Long Live Money in Anime Crossover

Fortunately.

Then, Asuna looked in Argo's direction and couldn't help but smile.

Argo did indeed fall asleep again, but this time she slept very restlessly, using Yui as a body pillow. Yui, true to her childlike nature, slept soundly, not waking up at all when Argo picked her up.

"It really is true... Maybe they really do get along well. Perhaps I'm just being too concerned..."

PS: This book will soon reach 20 words and be available for purchase. If you want to continue following it, please remember to top up your account! Will that scumbag Mo Mo finally get a cleaver? I have a feeling the cleaver is already here (laughs).

PS2: Thank you to readers Huojiujian and Blue and White Stripes for the 100-point reward!

073 Always believe in me, Asuna!

"You're utterly shameless! You still dare to flirt with Argo at a time like this? I can already see the blade of your cleaver!"

"That's right, I saw it too, and it was a rusty woodcutter's knife with bloodstains. If I were to strike it, I would be seriously injured even if I didn't die. Afterwards, the hundreds of debuffs it carried would make me suffer unbearably."

"In this situation, you still dare to play such unpredictable games. It seems that Argo is interested. But what exactly are your plans for Asuna?"

As Reimu and Momo were talking, Asuna walked in, smiled slightly at Momo, and said, "Good morning, Momo."

Mo Mo didn't speak, but instead opened his arms and hugged Asuna, whose eyes were slightly red, and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry you had to go through that yesterday."

Asuna pursed her lips, the last trace of displeasure vanishing in an instant, replaced by gentleness on her face. She said, "Well, it's all beyond our control anyway, but... as a reward..."

Asuna turned Momo's face and gently kissed him. There were no overly intense movements; just a touch of their lips was enough to make Asuna collapse onto Momo.

The two hugged for a while, and Asuna regained her strength. She stood up with a flushed face and said, "Alright, the kitchen is my battlefield. I'll take care of this place. You're not allowed to do anything! Get out of here. You're wasting my time."

This time, however, Mo Mo was not pushed forward. Instead, he stood still, looked at Asuna with a serious expression, and said, "Asuna, I have something to tell you."

Seeing this, Asuna also became serious. Although Momo was often unserious, when he became truly serious, it meant something big was going to happen.

"Yes, I'm listening."

"I might have discovered the secret of this game."

"what!"

Asuna gasped in surprise, but immediately covered her mouth. The news was too shocking; even Asuna found it hard to believe.

"Could it be... the secret to leaving this game?"

He nodded secretly.

"What is that? What is that?!"

Asuna nervously grabbed Momo's hand, her face filled with longing. Although she had gotten used to the game, it didn't mean she truly liked it.

Here, every day is about leveling up and killing monsters; a single misstep can lead to real death. Faced with the choice between peaceful city life and a magical adventure, most people would choose the former.

After all, the latter can lead to death.

Momo shook his head in response to Asuna's words, and under Asuna's questioning gaze, said, "I'm sorry, I can't tell you. On one hand, this is just my guess, and on the other hand, I suspect that I'm being targeted by Kayaba Akihiko."

Asuna's expression changed drastically. The name Kayaba Akihiko was a true nightmare for Asuna. She wasn't very familiar with Kayaba Akihiko to begin with, and now, to her, Kayaba Akihiko was a pure terrorist.

Asuna nervously grabbed Momo's hand, her voice trembling slightly, and asked, "What exactly happened?"

Momo stroked his chin, organizing his thoughts, and said, "Actually, I've been gathering information about the entire Sword Art Online through various means, and using my knowledge to deduce the principles of Aincrad. Now I'm gradually making some progress."

"However, these things are still just speculation, but I've been targeted by Kayaba Akihiko, which makes me feel that all of this might be true."

"What exactly is it? And why would Kayaba Akihiko be targeting you, Momo!"

Mo Mo still shook his head and said, "No, although I can't be sure if this is true, since it means there is danger, I naturally can't tell you."

Asuna pursed her lips; in her mind, the danger Mo Mo spoke of must mean he was leaving the stage.

This is more than just dangerous.

"In that case, Momo, you can't continue. This is a death game! No, Momo, I won't allow you to take the risk, I won't allow it!"

Asuna hugged Momo tightly, as if afraid that Momo would leave like this.

“It’s a pity,” Momo said, stroking Asuna’s hair, “the danger has already arrived; she is in our room.”

"Yui!"

Asuna gasped in surprise and instinctively reached for her sword, but Momo pressed her back down.

"Let me go, Momo, let me go! Why are you stopping me? If Yui is dangerous, then we should stop her!"

"No, Asuna, calm down. You've misunderstood me. Yui herself isn't dangerous. What's dangerous is what Yui's arrival caused and what it means afterward."

Asuna pondered deeply, sweat beading on her forehead. Yui had only been there for a day, and just because of a single word like "Dad" or "Mom," she had almost ruined the relationship between Momo, Asuna, and Argo. What would happen next?

"What I care about most is not what Yui did, but the mission behind her. If I'm not mistaken, it is very likely a trap set by Kayaba Akihiko, and the purpose is... to make me withdraw from the game."

Asuna trembled, almost opening her mouth to scream, but Momo had no choice but to seal Asuna's lips with his.

Asuna struggled for a while, but was unable to break free. She could only channel her fear and anger into her emotions and respond to Momo.

"Why, why did you do such a thing! That person is too dangerous. Since he set a trap, he definitely won't let you go!"

"Mo Mo, please, please stop. I don't want you to take risks. Aren't you usually too lazy to manage everything? Isn't it better for you to stay in the rear and oversee things? I don't want you to take risks. As long as we continue our conquest, we'll leave this place someday, won't we?"

