Versatile: Alternate World

If this was in the past, perhaps I would have run away. But that is all in the past, yes. I don't feel unnerved anymore just by seeing them. Even their threat didn't feel threatening to me. More like, it is very hollow and empty that I can chuckle about it.

I continued to move forward while playing with the keys in my hands. The thugs clearly got nervous based on their looks, seeing that I am not even shaken or scared by their words. Instead, I continued to move forward.

"If you really want to teach me some sort of lesson, then why not do it now? I am a busy man and if you have no business with me, step aside and I will open this place up, don't go and block my way.

Despite their threats to me, they didn't attack and punch me like most thugs being easily provoked. They held their temper and just grit while looking at me with a weird look at how I am not even backing down. I managed to unlock the lock of the shutters and open the door that is barred behind the shutters and went inside, leaving the guys outside. I don't really care what they do, but that is a different story unless they mess up with my car. That's the time I will really care indeed.

The interior has less garbage compared to the past timeline's amount of dumps inside. Though I am not gonna complain about how it was different. The less the dump, the easier to clean this place up and make it presentable, tidy, and appealing to the eyes.

I returned outside to pick up the items I bought before and soon realized that the thugs are still there but they are just on the side. They are still smoking but they didn't do anything. They are just staring at me, trying to understand what I am gonna do. Well, I am fine with that, despite being thugs, I commend them for not being a jerk kind of thug that would do violence out of nothing.

Picking up the cleaning supplies and some other items in the trunk, I carried them all back inside the place. I flicked the switch of the light and it lightens up the whole room revealing how dirty the whole place is.

The old man told me that if I want to use electricity, then I will have to pay a separate fee so that I can continue using the electricity and since I needed to use it later, I agreed and paid an additional fee. Cracking my knuckles, I grab the dust mask, an apron, and rubber gloves.

"Alright, let's clean up this place in a jiffy!"

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I already have experience cleaning this place in the past and I know how to clean them up proficiently and easily, allowing me to clean them up faster. With lesser garbage, the cleaning process was much faster than before. And for the final touch, I used water magic to clean up the grime around the whole place. And as expected, I managed to get the whole place up and about. It doesn't even look like a dump anymore.

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Once the cleaning process are done, I started to empty the trunk of my car immediately and carried the various equipment I needed for later, and set them all inside the place. With my expertise in setting up a workshop, it took me at least 3 hours before I managed to finish setting up everything.

Compared to the space that the workshop occupies, the place is still very vacant and empty, but that won't last for long. Once I can get permission from the old man to remodel and add some things here, I will be building my own small smithy where I can make my own weapons that I can use and practice my own smithing abilities. It is necessary for the future.

Now that the workshop is up and running, complete with tools and other stuff, now I can start creating some of the basic and semi-complicated items that don't need to use the smithy for assistance. I have plenty of items I can make using the scales and the tools alone. All I needed is my knowledge, creativity, and the ability to craft them.

Since it's been so long since I crafted something in the real world, I have to make a beginner accessory for the beginning. That way, I can get my bearings on it a bit better and I won't mess up in future crafting processes. The first should be a necklace. Now, let's get started!

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The men outside the old building are now wondering what the guy inside is doing. He came out several times earlier and took some items from his car but that's all it was. He didn't even go out anymore which made everyone curious about what he is doing.

"Are we sure this guy is not sus? He just came out of nowhere, he is not afraid of us thugs and he is much younger than us. Perhaps he is from a big family or something?" the guy who is the main leader of the motley crew frowned.

"Nah man. If he is, then things would have been chaotic already. We haven't heard of anyone that is this young. I bet my coins and my beard that he is still a high school student."

"Bro, you love your beard too much and yet you want to bet your beard on that?"

"Ha! I am quite confident in how to read other people just based on how they look! Don't underestimate me! If I don't have my ability, I would be dead by now!"

"Ha, your silliness is acting up again. Oh well, we can just go and peek inside and see what he is doing, Aren't you guys also curious about what he is doing right now?"

"Are you sure? Will he punch us out in the face if we do?"

"Relax man, we will just go and peek inside. We won't be even going inside the place. I am not that desperate to become a criminal and labeled as a trespassing guy."

Everyone then turned to look at their leader to see how he will reply.

"As much as I want to hold back, my curiosity also gets the best of me. This place is just a literal dump and I doubt he will be living here. And there is no way he will be opening up a business here since it's already a curse on this place to open up a business here will also be bound and nailed straight to the road of closure and bankruptcy."

"So are we gonna peek?"

p "Yes. Even if he decided to rent this place, if he is someone who is from that "group", then I can't afford for them to mess up with grandpa. As much of an *sshole I am, I am not someone who would tolerate anyone to mess up my family like that!"

The thugs immediately turned to look and peep at the clear door. Because it was a clear door, they can see what is happening inside super easily. There, they noticed that the surroundings of the building is very clean. They clearly remember the place is not even cleaned thoroughly like this and yet, right now, they are seeing it look like it has been maintained and cleaned for how many years already. This made everyone confused.

That's when their eyes landed on the guy who opened the place up. Currently, he is working and doing some sort of tinkering.

"Oi, am I seeing this right? That is a clear workshop, right? I have seen quite a lot of workshops in the past and I don't think I am gonna be wrong at all with this."

"Yes, it seems the reason he rented this place is to make a workshop. But that s what I don't understand. What is he even trying to make with a workshop? Is he gonna open a shop here or something to repair stuff?" the thug leader frowned. He misjudged the teenager but the problem with it is that he cannot get a good and full read on him. And for his reason of renting this place to make a workshop, why does he have chosen to make one out in the secluded areas where thugs like them are always lurking around?

They were still observing when they soon found out something that they can't believe seeing. The guy is still very busy doing something on the work table when they saw him snap his fingers and on the tip of his forefinger, flames appeared, covering his whole forefinger in flames.

"Boss! What was that?! Is that a magic trick!? Did he notice us and decided to troll us?!"

The leader can't also believe what he just saw. It's not just a small flame trick that they can imitate. His fingers were imbued in flames and are currently blazing and burning. Bizzare but a bit marvelous too.