Cyclo Owen. As a genius boy engineer, he was a person of great promise in the circles of magical tool production. However, at the age of 16, he was given the job skill of “Clock User” in a skill-giving ceremony. In this world, it was forbidden for those with job skills to work in any other occupation. Thus, Cyclo’s path as a genius engineer was cut off.
However, Cyclo did not despair and worked diligently as a watchmaker and contributed to the craftsmen’s guild by using his job skill as a Clock User. One day, however, the guildmaster of the craftsmen’s guild banished him from the guild, saying that the guild did not need a watchmaker, a profession with little usefulness. Cyclo, who has lost his job, faces further despair. He happens to hear that a police officer is planning to r*pe Miranda Lilibel, the neighborhood apothecary’s lady. Since the police is involved, he cannot carelessly report the crime. So Cyclo decides to stop the plan that night. He tries to restrain the police officer who is about to attack Miranda’s house, but he is detained by the officer instead. He is then accused of trying to r*pe Miranda, and when Miranda hears the commotion, she tells Cyclo she has misjudged him.
Cyclo is thus made a criminal for attempted r*pe, and is sent to a remote area to explore the worst dungeon in the world. In the frontier, imprisoned adventurers are considered to be at the bottom of the heap, so Cyclo is looked down upon. Furthermore, due to rumors spread by his younger sister, Alice Owen, a well-known genius alchemist among adventurers, he is treated as incompetent here as well.
He is then mistreated by adventurers who makes uses him as a baggage carrier, and is pushed down to the bottom of a valley in the dungeon.
At the very bottom of the dungeon, Cyclo wished he could use his Clock User abilities to stop his internal clock. Then his hunger stopped. This led Cyclo to understand that his skill coul manipulate anything that could be counted as a clock.
Thus awakening to his true power, Cyclo escaped from the deepest part of the worst dungeon. In recognition of his achievements and abilities, he is recognized as an SSS-class adventurer.
On the other hand, those who had driven Cyclo to misfortune are now faced with misfortune in Cyclo’s absence.
The writing feels unimaginative, with simple and unfinished chapters that feel more like outlines than complete stories. The story begins with the main character seemingly having it all – a fiancé, supportive family, a promising career in the artisan guild, and exceptional talent in crafting magical items. At 16, they go to the church to identify their divine abilities. The fiancé becomes a 'saint,' while the sister becomes a 'sage,' both taken away by their respective guilds.
The main character, unexpectedly, gets 'clock user' as their skill, which no one has heard of before, leading to an anticlimactic revelation. They join the artisan guild. However, their life takes a sharp turn. They lose their job due to their perceived uselessness, breakups follow, including their family disowning them and a false rape accusation by a corrupt cop.
At trial, the fiancé and the victim turn against them, and the hero testifies against them. Without a chance to defend themselves, they're found guilty and forced to serve as a slave for adventurers in a notorious dungeon. The MC is labeled as useless and receives mistreatment.
Meanwhile, other characters face their own challenges: the fiancé learns the truth about the hero's involvement, the sister becomes disillusioned with the adventurer's guild, the mother loses her home, and the victim continues to suffer.
In the "Clock Cave," the MC escapes the dungeon, clears their name, and rises to fame as an SSS adventurer. They acquire a forbidden slave with hidden powers and get into a fight at the adventurer's guild. The hero, saint, and cop-related events unfold further, with the mother exacting revenge.
As the story progresses, the victim discovers the truth about the MC's innocence, and the sister, now a slave herself, tries to reconnect with her brother. Together, they embark on adventures, eventually forming a party.
It seems likely that the victim will join the party as a slave, the saint will also become a part of the group, and there will be intense battles involving the spirit of the dead cop and the hero. The MC will establish a new guild and mend the broken clock for the king's grandmother, solidifying their reputation as the "wicked" protagonist.
This is where I stopped, but expect the plot to develop in that direction.
The reason for the low score is as follows: Despite surpassing Volume 1, the chapters still feel like short stories. The protagonist's skills are limited and inadequately portrayed, with missing training scenes in the dungeon. The author's explanations are vague, often resorting to brief descriptions. In Chapter 4, Section 20, the protagonist designs a "gun," reminiscent of a common trope in blacksmith novels. But in this context, it's unrealistic for a clockmaker with no experience in gun-related materials to create a blueprint. Given the setting of swords and "magic," incorporating firearms doesn't fit the theme.
I'm currently at the beginning of Volume 3, and so far, the content aligns with the summary provided. If I were to rate the story, I'd give it a 3 out of 5. However, my reading experience has been less satisfying, receiving a 2 out of 5 due to the chapter layout issues.
It's important to acknowledge the translator's efforts in bringing this work to a wider audience, but my suggestion is to merge chapters for better readability and a more enjoyable reading experience. Your hard work has allowed me to access many untranslated novels on the platform, and for that, I'm grateful. Best wishes to all who have reached this point.
The protagonist then faces false accusations and loses faith in humanity, creating a compelling setup. Unfortunately, the author appears unsure how to develop this theme consistently. The protagonist's trauma becomes exaggerated, leading to melodramatic reactions that are suddenly resolved with a magical solution in the next chapter, undermining the impact.
As the story progresses, the protagonist discovers a hidden strength within his evolving skill, granting him extraordinary powers like summoning miniature suns at will. This power level verges on absurdity, resembling another popular series, "Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou." However, instead of crafting a unique narrative, the focus shifts towards revenge and trauma, which are resolved rather hastily with a同伴's magical intervention.
Overall, the novel presents promising ideas that are underutilized or abandoned, resulting in a frustrating reading experience. The author seems to struggle with balancing originality and reliance on established tropes.
One aspect I do appreciate is the author's idea behind the "Clock User" skill – it had potential, but unfortunately, the execution fell short of what could have been a captivating concept.
Leave a Review
Part 1. Rate (click Star to vote)
Part 2. Login to account
Part 3. Write your review
Directory of Novels. where you can find Novels
Copyright novel cool © 2018–2024 — All rights reserved