Volume 1, Chapter 12 – Future BOSS? Even When You’re Poor, You Still Have to Work

Dragging her exhausted body along, Anran finally made it home just as the sun was about to set.

Her clothes were caked with dust, making her look filthy. Walking through the streets of Twinmoon City, she looked exactly like a homeless girl.

The pistol was hidden under her clothes. In that state, Anran was practically labeled with one word: “poor.”

Far too poor.

Looking at the somewhat empty house, Anran was speechless.

Without the handcart that had occupied the kitchen doorway all year round, it really was hard to get used to things.

That had been the tool she relied on to eat.

Damn you, Lennard. I, your lord Anran, am finally out now, so just you wait.

Suppressing her hunger, she made a few pastries. After eating them, she finally replenished the stamina that had fallen below half. Then Anran took a shower, changed into her pajamas, and fell straight into bed, with no mood to think about anything else.

And so this exhausting day passed for Anran in deep sleep.

When she woke up, it was already June 4. There were still two days left until the open beta. Because the game had not officially launched yet, time in the game was flowing at exactly the same rate as in reality. Once the open beta officially began, the ratio would become 10:1.

Anran checked her personal panel. The status [Public Order Detention] had already disappeared, and her attribute panel had also changed a little in just this short day.

Her six core stats had become Strength 3, Agility 7, Endurance 5, Intelligence 9, Spirit 5, and Charm 4.

The game’s evaluation read: “Feeling stronger now? And yet you’re still a combat power 5 scrub and a pauper.”

(▼へ▼メ)

So annoying. Just because I’m poor doesn’t mean I’m eating your rice. Do you really have to roast me like this every single day?

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Anran felt motivated. She had been provoked by the game’s evaluation, and sooner or later she was going to get rid of that pauper label.

In addition, the main profession column now had an extra entry: Apprentice Mechanic. But she still only had 255 freely allocable experience points left, which was not enough to level up any profession or skill.

Then she would save it for now.

After washing up, Anran changed into ordinary clothes.

It was still the fitted sportswear she had bought three years ago, and she could still fit her whole body into it.

That sounded a little pitiful.

But Anran did not care. For people who worked as Engineers and Mechanics, there was no need to dress flashy while working. It was meaningless and would only get in the way.

Because after breakfast, she set her sights on the 1886 Hermit Pistol she had brought back with her.

First, she repeatedly disassembled and reassembled it, earning experience while familiarizing herself with the pistol’s internal structure. Then she used [Basic Analysis] to obtain its blueprint.

During this process, Anran gained 276 experience points. After failing three times, she finally succeeded in unlocking the blueprint corresponding to the pistol.

[1886 Hermit Pistol: Quality Green. Magazine 12/12, Caliber 7.65mm, Attack Power 12–15]

The required crafting materials were all listed one by one, and the manufacturing process was also completely clear in Anran’s mind.

But things were not as good as she had imagined. She did not have the equipment needed to make those parts. If she had to grind them out by hand, who knew how many days it would take to make even one pistol.

That was a bit depressing.

Buying materials required money. Setting up a workshop also required money. The key issue was still the same: she had no money.

Now that the handcart was gone too, even selling pastries outside had become difficult. She had to think of some way to make money.

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Without realizing it, Anran found herself standing in front of Colin’s Repair Shop.

The sunlight was just right. The door of this repair shop, full of poor-neighborhood vibes, stood open, giving off an old, worn atmosphere.

The mustached owner, Colin, was still sitting in the rocking chair behind the counter. A newspaper held upright hid his face, and an aura of laziness drifted straight at her.

Curious, Anran walked over. The Twinmoon Morning Post. What was written on it? Was there any news about the police station being attacked?

She had just leaned her head over when she saw two large, white mounds.

Those were the breasts all humanity yearned for…

Well, anyway, those things. Smooth, pale, and full, they lay across the colored page.

A book was hidden behind the newspaper.

Colin was reading with great concentration, occasionally holding up a sheet of paper for comparison.

Anran’s eyes immediately caught the title on the page: “In the New Generation, What Kind of X Shape Is Most Popular?”

“…”

What the hell? Last time he had been reading the rather steamy Practical Techniques of Bionic Machinery. This time it was even more straightforward.

What exactly was he trying to do?

“Oh, it’s you.” Colin finally noticed Anran standing beside him. Looking perfectly calm, he rolled up the book with the newspaper and slipped it into the drawer beneath the counter.

“Haven’t seen you for two days. I thought you weren’t coming back,” Colin said.

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Last time, they had agreed that she could come over to read books, but that very afternoon Anran had been hauled away.

The moment she thought of that, she got angry all over again.

But she could not just vent her temper at random. Lennard, I’m still keeping score for this one.

“I…” Anran started.

Colin cut her off. “Read whatever you want by yourself. Just three rules. First, don’t bother me. Second, don’t bother the customers. Third, don’t dirty the books.”

Since he had already promised someone something, he rarely went back on his word.

But Anran’s main purpose in coming today was not to read.

She was here to look for a job.

Even if she might become some great demon king or a big BOSS in the future, she was currently being crushed by poverty. To avoid starving to death, Anran still had to come out and work for money.

Life was always full of hardships.

Her savings were running low, and Anran could not just sit there and spend them down to nothing.

After thinking it over from every angle, she still felt that Colin’s Repair Shop was the most suitable place for her to work right now.

The salary went without saying. More importantly, the work here was right in her field. While working, she could also read and study, and maybe even pick up a few things from Colin as a senior.

If she got lucky, maybe she could even use Colin’s workshop to make a few things for herself.

In Night of the Stars, repair shops like this came standard with workshops.

“Actually, I came to look for work. I was wondering if you’re hiring here,” Anran said.

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“Huh?” Colin froze for a moment. Hiring?

“Sorry, I’m not hiring here.”

“No, no, no. You can consider the matter of hiring,” Anran hurriedly urged.

“Why would I hire someone for no reason?”

A repair shop was certainly busy when it was busy, but when it was quiet, it was dead quiet. If he managed his time properly, he could barely handle it on his own.

“Hiring someone would free up your hands and give you more time to study Practical Techniques of Bionic Machinery.”

Seeing that Colin was unmoved, Anran continued, “Don’t let how I look fool you. I’m actually an Engineer and a Mechanic too.”

“Oh?” Colin suddenly became interested in Anran.

A girl that young being both an Engineer and a Mechanic was quite a rare thing.

“If you don’t believe me, I can prove it,” Anran said. “Can you lend me a sheet of paper and some drawing tools?”

Colin did not refuse. He stared at Anran for a moment, sizing her up, then pulled open the drawer.

“Here.”

What he pushed across the counter was a sheet of white paper and a simple set of drafting tools.

“Thank you.”

Next came the moment of truth.