It's 7 am in morning, Yu Jin finally woke up and starting stretch his body lazily. He fell asleep immediately last night because all fatigue. He was feeling hungry now.
He opened up can food that he picked up locker earlier and start eating them hastily. Not taste any good but doesn't matter to his current hunger. While eating he heard light footsteps outside the room. He knows it's old man Stuart. This old man has habit of peeking on his tents. This is reason despite being room are in good conditions and extreme low rent, there is no tent. No one stay more than one or two months because of Stuart's habits. But Yu Jin not too much worry about it. Even though Stuart spy on him but he won't touch his things or steal them.
In game Stuart referred as troll NPC by players. Because players character always a sentient test subject, he may have physique similar to human but appearance more or less of zombie or monster. Therefore it has disguise as man with disfigured face. Players when first find Stuart was happy because of dirt cheap rent in city. But Stuart's peeking habit reveals players identity in one way or another and report it nearby sordes police station. Players absolutely hate him because it and curse developer for it.Yu Jin feels nostalgic about it.
"Let's start with light work out." Yu Jin who's now feeling energetic start doing some pushups. Main reason for it was getting used to new young body. Before dying Yu Jin was typical man in 30s suffering from back and neck pain from overwork, exhaustion. This is why his current young body gives him sense of deja vu. He also try to practice gun handling and assembly from original owner memories and getting used to it. "7th April, 8216. So I am one month early." In game player always start around April with minimum to one month to enter city which can increase upto three months before failing. Current timeline doesn't change much but decrease some good paying partime jobs and odd errands. With his current funds he doesn't need them but Yu Jin think them important medium for integrating his current life and truly accepting it.
Now after an hour of workout and gun training, he tries some breathing exercises and mediation for his mental relaxation. Yu Jin believe in dealing firsthand of psychological and mental stress rather than piling them and deteriorates one's mind over time.
Now completing all stuff, Yu Jin take out all cash from box after not listening footsteps for while indicating old man is now on lower floors. " My savings most in denomination of 100, 500 and three of 1000. And while vice captain's are mostly in 1000,5000 and ten of 10,000. While amount of money tells about him but with this high denominations, he must regular at those uptown hotels and casinos." Yu Jin speak with some curious hinting his interest in vice captain's lifestyle.
While most poor and middle class people used lower denominations of 100, 500 and rarely of 1000. Higher denominations such as one Yu Jin possess from vice captain are printed less and more or less one can't use them except uptown and central region of city. City Atlantis divides officially three and unofficially four regions.
City acknowledges from all three entry points of as downtown for middle class. Middle region of city as uptown with all entertainments, city attractions things. It was also hub for medium size businesses and small scale financial services.
Then finally comes eastern part of city which is central region where all controlling bodies of city lies and most importantly Governor Office. Also offices of all large financial services, businesses and guilds. While all this official data according city. Unofficial or more in layman terms from all three city entry points starts slumps fiefdom of local gangs, thugs and illegal businesses and center for city's factories and pollution.
Yu Jin current location one which truly a downtown where normal people living it rather than streets full of shady guys and black markets. " Having police station nearby truly a heaven." He spoke with some pride. Rest of downtown what all normal people have with uptown being fancy, urbanize part with some entry restrictions and central being complete offlimit for normal people.
Current structure of Atlantis because of much complex history first being a mining city then becoming a dungeon city. Original design of Atlantis being pentagon shape with all four directions around city are active mining sites of Zenos. Zenos was a solid fossil fuel similar coal. While it mainly used for combustion and energy production, it's process form used as cheap alternative for electricity and fuel for vehicles.
Atlantis thrive unprecedented rate during prime of it's mining period. But over the period of stagnant results and no new discovery of deposits slow down city's growth. Yu Jin don't know exact details but around one of countless test for new deposits research team finds first traces of dungeon or be more precise Arcane anomaly or gate.
Arcane anomalies or gates created due to unusual and unnatural interaction between Mana Photons with it's surrounding. Those unnatural interactions give birth to gates with all living, non living things inside it being byproduct of it. Arcane anomalies can be of any type from maze, defeating boss monster, completing particular requirements to anything.
But by just clearing them gates doesn't close. Even though by nature Mana Photons are continuously unstable, active and try disturb their surrounding but they interact with each other meticulously intricate manner like some computer or dna code.
This is why they can't destroy easily, to completely closing gate one had to destroy Origin Code of it. Origin Code more or less being heart or identity of gate. While anomalies tries devour anything and everything that's enter in them, they also tries their best to hide and protect their Origin Code. Because of it one can't predict and find them easily, it can be any object, monster, plants or anything. Even two gate with same danger level, same type of monsters and same clearing method can have different types of hidden Origin Code.
