Survival Quest, <Resident Verification> completed!
You can now go to the Skeleton Resident Center to receive your resident card.
The quest was completed as soon as it appeared. I closed the pop-up window and headed to the lawyer’s office for the next schedule. Thanks to the successful golden contract, Sinipgol was wearing a golden crown.
“Let’s proceed to the next step.”
Jung Da-hoon owns a total of 10 stables.
Originally, there were 12, but after an agreement with him, one stable was given to Bori, and I took one, leaving 10.
“First, please list all the stables bought for 600 at 2,000. If they don’t sell, we can put them up for auction.”
-Tap tap.
I intended to wait for users trying to purchase real estate to sell their various valuables at low prices to gather that amount.
No matter how poor, they should be able to afford a share in a stable.
[System]: Congratulations on becoming a resident of Skeleton Village. Your resident card has been issued.
After receiving my resident card at the resident center and leisurely stepping out, I heard users talking.
“Ah, crazy. It’s too expensive.”
“How much is it?”
“A shabby stable is 2,000…”
Even if it wasn’t the item I just listed, the region’s real estate prices had already risen due to the purchase of all the stables without price adjustment as soon as the map opened.
It was similar to the situation where the local real estate market rose due to unconditional purchases by Chinese immigrants in major overseas cities.
“Did one person preempt all of them?”
“Wow, who is it?”
“…Could it be Yeo Woo-rim?”
The users murmured as they saw me passing by. I raised both hands with an innocent expression to claim my innocence.
“That seems likely. Look at that overacting motion.”
Once a task is set among Koreans, where the ‘hurry hurry’ buff and organized movement are basically activated, rumors spread in an instant.
“Did one person buy all of them?”
“Yes. Contracts were concluded at similar times on the same day, and traces of ‘speculation’ were found?”
“Wow…… Isn’t this a problem even in skeleton society? Who is it? We need to catch and beat them up.”
It’s natural for supply prices to rise when demand increases. But finding circumstances of ‘speculation suspicion’ in the process is a separate issue.
Everyone suspected Yeo Woo-rim, who was rumored to be a rich user, as a speculative candidate.
“Didn’t you hear that someone refused to take on other work at the lawyer’s office?”
“No, why?”
“They didn’t tell me the reason, but it seems like someone monopolized it first?”
“It really seems like Yeo Woo-rim’s doing…”
Meanwhile, another suspicious circumstance was reported.
“Yesterday… there was a sighting of the richest skeleton in this neighborhood with a fox tail swaying around. I think that tail is Yeo Woo-rim’s.”
“Wow, now that you mention it, Yeo Woo-rim really didn’t have a tail attached.”
“But everyone… shouldn’t we focus on buying the stables rather than catching the monopolizer right now? I heard that even though it’s already expensive… it’s still the lowest price now.”
Having escaped far from the users who were in the middle of ‘finding the culprit,’ I was meeting Jung Da-hoon.
“Mr. Jung Da-hoon, how was the collusion meeting?”
“Yes, it went well. And we need to raise the price of the stables. Even now, it’s causing a stir because it’s expensive…”
Jung Da-hoon had attended a meeting where the homeowners of Skeleton Village colluded on house prices.
“We agreed to set the minimum at 2,500. As a result, other houses have also increased in price by more than 30%.”
Real estate inflation had begun.
* * *
Sitting at a rooftop terrace cafe, I heard a loudspeaker sound from below.
Users who heard the news that house prices had been frozen at 25 million won had started a full-fledged protest.
A protest carriage was also parked at the entrance of the square. I read the words on the banners attached to the carriage.
[Peaceful Shadow Castle]
[What’s with the illegal speculation?]
[Investigate responsibly]
Voices of criticism for the consistent silence echoed loudly.
“…The situation is getting serious. The total attack of the carriages has begun.”
-Unregulated soaring real estate prices!
-Regulate! Regulate!
Users who had come out onto the streets with bands on their heads were holding candles and urging the intervention of the absolute.
“Everyone’s in chaos.”
I spoke as if it were someone else’s business, and indeed it was, but I was secretly worried. During the last alpha test, they hadn’t united like this.
* * *
-Gol gol, Asara via golrom via
The chatty skeleton brought some good news.
The petition, which had been urged upon the noble skeletons, was accepted by the Shadow Atonement Prison, and the remaining seven hours of imprisonment were completely pardoned, with only probationary supervision imposed. It turned out as Kessler had hoped.
-Congratulations, Rim.
