Money Can Buy Everything

027: She just needs some time.

Klein rushed to pull Momo away, genuinely afraid that the angry players would retaliate against him.

If Klein had one notable virtue, it was that he would go to great lengths to help his friends when he acknowledged someone as a friend. In the current situation, everyone needed to support each other to get through this ordeal, and Klein believed in this approach.

However, as Klein continuously apologized and tried to pull Momo away, he was surprised to find that instead of the anticipated rage from the players, they were looking at Momo with curious and enlightened expressions.

"Yes, what this friend said is correct. Regardless, we can't let ourselves become chaotic! Hello, everyone, I am Diabel. Though not well-known, I believe some of you may recognize me. Also, my three good friends, have you logged into SAO? I truly hope no one will answer that!"

Diabel took the platform after Momo and shouted to all the players. This time, nobody reacted impulsively; they understood the significance of his words.

"Ah, unfortunately, I'm here. I wish I wasn't."

"I'm here too. But Matsumoto isn't here; he's probably still at work. I suddenly envy him."

Two players emerged from different corners, answering Diabel's call. Curiously, seven or eight players joined them, all appearing to be students.

Everyone watched them gather together, feeling mixed emotions. Finding familiar friends at this time brought some comfort and joy, but at the same time, it meant that these friends were also trapped in the same predicament.

"You're right, Momo. Sorry, I'm going to join the group!"

Kirito observed everything, seeing Klein leave without stopping him.

"Kirito, if I'm not mistaken, you want to team up with us to conquer the game, right? Why didn't you stop him?"

Kirito's face turned a bit gloomy, smiling bitterly. "Klein, he has friends here, and honestly, taking one or two people with me is my limit. Leading a big group would be..."

"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to say you are a burden."

"No, we are a burden. Resources in the game are limited, and resources represent power. Your thoughts are correct, Kirito."

Surprisingly, Kirito understood him. Seeing Kirito grasp his feelings, cfelt excited. He had always played games alone, battling alone, but it didn't mean he liked being alone. No one could keep up with his pace, nor was anyone willing to join him in his crazy leveling spree.

"But Momo, you're different. I taught you my experience and combat awareness. To be honest, our strength is almost equal now. If we coordinate, I can offer you some challenging missions and leveling spots. The two of us can surely..."

"Boom!"

A light sound interrupted Diabel as a figure emerged from the crowd and rushed to Momo's side, hugging him tightly without any hesitation.

Chestnut hair swayed in the wind, revealing the player's gender. Shaking shoulders and the faint sound of sobbing indicated her emotional state.

"Momo... Momo... Momo..."

Kirito was stunned, looking at this female player whose face he couldn't clearly see, and then at her intimate embrace with Momo. A bitter smile appeared on his face.

"It seems I owe you an apology, after all."

The one speaking was Momo, but Kirito waved his hand repeatedly, saying, "No, it's my abruptness. Since Momo asked if anyone knows you, I should have thought about it... it's my mistake. I won't disturb you both."

With that, Kirito turned around and started running, running faster and faster, as if running was the only way to suppress the emotions in his heart.

Perhaps he was destined to be alone!

"Momo... Momo... I'm scared, I'm really scared... Tell me this isn't real, Momo!"

Momo turned around to see Asuna, who was sobbing with her head down. A slight smile appeared on Momo's lips as he embraced Asuna tightly, trying his best to give her a sense of security.

"Don't worry, I'm here. Everything will be okay."

...

A few hours passed, and the gathering of acquaintances in the square gradually came to an end. Many players who hadn't made prior arrangements with their friends stepped up to the platform to look for familiar faces. Unfortunately, except for a few lucky ones, most of them didn't find anyone they knew.

After all, there were only ten thousand players in the entire game, and even compared to all of Japan, this number was quite small, not to mention the city of Tokyo.

Those with friends and acquaintances immediately gathered together, quietly complaining or discussing their situation. Meanwhile, the lone players sat in corners, enduring fatigue and hunger.

Most people were waiting for rescue from the outside world. However, as time passed, their despair grew.

Many players were still unaware of the existence of inns and bread shops, leading them to complain about the realistic nature of the game. They couldn't fathom that rescue wasn't coming and that they had to clear the game to escape. This realization, according to the original story, would take at least a month. During this time, many players would remain huddled in the starting town.

This was human nature. Not everyone was like Kirito, able to quickly recognize the reality and muster the courage to tackle the game.

However, Kirito's actions were also a blind impulse. The only difference was that he made the right choice according to the original story.

As a result of Momo's deal with Kayaba, the best option for players now would be to commit suicide, just like the brave man who dashed out of the boundaries and embraced the sky.

In doing so, they could leave the game and return to reality. Although Kayaba would deceive the players into thinking the brave soul had died, only Momo and Kayaba knew the truth. However, Momo was restricted from telling anyone about it due to the deal.

Nonetheless, Momo felt content; at least he had saved the lives of over ten thousand people.

By now, Momo had brought Asuna to stay in an inn. Being familiar with the game's basic settings, he wouldn't let Asuna starve or suffer in the open.

In SAO, each player started with 100 cor (the in-game currency). The most basic room in the inn cost only 10 cor per night, and a simple black bread, enough to fill one's stomach, cost 1 cor.

Adding the basic weapon that every player received, as long as they played the game normally and fought some low-level monsters that posed no threat, they would earn enough to cover their living expenses.

Unfortunately, many players were afraid of death and didn't dare to leave the starting town. They clung to their 100 cor and endured hunger. As a result, when players started mass action about a week later, according to the original story, they were forced to do so because they had no other choice.

Currently, Momo didn't need to worry about basic expenses. He had one of the wild boar hides and meats, which he could sell to the relevant NPC shop for about a hundred cor. The NPC shops only offered one-third of the selling price for weapons and equipment, and half for resources that could be used for future cooking and weapon and armor crafting.

Only special quests issued by the NPC shops seeking specific resources fetched a good price. Therefore, selling the resources now wouldn't be wise, as their prices would likely rise in the future with the increase in the number of players [Learning] secondary professions.

Therefore, Momo didn't rush to sell his resources. He would deal with it the next day.

"Asuna, rest well. Everything will be fine."

Even after entering the room, Asuna continued to hold Momo tightly, appearing truly frightened.

Momo took out the fruit jam bread. The sweet aroma of the jam mixed with the scent of wheat, causing Asuna to sniffle. She freed one hand and took the bread while still looking sad. Basic physiological needs were hard to resist, even in moments of sorrow.

"She just needs some time," Momo said softly, gently rubbing the back of Asuna's hand.