---o---
The text on the light screen faded, replaced by a new scene:
"Wait, what did you say? You want to work at the mechanical house as my assistant, without even needing a salary or vacation?"
Serval looked at the man before her with suspicion. The kid looked lazy, but he was holding several new, thick textbooks and earnestly asking if he could join her workshop as an assistant. The whole picture didn't quite match up.
She sized him up for a moment, then suddenly clapped her hands in realization.
"Another fan? You really went out of your way to buy these textbooks, but the act is full of holes. It's too easy to see through."
As Serval spoke, she casually fiddled with a small object on her workbench—it looked like a little amplifier. She was removing its outer casing to adjust the intricate wiring inside.
Complex circuits were etched into the rotating modules, with the warm energy of Geomarrow flowing through them as electricity.
While casually repairing the small amplifier, Serval waved a hand at the man beside her, dismissing him.
"'Mechanical Fever' has a new show in three days. You're welcome to come on the day of the performance, but we're closed to guests today."
But Ron looked at Serval with a helpless smile on his face.
"Yes, but... I've never even listened to 'Mechanical Fever.' If I had to say, I'm more of the old-fashioned type."
Ron pushed the workshop door open slightly, pointing outside across the entirety of Alexandra Square. Even from this great distance, the magnificent spire of the Golden Opera House was faintly visible. He shrugged.
"I usually watch operas."
"...Huh?"
The scene on the light screen faded, and new lines of text appeared:
[Serval, the owner of the "Perpetual Motion" Mechanical House, is suspicious of your identity and purpose. She has refused your request to join the workshop as her assistant.]
[But you quickly prove your identity with your actions. You perform a short excerpt from "The Supreme Guardian" for her. Although this long-standing traditional opera is considered an artistic masterpiece in Belobog's history, your rendition is enough to tarnish its brilliance.]
[Fortunately, the quality of your singing is unimportant. Even the most tone-deaf person can be a welcome audience member. Serval accepts that you are not a fan of "Mechanical Fever" and is quite shocked by this, muttering to herself:]
["Heavens, do young people these days still watch operas? Since when did old men who look like youngsters start appearing in Belobog..."]
[Although she strongly disagrees with your taste in music, she does not refuse your request to join the workshop a second time.]
[Even though you repeatedly state that you do not need a salary or vacation and only wish to learn from her, studying the art of mechanical repair and modification, Serval insists on setting your wages and benefits.]
The text on the light screen faded, and a new scene emerged:
"Even though the workshop doesn't get much business, I can't just not pay you... If I did something like that, I'd be struck by lightning. Even the Amber Lord would probably send down divine punishment, right?"
Serval teased. The movements in her hands paused for a moment; the small amplifier had been reassembled, restored to its brand-new appearance.
While negotiating with Ron, Serval's hands had never stopped moving, constantly adjusting the mobile modules within the amplifier.
And now, the little device was completely repaired.
She casually connected a couple of wires to it, picked up a nearby electric guitar, and strummed it a few times. A sound that would be cacophonous for an opera but was perfectly raw for rock and roll blasted from the amplifier. She nodded in satisfaction and put the guitar down.
"This one wasn't too badly damaged. Even a beginner who's just started learning mechanical repair could probably manage to fix it..."
As she spoke, she grabbed an identical amplifier from a nearby shelf and tossed it to Ron with a smile.
"Since you've joined the workshop, why not give it a try?"
"If you have any questions, big sis here can teach you everything you need to know."
Ron caught the small amplifier, set the heavy textbooks he was holding aside, and studied the device for a moment before carefully removing its outer casing...
The scene on the light screen vanished, and new text appeared:
[You have successfully joined the "Perpetual Motion" Mechanical House.]
[Serval has given you a damaged amplifier to test your skills.]
[You painstakingly connect the circuits within the amplifier, piece together the complex mobile modules, and attempt to plug in the Geomarrow-powered cord, preparing to test if the device can produce sound normally and if you have truly fixed it...]
