Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Making Money Strategically (2)
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[Real Estate Mogul][Rare]
You are a real estate mogul who has contracted for ten or more mid-sized or larger houses at once. Everyone in the industry has started paying attention to you.
-Real estate contract fees reduced by 0.05%
On top of that, he had unintentionally acquired a title related to real estate.
It wasn't a purchase but merely a long-term lease, but achievements were relative, and at this point in time, contracting for that many houses all at once had been recognized as a "remarkable feat."
Meanwhile, others were still obsessed with creating guilds.
Item trading sites were in chaos as people scrambled to gather 50 gold somehow, and they sent all guild members to hunting grounds to scrape together the shortfall, going all out to establish a guild as quickly as possible.
"Ignorant fools."
It was only natural that leading guilds would attract better members. Anyone would naturally want to join the best guild.
"My pockets are going to get fat."
Thanks to them, only Rokan stood to gain big. Just collecting double the monthly rent from them would bring in 65 gold every month. Not only would he recoup the first month's rent he'd paid upfront, but he'd profit even more on top of that.
In the end, Rokan had only put down the deposit and was now sitting back to earn money.
"Real estate speculation doesn't happen for nothing in the real world either."
And that money would be reinvested into high-end houses that guilds wouldn't even dream of yet.
There was still quite a bit of time before the patch that introduced unique items worth calling singularities, so he planned to steadily save up until then.
"For now, time to go hunting."
Gazing fondly at the 'Lease Agreements' items each taking up a slot in his inventory, Rokan soon set off again. In any case, it would take some time for the guilds to buy guild stones and then discover how absurdly expensive the storage fees were.
Plus, they needed time to realize that all the houses big enough to serve as guild houses were already long-term leased to someone, and then waste time hunting down that someone. He had to show up when they were at their most desperate for the real effect.
Rokan immediately planned to leave the noisy city for a while.
His target: Forest Lizardmen.
"Forest Lizardmen, huh... This should do it."
Knowing there were quests he could do in parallel, Rokan stopped by the butcher shop and adventurers' guild to pick up two more.
They were places he had to visit anyway for the main quest.
[Forest Lizardman Tail Meat Supply][Quest]
Forest Lizardman tail meat is chewy and full of umami, making it popular among foodies. Bring back as much as you can.
-Reward: 2 silver per Forest Lizardman tail
[Forest Lizardman Extermination][Quest]
The growing number of Forest Lizardmen has become a threat to Trinsic. Reduce their numbers and contribute to Trinsic's peace.
-Completion Condition: Blue Feather Ornaments from Forest Lizardmen 0/10
-Reward: 7 silver, moderate EXP
He vaguely remembered the location of the Forest Lizardmen habitat, but there was no reason not to use the available features.
Using the magic map to plot the shortest route, Rokan headed straight for their home in the "Savage Forest."
"Navigation on. Forest Lizardmen habitat!"
* * *
Forest Lizardmen didn't form fixed villages, but they roamed their habitat constantly, so it was standard to hunt them in teams with clear role divisions to avoid pulling extra aggro.
Moreover, they were great prey for steadily earning decent money and EXP, like the quests he'd taken, so in his previous life, the Forest Lizardmen habitat had been quite popular.
But what about now? In his past life, Rokan hadn't come here until much later, so it might be different.
The flashier monsters that gave tons of EXP at once were probably more popular right now.
"I hope there aren't too many people..."
Thinking that, Rokan cautiously stepped deeper into the Savage Forest.
"Oh..."
True to its name, the Savage Forest felt wild overall, not just the monsters. The grass grew tough and coarse, and the trees were thick and massive, hard to find anywhere else.
But what caught Rokan's attention wasn't the welcoming sight. It was the boundary of the Forest Lizardmen habitat. Even after reaching it, no users were in sight.
"Guess other spots are still the hot ones."
It made sense. EXP and income per average hunting time were on par with similar hunting grounds, but the risk of a Forest Lizardman Warrior popping up anytime kept people away for now.
Once more people flowed into Trinsic and hunting spots got scarce, it'd get the spotlight.
"Time to get started."
Nodding, Rokan drew his Orc Clan Battle Axe and charged straight at the Forest Lizardman Warriors ahead.
They didn't have strong tribal loyalty but often moved in groups—Rokan didn't care.
"Krraaah!"
He opened with War Cry, of course. The Lizardmen's scales bristled as they went into sharp alert mode. The level gap meant the effect wasn't huge.
"Chieeeek!"
