Chapter 161

When I woke up, I was being hugged by Rin-chan.

I fidgeted to get out of it. Rin-chan seemed to wake up too. She untied her arms and frowned a little.

"Are you feeling better?"

"—N, ... I'm all right... I guess."

"Your fever has gone... I'll go make you something easy to eat."

"I want porridge."

"Okay."

Her condition seemed to have improved, but she was still far from feeling well. There she was, lying on her stomach, waving her hands in the air.

I looked at the time. It was 5:30 in the morning. Even though I went to bed early last night, I guess I woke up a little too early.

With that in mind, I quickly made egg porridge for the two of us and carried it into the bedroom, where Rin-chan was waiting for me in a messy position as if I had just gotten her up.

I helped the sluggish Rin-chan get into a proper position and then handed her the egg porridge.

Still half-asleep, Rin-chan took the plate and excessively blew porridge to cool it down before bringing the spoon to her mouth.

"How is it?"

"It's good."

"I'm glad then. Well, it's harder to make porridge taste bad."

"That's true."

I also ate the porridge on her bed. Would you mind overlooking my bad manners? It was a very relaxing and peaceful time for us.

"What are you going to do today, Rin-chan?"

"Well... I have a competition next weekend. I'm going to rest today because I don't want to prolong my cold."

"Is it okay for me to stream today?"

"Fufu, I'm not a child, don't worry that much. Since I will have free time, I'll prepare something for lunch."

Rin-chan then put her plate on the side table and fell into bed.

"I'm going to sleep for a little bit...."

"Okay, good night."

"Good night. ......"

I put the blanket over Rin-chan, who had easily fallen asleep, and finished cleaning up the porridge.

I don't think it will get any worse from here, so I don't need to worry anymore.

It's still past 6:00 am, but I'm up, so let's do it.

I sent out an announcement on social media and immediately dived into the world of WLO.

☆

<Mornin'>

<morning!>

<Good morning>

<Mornin', It's early today?>

<Don't wake me up so early in the morning.>

<↑ Even though you say so, you still woke up and came to her stream. >

"I woke up, so it can't be helped."

I thought there wouldn't be many viewers since it was an early morning stream, but it didn't take long for comments to start pouring in.

The prime time for streaming is after 9 pm. That's when working people and students have their free time.

I spend a lot of time streaming every day, but most of the time it's from early morning to early evening, so I've never really done any prime-time streaming.

I'm not sure if that's why I don't have to compete with other streamers for viewers. In any case, I was sure that I was blessed with viewers who responded quickly to my early morning delivery.

"No... it's really is too early......"

Suddenly, a voice from behind me startled me, and I turned around.

I knew that someone was coming from behind me. What surprised me was not the presence but her familiar voice.

Shaggy white hair, clothes that looked like rags. Eyes that looked too sleepy. The figure of the girl with the large hammer hanging from her body, which did not match her child-like physique, was definitely that of someone I knew.

But it was also a person I never expected to come out at this time.

"Haruru!"

"Yes....., it's your one and only Haruru......."

Haruru said with a twisted smile, looking at me with amusement as I shouted out loud.

"yes, but ee.... eh?"

"Oh...., confused you seem to be......"

That's what I thought, and Haruru giggled when she saw me confused.

In all honesty, I have a strong feeling of "why".

It was Haruru herself who had been hiding her presence so thoroughly, meeting and communicating outside of the stream time because she didn't want to appear on screen too much.

Why did she suddenly show her face during the stream?

<Who is this?>

<Her face somehow familiar....>

<It's the girl with the copper weight.>

<↑Oh, that brings back memories.>

<↑I don't know who that is.>

<It was around the second day of streaming. She was someone Sukuna met by chance in Dualis.>

<I'm a newcomer. So I totally can't keep up with the topic.>

"You all remember it well. ......"

It was indeed on the second day of delivery that I met Haruru at the Dualis. I was forced to take a copper weight that she abandoned as my property, and to my surprise, it was so easy to use.