[Serval connects a mini electronic keyboard to the amplifier for you. You cautiously press a key. As the electrical signal transmits, the amplifier responds with a very clear sound—]
[A piercing shriek, as if echoing from some dark, icy demon's den, reverberates through the workshop. Serval looks at you helplessly. You spread your hands and return her gaze with an innocent look...]
[She sighs, casually picks up the new textbooks you brought, and opens to the first page to begin your free tutoring session.]
The text on the light screen faded, and new lines of text appeared:
[Time passes in a flash. The sun tilts west, gradually sinking below the mountains.]
[You have spent an entire day at the "Perpetual Motion" Mechanical House, greedily absorbing knowledge under Serval's tutelage like a sponge soaking up water.]
[Your skill "Basic Mechanics" has increased to Lv. 18.]
[You are still eager to learn and wish to ask Serval for more guidance.]
[But Serval tells you irritably that it's a waste of time. "Mechanical Fever" has a rehearsal for their new rock performance tonight, and she doesn't have time to teach you the simple knowledge that only people who've never been to school would need to learn.]
[She hopes you will go home and properly read the textbooks you bought to solidify your theoretical foundation.]
[She tells you to come back to the workshop tomorrow at noon—the "Perpetual Motion" Mechanical House has irregular opening hours, and noon is the latest she can wake up after rehearsal.]
[You bid Serval a satisfied farewell and leave the "Perpetual Motion" Mechanical House.]
[You have completed a day of mechanical study. You have gained one point of Path progress.]
[Your progress on the Path of [The Erudition] is now—(1/5)]
[Continuing to act as Serval's assistant will help increase your Path progress. When your Path progress is full, you will automatically step onto the Path of [The Erudition].]
Looking at the text on the screen, Ron speared a piece of Belobogian red sausage and took a satisfying bite.
The rich, fatty flavor and hint of smokiness mixed with a slightly heavy saltiness. Ron nodded in satisfaction and swallowed the cheap sausage.
He looked at the text on the screen, a smile creeping onto his lips.
"Success... It's just as I thought."
He muttered to himself, "It was the same in the last simulation. After becoming Natasha's assistant, I got the chance to step onto the Path of [The Abundance], increasing my Path progress by learning medical skills..."
"In this simulation, I went straight to the 'Perpetual Motion' Mechanical House to apply as Serval's assistant, and sure enough, I've increased my progress on the Path of [The Erudition] by learning mechanical skills..."
As he spoke, he looked at the Path progress requirement on the screen and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"But why is there such a big difference in the requirements for the Path of [The Erudition] and the Path of [The Abundance]?"
"In the last simulation, I needed a full ten points of Path progress to step onto the Path of [The Abundance]. But in this simulation, I only need five points for the Path of [The Erudition]... Is there some reason affecting the difficulty of stepping onto a Path?"
Ron thought for a long time but couldn't come up with any reliable possibilities.
After all, he was the same person attempting to walk different Paths in both simulations. Not much had changed about him between the two runs, and the reward traits from the last simulation didn't affect Paths, so there were no related bonuses. Theoretically, the difference shouldn't be so large...
After much deliberation, a thought suddenly struck Ron, a possibility that seemed quite plausible.
"Could it be... that this represents my own affinity for the Path?"
"Theoretically, the lower the Path progress requirement, the easier it is to step onto that Path, which would mean my affinity for it is higher..."
Ron murmured to himself, a sense of great expectation for the Path of [The Erudition] welling within him.
"In that case, does this mean I have a real talent for the Path of [The Erudition]? I'm a little curious to see how far I can go in this simulation..."
"Maybe... on the current Jarilo-VI, I can develop technology that will earn the favor of Nous and get me a ticket into the Genius Society?"
Harboring these somewhat unrealistic expectations, Ron tapped the screen before him to continue the simulation.
The text on the screen faded, and new lines appeared:
[You return to your cozy little home. According to your usual habits, the first thing you would do is collapse onto your bed and sleep lazily until the sun is high in the sky the next day, not even bothering to eat dinner.]
