LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 125:
Crash (1)
***
The news of me making a fortune in stocks spread quickly.
Investing in Tatars, known for its instability, was enough to draw attention, but the remarkable rise in value made it even more notable.
If this were Earth, Kara and I might have been investigated by the Financial Supervisory Service. As a princess of Tatars, Kara would be even more suspicious.
“I read it in the newspaper too. Investigation, my foot. If I had known earlier, I’d have returned to my country.”
Of course, it was an entirely unexpected situation for Tatars, so the suspicion was soon cleared.
It was not just any discovery but a Mana Stone mine with substantial reserves. If she left, she might be gone for a long time.
“So, how does it feel to have made a fortune?”
Despite the stock turmoil, time flowed on.
During a separate weekend meeting, Kara asked me this. As always, she was comfortably dressed in a sleeveless outfit.
I was eating the ice cream she bought me and thought about it. Although I had made a lot of money, I felt calm.
“I am rich.”
So, I answered simply. I had nothing else to say.
Kara chuckled at my response. She seemed to think, ‘Of course.’
“Yeah, as you said, the more money, the better. But don’t you regret it? The value is still rising.”
As her words implied, I had already sold my stocks.
Tatars’ stocks were still steadily rising, but I had sold them. I needed cash immediately.
Moreover, the value would peak soon and then slowly decline. Tatars is a new country, and its value was somewhat inflated.
“I don’t regret it. I have a lot of money.”
“Hmm… Well, 10 million silver coins is not pocket change.”
The money I made from stocks was roughly 10 million silver coins, equivalent to 10 billion won.
An ordinary person with this amount could live comfortably for life. But I planned to invest elsewhere.
This includes stocks. Due to the demon’s magic circle, I’ll visit the exchange frequently.
If I keep investing and making money, I might get VIP treatment. It’s good to aim for that.
Though it might spark strange rumors again, I don’t care. I just need to avoid losses, whether people follow my investments or not.
‘I should invest 1 million silver coins each in Ellie and Jane.’
Ellie was already getting full support from her professor, and Jane was capable of turning trash into gold.
With substantial capital, both could achieve tremendous growth.
Ellie would buy expensive herbs without hesitation, and Jane could work in high-end workshops.
“I wonder how weapons made from Usk’s blade tusks will turn out. There was a lot even with the broken ones.”
“They’ll be good.”
Anyway, the reason I met Kara today was simple.
Today, the weapons made from Usk’s blade tusks would be completed.
The material was sharp enough to tear my skin even when unprocessed. Given that, the weapons would be remarkable.
Though rare, the academy’s blacksmiths have exceptional skills. With talents from all over the world gathered here, they are bound to be excellent.
‘Engraving might be difficult, though.’
To engrave like Ragnarok, a small amount of Mana Stone powder is needed.
Moreover, even with the powder, the artisan must personally inscribe the name to exert its effect.
The academy’s blacksmiths are excellent but lack engraving skills. So, I’ll need to find another artisan.
‘I’ll take my time. No need to rush.’
With Ragnarok already in hand, there’s no need to be greedy.
More importantly, I plan to devise a new combat style with the new weapon.
Since I have training scheduled with Rize today, I’ll ask her for a sparring session.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
We soon arrived at the blacksmith shop where the weapons were commissioned.
The shop was somewhat secluded due to the unique noise, but I roughly knew the place.
Jane’s workshop was nearby. It’s like an industrial zone.
“Hmm? Oh! A student. Here to pick up your weapon?”
The blacksmith, who was hammering metal, recognized Kara and spoke.
His bulging arm muscles and seasoned appearance were impressive.
With his white hair, he looked like a seasoned professional, appearing as a 30-year veteran in any field.
“Yes. I know it’s completed today.”
“Wait a moment. Hey! Bring out the weapons made from Usk’s blade tusks!”
“Yes, sir!”
When the blacksmith commanded, the assistants inside responded vigorously. By the way, they were probably students, not assistants.
At United Academy, blacksmithing is as important as herbal studies.
Jane specializes in mechanics but also works as a blacksmith.
She might be forging a mechanical arm using a hammer and anvil like the blacksmith in front of me.
“So, this man is the rumored wild one? He looks it with those red eyes.”
While the assistant fetched the weapons, the blacksmith looked at me and asked.
The rumors about me had already spread throughout the academy. It wasn’t strange that he knew me.
Moreover, due to duels and various incidents, the rumors had spread farther than expected.
“Yes. He’s the one who killed the Usk. Sivar?”
“Hello. I’m Sivar.”
Since I might see him frequently, I greeted him politely. I’d need to come to him for repairs.
The blacksmith chuckled heartily as I bowed. He seemed pleased.
“You speak fluently for someone from the wild. My name is Wupong. Just a plain blacksmith.”
He’s definitely not just a plain blacksmith. The fact that he works at the academy proves that.
He deals with naive youngsters and picky brats.
He might laugh now, but if you act out, you’ll suffer. He deliberately destroys weapons by saying, “Oops! My hand slipped!” It’s reminiscent of a blacksmith from somewhere else.
‘Even the academy backs up Wupong.’
Anyway, there’s no harm in building a good relationship with Wupong. It saves repair costs and helps Jane’s growth.
Moreover, it’s not something money can easily solve. Unless you offer 1 billion won, he’s not interested in money.
“I’ve heard the rumors about you. Not only did you kill the Usk, but you also broke its blade tusks with your bare hands? I couldn’t believe it at first.”
“It must be very hard.”
“More than hard; it’s a pain to work with. When sharpened on a whetstone, the whetstone wears out. It’s very tricky.”
