Chapter 182

The My Home feature in Neo Haven is simple yet light, but on the other hand, it is complex and profound… The importance of this content varies depending on how sincere the player is about decorating their home or creating a hideout.

Even the performance-focused gamer, who is indifferent to appearance, will find it natural to cram various facilities once they realize the concept of relaxation bonuses the character can gather or after installing something like a drone operating system inside My Home, gaining real-time support advantages.

Players with a solid concept or those who have always enjoyed such freedom will find themselves immersed, banging their heads in excitement at the sheer variety of decorations and the freedom of placement.

In either case, it can be said that it is a feature that one will inevitably rummage through at least once, a passage to traverse.

Well… since the character and My Home itself show a mutually complementary aspect, everyone could easily understand that finding an efficient consumption method for credits meant equipping self-owned facilities that matched their armed gear was both more powerful and a reasonable course of action.

From that perspective, it’s not as if one is using a carebot solely within the house; dragging it through environments unsuitable for machines—like sand and dust, lead storms, and cascading water—is quite absurd.

Setting specific maintenance shops or stations isn’t established either, and needing to find a nearby place to visit at the time can seem like rather irresponsible management. I should reflect on that.

Therefore, even if I don’t acquire a mechanic’s license myself, it would be right to at least provide Zero with a maintenance facility capable of repairing damage they incur.

…Ahem! A bit of self-critical thought sneaked in there, but anyhow, all characters start from the same position.

Like a newbie who just arrived in Neo Haven, I began in a cheap, cramped monthly rental house in the outskirts.

At first, it serves as my base without much of a problem… but as playtime accumulates, it quickly becomes loaded with downsides that make one involuntarily exclaim, “Damn…!”

As my activity radius gradually expands and mission timelines become convoluted, I end up having to stay overnight in capsule motels to manage my condition, which naturally means losing the relaxation bonus.

Oh? There’s no space to place a weapons locker and part modification area?

Huh? Are there quests that can only be received if my residence isn’t near the urban center?

Damn? Is it impossible to install a garage here, meaning I can’t even buy a vehicle?

What’s worse, I could end up with theft occurring, causing warehouse items to vanish? Aargh! How can a person endure this…!

After going through a series of -ridiculous and frustrating. No matter how much of a fan I am of Neo Haven, it’s hard to defend these- processes, eventually, I began to choose and move into one of the increasingly expensive, well-located, and luxurious residences.

Well, that’s not something I can say after shamelessly hopping around other people’s homes until I ended up in a hotel, but today is the end of that.

This body? Anastasia Valentine.

Debt? None! Notes?? I’ve never issued any, and with a net worth of 1.3 billion credits, I could slap a passerby right outside and, instead of getting shot, negotiate a dramatic compromise (settlement) thousands of times over.

Since purchasing a residence isn’t something that needs to be done sequentially like upgrades or unlocking skill trees, there’s no need to seek out vaguely leveled houses or buildings.

It’s not so much a constraint of the game… but rather going beyond the framework, it’s smarter to pick a place that’s more convenient for movement and guarantees safety rather than designated real estate.

So… I thought it was clever. At least at this time.

“No houses for sale?? Why on earth?!”

“Well… that’s because there are no listings that meet the conditions you mentioned?!”

Why are such remarkable humans swarming in this damned Neo Haven?

To feel the population density phenomenon of the capital area here too like this.

“Alright…! Shall we get going now?”

– …Registered as a medium-risk food item: Salsa Roja (red salsa sauce). We kindly ask you to withhold judgement on your next order. –

As the dazed feeling from the drink faded, I eagerly stood up.

Setting aside the one next to me constantly updating useless software.

From now on, I’m really going to buy a house. The anticipation made my heart race.

Having trembled about security deposits being too high even for finding a studio apartment, I managed to achieve this success just two years later due to timing and conditions aligning.

This is indeed the opportunistic and daring land of the Americas.

It’s amazing; it’s always thrilling. It feels so dizzy I could die…!

“…Ahem!”

I shook off the rising wind of expectation.

As I was caught up in my excitement, for Zero to carry out movement, a prior decision must be made.

That is, the answer to the question, “How does one buy a house in this neighborhood?”

On the other side of the monitor, an anonymous mercenary-specialized realtor spontaneously reached out.

When it switched to high-value properties, a slim beauty guide from the black market took that place.

I assumed it was a kind of game allowance activated by connections the protagonist gained through their activities… but I don’t have any of that right now, do I?

According to what I found on the internet, in this place, both purchasers and sellers have separate agents, and when a buyer selects a house, the agents engage in brutal negotiations akin to a trial to reconcile prices.

However, the commission taken from that seems to be pretty hefty, doesn’t it?

…I hope it’s not a country obsessed with lawsuits.

