Chương 81: HOUSE HUNT (2)

The realtor suddenly asked Jimin, "What are your thoughts about going ahead with the deal, Sir? Jimin was caught a bit off guard.

"Hmm…" he muttered. The question had pulled him out of his thoughts for a moment.

"Oh. Yeah. I like the house," Jimin said with a smile. The realtor simply replied with a practiced smile, not revealing his true thoughts. Another chicken in the net. Meanwhile, Jimin was cooking up his own plan. I'd like to use 'Interrogation' on him just to be safe. But I can't. The target seems to be aware of its effects. And I'm not really in the same situation as yesterday. I can't have this guy realize… Unless... His eyes brightened slightly. A very simple solution came to mind.

"Then, let's proceed-" the realtor tried to propose. But Jimin cut him off. Shamelessly saying, "Before that... Can I use the washroom for a bit?"

"O-Of course, Sir," the realtor complied with a practiced smile, though his annoyance leaked through it.

"I'll excuse myself then," Jimin said with a shameless smile as he quickly scooted upstairs. The realtor simply stared at him, maintaining a professional face. Pesky fucker. Don't you dare dirty the floor.

Jimin quickly entered the shared washroom and locked it. The moment the door closed, his expression became serious. Then, he immediately opened his edit window and selected 'Interrogation'. The skill editing window instantly appeared before him. Jimin looked through the details carefully. I don't need anything complicated. Just one thing. He added just a single extension. [The target will not be aware of the skill's effect.] A few moments later- A revised window appeared with the desired extension.

[Required LP: 90] Jimin nodded. Reasonable. Without hesitation, he confirmed the edit. A notification appeared immediately.

['Interrogation' Successfully Edited] Total LP: 46

"All done," he murmured. A satisfied smile appeared on his face. This should make things easier. He quickly washed his hands for appearance's sake before leaving the washroom.

A minute later, Jimin returned downstairs. The realtor was still sitting exactly where he had left him.

"Sorry for the delay," Jimin said while sitting down.

"Not at all, Sir." Jimin leaned back slightly.

"Before we proceed, can I ask you some more questions?"

"Of course, Sir. What would you like to know?" Right then- Jimin intently asked, "What do you think about me as a client?"

"What do-" the realtor muttered. But his voice suddenly stalled. His pupils lost focus. His expression became strangely blank. Then- This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"I think... You are a pesky fucker," he said. Jimin blinked. The realtor continued, "An easy low-rank chicken. You're exactly the kind of idiot these contracts are designed for…" Jimin's eyebrows twitched. Then the floodgates opened. The realtor kept going. And going. And going. He just kept hurling slurs and insults. In fact, they became increasingly creative. It turned out to be way worse than what Jimin had even expected. So, he became visibly pissed.

For some reason, I wish this motherfucker had the same curse as those fuckers. Eventually-"Enough," said. The realtor stopped instantly. And his eyes regained focus. The blank look also disappeared. But then he just stared directly at Jimin. With unusually eager eyes. Jimin became slightly uncomfortable. What the hell? Why is he staring at me like that? Does he… Right then-"Sir," the realtor smiled politely.

"You wanted to ask me something… What would you like to know?" Jimin let out a quiet breath of relief.

"Yeah…" he muttered. Then he leaned forward slightly.

"What is all this scheme about…"

The next ten minutes passed surprisingly smoothly. Jimin asked question after question. And the realtor answered everything honestly. The realtor explained the company's entire business model. The more Jimin listened, the more his earlier assumptions were confirmed. Most of his conclusions had been correct. After gathering enough information, Jimin simply stopped asking. Eventually, the conversation returned to business.

"Then shall we proceed?" the realtor asked. Jimin nodded.

"Yes." The realtor's smile widened slightly.

"Excellent choice, Sir." Without further hesitation, Jimin signed the required documents and went ahead with the deal.

Jimin paid an initial deposit of 700 million, confirming the deal. The realtor informed him that he could shift to the house within two weeks. And starting next month, he would have to pay 40 million won per month as installment for the first 3 years. Plus, 2 million won as maintenance fee. And he could slowly pay the rest in the next following year. Soon afterward, he left for his appraisal work.

Jimin sat by the bus window. The city slowly moved past outside. Finally, I'll have a home of my own. A place that will actually belong to me. A strange feeling settled inside his chest. He took a deep breath. I'll shift right after I get my license. Maybe… I should move to the C-Rank Appraisal Center here as well. It'll be closer to home. And I'd need to eventually move up anyway. He sighed. I wish I could become a C-Rank appraiser soon. But the Federation will notice. That was the problem.

Advancing too quickly would attract attention from the elite. And that kind of attention was the last thing he needed right now. He just shook his head and closed his eyes. Life is just full of worries. I should relax more. A faint smile appeared on his face. I'll worry about it when it is time.

Jimin completed his appraisal work by evening. Then went to the Commerce Hall to exchange yesterday's loot. And after that, he selected an armor to buy.

Name: Standard Light Vest Category: Armor Type: Light Armor Rank: D Description: A lightweight protective vest reinforced with a mesh of mana-reinforced alloys. It provides solid defense without hindering the user's agility. Stats: END +6 Physical Defense: 20 Magic Defense: 20 Effect: Reduces all incoming damage by 20%. Durability: 100/100 Standard armor works for me. This has good defense and no drawbacks. Jimin looked over the equipment one last time. It wasn't anything flashy.

Just solid protection and decent durability. Exactly what he wanted. Jimin purchased it for 8 million won. Then, he left for the orphanage. The sun was already beginning to set outside.

Later that night- Jimin was meditating. The room was quiet. Suddenly- Beep. His eyes immediately opened. The sudden notification pulled him out of meditation. Who is it now? Jimin quickly grabbed his phone. Hmm… A text from Ji-hye noona? His expression brightened slightly. He quickly opened it. The message was simple.

"Hey. The entrance exam is about to start in 3 days. Wish me luck." Jimin blinked. Then, he slapped his forehead lightly.

"Damnit," he muttered. It completely slipped my mind. With everything that had happened recently, he had almost forgotten about the upcoming academy entrance examinations. Without wasting time, he began typing.

"Of course. Best of luck for your exam. May you prevail in your…" Then, she sent a reply.

"That's enough support. No need to put me on a pedestal." Jimin chuckled slightly. The next message arrived almost immediately.

"Anyway, I wish we could hang out. But I'm super busy. So let's hang out after I've got some breathing space. Bye." Jimin smiled and typed back.

"Okay. Bye." Then, the conversation ended. Jimin was about to put his phone down. But suddenly- A thought crossed his mind. Maybe… I should contact Hyun-woo too. He immediately opened Hyun-woo's chat window. He was about to type. But his fingers stopped. What should I even write? It's been a while since we've met or talked. I heard he has been busy steaming through D-Rank rifts. So was I… He leaned back slightly. How much stronger has he become… Jimin stared at the phone for several more seconds.

Then, he suddenly shook his head as he sighed. I've been overthinking too much lately. I should just text him. He quickly typed, "Hey. Your entrance exam's starting soon. Wanna hang out before that?" And sent it right away. Then, Jimin placed the phone beside him and resumed his meditation. Time slowly passed. And after a while- Beep. Jimin's eyes opened instantly. A grin appeared on his face before he even picked up the phone. He already knew who it was. Then, he quickly grabbed his phone to check.

And as he anticipated, it was a reply from none other than Hyun-woo.