He kept talking while hammering away. It looked like a light warm-up to him.
“Wupong! Here it is!”
“Alright. Carefully place it here.”
“Yes, sir!”
Soon, .
Wupong put down his hammer and unveiled the weapons. First was Kara’s curved sword.
Kara’s curved swords were mostly scimitars, and this one was close to that too.
“Here’s the weapon you ordered. As you know, the blade is extremely sharp, so be careful.”
“Wow…”
At first glance, it looked no different from a steel sword. However, it had uneven parts here and there.
It felt like the blade tusks were used as is. The handle was a sandy brown, considering Usk’s color.
“Next is the axe… This one’s for you, right?”
“Yes.”
“Here you go.”
He handed me the axe next. Its size was similar to Ragnarok.
But it had a completely opposite appearance. Unlike the dark-themed Ragnarok, this new weapon was bright.
The axe blade was particularly striking. Like Kara’s curved sword, it looked extremely sharp.
The most significant difference was its weight. The axe handle was made from Usk’s hide.
“th should handle it.”
“How is it? Good?”
I inspected the new axe. It was excellent both in appearance and practicality.
It would be perfect with an engraving. However, I had one concern.
‘Can it withstand my power?’
The question was whether it could withstand my power. Ragnarok was heavily imbued with faith, but this wasn’t.
Even the allegedly tough Usk blade tusks broke under my attack. This axe might not be much different.
‘I should test its sharpness first.’
I decided to test its sharpness by placing the blade on my palm.
The blade tusks had torn my palm even when unprocessed, so I expected it to be sharper now.
“Hold on! That blade will cut you just by touching it…”
Wupong hurriedly tried to stop me, but it was too late. The axe blade had already sunk into my palm.
Like cutting through paper with a sharp knife, the blade sliced through my skin deeply.
It went so deep it almost touched the bone. It was tough enough to cut through skin and muscle but not bone.
“Sharp.”
“Of course it’s sharp! Did you think it was a toy?”
“It’s okay. Sivar was just testing it. Now, show your palm?”
Having seen my antics many times, Kara seemed to understand my behavior.
I nodded, agreeing with her, and showed my palm to Wupong. It was clean without any trace of blood.
“Huh? I saw it cut your hand…”
“It cut. Then healed.”
“It cut, but you healed? Are you a real monster?”
To others, that’s how it would look. My eyes, red like those of a berserk monster, added to the impression.
But I’m not a monster. If fast healing makes me a monster, then Rize would be one too.
“Not a monster. Human.”
“Ha… There are all kinds of people. Anyway, handle it carefully. The blade is really sharp.”
“Got it.”
“Alright. Now that the weapons are made, what about the rest? You can pay with these if you don’t have the money.”
Trying to get something for nothing, are you? The blade tusks alone are worth over 3 million silver coins.
I prepared the payment in advance. The processing was difficult, so the cost was high.
Wupong looked disappointed when he received the payment. He probably wanted the blade tusks more than the money.
“How much is left?”
“Enough for one more double-edged sword.”
“Make it for me.”
I’ll give it to Luna as a gift. I feel bad and want to give it to her.
Wupong asked me again, then made a contract and agreed to start the work. The deadline was one week.
I plan to visit the blacksmith with Luna when the sword is ready.
“It was a good deal. Come back in a week.”
“Okay.”
“Thank you.”
After the greeting, we left. The heat from the blacksmith shop made me sweat.
As I wiped my sweat, Kara asked curiously.
“Sivar, why are you making a double-edged sword? Are you giving it to Luna?”
“Yes.”
She’s perceptive. I answered while wiping my sweat, and Kara looked at me with a subtle expression.
Originally, I planned to give it to her when she reached Kara’s level, but now I wanted to give it out of guilt.
Moreover, I plan to make various investments in Ellie, so I should invest in the protagonist too. She might feel left out otherwise.
“Oh, Kara.”
“Yes?”
“Can you do this too? Like Ragnarok?”
Kara tilted her head at my vague explanation but soon understood and asked back.
“You mean can it hold lightning like Ragnarok?”
“Yes.”
“It can, but not efficiently. It can’t maximize the effect like Ragnarok.”
So, it’s inefficient. There’s a reason Ragnarok is considered the best weapon for a faith-based user.
It means using lightning with Ragnarok is the best option.
“But how will you use your weapons? Are you planning to use both?”
“Yes. One in each hand.”
“Dual-wielding like a barbarian? That’s oddly fitting.”
“Wild warrior.”
“Pfft!”
Kara burst out laughing at my rebuttal of being a wild warrior instead of a barbarian.
After laughing for a while, Kara wiped the tears from her eyes and spoke.
“That’s funny. A wild warrior instead of a barbarian? Where did that come from?”
“My head.”
“You really have a sharp mind. Like during the midterms and stocks.”
Not using my brain doesn’t mean I’m ignorant. This was proven during the midterms.
After chatting with Kara about this and that, I returned to my dorm. Having finished what I needed to do, it was time to part ways.
“So, what will you do now? Training with the Holy Warrior?”
“Hmm…”
That was the original plan. But receiving the new weapon changed my mind.
The axe was sharp enough to pierce my palm. It might work against Rize.
Plus, I need to reinforce my combat style, so sparring isn’t a bad idea.
“Sparring.”
“Sparring? Really?”
“Yes. I got this.”
When I lifted the axe and spoke, Kara’s expression changed subtly.
She then muttered softly as if I wouldn’t hear.
“…Even if you’re smart, your learning ability is poor?”
I can hear you, you know.
[Faith has increased!]
Don’t ridicule me, damn it.
[Faith has decreased…]
I’m sorry.
End of Chapter