Money Can Buy Everything

032 Welcome, Kirito-kun!

However, this fast leveling technique can only be used when you're LV1.

Inside this blacksmith shop, all weapons are LV10 or below, and you can forge weapons using 1st level skills. Therefore, Momo can only rapidly level up during the LV1 stage.

While LV2 still only requires 100 experience points, you need to forge 10 LV1 stage weapons to gain a small amount of experience points. This leveling system is indeed very strict, but it encourages players to try higher-level recipes rather than using low-level ones to accumulate experience as a high-level blacksmith.

However, higher-level recipes mean rare materials and high prices. The experience of Lizbeth and Kirito searching for ores in the original work exemplifies this approach. Clearly, a blacksmith alone can't obtain such materials.

Yet, with Momo, the situation might be different.

Hammer after hammer, Momo must swing the hammer himself before the blazing furnace, not just lightly tap it like when crafting a weapon.

Perhaps this is the meaning of the term "apprentice" in the mouth of the Dark Elf. It's very likely that this apprentice status is part of some kind of task.

But since Momo has come across it, he doesn't hesitate to make use of it.

Pounding the hammer, one strike after another, doesn't have much effect on attributes, but it tests the player's willpower and spirit. The flames blaze, arms ache, and the monotonous clanging seems like the prelude to a lullaby, causing one's spirit to wilt.

However, Momo maintains a smile on his face. To him, enduring the pain of pioneering is merely the prelude to a symphony. Without a prologue, how can there be a grand symphony?

Reimu lies quietly on top of Momo's head, gazing at the sparks on the anvil absentmindedly. The Dark Elf blacksmith beside them occasionally glances at Momo, seemingly intrigued by the outsider who can tolerate such monotonous work.

As the sun sets, Momo rubs his shoulders and nods with satisfaction.

From noon to sunset, six hours of time have raised Momo's blacksmith skill by 36 points of experience. He completed more than one-third of his leveling in the afternoon, only costing him 36 col. Such speed would likely make aspiring blacksmiths who are about to embark on this path burst into tears when they realize the difficulty they would face.

They would find that blacksmithing skill is hardest to level up when it's at its lowest level. At the beginning, everyone lacks materials, so it's impossible to level up the skill. But as levels increase, no one would bother making low-level weapons. Blacksmith players need to prepare their own materials, and at the very least, create weapons that match the mainstream team's level to make a profit.

This challenging process is likely beyond the reach of Momo.

Bidding farewell to the still stern Dark Elf blacksmith, Momo heads back to the inn.

"Guess how Asuna will welcome me today?"

"A flying kick in the face?"

"Tsundere, huh, I guess it will be a warm and gentle embrace, followed by a sweet kiss, and then... ouch, my ear, my ear!"

Joking and laughing, they entered their private room in the inn's instance. However, reality seemed as cold and brutal as steel.

Asuna's door remains tightly closed, showing no intention of opening.

"Hehe, caught off guard, huh!"

Momo shrugs and knocks on the door, saying, "Asuna, are you okay?"

After a few seconds, a soft response comes from Asuna, "I'm fine."

There's no sound of her getting out of bed, probably indicating that Asuna has no intention of moving. With a playful look from Reimu's eyes, Momo takes out a cake and places it by the bed, saying, "I left dinner here for you. If you're feeling better later, remember to eat it. The world is vast, the sky is high, and the biggest thing is your stomach. A hungry stomach is never in a good mood."

"Um, okay."

Facing Asuna's still somewhat indifferent response, Momo doesn't continue to disturb her. Instead, he chooses to return to his room and takes out the dark bread.

"Hey hey, Momo, she dislikes you, dislikes you, dislikes you! Hehe, how is it? Are you in despair, feeling sad?"

Seeing Reimu's gloating expression, Momo replies, "On the contrary, I feel like I'm just one step away from opening up Asuna's heart completely."

Watching Momo's confident demeanor, Reimu grabs his hair and asks, "Are you really not pretending to be strong? If you want to cry, I, the great Reimu, won't mock you. I'll just give you a kind and compassionate smile."

"Tsk tsk, you really underestimate me. Everything is within my expectations, alright!"

"Then tell me, what's Asuna's current state?"

"She's just restless."

"Restless?"

Momo counts on his fingers and says, "Fear of death, anxiousness with no rescue, missing her guild members, guilt towards me, self-loathing for doing nothing... various emotions are intertwining, and she's in turmoil."

"Except for the guilt towards you, I find the rest believable. But hasn't she calmed down?"

"That's just a self-protective reaction brought about by excessive stress due to the fear of death and physical and mental exhaustion. The root of her restlessness hasn't disappeared. Staying in her room without taking any action will only amplify this restlessness."