With a damp, metallic hiss, two Forest Lizardman Warriors lunged at once.
Serpentine blades slithering in slyly. Rokan flicked his axe blade to parry, nullifying their attacks.
Then he thrust the Battle Axe forward.
"Strike!"
"Kyaaak!"
The Lizardman's tough scales crumpled instantly, red flesh and green blood spilling out.
"Shoulder Charge!"
Boom!
The other wasn't spared. Rokan slammed into it with his full strength and weight via his shoulder.
He hadn't reached his second job change yet, so no Shoulder Charge skill, but his ingrained combat instincts kicked in.
"..."
The power was tremendous. With his insane strength and toughness added, it felt like a battering ram.
The Lizardman, hit square in the solar plexus, tumbled without even a scream. Rokan swiftly rose and hurled a hand axe.
Thuck!
His experience-honed accuracy was astonishing. The blade buried right in its forehead, shocking it into stupor. Not enough power for a one-shot kill, but it bought time for his follow-ups.
"Dash!"
Rokan leaped and finished it off.
"Whoops, forgot about that."
Rokan chided himself for killing an opponent twice his level too easily.
"Kieek!"
While he did, the first one—mortally wounded—staggered, seeking an opening. Fat chance. The Lizardman Warrior's relentless vital-targeting swordplay was child's play to Rokan.
He casually twisted its wrist to block, then rammed a hand axe into its torso along the path of its retracting sword.
Its crude leather-and-metal armor resisted roughly, but Rokan's strikes weren't just sharp—they crushed.
The rippling impact tore internals; the Lizardman spewed guts and dropped to its knees.
"Not yet."
Rokan didn't let it go easy.
He pinned it with his foot, then hacked hard at its hindquarters.
Slice!
The tail came off clean.
[Acquired Forest Lizardman Tail.]
This was the surefire way to get a Forest Lizardman tail 100% outside of death drops: sever it alive.
Strong tails could counterattack, but overwhelming force made them shed like ordinary lizards.
Killing after got you the drop chance too—potentially two tails at once.
"Nice."
Normally, they dropped just over 1 silver each. Good luck with no gear drops meant barely over 2 silver per kill.
But guaranteed 2 silver per tail doubled hourly income.
No one knew this trick yet, but Rokan exploited it freely. He'd confirmed in his past life it wasn't a bug.
"Alright, let's play."
And so, Rokan's massacre began.
* * *
Level 70 Lizardmen were different from level 50 Orc Warriors.
They wielded enhanced first-job skills, and with double the level, their raw stats weren't far behind Rokan's.
But combat was always one-sided.
"Hup!"
Rokan's battle sense was top-notch, but he already knew their style well. This habitat would later become one of Trinsic's favorites.
His past self had hunted here too, naturally.
[Level Up!]
Levels rose steadily. Near-double level gap meant no slowdown from a few levels.
If anything, spare stats on level-ups sped up his hunts.
'Hmm, what's this?'
At some point, Rokan's moves grew more restrained.
He was saving Berserk for a potential Great Warrior anyway, but even against regulars, he fought cleanly for efficiency, not his usual wild swings.
Even in enemy swarms, he could play controlled—methodical, waste-free takedowns of the Warriors.
Meanwhile, he muttered inwardly.
'Not yet? More cautious than I thought.'
He felt eyes on him.
At first, he figured another party, but the gaze lingered. Someone was watching.
Weird, but chasing to ask was awkward. They'd deny it, and he'd look silly getting mad alone.
So Rokan acted. Played extra cautious, even tanked a few hits to gauge intent.
Whoosh!
Finally, they bit.
Beams of light rained from the sky, and a group arrived.
Red eyes, cocky glares fixed on Rokan mid-fight with the Warriors.
'They're here.'
"That guy?"
"He's actually taking down Forest Lizardman Warriors—decent skills. But three of us got wrecked?"
"You idiots. Knew it. Shouldn't have let him."
Chest emblems: red sword and bow.
Rokan hadn't seen them today, but he knew. Same type as the moron trio at Trinsic entrance. And the PK guild infamous in his past life.
'Blood Chaser, right?'
Thwack!
Rokan's aura shifted. He straightened, poured power into the Orc Clan Battle Axe, and one-shotted the Lizardman Warrior.
"W-What?"
They panicked at the sudden change, eyes wary—trap?
He'd been raiding everywhere lately; other guilds ambushing made sense.
But scanning yielded no reinforcements.
Meanwhile, Rokan turned with a grin.
"Long time no see, assholes."
A reunion with his first enemies from long ago.