Daily boss battles were now available, but for now, only Alvida was unlocked. Each day, Klein could sweep her three times to earn some materials and stamina.
The next moment…
Came the familiar pay-to-win feature.
[Purchase the Lifetime VIP Privilege Card to increase daily sweep attempts by 3. Sweep rewards +10%.][Price: 188,888 Berries.]
He was numb.
Mentally numb.
Klein already knew—every time a new gameplay mode was unlocked, there would definitely be a cash grab behind it.
And this time? A straight-up 180,000 Berries.
"Do they really take me for an idiot?!" Klein cursed in frustration… then proceeded to top up his account.
Bank Balance -188,888 Berries.
He had no choice. This poor sucker—yeah, looks like he had no escape from being one. After all, these upgrades gave tangible improvements to his own abilities.
Every Berry spent…
Was an investment in himself!
This money…
Could not be saved!!
Klein felt as if a chunk of his heart had just been carved out. Watching his balance shrink left him feeling seriously unsafe.
The more he played this game, the more places popped up asking for money. The two hundred thousand Berries in his bank? Barely lasted a blink.
Only money—a lot of money—could give him a true sense of security.
"I used to scoff at pirates worth over 100 million in the anime. Now I finally get it—those worth even a few million are already rare talents."
He was starting to have trouble sleeping from the stress. Financial pressure weighed heavier by the day, and Klein was left restless and uneasy.
The Next Day.
Swordsmanship Class.
The instructor began with a brief talk about the core principles of swordsmanship before asking,"Has anyone here already studied swordsmanship before?"
"If you have, please raise your hand!"
Among the students, Klein raised his hand—he wasn't the only one.
He opened the Swordsmanship Training Room.
Bought a bronze-tier clone. Didn't miss the daily deal. Slowly but surely, the level of his Swordsmanship Training Room caught up with his regular Training Room, and his basic swordsmanship rose to over level ten.
That was considered a beginner breakthrough.
The instructor nodded and looked toward him."Klein, come up and show the others your swordsmanship."
Seated cross-legged, Klein stood up, grabbed a wooden sword from the bamboo rack, and stepped in front of a wooden dummy.
Gripping the bamboo blade—
His eyes sharpened in an instant. His entire demeanor became fierce, revealing a trace of killing intent. The instructor beside him couldn't help but glance over.
Impressed, the instructor thought to himself,Klein really is one of the top students this term. Swordsmanship isn't just about wielding a blade—the aura is just as important. He's already starting to develop a true swordsman's edge. What a promising kid.
What the instructor didn't know was that it was all thanks to the game system.Klein's swordsmanship had been average at best, but under the game's enhancement system—
It skyrocketed!
Swordsmanship in the game wasn't like real life. In reality, every person had their quirks, habits, and errors in form.
But in the game?
No deviations.Basic swordsmanship in the game meant perfect basic swordsmanship—textbook form and flawless execution.
As the wooden blade slashed down, the instructor couldn't find a single flaw in Klein's movements. His jaw nearly dropped wide enough to fit a whole duck egg.
"..."
He was speechless. He'd only called a student up to demonstrate so he could give pointers afterward.
But this?How was he supposed to critique perfection?
In fact…
With Klein's form this polished, he was more than qualified to teach the class himself.
"Ahem—" The instructor cleared his throat a few times to mask the awkwardness."Right, Klein's moves were textbook. You can tell he's been practicing hard. Everyone should learn from him."
"Now then, regarding the technique he just used..."
With that, the day's training session officially began.
Back in his seat, Klein's eyes lit up. A thought sparked in his mind:
Isn't this a chance to make money?
The instructor's teaching all of us at once—there's no way he can provide one-on-one guidance.
And these students are all at different levels. If I tutor them on the side, wouldn't that be effortless profit?!
Genius!!
Just imagining a new income stream had his blood pumping with excitement.
After class.
Klein immediately approached a fellow student.
"Klein, don't tell me you wanna spar again. You tricked the others into a scam before. I'm not falling for it."
"..."Klein laughed awkwardly. "Not sparring. What did you think of my swordsmanship?"
The student paused, then answered honestly:"Your swordsmanship was really clean. Even the instructor praised you nonstop."
"Hehe, interested in a private lesson?" Klein grinned. "Only 5,000 Berries per session. Honest service, unbeatable value!"
"Buy five lessons, and I'll throw in an extra one for free!"
"Think about it: If I coach you, won't you improve faster than everyone else?"
The student nodded. It did make sense.
Klein went in for the kill:"If you improve faster, the instructor will notice you. He'll pay more attention, guide you personally. You'll get stronger than the rest, and when you graduate—smooth sailing to a great future."
"Spending this money is investing in yourself. The return? Tenfold. Maybe even a hundredfold!"
"All gain, no downside!"
"If you don't buy now, someone else will. And when they leave you in the dust…"
After all that pitch, the student finally caved, gritting his teeth."Fine! I'll buy!"
"Great! Five sessions, one bonus class—"
"Hold on. Let's start with one. If it works, I'll buy the full package."
"Deal! You're the best, bro!"
Once Klein got one student to buy in, he turned to the next. Same pitch. Same routine.
The other students didn't stand a chance.
"Seven or eight students already... At 5K Berries a pop, that's tens of thousands! Sweet!"
Klein mentally tallied up the profits, grinning.
"As the class grows, I'll rake in even more. Once my swordsmanship level rises higher, I'll hike up my rates too..."
"Don't wanna train? Fine, enjoy being left behind. Let the competition bury you—keh keh keh keh!"
In his mind, Klein had already planned out everyone's future.
While still running his massage service on the side, he was now also working part-time as the class's unofficial swordsmanship tutor.
His schedule was packed.
And while helping the others, his own skills improved too. With the Bronze Clone grinding away in the Swordsmanship Training Room—
Klein's progress in swordsmanship was accelerating like crazy.
Money, growth, networking—He was killing three birds with one stone.With momentum like this, how could he not succeed in the Navy?