I bought a two-handed club [Kugelschreiber] the next day and smashed it against Apocalypse Dragon on that same day. That memory still remains clear in my mind.

After that, I started using the Heavy Metal Gauntlet she made, and from then on, I only used the weapons made by her.

"This is the first time I've introduced myself to you all...... Hi there, how are you? ...... I'm Haruru, Sukuna's personal blacksmith. ......"

She unexpectedly knows a lot about the stream function, contrary to the fact that she avoided exposure until now.

The viewers were surprised to see Haruru bowing her head to the camera's crystal.

<Hah!??>

<Hah!??>

<LOL>

<Hah!??>

<Seriously?>

<She is the creator of [Kagenui]?>

<↑ That's what exclusive means.>

"Ah ...well, yes. Except for that light metal rod I bought at Trillia, everything else is made by Haruru."

"I love to see a girl wielding a blunt weapon, so ...... I'm in a win-win relationship with Sukuna. ......"

<You have a unique way of speaking.>

<Good taste you have there.>

<I don't hate you!>

<A kindred spirit.>

<I knew you were a blacksmith who made good weapons, but I didn't expect you to be a little girl.>

<I also love to see a girl using a blunt weapon.>

"You blended in instantly."

Haruru captured the audience's heart with just one word, and it's a feeling I can't describe, but it's better than her being a stranger.

To think of it, both Meguru and Himiko were also quickly accepted. It may become a tradition.

"But why are you suddenly showing yourself? You didn't want to do it before."

"It's fine, let's say I just realize that things have changed now. ...... It's a private matter, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't pursue it. ......"

It's not that I can't answer, but I don't want to be asked.

Haruru was hinting at it with her words.

Well, I just need to accept that Haruru's circumstances have changed.

"I don't mind if you don't mind. But this means I don't have to cut off the stream when I contact you from now on, right?"

"Of course. ......and.... I've moved my workshop to Griffith. ...... Please feel free to visit me. ......"

"So quick!"

The number of weapons in Haruru's workshop was huge. Did she throw all of them into her inventory and move them around?

The number of items that can be stored in an inventory depends on their total weight, not their spatial size. Therefore, the size of the inventory is proportional to the player's strength value.

But carrying that number of weapons seems to be difficult even with my current strength value.

"I've destroyed some...... but ...... most of them were carried by couriers. ......"

"a Courier?"

"It's like an NPC store dedicated to transporting goods. ...... They transport goods from home to home only. ...... like a moving company... ..."

"Oh, I didn't know that existed."

I think it's a service for people like Haruru, who carry a lot of armor, or simply for homeowners who have a lot of luggage.

I think some players use their homes as storage for their belongings, and if enough players continue to collect items in the future, there will be a lot of customers for that company.

"Right, right...., let's get down to business, shall we......?"

"Business?"

We were having a leisurely conversation, but Haruru straightened her posture a little and opened her sleepy eyes.

"I'm...... angry, you know. ......"

Haruru is looking at me with a mood and expression that doesn't seem angry at all.

But as for me, I have no idea what happened. The only reason why she's mad I can think of is because I lost a lot of iron balls in the magma during the Volcano Golem battle.

"It's not that. ...... What I'm upset about is that ...... Sukuna underreported her muscle strength value......"

"Uuh..."

Under-reporting of muscle strength values. I think it's fair to say that this is how it turned out.

I... didn't know the exact value of my strength because I didn't check my status much and immediately assigned a bonus to my strength when I leveled up.

"When I made [Yoiyami] for you.... Sukuna, you said ...... that your strength value was a little over 300. ...... That was before the apostle battle, so you're about ten levels lower than ...... now."

"u.. yeah, you're right."

"Even if you subtract all the level ups.... and the bonus points from the named and the level ups..... your strength value must have been over 400 at that time.... am I right?"

"No, I mean, I didn't know... I was semi-automatically allocating my stats to strength at the time, so I didn't-"

"—make an excuse all you want...."

When I tried to make an excuse, I was interrupted, and I can only held my tongue.

Haruru kept her sad expression on her face and kept her gaze on the [Yoiyami] at my back.

