course, these conditions will only remain active during the first three years." Jimin quietly leaned back against the sofa while looking at the documents. I get the scheme here. But outwardly, he simply looked thoughtful. This property is being sold to Rifters… Especially to low rank Rifters… His gaze lowered toward his novice license resting beside the documents. Banks don't give loans to Rifters without any mortgages.

So, they either have to pay a high deposit from their pocket or pay an astronomical installment every month. Jimin could already picture the type of people these properties targeted. Young ambitious Rifters. People who are desperate to climb higher quickly. People who wanted the lifestyle before having the actual stability to support it. But those who are actually capable of doing so comfortably, wouldn't buy a house here. It's a scheme for those who wish to punch above their weight…

They would raid recklessly to earn the installments. Push harder. Risk more. And eventually die. And they profit from seizing the property. Jimin slowly moved to another page. And even if one manages to buy the house, five wouldn't… Quite a money glitch, huh? The realtor continued speaking politely across from him.

"This particular district has shown stable value growth over the last…" Jimin barely listened. Instead, he quietly observed the man. His clean suit. Polished smile. And the carefully controlled tone. This guy checked my novice ID before. So, according to him I must be a perfect goat. Then- A faint smile almost formed on Jimin's lips. Then, I'll just cater to your delusion. His eyes calmly stole a glance of the realtor. I'll make sure you get every penny of all of your damn installments, motherfuckers.