Momo smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's a pity, it's too late. Besides, I don't think Kayaba Akihiko would set up an Aincrad that we could conquer without taking any damage. What awaits us is an increasingly difficult challenge."

"Have you ever thought that the current level cap in this game is 100, LV100, and when we're trying to conquer this 22nd floor, most players are already level 30 or higher?"

“We can maintain this level advantage up to the 80th floor, but what about the 90th floor, the 99th floor, or the 100th floor?”

"As you've probably noticed, the monsters are getting stronger and stronger, and their sword skills and AI are also getting better. At the highest level, every monster might be LV100, requiring our team to fight with all their might, like a PvP battle."

"Without the advantage of level, even if everyone is fully equipped, how much of a deterrent effect will they have against a boss of the same level? Are we going to use human lives to fill the gap?"

"Right now, we're clearing the boss without taking any damage. If we have to sacrifice a dozen or twenty lives every time we kill a boss, how many of us will still have the courage?"

As Momo spoke, Asuna's face grew paler and paler, because she felt that Momo was right.

Finally, Mo Mo sneered and said, "Perhaps Kayaba Akihiko never intended for players to complete this game. Aincrad here is like a proving ground for him to have fun and to choose what he wants."

For example, the successor in the original work, Kirito.

“We are just livestock he keeps.”

"This kind of thing..."

Momo's words instantly shattered the hidden anxieties beneath Aincrad's seemingly prosperous facade. It wasn't that no one had considered these things, but rather that they dared not. If they knew that even with their best efforts, everyone would only face death, why would anyone do such things?

"But...but even so...you can't take the risk!"

He shook his head vigorously and said, "It's not about taking a risk; danger has already arrived. It's not a question of whether we should take the risk or not, but how we should face this danger."

"If Kayaba Akihiko really wants to scheme against me, there's no way I can escape. This is Aincrad; if he really wants me dead, what difference does it make if I'm in the safe zone?"

Asuna's face paled even more.

"However, we still have a chance, or rather, a very good chance."

Momo's words gave Asuna a last glimmer of hope, and she quickly asked, "What opportunity?"

"The reason is actually quite simple. If Kayaba Akihiko really wanted to deal with me, he could have used all sorts of direct methods, or even controlled the system to kill me directly. Why didn't he do that?"

"There are two reasons. One is that I think Kayaba Akihiko wants to kill me, but that's just my imagination, my paranoia. The second is that Kayaba Akihiko is also greatly restricted, and he can only mobilize limited power."

Asuna's eyes lit up, and she said, "You mean..."

“That’s right. Either way, it means I still have a chance. If it’s the first one, then Yui is likely to bring just a difficult mission. In that case, we can either give up the mission or use what we have to get through it.”

"I believe that with the preparations I've made and the potions I've used, we're not without a chance, even against a level 50 boss. Of course, if Kayaba Akihiko can actually create a deadly trap, then no matter where we escape to in Aincrad, it will be meaningless."

Asuna nodded.

"If it's the second one..."

Momo looked at Asuna solemnly and said, "This means that this may be our opportunity, because I have truly discovered the secret and am able to threaten his game. He is impatient, he is desperate and can't help but try to attack me, but he can only resort to framing me."

"This proves that the secret I discovered is true, and that he was also subject to restrictions. What does this mean?"

Momo didn't wait for Asuna to return, but said to himself, "This means that if we defeat Kayaba Akihiko, it's very likely that the time for liberation will come."

Asuna trembled violently, pursed her lips, looked at Mo Mo, and cried, "But, this is too dangerous for you, no... I want to go with you!"

Asuna knew she could no longer persuade Momo, so she chose to go on an adventure with him.

"No, Asuna."

"Why! Momo, I love you, I'm willing to go through any danger with you, even... die!"

Momo cupped Asuna's face in his hands and said, "You have a more important mission. There are some things only you can do. For our victory, you must do them!"

"So, please trust me, Asuna. No matter what state I'm in, or what I'm being treated as, you must believe me. Only if you believe me can I complete the final mission."

"Please always trust me, Asuna? In return, I promise I will never lie to you."

Asuna looked at Momo, tears streaming down her face.

"Okay, Momo, I believe you!"

"Deal made!"

074 Mission Begins

It took Asuna a long time to calm down before she pushed Momo out of the kitchen, her eyes red.

"You really dare to do this? What are you planning to do this time?"

"Huh, I thought you'd be cursing me for abusing my trading power to seduce young girls. Aren't you supposed to be a confidante? Why aren't you speaking up for Asuna this time?"

Reimu Hakurei shook her head and said, "This transaction seems quite ordinary, doesn't it? You promised to tell Asuna the truth, and Asuna believed you. Isn't that only natural?"

"All you've done is ensure that there are no misunderstandings or deviations between the two of you due to a lack of understanding."

"As for this death fraud game, you can't say it's because you made a contract with Kayaba Akihiko, can you?"

Mo Mo listened to Reimu Hakurei's words in surprise and laughed, "When did Reimu become so understanding and comprehend the essence of trading power?"

"The essence of the power of exchange is the exchange of value, and an equivalent exchange at that. However, this equivalence is judged based on the understanding of value by both parties in the transaction, rather than following the exchange of matter and energy."

"Having the right to trade ensures fairness. As long as the transaction is successful, it means that both parties agree. The transaction is a neutral behavior and there is no right or wrong in itself."

"Huh, huh, huh! Are you really my Reimu? Have you been possessed by some strange thing? When did my Reimu become so intelligent and beautiful?"