It took time to familiarize herself with the various raw materials. It took time to increase the dexterity of her hands. And it took even more time to learn how to use the strength of her right arm more effectively.
Basically, whenever things were quiet in the shop, she would hole up in her small room.
She started by making the simplest daggers, short knives, and Short Swords... Two weeks later, she crafted her first complex and more practical weapon: a Crossbow.
This Crossbow was a conservative model, only capable of firing two arrows at once.
Ancient texts claimed the Zhuge Crossbow could fire ten arrows at once. 'Such an ingenious design is undoubtedly impressive,' Paige Summers thought, 'but in actual combat, it's not really necessary.'
'After all, enemies aren't going to line up neatly to become practice targets!'
'So, two arrows are actually enough.'
'Especially when fighting Mutant or Zombie Animals, as long as you find their weak spot, two arrows are more than enough to be lethal!'
However, the prerequisite was that the Crossbow had enough power and the arrows were up to the task.
The crossbow string was manageable. After soaking and treating the Mutant Animal sinew that Woody Warren had tossed in the storage room, it worked just as well as the ones from her past life.
But the wooden arrows... those were much more difficult.
Paige Summers stared blankly at the foot-long Crossbow in her hand. Other than wood, she couldn't find any other materials. 'I've heard metal is a controlled substance. It's not impossible to get, but it would certainly come at a steep price—something that's just a pipe dream given my current financial situation.'
'Other substitutes?'
She wracked her brain for a long time before letting out a long sigh. 'I guess I'll just have to focus on making money!'
How to make money—that was the question.
No matter how good business at the furniture shop was, as an unpaid helper, she wouldn't see a single cent. Besides, business wasn't nearly as booming as she had imagined.
Unlike in her world, Woody Warren didn't make his tables and chairs in advance and wait for customers to come buy them. Instead, his entire business was commission-based: clients provided the materials, and he charged a labor fee for the finished product.
Otherwise, with Woody Warren's financial standing, he'd never be able to afford so many giant logs.
Speaking of the labor fee, it was quite considerable. A single batch of a hundred chairs and twenty-five tables could earn fifty First Order Crystal Cores. Although First Order Crystal Cores weren't as valuable as they used to be, fifty of them was still enough to buy Nutrition Cakes for two people to live on for two months without issue.
But very unfortunately, Woody Warren had a terrible vice.
Drinking!
Even the lowest quality alcohol, in Paige Summers's opinion, was absurdly expensive in this day and age.
Fifty First Order Crystal Cores could only buy half a pound of shoddy liquor.
And so, two months' worth of living expenses in the hands of that reckless fool Woody Warren were gone in just one week!
Paige Summers stared blankly at their last supper on the table, then glanced at the burly man who was practically burying his head under it. She sighed. "Boss, what about that new business you mentioned?"
"It... it fell through..."
"Oh, is that so? Then what's your plan for tomorrow?"
Woody Warren, knowing he was in the wrong, looked up pitifully. "There's still the bag the Nutrition Cakes came in..."
Paige Summers replied calmly, "Right. There's probably a small bowl of crumbs left. We could mix it with water for breakfast, but what about lunch and dinner? And what about breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the day after tomorrow? And the day after that..."
"I'll definitely get a new job tomorrow!" Woody Warren interrupted her, clenching his fist.
"Is that so? Are you planning to have me work on an empty stomach with you?" As the main source of labor, Paige Summers spoke with her back ramrod straight!
A certain boss instantly deflated and started burying his head under the table again. "I... I'll think of something..."
Paige Summers shook her head helplessly, finished her Nutrition Cake in a few bites, and retreated to her room to come up with a plan.
'I know he only hired me to rush that last job,' she thought. 'Now that there's no business, he could easily fire me. It's always easier to feed just one person. But he's one of those people with a scary face but a kind heart. After spending this much time together, he would never be able to tell me to leave at a time like this. That's why I'm just venting a little.'
She took out a dagger she had sharpened to an exceptional point from the cabinet and idly fiddled with it on the table.
'If this thing were made of steel, or even iron, it would be somewhat useful. But since it's wood, against a Mutant Animal, it would probably just scratch the surface.'
'Maybe I could consider stone?' She suddenly remembered the weapon that had injured the giant serpent in the U-Shaped Valley.
After a moment, she shook her head to herself.
'Something like that might sell, but it definitely wouldn't be easy, and the price wouldn't be high.'
'No matter how bad things get, people who go out of the city to hunt aren't so poor they can't even afford a single weapon. And for those who don't leave the city, this would be even more useless.'
Scanning the empty tabletop, Paige Summers's eyes darted back and forth.
Suddenly, she had an idea.
'Weapons made of wood aren't very useful, but what about other things?'
'Maybe someone would like them!'
Seeing a glimmer of hope, her world instantly brightened. She shot up and rushed out.
After carefully sorting through the scrap wood left in the shop, she gathered all her tools and some clear varnish. Once she had taken everything back to her room, she went to find Woody Warren. "Boss, do you know anyone from the Middle District? Um, someone who's relatively well-off?"
Woody Warren scratched his head for a long while. "Don't know anyone!" Just as a flicker of disappointment crossed Paige Summers's face and she decided to make the items first and figure out a plan later, he suddenly added, "But I know a guy from the Upper District. His master's family... now they're definitely rich! Filthy rich!"
Paige Summers's eyes lit up. "So what's your relationship with him like? If you wanted to sell something, could he help make an introduction?"
Woody Warren stared at her, stunned for a moment, before giving a wry smile. "Hey, now! You're not seriously thinking that people from the Upper District would be interested in our furniture, are you, kid? You should stop daydreaming!"
Paige Summers gave a mysterious wink. 'The things I'm planning to make,' she thought, 'unless you're truly free from the struggle for your next meal and have the time to appreciate a touch of elegance, you probably wouldn't be interested at all!'