"That [Yoiyami]..... I'm cutting out a lot of gimmicks that I really wanted to include. ...... I couldn't use all the materials I wanted to use due to the required strength value, so I cried as I dismissed them. ...... And yet, Sukuna still doesn't seem to be using the only function that child has left, the explosion perk....?"

Haruru said with a heartfelt sadness.

[Bakurai]{Depth Charge/Exploding Thunder} is a gimmick that was carved into [Yoiyami].

That's right. in addition to the gravity this child has, Haruru also prepared an explosion feature for me to use in the [Yoiyami].

However, this large explosion is a nuisance if you're playing in a cooperative environment. For example, in a boss battle, you can't use it because it might engulf your teammates.

On the other hand, if you're playing solo, you don't need to use the gimmick to defeat the boss, so I was left with a dilemma.

It's one hard-to-use gimmick.

"I actually made it so that it compactly explode......!"

What do you mean [compactly explode]......?

Let's take a break from thinking in terms of exploding weapons, shall we?

Haruru, aren't you a little obsessed with those explosive weapons since Meteor Impact Zero?

"haaa... I don't want to keep complaining about it, so I'm done.... I came here today to upgrade the [Yoiyami] to match the current Sukuna...."

"Upgrade?"

"I thought about this when I was doing [Kagenui]... I think.... it would be better if I didn't make Sukuna aware of too many gimmicks, so I'm going to.... recreate it in the simplest way possible..."

Well, it was true that the [Kagenui] was an easy weapon to use. After all, the performance of that weapon was [heavy and hard], that's all it was, a simple Kanabou.

It was simple enough to use as a hand in battle, so you didn't have to think about it.

"I'm going to omit all the gimmicks and make it a kanabou that specializes in the gravity attribute. ...... That's why.... I'd like to have one of the gold bars you have, Sukuna....."

"Oh, the gold ingot? Sure, no problem."

"As usual, you don't hesitate at all.... I'm thankful for that... "

At any rate, I don't plan to use it right now, so I give the [Yoiyami] and the gold to Haruru to seal the deal.

There is no flaw in the weapons that Haruru makes. I have confidence in her from my past experience.

She knows a lot more about handling and combining materials than I do.

"I'll return it to you in two days...... Please use this as a substitute for the mean time ......"

What I received from Haruru's transfer item was a weapon with a name carved on it.

"[Mumei]?" {Unnamed}

"It's the successor [Kagenui]...... There's nothing new about it in any way, so I named it that......."

I took it and looked at the weapon's status and saw the number 450 in the required strength value.

"Wait? Why It's so heavy!"

"But you can carry it, can't you ......?"

"Uuu."

"It seems that the 500+ muscle strength value is not a lie....... I'm relieved. ......"

I see, so this weapon is to confirm that.

When I was convinced, Haruru turned away and walked away with a giggle.

"I'm sure I'll visit you again during the stream.... I'll get the timing right.... Don't worry. I won't make you late for the Moon Wolf Battle..."

"Yes, I understand. I'll leave it to you."

Catching my words behind her back, Haruru left too easily, dragging the hammer with her.

I wonder then, why did she suddenly show up in my stream and say that?

As I watched her go, I thought about Haruru's change of heart.

====.

A note

So before we get to the armor, let's get to the weapon enhancement.

About the required strength value of weapons.

It's set by the weight of the material, but if you want to add a gimmick or special attribute to the weapon, it will require either Dexterity or Strength separately.

Explosions require strength to suppress the recoil of the explosion. Transformations often require Dexterity.

That's why [Yoiyami] 's Strength requirement is 100 higher than [Kagenui], even though its materials are not that different. Dexterity and agility are displayed separately as "required dexterity value", but only muscle strength is immediately added, so it can be ridiculously high.

Haruru reduced the number of gimmicks in her weapon was because she packed too many elements into it, and the required strength value became too high.

I'll reveal more about Haruru's situation in the future. It's an important part of the story.

Tl note:

So... Haruru will still include gimmick, she just made it so Sukuna didn't aware of them?