Chapter 2: Practice Makes Perfect
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Just as I was overwhelmed with joy, another notification icon popped up.
【Quest triggered: "Pursuit of Excellence" (E-rank)! Objective: Raise Basic Repair skill to level 4. Reward: +2000 character experience.】
“Woohoo~~”
I couldn’t help but laugh. The surprise came so quickly—while unlocking a secondary profession and gaining its skills, I also triggered a daily quest. Although it was just a low-tier E-rank task...
But every bit counts; even a mosquito’s leg is meat. A beggar can’t afford to be picky about spoiled food!
At this moment, opening the skill panel revealed that the Production skill experience bar already had 300 points.
The proficiency system in Star Abyss differs from other games. Upon completing a proficient action, what increases is not proficiency itself but skill experience, which is then used to level up the skill.
Though it sounds redundant, skill experience of the same type can be pooled to upgrade skills, avoiding the awkwardness of certain production skills being hard to level up.
Additionally, Star Abyss has a unique mechanic: each time a skill reaches level 4, 7, and 10, extra attribute points are awarded. Thus, the higher the skill level, the stronger the player’s attributes become, without question.
As for the experience needed to level up, going from level 1 to 2 requires 1000 points; from 2 to 3 requires 2000 points. This pattern continues cumulatively, so upgrading a skill to level 4 requires a total of 6000 points. Level 7 demands 21,000 points, and reaching level 10 requires a terrifying 54,000 skill experience!
During the beta test, to maximize efficiency and cost-effectiveness, most top-tier players only leveled all skills to 7. Level 10 was often abandoned because of the immense time investment required.
I quietly disassembled the tape recorder, unplugged the repaired wire to deliberately damage it, then reconnected the wiring and tightened the screws again.
【Congratulations! You have successfully repaired the tape recorder. Skill experience +200!】
...
Oh no...
I frowned. After just the second time, the experience gained had already diminished, indicating that repeatedly repairing the same device to accumulate skill experience is ineffective.
However... simply advancing Basic Repair to level 4 shouldn’t be a problem!
So I began the mechanical teardown and assembly process, repeatedly putting the tape recorder back together, steadily accumulating skill experience.
“Tick-tock~~ tick-tock~~~”
The old clock on the wall showed it was about 3 a.m. After countless cycles of assembly and disassembly, I finally gathered a full 6000 skill experience points!
“Phew~~~”
I poured all the skill experience into Basic Repair!
As the skill icon glowed repeatedly, a pleasant chime sounded in my ear the next moment.
【Congratulations! Your skill "Basic Repair" (C-rank) has successfully reached level 4. Repair capability greatly improved, and you have gained 1 additional Agility point!】
At the same time, the quest was completed.
【Congratulations! You have completed "Pursuit of Excellence" (E-rank) and received 2000 character experience!】
I was elated.
In Star Abyss, character experience and skill experience are separate, and experience gains do not immediately reflect in level-ups; players must click the “Level Up” button to upgrade.
Two thousand character experience was just enough to reach level 2.
Confirmed—level up!
As I pressed the button, a golden light descended from above, bathing me in warmth. A soothing sensation spread throughout my body.
I gained 3 free attribute points and 1 skill point.
As usual, I allocated all 3 attribute points to Strength. My profession’s late game focuses on pure Strength, which can push character stats to their peak. Agility, Stamina, and Spirit can be compensated for later with better equipment.
But at level 4, Basic Repair was still not entirely satisfactory.
I slowly turned and fixed my gaze on the old, unreliable clock on the wall.
Repair it!
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...
Before I knew it, it was already the next morning.
Aurelia had yet to return, while I was consumed by a frenzy of repairs. Not only had I dismantled and reassembled the clock and tape recorder countless times, but even the old mechanical watch in the drawer and a rusted, long-broken alarm clock had been relentlessly worked on through the night.
By now, I had accumulated more than 17,000 skill experience points!
Enough to upgrade Basic Repair to level 7!
After investing all the skill experience, a series of thrilling chimes sounded again.
【Congratulations! Your skill "Basic Repair" (C-rank) has successfully reached level 7. Repair capability greatly improved, and you have gained 2 additional Agility points!】
【Congratulations! As the first player on the entire server to raise a certain skill to level 7, you have earned an extra reward: "Practice Makes Perfect" (S-rank)!】
A golden light flashed across my skill panel.
“What?!”
I was incredulous—an S-rank skill as a reward? Impossible. All S-rank skills in the beta were considered divine techniques. My top-tier beta account, ranked 99th server-wide, only had two S-rank skills!
I shifted my gaze to the newly acquired skill.
