Inside the workshop of the Sector 5sewage system in Spring City.
Dean McKenzie was arranging his 'treasures' that he'd collected from the sewer whilst worrying about his wages and his future.
"I have been in this world for half a year now and have only saved up 5 silver coins. At a rate of one silver coin a month, it will take me at least seven to eight years to save up one gold coin.
Seven to eight years, I will be 30 years old in seven to eight years.
Putting the age factor aside, also let's not consider the variables of seven to eight years.
Even if I manage to save 1 gold coin, the Promotion Ceremony for that one gold coin is only the lowest level. The success rate is a terrifying one percent and what I turn into is uncontrollable.
If my luck is poor the gold coin that is equivalent to one hundred thousand RMB will simply go to waste.
Even if I encounter that one percent chance, it's still uncertain whether I can turn into a combat profession or not.
In other words, am I supposed to gamble an opportunity in the following seven to eight years, practically an eternity?"
Making such calculations made Dean a little discouraged: "I give up! It's so impossible, maybe I should just quit!"
Of course, easier said than done, it's not possible to just give up.
Look at him denying himself right now.
"No, I can't. As challenging as it is to transvers to another world, much less a world as interesting as this one, how could I just give up?
No matter what, I will certainly become a professional with immense power!"
While speaking, he thought back on those images of the professionals battling with immense power that he had seen when he had just transversed half a year ago. Dean couldn't help but get excited at the thought.
Yes, that's right.
The current Dean McKenzie, a janitor of the Spring City sewers, is a transverser.
Half a year ago, he had unexpectedly travelled to this world.
Moreover, it was his physical body that had travelled to this world.
When he first arrived in this world, he was fortunate enough to witness the product of this world and saw a group of professionals in battle.
How could one describe that scene. It gave a newly transversed Dean an immense shock.
That battle was the primary cause for Dean toiling in the sewers for half a year.
He wanted to become a professional.
Also, janitor was the highest-paying job he could reach.
Dean McKenzie was quite fortunate, actually.
Upon transversing, he encountered professionals battling and luckily managed to live on from that battle. Even more so, the victor was clearly someone who embodied law and goodness.
The proof was in the fact that they rescued Dean and took him back to the city.
After a quick investigation showed that Dean was an ordinary person, he was placed in the victims' gathering center of Spring City.
You could say that Dean's early days of transversing were fortunate due to the help of Spring City's official institution and he was able to settle down in this world.
As a result of the training he received from the Victim Gathering Center, Dean McKenzie was able to secure a job as a sewage janitor with a monthly salary of 1,100 copper coins, equivalent to 1,100 RMB.
If it were the past, Dean McKenzie, a recently graduated college student, wouldn't glance twice at a job with a monthly salary of a thousand and some.
He remembered thinking: a monthly salary less than 10,000 is ridiculous, even a dog wouldn't take the job!
But as soon as he transversed, he worked diligently for a job that pays a little more than a thousand a month.
But his efficiency was no use because the wage didn't show any hope for future!
"No, I can't continue like this. I can't just waste seven to eight years gambling with my life, these six months have almost driven me crazy already. If I have to continue for a few more years, I will absolutely lose my mind!
After this final month, I am done!"
As Dean muttered to himself, he continued to wipe his treasures.
That treasure in his hands was his treasure in his own eyes, but to others, it was just a piece of trash.
It was a tiny sharp corner, looking like a component of some equipment.
As Dean played with it, he could see the attributes of the object before his eyes.
...
Name: Unknown Equipment Fragment
Quality: Trash
Level: 0
Attribute: Physical Attack +0.1
...
At first, Dean was especially excited when he saw these attributes, thinking that he had awakened the Golden Finger.
Later, he found out that these attributes weren't unique to him, but were common to the world he was in.
This world in front of him was somewhat similar to the worlds that had invaded games in novels.
In this world, attribute boards are common.
Everything that could be seen basically had attributes, not only did the equipment fragment in Dean's hand have them, but also he himself had attributes.
...
Name: Dean McKenzie
Profession: Unpromoted
Talent: Extraction (Not activated)
Level: 0 (Unlocks after Promotion)
Attributes:
Strength: 0.7, Agility: 0.8, Physique: 0.8, Spirit: 1.1
...
These were Dean's attributes.
A complete mess.
The average common person's attributes are around 1, Dean's attributes are inferior to the common person's, excluding Spirit.
The only bright spot was the Extraction talent.
At first, Dean was pretty excited when he saw this talent, thinking it was a unique skill that set him apart from others.
But reality quickly cooled him down.
He discovered at the Victim Gathering Center, this talent was not something that everyone had, but at least three or four out of every ten people had it.
He even saw a few people with the same talent as him.
Later on, Dean found out that having a talent was one thing, whether it could be unlocked was another.
The conditions to unlock the talents differed from person to person. It rather depended on their luck, apart from a lucky few who could unlock it as soon as they were promoted, the vast majority of people needed to purchase talent-activation tools or potions. But neither tools nor potions were something an impoverished person like Dean could afford.
For Dean, his ideal situation right now would be to work hard for a few years and save up 1 gold coin.
Then, use his savings from these years to undergo the lowest-level Promotion Ceremony, successfully turn into a professional, and awaken his talent in one go.
He would be able to soar to great heights instantly.
"If only it were that simple!"
This dream was beautiful, so beautiful that it could be the driving force for Dean to move forward. But he also knew that he needed to adjust his mentality.
While he should hold onto this beautiful expectation, he mustn't get too immersed in it.
Otherwise, if things didn't go according to his script, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to bear the collapse!
"Let's get to work! If I want that beautiful future, I need to finish today's work first!"
As Dean spoke, he picked up his freshly cleaned treasure and got up to leave the small work area.
Upon going outside, Dean didn't get to work right away. Instead, he first checked his traps and the alarm system in the sewer.
After making sure everything was in order, Dean put the treasure he had just obtained in his trap, and just as he was about to start working, the alarm system for the sewer suddenly went off...