Chapter 189 | Choosing A Home

Chapter 189: 189 | Choosing A Home

They were standing close together, the woman’s hand resting on the man’s arm.

As the door began to close, the man noticed Dexter approaching. He reached out and pressed the open button. The door reversed, sliding back open.

Dexter stepped inside. "Thank you."

The man nodded and smiled politely.

The woman glanced at Dexter. Her eyes moved from his face to his clothes to his shoes.

Then her brow furrowed slightly as she looked at her boyfriend then she let out a soft snort.

Dexter remained expressionless.

He pressed the button for the 24th floor.

The elevator began to rise and it felt like floating upward on a cloud of air, the floor numbers ticking past on the display panel beside the door in soft, glowing digits.

At the 20th floor, the elevator stopped and the doors opened as the couple stepped out.

As they exited, the man glanced back at Dexter. His expression carried a trace of apology.

The woman didn’t look back as the doors closed and the elevator continued upward.

Dexter stood alone as he chuckled. "Women..."

"Ding!"

The doors opened and Dexter stepped out into the hallway.

He had expected Jennifer to meet him, the woman he had spoken to on the phone but was instead met with a middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man came striding toward him from the far end of the corridor.

The man was... uhm... Fat.

Not fat, exactly, but heavy.

But his stomach was in the bigger side, stretching his dark blue suit very wide.

His face was round and ruddy, with thick lips and small eyes that crinkled into a smile when he saw Dexter.

"Dexter Ashford!" his voice booming through the hallway.

He immediately crossed the distance in a flash and grabbed Dexter’s hand before Dexter could offer it and shook his hands enthusiastically!

"Welcome, welcome! You’re very much welcome! Come, come, come. Let’s go to my office."

Dexter frowned slightly. He glanced past the man, looking for Jennifer but the hallway was currently empty.

"I was supposed to meet Jennifer," Dexter forcefully removed his hand and spoke..

The man waved a dismissive hand. "Yes, yes. Jennifer is one of our junior staff. She handles the initial phone inquiries and is very good at what she does. But for property consultations of this nature, the company felt it best that someone with more experience handle your case personally."

He smiled broadly. "And that someone is me. Marcus Webb, Senior Property Consultant."

He extended his hand again. Dexter didn’t shake it and simply glanced at him.

’He’s looking quite sketchy...’

"Please, here, come with me to my office."

Dexter filed the observation away and followed Marcus down the corridor.

The office was at the far end and marcus opened the door with a flourish and gestured Dexter inside.

The office was tidy. A large iron desk dominated the center of the room and its surface was clean except for a tablet, a stylus, and a small potted plant.

But it was the wall behind the desk that caught Dexter’s attention.

Weapons.

Three swords hung on the wall, mounted on individual display shelf.

Type One, Type Two, Type Three weapons!

Dexter’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Relic weapons and three of them at the moment.

Displayed openly on an office wall like hunting trophies.

Marcus noticed him looking and smiled proudly. "Collectibles. A hobby of mine. The Type Three was a gift from a client who was very happy with the property I found him."

Dexter said nothing. Real estate agents in this city earned well. That was no secret. The most successful ones dealt with properties worth tens of millions of credits. A Type Three relic on the wall was the equivalent of a luxury car gift to someone people.

Marcus sat behind his desk with a grunt and gestured toward the leather chair opposite. "Please, sit, sit."

Dexter sat.

Marcus leaned forward, his small eyes bright with enthusiasm. "Now. I understand you are searching for a property. A home. Somewhere to live."

Dexter nodded. "Yes. I’m looking for a simple house. At least four bedrooms. In a decent neighborhood."

Marcus clapped his hands together. "Perfect. That is exactly the kind of request I love to hear."

He tapped his tablet and a holographic display materialized above the desk, projecting a three-dimensional map of Stargate City.

The city was rendered in miniature, with districts color-coded by zoning type and property value.

Small icons marked available properties, each one pulsing gently.

"Now," Marcus said, manipulating the display with practiced gestures. "As you may know, the rate of gate openings and monster outbreaks has increased across the city in recent months. This has driven up demand for residential properties in stable districts. Various families have been investing heavily in new developments, particularly in the outer rings where land is cheaper and security formations can be installed from scratch."

He zoomed the map outward, showing the ring of new developments along the city’s perimeter.

"Several new estates have been completed in the last month."

The holographic display shifted, showing a series of newly developed neighborhoods, houses, townhouses, small estates.

Each one rendered in three-dimensional detail with specifications, pricing, and availability floating beside them.

Dexter studied the display.

Marcus swiped through several options. A townhouse in the western district. A duplex near the commercial ring. A mid-size family home in the northern sector.

Dexter’s eyes moved across the properties without interest. None of them felt right.

Then Marcus swiped to the next property, and Dexter’s hand shot out.

"Wait."

Marcus paused as he swiped back.

Dexter looked at the image.

It was a two-story house with white exterior and dark roof.

It also has its front porch covered with a wooden railing wnd a small garden in the front with a path leading from the gate to the door. Behind the house, a backyard with enough space for a garden, a patio, and maybe a training area.

It was in a standard suburban neighborhood that looked and felt quite to Dexter.

But the most important detail was the location!

The house was at the eastern edge of Stargate City, at the far edge and the boundary where the city’s developed territory met the wilderness buffer zone that separated urban civilization from the untamed regions beyond.

It was far from the central district and far from the political heart of the city where the Nine Families schemed and maneuvered.

Far from the Ashfords, the Calloways, the Vances and far from the Frosts.

Moreover, it was isolated and completely anonymous.

Dexter felt something settle in his chest like he’d seen what scarily he wanted.

"This one," he said. "This is perfect."

Marcus beamed. "Excellent eye! Excellent eye indeed." He tapped the property icon, and a detailed specification sheet expanded beside the house.

Property: Harvest Crest Residence, Plot 47

Type: Two-Story Single Family Home

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 3

Floor Area: 320 square meters

Lot Area: 450 square meters

Features: Integrated defense formation (Tier 2), climate-controlled interior, mana-infused foundation, private backyard, covered garage, storage basement

Year Built: Current Year (3 weeks prior)

Status: Unoccupied

Neighborhood Status: Newly developed. Low population density. 12 of 30 plots occupied.

"The entire estate was completed just three weeks ago," Marcus smiled

Dexter nodded slowly and interrupted him. "How much?"

Marcus’s smile widened. "This particular property is priced at nine million credits."

Dexter’s expression didn’t change.

But inside his mind, he chuckled bitterly.

Nine million credits.