"Lalala..." Lars hummed happily as he rode his scooter back to his place.
"With only one day, I already got 20,000 Zents! This is more than half a year’s salary from working as a waiter. My luck is really changing today. I can’t wait to get home and create another class. Hehehe."
Suddenly, while he was on the highway, a car stopped right in front of him, forcing him to brake abruptly, nearly throwing him forward.
"Oii! Where did you get your license?! Who taught you to stop on the highway?!" Lars shouted.
Then, another car stopped right beside him, blocking his path completely. He noticed the logo on the car doors and swallowed hard.
"Gulp! Happy Money Company... How did they find me here? It must be because I said my luck was changing, now all this is happening. Bad mouth, bad mouth!"
"Mr. Lars. Long time no see. After all these months, we finally meet. Where have you been, huh?"
A short, chubby asian man stepped out of the car, dressed in a suit. He was accompanied by several tough-looking men with tattoos and scars, who also got out of the vehicle.
"Err, Mr. Chan. I-I’ve been a little busy lately. You know... trying to pay back your debt. Hehe." Lars forced an anxious smile.
Mr. Chan gave a signal. One of the men immediately grabbed Lars by the collar and pinned him against the highway railing.
"Urghh! W-what are you doing?!" Lars struggled as he was lifted into the air.
"I’ve dealt with your kind for years already. Always giving excuses when it’s time to pay back the debt." Mr. Chan casually lit his cigarette.
"Now... where is my one million Zents?"
"One, one million?! I thought I only borrowed half of that! Where did the other half million come from?" Lars said.
"Interest, of course, dumbhead! You borrowed from us but never bothered to read the whole contract, did you? Now stop wasting my time, where is my money?"
"I, I only have 20,000 in cash on me right now."
Another bodyguard checked his scooter and scattered everything from his sling bag onto the ground. He then took Lars’s wallet and handed it to Mr. Chan, who grabbed all the money before tossing the wallet aside. He then signaled the guard to release Lars.
Lars fell to the ground, clutching his aching neck.
"We will take this for now. But this is your final warning, if you do not settle your payment by the end of this year, we will make sure you pay with your life."
"But... there are only three months left in this year..."
"This year!" Mr. Chan stared at Lars with piercing eyes before getting back into the car. The vehicles then drove off, leaving him alone by the roadside.
"What rotten luck!" Lars cursed as he gathered his things and rode his scooter back to his rented room.
His room was located in District 21. It was a two-story building stretched in a long row, filled only with rental units. From the outside, it looked old and worn, with piles of garbage along the sides and clogged drains.
He took the stairs and walked along the narrow walkway when suddenly, a group of men came out from one of the rooms.
"Thank you, Celine! Next time we will book the same day you’re available, alright?" one of the men said with a grin, adjusting his belt. The group walked past Lars before heading down the stairs.
Lars slowly walked past the open door and glanced inside. A woman lay on the mat, half-naked, with a blanket covering part of her body. She had short blue hair. A strong smell drifted out from the room, causing him to cover his nose.
Lars shook his head. This was a normal occurrence. Celine was his neighbor, and she made a living by pleasing others for money. She was around the same age as Lars, about twenty years old.
Every night and day, he could hear sounds coming from her room. At first, it stirred something in him, but after living there for nearly a year, it had become nothing more than a nuisance. Still, Lars had no comment on her life. This was her choice, and he had no right to interfere.
In fact, almost everyone living in this rental building was involved in shady businesses. Only Lars took pride in himself for not getting involved in that dark world.
"Oii, Celine. I brought you some food. Don’t forget to eat."
He placed a plastic bag containing food at her entrance, then closed the door and went into his own room.
"Thank... you." Celine muttered weakly as her eyes looked distant.
Inside his room, Lars immediately turned on all the lights then pushed aside the trash scattered across his living area and sat down on wooden floor.
"It’s alright, Lars! The 20,000 Zents is gone today, but this is just the beginning! I will create rarer classes and sell them for even higher prices!" Lars vowed.
He then accessed his status screen. Using the [Generate Class] skill once more, he selected another combination.
[You have selected Rogue + DPS + Rising Moon]
[The combination list has not been found yet]
Probability:
Common: 90%
Uncommon: 9%
Rare: 1%
[Unable to proceed due to insufficient Creation Points. Please wait until your Creation Points are fully restored]
"What? I need to wait for my Creation Points first? How long do I have to wait?"
He checked the system and felt depressed again.
"It takes 1 hour to restore 1 Creation Point... now I only have 4. I need to wait until tomorrow morning just to use this skill again." Lars lay on his back and stared at the ceiling.
As he was starting to fall asleep, suddenly, a notification appeared on his system.
Ding.
[Lunar Blader class has been equipped by someone!]
[You have obtained 1000 Creator Coins]
[You can use Creator Coins to buy cards and packs in the Creator Shop]
Lars immediately sat up. When he looked at the shop, his eyes immediately lit up.