Nevertheless, I have to choose.

Should I search for a famous real estate agent, or find a decent agency and get assigned a representative?

– There is a licensed brokerage about 138m away. –

“Hmm…”

I glanced over at the grim, bustling black market street filled with people from the underworld, which was just within reach.

Even just looking from a distance.

How lethal the weapons sold at nearby shops are… and if any used ones got embroiled in incidents, how thoroughly their records might have been erased—this intangible sense of trust began to overflow.

It feels as though if a person had gone missing by the truckload from inside, they wouldn’t leave a trace behind, so… um. So…

“…Should I head to a proper firm in the corporate autonomy zone?”

– Excellent decision. I’ll attend to you right away. –

As I extended my hand, a mechanical arm reached out to grasp mine, and I quickly hopped onto Zero’s shoulder.

They’ve always had a strong tendency to be cold towards others apart from me, and since they were born affiliated with a megacorp, I knew they would appreciate this decision given their distrust toward these ash-colored authorities.

To the unnamed suited lady… I don’t know why, but I apologize.

However, maybe because I’m originally Korean, I still have a deep-rooted bias that favors organizations over individuals during negotiations in areas like this, and prefer the reputable over the underhanded.

I hope you reap plenty later from the protagonist. Yes.

So we slipped out through one of the many entrances branched from the sprawling and weedy underbelly of Neo Haven, passing between various districts, and joined the crowd on the main street.

Although it wasn’t particularly sunny even in a city-certified zone… in any case.

The caution I had up until now about whether someone would stalk me with ill intentions gradually turned embarrassing! People were so indifferent to one another.

“Ugh… What should I do about lunch…?”

“I don’t want to work. But if I don’t, I’ll die. No… maybe dying isn’t so bad…?”

“…Damn! Shit, damn! Life Sucks!!”

It felt like watching groups of workers on the subway during rush hour.

They cluster together for boarding and alighting, somewhat empathizing with each other’s situations but never interfering. Such parallel entities.

The interaction directed towards me and Zero was minimal, usually just glancing my way occasionally, or perhaps staring at me enviously for riding a personal robot? They probably see me as a rich kid.

Frankly, I’ve dealt with these kinds of things countless times in Harvest Planet, and it felt more awkward to see Zero’s scars and appear stiff while checking my messenger, wondering if a heated shooting incident had just occurred nearby.

It seemed that we had apparently bumped into an area dense with small to medium-sized enterprises’ offices, and did that bourgeois duo just pass by? Please, don’t pay too much mind to it. Hahaha.

BEEP!

Could it be that the area is a haven for an immense flow of daily commuters?

Passing through barriers that simply count how many people go by without intense checks or item inspections, we moved toward the targeted real estate agency.

Let’s see… “Before signing a purchase contract, be sure to confirm physical property; do not just rely on virtual data,” was the first thing to stand out, instantly exciting me.

…Damn. Once I find a house I like, I should send Zero in to check for bloodstains immediately.

– Isn’t the saying “ignorance is bliss” applicable to such situations? –

“…Accidentally listed properties see their prices plummet exponentially; that’s part of human history… maybe.”

[ Selling Darkness Real Estate Traders ]

[ Multiple Experiences in Megacorp Asset Transactions!! ]

The supplementary note floating somewhere between trust and suspicion can be disregarded.

With the strong impression that they would sell anything, even if it meant forcing a transaction for unregistered properties, a smile naturally formed.

Now that I’ve crossed this threshold into the store, a few inquiries would quickly lead to a delightful shopping session ahead.

And while suppressing the overwhelming emotion stemming from everyone’s dream of home ownership… I took a step forward…

[ We are sorry, Ms. Anastasia Valentine! Due to malicious complaints from green rank citizens, our store is currently refusing entry to green and yellow citizens! Goodbye! ]

“This filthy, petty…!”

I readied myself to burst out in frustration at the cruel reality, but hurriedly cut myself off as Zero might misinterpret my excitement and try to breach the door.

That can happen. It can be understood.

In a metropolis where population density is heightened even with underground and aerial garden-like artificial platforms, how many malicious individuals could there be?

The store might adopt a somewhat defensive attitude. Yes, that makes sense.

…However, to treat someone like a nuisance before they even enter!

Is that what you mean when you say, “For purchase inquiries, please DM us”? It’s one thing if you ask for forgiveness in person, but to outright refuse an order without reason?

“Dammit…!”

I quickly scanned the surroundings to see if anyone witnessed me getting denied entry due to that damned scanner, and hurriedly swapped my identity with another.

Activating my credentials from the Makarovich side, I broke through the entrance to the brokerage.

Receive customers, dammit!

Bring me the best house within my 1.2 billion credit limit! Bring me the entire listing!!