That's why while clearing them take few tries but for closing them was a long term process. Unlike in different games, novels Arcane gate doesn't drop any reward, artificats after defeating boss monsters. Hunter generally scavenge everything inside of gate after clearing them. At end of day all monster, objects, minerals everything inside gate made Mana Photons which is scarce in nature, which makes anything from gate invaluable in normal world.
"City more or less farm gates by clearing them and deliberately not closing them. This reason why eastern region so much developed and highly restricted with no entries from their to towards city. If I remember correctly then current structure of Atlantis being incomplete pentagon with circle spreading outwards in eastern region." Yu Jin talk to himself while recollecting all those basic information.
"First take a bath and let's check out those part time jobs." Yu Jin now decided today schedule checking set of clothes he brings from locker. He thought about going his original apartment for retrieving stuff and furniture but he drop it given news of his group killed by rivals must be spread and things belongs him there not worth of risk.
Yu Jin now fresh up and dress new set he bring. And start checking his money and calculating expenses of things he had buy immediately. It's mostly of few sets cheap clothes, daily necessities and lastly food for today's lunch and dinner.
In this list, one which cost most not clothes but food. While city still produces self-sustainable amount of fuel and electricity given continue mining operations of Zenos. But for food it completely depends on import supplylines. Zenos mining currently is nothing compared to it's prime but it's heavy results still present in form of soil, ecological decay. Nothing can grown miles of radius of Atlantis.
Yu Jin locked his room and inform Stuart about not closing main door to early because his sleeping habits.
It already 8:30 at night and pedestrian and street vendors seem to decrease drastically. Few young people and alcoholics still can seen in dark alleyway. Trying there best not to catch attention of nearby police patrolling car.
Yu Jin who is walking towards his apartment with his both hands full of bags and stuffs. He was tired but he doesn't want to spend taxi because of their sky high fare.
Now Yu Jin enter the building while old man Stuart looking at him curiously. "I know you said you are going to late but almost 9'o clock. Think little about this old man's sleep schedule."
"I am sorry for inconvenience, but I had buy all daily necessities and stuffs." Yu Jin replied politely." " Hmm, I remember you don't have much luggage with last night. So it can't be help but it only first and last time. Don't stay out in late night or those thugs target you." Stuart speak with some concern while pointing at group who now come out alleyway after assuring patrol car left.
Yu Jin now return to his room and starting to unpack stuff he bought. He bought four pair of cheap formal clothes and two casual clothes for home. He also bought a safe for storing all his cash Ethereum. More for reassurance rather than security. He first think about depositing in his account but his today's experience at local branch anything but pleasant.
He decided withdrawal few thousand Ethereum because stuff he needs buy but queue line take almost forty minutes for his turn. Moreover bank will put heavy tax and commission fee on 500 hundred thousands amount.
"This world have flying cars and laser guns but can't have damn ATM. What joke of it??" Yu Jin curse thinking about old geezer at withdrawal section who practically moving at snail pace.
Yu Jin bought safe but he was not truly worried about robbery or anything. Given nearby police station, response time was fast and criminal in this neighborhood most of small time pickpocketers, addicites and hooligans. "But their nothing wrong taking some precautions." He praise himself proudly.
"Still out of 370 Ethereum most goes food." Yu Jin now spoke with little concern while looking at vegetables and ingredients he bought. He bought week worth supply, any normal lower or middle worker spend around 25-30 Ethereum on daily three time meal. And for family four, this cost as much 70 to 100 Ethereum daily.
On average for single person above 2500 -3000 Ethereum per month is considered as quite decent salary by middle class standards. And for family of four or five anything above 6000-7000 Ethereum necessary given half it goes to food and other bils.
Those are on an average statics but due to regular shortage of food items these numbers spikes time to time. "Currently eggs and beef prices high due to limited supply this time." Yu Jin remembering his conversation with vendor at market.
"Still I successfully at joining two part time job and one odd job for weekend." He was going to work at storage house and clerk for local retail office for part time. And for weekend he had clear storage unit nearby.
All those relatively high paying jobs compare to their market prices. In game all those jobs are only source of Ethereum players who newly entered city. But sadly players can't to do them regularly for steady income because just like Stuart case NPCs starting suspect players identity therefore players frequently need to change their location and identity.
"Those days where hell but not now." Yu Jin spoke to himself with visible grinn on his face. Making his decision of exploiting all those jobs at their for money. A weird logic still better than his other twisted logics and thinking.