[But this time, you quickly clear your dining table. You take out the emergency rations you just bought from a vending machine and, while gnawing on the hard, thick biscuits, you spread the textbooks you bought today across the table. You begin to study the dense text, absorbing the knowledge within like a sponge.]
[You study late into the night before falling asleep in your clothes.]
[The next morning, just as the sun begins to climb over the rooftops, you are forcibly awakened from your deep slumber by the one hundred alarms you set the night before.]
[You forcefully adjust your habits, compelling yourself to transform from a lazy sloth into a diligent student who uses all their free time for study. Recalling your high school life from your previous world, you force yourself to sit back down at the dining table and open the thick textbooks...]
[Your skill "Basic Mechanics" has increased to Lv. 30 (MAX)]
[Your skill "Basic Mechanics" has been updated. You have obtained the advanced skill "Mechanics."]
[Your skill "Mechanics" has increased to Lv. 2.]
[Your progress on the Path of [The Erudition] is now—(2/5)]
[You briefly review the contents of the textbooks. Time passes quickly, and it is already noon.]
[You leave your cozy little home and head to the "Perpetual Motion" Mechanical House in Belobog's Administrative District.]
...
[You diligently study new knowledge under Serval's guidance. Serval is amazed by your performance and acknowledges your incredible ability to learn.]
The text on the light screen faded, and a new scene appeared:
"Wow, that's amazing! I really shouldn't have underestimated you. To think I actually hired a genius assistant..."
Watching Ron effortlessly repair the small amplifier he had failed to fix yesterday, Serval nodded in satisfaction, a nostalgic look on her face.
"But, you're still a little bit behind me... If you had attended the Belobog Officer School back in the day, you could probably have secured the third-place spot in the year."
"Only weaker than me and..." She paused mid-sentence, abruptly changing the subject.
"Heh, no point in talking about those old days... Come on, check out this mobile stove. This thing's interesting. I'm thinking of adding a mobile missile launcher to it..."
The text on the light screen faded, and new lines appeared:
[You once again stay at the "Perpetual Motion" Mechanical House until sunset.]
[Your skill "Mechanics" has increased to Lv. 21.]
[You have completed a day of mechanical study. You have gained one point of Path progress.]
[Your progress on the Path of [The Erudition] is now—(3/5)]
...
[You spend an engrossing day at the "Perpetual Motion" Mechanical House, staying late into the night to research the stove-missile-launcher.]
[Your skill "Mechanics" has increased to Lv. 35.]
[Silvermane Guard Intelligence Officer Pela and the Landau family's youngest sister, Lynx, arrive at the workshop together. You witness a "Mechanical Fever" performance for the first time. Even though it is late at night, many fans have come to the workshop to listen to the rock music up close, venting their emotions along with the band. The cheers are loud enough to shatter the night.]
[You quietly leave the workshop. In the past, you might have been interested in such rock music, but now you only find the sounds to be uninteresting noise that disrupts your mood... You only want to study. Nothing can stop you from studying.]
[You have completed a day of mechanical study. You have gained one point of Path progress.]
[Your progress on the Path of [The Erudition] is now—(4/5)]
...
[You return home and diligently review what you learned today, contemplating the design of the stove-missile-launcher. A spark of inspiration flashes in your mind, and you suddenly conceive of a wondrous design blueprint...]
[Striking while the iron is hot, you immediately grab a blank sheet of paper and begin to meticulously hand-draw the wondrous design that has so suddenly appeared in your mind.]
[The night passes in a flash. Only as the sun rises and the morning light streams into your apartment do you finally put down your pen, having completed the design.]
[Looking at this blueprint, you are completely unaware of your fatigue. Instead, a feeling of extreme excitement flows through your veins.]
[Because of the trait "'You' Exist" (Red), you have completed a small "Miracle" blueprint. You have gained one point of Path progress.]
[Your progress on the Path of [The Erudition] is now—(5/5)]
[You have successfully stepped onto the Path of [The Erudition].]