“……”
But Kessler’s expression didn’t change.
The clever skeleton, who had been running errands for Kessler over the past couple of days, knew the reason.
“It’s annoying.”
-Kessler
“Why?”
-The baby fox might have wanted to stay by Kessler’s side longer.
“What does staying by my side have to do with selling the tail I gave him?”
-Becoming a noble
“A noble?”
-Resident card issuance has started
“Resident registration has started?”
It was natural for the <Resident Verification> quest to begin as Skeleton Village was opened. But Kessler had been so busy collecting petitions that he had treated the lord’s duties as if they were none of his concern.
Kessler unfolded his legs, which had been crossed.
-Must have become a noble
“That’s right.”
Suddenly, all of the baby fox’s actions began to make sense.
“…Because he wanted to stay by my side longer?”
Or perhaps the baby fox was trying to become an equal, someone worthy of me. Even if it meant selling the tail I cherished.
Kessler gently stroked the tail attached to his own buttocks. His touch was much gentler.
* * *
Life became busy for the users after the quest was activated.
Since they had to purchase real estate in Skeleton Village within the quest period, a large number of quick-sell items were released into the market. As a result, due to oversupply, the prices of items were set much lower than usual, but the prices of stables were frozen or increased through unity, so users were struggling to secure funds.
“I couldn’t buy a house in reality, and now this is happening here too!”
Regardless of the cries of despair from here and there, I sold one stable for 20 million won and used that money to buy quick-sell items at 30-40% cheaper than the market price.
I planned to resell these items at the original price once the real estate chaos was over.
‘I need to pay off the loan then.’
I had taken out a loan from the bank, gathering even my soul, so I still had a lot of debt left. The reason I was able to borrow such a large amount was that Snake Rim had guaranteed it when I was in the form of a baby fox.
‘I’m tired, so tired. I’m completely drained.’
After another busy day, I returned to the castle only when night fell.
‘Now that I think about it, did I come in properly that day?’
When I opened my eyes, I was in Kessler’s bed, so I thought I had come in properly, but I didn’t remember how I got into the room because I was so tired. I remember dozing off on the stairs for a moment…
“Ouch.”
Anyway, I laid my weary body on the bed.
As I drifted into a light sleep, I kept feeling something like a bug moving on my cheek. Even if I rubbed or scratched my cheek in my sleep, I felt it again after a while.
Finally, I opened my eyes, thinking I would settle this and go back to sleep.
“…What are you doing?”
“Hehe.”
There was no bug where I thought there would be, but Kessler was happily stroking my cheek with his tail.
“I’m being affectionate.”
“It’s ticklish.”
“You like that feeling.”
Was it because Kessler’s mood was too good? Something felt off. As I rubbed my sleepy eyes, I suddenly realized the answer and was startled.
‘That’s right, the tail.’
Why is the tail I sold attached to Kessler’s non-existent butt? No… I couldn’t even imagine what process he went through to retrieve it.
I was utterly bewildered and just felt flustered.
“Can I kiss you?”
And that remark only added to my confusion. Even though he knew I had sold the item he gave me, instead of being upset, his face was dripping with even more sweetness.
“Ah… well…”
In any case, since I had committed a wrong, it seemed best not to ruin his mood right now.
“Didn’t you always do as you pleased?”
When I was a fox, offering one cheek like this was no big deal, as common as eating a meal.
“Are you saying it’s okay to do the same now?”
I nodded. Actually, thinking about it, it was a bit funny to even ask such a thing. In human form, we had done much more than this—he knew, and I knew, we had even engaged in intercourse.
But Kessler was concentrating as if the answer from my mouth was some important key.
“I don’t particularly have any aversion to it; I did it all the time.”
His face slowly drew closer. The gaze that had been facing me shifted to my lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.
I couldn’t help but widen my eyes at the serious atmosphere. He carelessly offered his cheek, tilting my chin towards him.
‘……’
The next moment, my lips were drawn into his as if being devoured.
Smooch. The sensation of being sucked in intensified.
Wait, what the hell? He said it was just a kiss?
I was startled, wondering what this was all about, but soon I began to understand his actions. Clearly intense, but it wasn’t exactly what’s commonly known as a ‘kiss.’
He used to enjoy putting my snout into his mouth with a wide open “woof” when I was a baby fox, and that’s exactly what he was doing now.
My bewildered face was reflected in his eyes. Regardless, his lips were twitching.
“Hehe.”
As if he was very satisfied with what we had just done.
