Finding a Job

Ren's consciousness slowly gathered. Gradually, he opened his eyes, recalling what had happened before he lost consciousness. He then examined his entire body, checking for injuries or changes. Ren found that there were no alterations whatsoever in his body.

He wondered if he had successfully become a genomancer or failed altogether.

Then he remembered the holographic screen that appeared moments before he lost consciousness.

"Uhm... System?" Ren called uncertainly.

Fortunately, the holographic screen indeed appeared.

[Gene Tracking System]

[Status]

[Information]

[Synthesis]

Ren attempted to press the status option. The holographic screen changed accordingly.

[Name: Ren Kanazawa]

[Gene Collection: Felis Ignis (1/3)]

[Strength: 5 (17)]

[Speed: 6 (31)]

[Agility: 8 (28)]

[Vision: 7 (23)]

[Stamina: 5 (18)]

Ren observed the holographic screen before him, attempting to comprehend the meaning of each number and information presented.

Firstly, Felis Ignis was likely the name of the monster gene fluid Ren had consumed. However, he didn't understand the significance of 1 out of three. Was his monster gene incomplete? Did he need to consume another Felis Ignis monster gene fluid? What would happen next? Ren didn't know.

Additionally, other details were more straightforward. However, what did the numbers in parentheses signify?

After contemplating for a moment, Ren closed his eyes. He tried to alter his body. A few moments later, some changes occurred in Ren. His vision became much sharper than usual. He could see distant objects clearly, and Ren discovered that his eyes had a zoom function similar to a camera.

Ren leaped several times. He jumped higher than usual, and it was done with ease. Moreover, he felt a multiplied strength in his body.

"So, do the numbers in parentheses represent my body's status in this felis ignis mode?"

Ren deactivated the felis ignis mode, then delved further into the system he had acquired.

[Information] contained a set of details about Felis Ignis monsters, their way of life, their skills, and other information about the monsters. Meanwhile, [Synthesis] had the ability to create new genes derived from a combination of two or more monster genes. Currently, [Synthesis] couldn't be used.

Although the origin of the system he obtained was unclear and too simplistic, Ren remained grateful. His life held little value, and Ren would have no regrets if he died now. This meant that even if the system had malicious intentions or harmful side effects, Ren didn't care. As long as it could help him become stronger, he was okay with it.

"I can activate and deactivate the felis ignis mode at will, this is amazing," Ren murmured.

It's worth noting that many genomancers underwent permanent physical transformations due to consuming monster gene fluids. Some of them appeared so grotesque that it frightened people.

Meanwhile, Ren managed to maintain 100% of his physical appearance. This symbolized a balance between his human genes and the Felis Ignis genes he acquired.

Now it was time to discuss the future.

Anyone who discarded the monster gene fluid would surely try to find it. Therefore, staying in this slum area for a longer period could endanger his life. Considering that, Ren decided it was time for him to move.

Fortunately, over the years, Ren had always saved some money. While the amount wasn't substantial, it was enough for him to live for two months without scavenging for trash. During that period, Ren needed to find a job to sustain his life.

***

The next day, Ren left the squalid area of Komorebi Kuyo, where he had lived for years. Ren didn't bring anything with him; there were no valuable items in his shabby hut.

The first thing Ren did was buy a new set of clothes and change out of his dirty attire into the fresh ones. He also rented a communal bathroom to clean his body.

After donning his new appearance, Ren felt more confident interacting with others. The impression of the scavenger boy that Ren had previously carried had vanished.

Now, Ren was ready to take the first step – finding a job.

"Job applications? No vacancies here."

"What can kid like you do? Don't bother me! Go away!"

"Hey, you, were you the one stealing from my shop yesterday, huh, kid?"

...

The first step had failed.

There were many unemployed people, seemingly all looking for work, and they were older than Ren. The job market, in the end, would be dominated by individuals like them.

If they could hire cheap adult labor, why would they need a kid like Ren?

This bitter reality prompted Ren to reevaluate his situation. Almost everything child laborers could do could be done better by adult workers. So, what job could Ren try?

"A job avoided by others," Ren mumbled, rubbing his chin.

He then realized that with the monster gene fluid, he naturally had an advantage in terms of physical strength compared to the average adults. Hence, jobs deemed dangerous in the public eye might not be too risky for him.

After getting this idea, Ren decided to try searching for high-risk jobs. He intended to begin his search the next day as night had fallen.

Initially, Ren only considered sleeping on the street, but considering safety issues and more, he reluctantly spent his precious money to stay in an inn.

The next morning, Ren had a bland oatmeal breakfast. The high price of salt made it unaffordable for ordinary people. Most food out there was either bland or sweet.

Actually, the most suitable job in Ren's mind was becoming an official genomancer. However, it required around 100,000 yon to participate in the genomancer exam, and each person only had three chances.

So, he needed to gather money while learning some things about genomancers before taking the exam.

The things Ren paid attention to when searching for risky jobs were the requirements, salary, and the level of risk involved. He spent time jotting down some high-risk jobs along with their salaries and requirements. Afterward, he began comparing them.

He then found a job with low requirements, high salary, and high risk – the railway construction worker between the city of Enzo and Naraki Fortress. The reason for the high risk was the frequent attacks by monsters on the construction workers. This led to a considerable mortality rate among railway construction workers.

After the appearance of monsters, humanity essentially reverted to the era of city-states. Each city had a fully independent government because communication with other cities was severely limited. Additionally, each city was surrounded by very high walls to protect itself from waves of monsters.

However, the extensive farmland outside the city was crucial for survival, prompting the establishment of several fortresses at the borders of Enzo's territory to protect the human farmland.

Yet, there were often lapses where monsters entered the Enzo farmland area, making all jobs related to the areas outside the protective walls dangerous.