【Practice Makes Perfect】(S-rank): Passive skill. Production and Combat skill experience are mutually exchangeable. This skill cannot be upgraded.
...
‘Holy crap!’
My eyes widened, my heart pounding fiercely—stronger than when I first held a girl’s hand in high school!
Though it seems simple, Practice Makes Perfect is far from it.
Combat and Production skills are like separate worlds, each independent, not interfering with each other. Production skill experience is easier to obtain, while combat skill experience comes from life-or-death battles, consuming huge resources and carrying great risk.
With this passive skill, I can safely earn production skill experience by disassembling and assembling electrical and mechanical devices in a safe zone, then convert that experience to enhance all my combat skills, giving me an edge in both attributes and skill damage over other players!
Moreover, this S-rank passive skill is a unique reward for being the first on the server, likely one-of-a-kind.
Awesome!
Just as I was reveling in my good fortune, the door opened. The strong-armed, spinach-powered beauty Aurelia stepped in, casting a curious look my way.
“You seem to be recovering well, but why are your eyes so dark?”
Seeing my silence, she frowned, picked up the hand axe hanging on the wall, and said, “Come on, I’ll teach you some skills so you won’t accidentally become beast food.”
“Okay…”
I didn’t refuse.
Following Aurelia out of the room, bright sunlight poured in, almost blinding me.
Only then did I get a chance to observe the town.
Dilapidated houses clustered together, surrounded by a perimeter wall enclosing the entire village. Barbed wire covered the base of the wall, with bits of animal fur stuck to it.
Slogans painted on the limewashed wall, though weathered, were still legible.
On the left: "Fewer births, better births, a life of happiness."
On the right: "Break feudal superstitions, uphold scientific civilization."
Hmm, this place definitely had a vintage feel!
“Since you might become the next town sheriff, I’ll introduce you to the townsfolk first.”
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Aurelia gestured with her sturdy arm toward a distance and began introducing one by one.
“This is Aunt Liu Yumei, she used to be an elementary school teacher. That’s Grandma Alice, and over there is Grandpa George. That’s his granddaughter Jenny...”
I nodded in acknowledgment.
The townsfolk seemed a bit like NPCs, responding to my dull nods without speaking.
Aurelia stopped under a tree. At about head height, a target circle was drawn. She weighed the hand axe in her hand, then suddenly shouted and threw!
“Thwack!”
The axe arced perfectly, hitting the bullseye!
“In the wilds, there are not only beasts and mutants but also ruthless outlaws and scum from shadowy factions. If you want to survive, you must have the means to kill. You understand what I mean, right?” she lectured patiently.
My eyes drifted to the double-barreled shotgun resting in the back of her battered jeep. Honestly, I wanted to learn how to shoot.
Basic Repair was a skill that came with my secondary profession, consuming no skill points. Practice Makes Perfect was a system reward skill, also free to use. So the one skill point I earned at level 2 was precious; I needed to choose carefully what to learn next.
“Want to try?” Aurelia handed me the hand axe.
I took it. The first throw was a failure—the handle hit the target with no effect. The second throw missed badly. On the third throw, a voice sounded in my ear.
【Do you want to learn "Throwing Technique" (C-rank)?】
I paused slightly.
Throwing Technique was a basic skill. Coincidentally, my beta account had learned it too. It was very practical before I had firearms, and still useful later for throwing knives or energy blades.
More importantly, leveling Throwing Technique grants extra Strength attribute points, boosting attack power!
Being poor and inexperienced, I shouldn’t be overly ambitious. Building up my combat power steadily was the way forward.
Confirmed—learn!
The skill icon for Throwing Technique appeared in my skill bar, though I had no skill experience left to upgrade it.
After a short training session, Aurelia held her forehead, seemingly despairing at my progress.
“Take your time practicing.”
She patted my shoulder earnestly. “I have to travel over 300 kilometers to the Graystone Fortress settlement to trade for food. I’ll probably be back around this time tomorrow. The town is mostly old folks and women—you have to protect them.”
“Don’t worry.”
I nodded. “I’ll do my best!”
“Good!”
Aurelia started the jeep and left the town.
...
I wasn’t tired or sleepy at all. I just wanted to raise my attributes as soon as possible. So I strode toward a group of the town’s natives.
“Oh, dear Teacher Liu Yumei, it seems your old color TV is having some issues.”
“Oh, my beloved Grandma Alice, would you like me to clean the dust out of your bread maker?”
“Dear Grandpa George, it looks like your wheelchair needs some repairs.”
In just half an hour, I became the most popular handsome guy in town, racking up mountains of skill experience in the newbie village, quickly making a name for myself.