"So what?"

"I've done quite a bit already. What's next is for her to step out of her room on her own. At that point, the outcome will become clear."

Reimu pouts, not wanting to admit it, but Momo's words seem to make a bit of sense.

"Aren't you afraid that when Asuna comes out of her room, someone else might snatch her away? Like Kirito, Kirito, you know, NTR stuff, hehe."

"Laugh all you want, but if I really get NTR-ed, I'll make you feel my deep love."

Seeing the smile at the corner of Momo's mouth, Reimu suddenly shivers.

...

In the end, Asuna didn't initiate any conversation with Momo that night. All Momo could hear were the sounds of her opening the door to eat and taking a shower.

Asuna didn't speak, and Momo didn't make an effort to please her either. They seemed to have an unspoken understanding. The next day, just before dawn, Momo set off again. This time, the breakfast he left for Asuna had transformed into the most lavish meal set available on the first floor, priced at 50 col per set.

While 50 col might be valuable, Momo now has a daily income of over a thousand col, so this expenditure isn't much. After all, compared to just bread, a set meal with side dishes and a main course is more like a proper meal.

Today's schedule remains the same. He starts by hunting monsters to level up, ensuring that his level doesn't fall behind, while also collecting some materials. Then he sets up a stall to buy wild boar meat and tries to sell the LV2 Fang Short Sword he recently replaced.

At this point, Momo has reached LV3 and has equipped the newly dropped LV3 Fang Short Sword. While there's quite a crowd watching, and offers are enthusiastic, Momo still doesn't sell.

After all, the highest bid is only 40 col. No one would invest a large amount of money into a LV2 basic sword for a slight improvement, especially when the weapons gifted to beginners can also be used for hunting.

Momo doesn't mind. This further illustrates the difficulty of leveling up as a novice blacksmith. As for this sword, perhaps someday...

"Oh, isn't that Kirito-kun!"

"Oh, Momo, didn't expect you to start leveling too. Well done!"

Seeing Momo's equipment, Kirito naturally knows that Momo has ventured out of the city to level up. As a newcomer to the game, even though he's learned from his own experiences, Kirito appreciates the courage Momo has shown.

After all, at this point, Momo is already ahead of at least 9,500 players.

Of course, if Kirito knew that Momo had over a thousand col, he'd probably kneel down and call him a tycoon.

Although Kirito has been hunting higher-level monsters and has reached LV5, he only has 200 col in savings.

"By the way, Kirito-kun, how about a trade?"

"What? Sure!"

"This exquisite Fang Short Sword has unparalleled attack power and incredible might. It dropped from a magical wild boar that inherited the bloodline of an ancient dragon. Its attributes are three times higher than your current beginner's short sword. How about I use it to buy 5 points of proficiency in your one-handed sword skill?"

"...Deal."

Seeing Kirito almost grinding his teeth in frustration, Momo wears a radiant smile. At this point, 5 points of one-handed sword skill proficiency are practically useless, and a Level 2 Fang Short Sword can more than double Kirito's attack power and significantly increase his leveling efficiency. Besides, Kirito was planning to get a new sword anyway.

For this purpose, he had prepared 200 col to come to the blacksmith shop, but Momo intercepted him along the way.

"Welcome to visit again!"

Hearing Momo's voice, Kirito disappears in a flash, as fast as his Sword Skills, and as agile as Bolt.

After bidding farewell to Kirito and selling 50 pieces of boar meat, Momo returns to the blacksmith shop to continue his forging career.

The clanging sounds echo in the blacksmith shop. Only the Dark Elf occasionally glances at Momo, bringing about subtle changes.

As for Reimu? She has already used Momo's hair as a cushion and is soundly asleep.

However, a small figure suddenly opened the door of the blacksmith shop, sticking only her head in and looking around.

As a result, she naturally saw Momo's figure and was left speechless, mouth agape.

Shortly after, she rushed into the blacksmith shop, coming to Momo's side, and widened her eyes to carefully scrutinize him, seemingly trying to take in every detail of him.

"Do you need something?"

"Well, I just wanted to see what you're doing, not doing anything now."

"Admission fee of 10 col per minute for observation, tickets once sold are non-refundable!"

"Do you think you're a big star or something!"

Momo smiled slightly, stood up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and shook Reimu off. Amidst Reimu's screams, he revealed a charming smile.

"Do you think, in reality, I might be a star?"

Seeing Momo's smile, the girl instinctively lowered her head, a blush creeping up her face, a single thought echoing in her mind.

"Could this guy really be some kind of celebrity?"