Euca felt his head pounding. So many options! What house should he choose? Well, ideally he wanted the one that a bit far from the hubbub. He didn’t like noise. Then he might need to hire a few help to keep the house clean and cook for him. Perhaps also some kind of driver to drove him around. By god, he had enough walking for a year.

Now, his fund was forty thousand. All gold. Well, twenty thousand. He didn’t want to spend all his money buying a house. He was surprised when finding the amount on his inventory, but considering how [Chronicle] worked, it wasn't like ...outrageous. It was rather poor in fact.

As any observant gamer —people knew, all MMORPG basically suffer from Zimbabwe-rivaling hyperinflation. Honestly, what do you expect when everyone, like literally everyone, could print money by killing an endless spawning monster? And those shopkeepers! Those crazy rich shopkeepers!

He knew it was a good mechanic for day-to-day practicality. And the rare case where even the developer ceded on not doing planned printing like the central government did.

But let think for a second, would a real-world shopkeeper who sold carrot and leek for 15 copper a piece would want to buy a [Flamberge]? How about buying fifty pieces of [Flamberge] for one gold each? Insanity. That why these thirty thousand golds were chump changes. Most people already moved on to [Chocolate Diamond] as second currencies.

But still, that was [Chronicle]. While what appeared so far indicated the game mechanic somehow followed him. With how the world was so different —the skill, brr— it better be cautious. Let chose the cheapest place that fulfills his need. The manor right here seemed about righ—

Wait.

Why was he considering buying it at all? Didn't he want to stall at first? Peeking at the still animated gnome woman, he frowned, confused "So how about this one, it has a nice flower garden and located near high. It's the best one in inner!" Right, that seemed good—

Oh my God! He was being influenced!

Anger bubbled inside him. All the gratitude he had toward her crumbled. At once, he pushed himself up, standing —preparing to leave the room. Wait. But what about the house?

What?

Yeah, he meant he did need a house. He couldn’t just stay on the inn forever, could he? How else could he get home if he didn’t have workshop to research—

STOPSTOPSTOP!

Furiously, he willed the skill menu to his front. Scrolling down to the bottom of his skill list. The word flashed in front of him. He was sure that the gnome had been staring at him weird. He didn’t care though. He readied himself to what to come.

It repeated. The same room. The same fountain.

Different knowledge.

It surged. Embedded inside his mind, ran through his tongue.

"[Calm Emotions,]" he heard himself screeched. At once his mind cleared. The line of thought. The compulsions. His second-guessing, his benefit of doubt. All of them popped, disappeared.

His leg weakened, his breath heaved. He felt like back at home —late running to his third-floor lab.

"What. Did. You. Do?"

He enunciated the word one by one. Boring his eyes straight —pushing himself to stand despite his threatening limp. By everything that holy, he refused to show weakness to this—this damn brainwasher. He already got brainwashed once. No more!

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His hand was one touch away. Hovering between [Invisibilty] and [Lightning Blast].

"Oh, a mage..." the gnome sighed, folding back the map. "And here I thought you just rich traveler, Euca," she said plopping down to her chair.

"Well, do you still want to buy the house? Perhaps something closer to the academy?” she continued. Propping her head in one of her hands, her mouth curled. What? Was she p—pouting?!

"What are you doing to my mind?!" he half-shouted. How—how could she be so nonchalant! She just brainwashed him for god sake! And got caught!

"I used a skill on you of course." she arced her eyebrow. "Haven't you negotiate with a merchant, before?"

What?

What the hell? How negotiating became brainwashing? Yes, there were several “questionable” negotiation tactics. He was aware of that. One of the girls at sales like to do anchoring, Matt sometimes boasted faking limited times offer with multiple interested clients while none existed, and of course, he heard several cautionary tales where a rush sale happened before impending crackdowns. But those were psychological stuff! Not—

—wait.

His mind raced. Skill. Of course! A culture that developed around a system that enabled such reality warp—

"...it's nothing evil. The skill just put forward your willingness to purchase in the front of your mind." she smiled.

Right. He did indeed want to buy a house. But his cautious personality demanded that he consider all of the options; narrowed it down, did several visits, and returned back to the inn to sleep on the choices.

This was him but reckless.

It lucky for him that [Calm Emotion] worked. In-game, it just stopped [Confusion] status. The status that basically made the character walked around or hitting their own ally.

He really needed to compare the in-game effect to the current ones.

"—Look, since you found out. How about I throw you a good bargain, Euca?"

"...what bargain?" he trailed. Since her act was the norm, no guard will care if he reported her. And no matter how much he hated it. Like hated it, hated it, hated it! He did need to buy a house... And this was the guild. The merchant guild!

"I'll introduce you to good staff! I won't even charge you my fee!" the gnome followed. Her voice rose, gesturing around with her hand.

Probably excited seeing him still wanted to buy the house. The nerves!

He almost exploded. Shouting. He could felt the hold of the [Calm Emotion] fought against his growing, increasing anger. Then as his right hand just a touch, pressed the [Lightning Blast] icon, it struck him.

"Fourteen thousand." he blurted, grasping his right hand. Forcing it to clench.

"What?"

"This one. With the staff," he said pointing to the manor near the high. The third best one. He could see her eyes widen, her hand stopped.

"It's seventeen thousand golds! Euca, be reasonable, even though I won't charge—"

"Fourteen thousand, take it or leave it," this was risky he knew that. He had more than a half-chance of getting out here without any kind of house AND a deteriorating relation with the merchant guild. But dammit! By all ever-loving God, he had enough getting mindscrewed for the week. Maybe for a lifetime!

The woman kept talking. Offering him a slew of benefits. An upgraded card, a private booth in next month's auction, a favor. She droned on and on. Euca stopped listening.

The inn wasn't that bad, he mused. With fifteen silver a day, he could stay for a long time. Years perhaps!

In fact, let do just that! He wasn't going to make a deal in someone who started on bad faith! He steeled his heart. With a slight nod, he got up from the chair and began walking toward the door.

"—Wait! Fifteen thousand! That as low I can go!" the young woman shouted. Her hand reaching him but found only air.

Euca stopped.

Two thousand gold discount. That was a lot. Should he? He meant his thrown bone, his starting golds could be a one-moment thing. If he could keep an extra two thousand ...he wanted it. But, at the same time for his house, he also wanted security. No. He needed security. That’ wasn't negotiable. How could he get home if he couldn't stay in one piece? ...and it was unlikely he'd find a better deal. So, like he asked ...should he?

Or should he downgrade? Settle somewhere else — a nice cozy cottage in some border village? He’d save more money that way.

No, no, no. If there were answers to get home. If. He was sure that magic would play a big part. He couldn’t lose the mobility to a magical center just because it was too expensive. He should stay in a town. Where mages and libraries gathered. But, did he really need a house house, though? He meant, how about an apartment? That both cheaper and still located in town. ...but then he wouldn’t have a workshop. How could he do his skill-assisted alchemy if there were people snooping around? Asking questions.

He didn’t have much choice in the first place, didn’t he?

A minute passed, then the next. She fiddled with her hand, he stood unmoving.

The silence hung.

Then, ever so slowly he turned his body around. She clenched her hands.

"Pleasure doing business with you."