đźź Chapter 12 :
It was late at night, and everyone was told to head to bed so they'd be ready for work tomorrow. The workers all moved toward the temporary housing—a row of wooden rooms, each barely big enough to fit a bunk bed that squeaked with every breath.
I was exhausted beyond words, even though I hadn't done much. I didn't even bother taking off my shoes… I just gave in to gravity and collapsed onto the bed.
Ren, on the other hand, sat cross-legged beside his bed in a meditative pose. Was he practicing yoga or something? …Well, whatever.
It had been a different kind of day compared to all the ones I'd lived in this world… tiring, but at least better than rotting inside a cell. Well, what happens in prison stays in prison. At least I was finally free from toilets and cleaning them.
After those thoughts, I closed my eyes and let myself sink into dreams…
I found myself in a massive palace, its floors made of white marble, candles shimmering like little stars.
I sat on a throne… feeling like a king—though I had no idea why.
Servants, staff, and a whole entourage stood lined up to the left and right. Then a fat man with a curled mustache stepped forward and said:
"Lord Takeru, you've crafted a thousand exquisite pieces of furniture using your Factory skill. The people adore you."
Huh? What did I even do? Well… whatever it was, it sounded amazing. I smiled proudly, then turned to my side. There she was—an elegant woman with silky hair like a cloud. My… wife?
She smiled at me warmly and said,
"My dear Takeru, what will you make for me tonight?"
I thought for a moment before answering:
"I'll make you a talking mirror… and a chair that massages your feet whenever you're angry."
She giggled softly, and then—suddenly—the palace flipped upside down. It morphed into… a giant toilet.
Not just a toilet, but some kind of weird hybrid between a toilet and an air conditioner.
A buzzing vent hung above the seat, and instead of flushing water, it sprayed the same nasty porridge we used to eat in prison.
The toilet screamed in a nightmarish voice:
"Takeruuu… you forgot to clean meee… agaaain!"
"No, please! That chapter of my life is over!"
I tried to run, but the floor was slippery… and the toilet-AC hybrid began chasing me on plastic wheels. I wanted to escape, but it was useless. Just as it was about to catch me, I woke up screaming:
"Not again!"
My head slammed into the wooden ceiling above me. Sweat was pouring down my face—it had only been a dream. Then I heard a drowsy voice from the bottom bunk:
"Dude… just let me sleep. We've got work tomorrow… to slack off in."
I sighed and pulled the blanket over myself.
Even after getting out of prison… those nightmares still haunted me. Looks like I won't be forgetting anytime soon.
The second day at the workshop was nothing like the first. In fact—it was worse. Why? Because the workers had gotten even lazier.
Ren had become the star of the workshop.
Almost every worker asked for his help:
"Ren, can you carry this board?"
"Ren, come help us here for a bit."
"Ren, hold the ceiling for ten minutes? Just a simple job."
At first, it looked like respect… but after two hours, it had turned into a full-on freeloading festival.
Ren ran back and forth—helping here, lifting there, rushing over there… Meanwhile, me? I was just a spectator.
Then they started asking him for things that had nothing to do with construction:
"Ren, can you find my helmet? I think the wind took it."
"Ren, open this bottle for me. My hands are wet."
"Ren, fix my sandal strap—it came loose."
They even went as far as asking him ridiculous things:
"Ren, do you think I look sad today?"
On the outside, Ren still looked calm… but I could tell he was starting to lose it inside.
As for me? Once again, no one remembered I even existed. Honestly, I didn't mind them ignoring me—in fact, it gave me some peace.
But still… just standing around doing nothing didn't sit right with me.
That's when a simple idea struck.
"What if… I used my skill for the first time?"
I wanted to see what I could actually do with it. I had collected some points yesterday, so maybe I could finally craft something. For some reason, the thought of making something actually excited me.
I scanned the workshop until I spotted a thin piece of iron lying near the wall. Probably part of a broken beam.
I grabbed it, closed my eyes, and focused.
[Iron ore detected. Would you like to activate the skill "Factory"?]
"Yes. I want to craft a sword."
[At your current level, you can only create a basic sword—or rather, scrap. Let's see…
Current points: 7. Sword requires: 25. Closest option: Crude Knife.]
You've got to be kidding me. I couldn't even make a basic sword. The system ignored my frustration and started the process.
[Crude Knife: Crafting in progress.]
"What? No, wait! Forget it—don't make anything!"
[Oops, too late. Crude Knife created.]
In an instant, something appeared in my hand…
It was closer to a butter knife than a weapon. A short, slightly bent blade, with a handle that looked like it came from a toy set.
I turned my head—and saw three workers staring at me. I had no idea if they'd been watching the whole time or had just arrived. One of them chuckled:
"Is that… is that a dagger? You planning to cook for us?"
Another laughed:
"No bro, that thing's only good for slicing tomatoes!"
And then… the final blow.
Ren—who I hadn't noticed was standing a few steps away—burst into laughter unlike anything I'd ever heard from him before:
"Ahh, Takeru-dono… sorry… but… hahahaha! I couldn't hold it in!"
I wished I could just disappear. To bury my head in the ground like an ostrich until this humiliation passed. Even Ren, who respected me way too much, was now laughing at me.
I tried to salvage whatever pride I had left:
"I was just testing the skill… a basic test."
[Test result: Failure. Full embarrassment. Would you like to try again later?]
"You're getting too chatty, you stupid system."
[Just trying to keep you entertained. You're boring.]
"Shut up!"
[That's life. Sometimes you fail… sometimes you fail… and other times… you fail again.]
"Why is everything you say about failure?"
[When you succeed, no one cares. So no need to mention it.]
"You're still as negative as ever."
Even so… the system was starting to sound more human. The first time I heard it, it was completely cold, like a robot.
This reminded me of those stories where robots end up destroying humanity.
In the end, evening came… and my second day at the workshop ended—with cement, exhaustion… and my personal humiliation.