Translating technical manuals turned out to be second nature for Ethan.
All it really took was brushing up on a few industrial terms beforehand.
In his previous life, he'd already been fluent in several languages—especially Japanese and English.
Those two were essential for anyone wanting direct access to cutting-edge developments in the gaming world. Relying on secondhand translations simply wasn't an option.
That afternoon, while helping explain the functions of various machinery to his employer, Ethan also began checking out the features of the system he'd unlocked.
It was, frankly, a minimalist setup.
Just a few basic tabs.
The first was the Achievements and Titles section. So far, he only had one:
"It All Starts With a Game."
The effects were minor—1% increased cohesion in a development team, and a 1% chance of persuading someone to trust him unconditionally.
One percent.
Barely worth mentioning… but better than nothing. He equipped it anyway.
The next tab was the Exchange Store.
Most of it was still locked, but one item was available:
"Physical Enhancement Serum" — a temporary boost in stamina and alertness, with no side effects.
Basically… Red Bull on steroids?
The price, however, was steep—5,000 points. Using it now would drain everything he had.
He decided to hold off for now and checked the final feature.
The Skill Panel.
At present, he only had one active skill:
"Basic Insight" — a Level 1 passive that let him view general information about a person's strengths or specialties.
Upgrading the skill would unlock deeper insights, but each use also cost 1,000 points.
Tch.
The 5,000-point bonus he got for closing the game deal was suddenly looking pitiful.
Still, he upgraded the skill to Level 2—only 1,000 points. Beyond that, the cost scaled fast:
2,000 → 4,000 → 8,000 → 16,000…
A classic exponential curve.
Powerful upgrades, but increasingly expensive.
Honestly, this system felt kind of… underwhelming. Not useless, but nowhere near the plug-and-play overpowered systems he remembered from web novels.
Where were the "starter packs"? The over-the-top gacha draws? The hidden S-tier rewards disguised as random luck?
Instead, all he had were basic upgrades, minor effects, and a few locked tabs.
Maybe things would expand later. For now, though, this system wasn't exactly a game-changer.
As he scrolled through the menu, an older gentleman approached.
"Ethan, what are you reading?"
Ethan quickly turned and smiled. "Oh, Mr. Kent, I'm just going through the product specs for these machines."
To avoid suspicion while messing with the system, he had grabbed a product brochure and pretended to be absorbed in it.
"Right, well—I've got something here I'm not sure about. Doesn't look like English to me. Can you make sense of it?"
Mr. Kent handed over a thin manual.
Ethan examined it briefly and replied, "Looks like… German, actually."
"German? What's a German manual doing here?"
"Where did you get this?" Ethan asked curiously.
"One of the German firms we visited in Tokyo gave it to us during a tour. I couldn't make heads or tails of it, so I brought it along to ask someone back home."
"I'll take a look," Ethan said, flipping through the pages.
"You can read German too?"
"Just a bit," Ethan said casually. "Nothing too technical, but I can get the gist."
In reality, this world's Ethan only knew passable English and Japanese. But his past-life experience and knack for languages filled in the gaps, and he had a surprising level of comfort with foreign scripts.
"This seems to be a product overview from a German manufacturer. Looks like their equipment might actually be a step up from what the Japanese vendors are offering."
Mr. Kent's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Can you tell if they make the kind of machine we're looking for?"
"Yeah. This model here—looks like a large-format CNC lathe. Could probably be adapted to produce the casings your plant needs."
"How does it compare to the Japanese version?"
"That's hard to say for sure. I'm just a translator, not an engineer. But if you want my personal opinion—Japan's better at mass-market electronics like TVs and AV equipment. Germany's strength is definitely in industrial machinery."
Mr. Kent chuckled. "You seem to know your stuff. Worked in manufacturing before, did you?"
"Me? No, not really," Ethan laughed. "Just someone who reads a lot in his spare time."
In his previous life, the internet had put all the world's knowledge at his fingertips. In this era, where information was scarce, even basic industrial trivia made him sound like an expert.
"And your family? Are they in the industry?"
"Not really," Ethan said. "I'm on my own, actually. Got into university through scholarships. Studying Japanese and dabbling in some side reading."
Mr. Kent gave him a long, approving look.
"You know, Ethan, we could use someone like you back at the factory. If you're interested after graduation, I could offer you a proper position. Starting at £50 a month."
"Wow, thank you… but I think I'd like to focus on finishing my degree for now."
"Of course, of course. But it wouldn't hurt to lock in a stable job ahead of time, would it?"
Elsewhere in the room, a few other members of the visiting team watched the exchange with envy.
"Look at that. A university grad, and Mr. Kent's practically begging him to join."
"Tell me about it. I tried getting my lad in last year—barely scraped a temp position. No chance at a proper contract."
"Guess it's true what they say. Education really is the path to a brighter future."
"Land a uni spot, and you're guaranteed a good job—even before you finish your degree."