After settling matters with the Orphanage, Caius shared a meal with Grandma Lunla and the little girls, then took his leave.

  Today, he had to forge both of the little Catgirl’s daggers.

  More importantly, blacksmithing helped accelerate his mana condensation. While slower than actual combat, it was still faster than just relying on breathing techniques, since blacksmithing required him to keep the breathing technique running the entire time.

  Forging both daggers would take roughly ten hours. With such intense and continuous labor, Caius estimated he could increase his mana condensation progress by a full percentage point.

  The previous two forging sessions had yielded improvements too, but since they weren't done in one go, their combined effect hadn't reached a full percentage point.

  This time, Caius was determined to push through without a break, to speed up the process even more.

  He had a bad feeling—the Bloody Lands would be a disaster.

  He had to break through once more before the Crimson Tide erupted.

  Next breakthrough… he figured it had to be Platinum-level. That would give him the power to go head-to-head with Mithril-class enemies.

  At Oern’s Smithy, he exchanged greetings with Oern and got straight to work forging the daggers.

  The two blades had different designs.

  Mewtooth was shorter and sharper—built for piercing strikes.

  Mewclaw, on the other hand, was designed by Caius to be around 20 centimeters long, with a curved blade similar to a claw, optimized for slashing.

  Then there was Mewtail. Caius planned this one as a double-edged blade shaped like a crescent moon, with the handle placed at the center of the blade. Since it was meant to be wielded by her tail, the grip needed special design work—grooves that the tail could wrap around snugly.

  Originally, Caius estimated he’d finish in ten hours.

  In the end, it took twelve—half a day of uninterrupted forging.

  By the time he was done, the sun was rising—it was past 6 a.m. the next morning.

  He opened the door to a refreshing breeze from the Ocean City’s coast.

  Looking to the side of the smithy door, he saw Kiki curled up in a sleeping bag, fast asleep.

  The smithy was scorching inside, making it hard for her to sleep. He’d offered to get her a room, but she refused, insisting on waiting until his work was complete. She said it was her way of showing respect for his craftsmanship.

  Caius had let her be. It wasn’t winter yet—she wouldn't freeze.

  “Time to get up, little kitten,” Caius said, tapping Kiki’s nose.

  She scrunched up her nose, then suddenly opened her eyes and leapt from the sleeping bag. “Finished, meow?!”

  “Finished,” Caius replied with a smile, handing over the two distinct-looking daggers.

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  Kiki eagerly took them. Her tail immediately wrapped around Mewtail, her right hand gripped Mewclaw, and her left hand held Mewtooth in reverse. And honestly? She looked the part.

  Her cat tail, over a meter long, was remarkably dexterous. She could tighten the fur to turn it almost whip-like, swinging it with grace and power.

  The crescent blade of Mewtail shimmered with a cold gleam as it drew a beautiful arc in the air.

  A whip-like tail was perfect for striking. When used properly, it could even deliver more damage than a hand strike!

  “How’s the grip?” Caius asked.

  “Purr-fect, meow!”

  “And it flows well with my tail, meow!”

  “I love them, meow!”

  “Thank you, big guy, meow!”

  Kiki bounced with excitement before leaping onto Caius, her tail instinctively wrapping around his neck.

  Caius raised a hand to block it and chuckled, “Easy there—don’t go murdering your future husband.”

  Kiki stuck out her tongue playfully and quickly stowed her three daggers.

  Caius had also made her custom sheaths. She wore the main sheath on her lower back, perfectly positioned for her tail to whip the dagger out when needed.

  The other two daggers were secured in sheaths strapped to her thighs—one on each side.

  Once everything was in place, Kiki leapt up again and clung to Caius with glee. She even wrapped her legs around his neck like a face-hugger, clinging to him head-on.

  Caius couldn’t breathe.

  Not that it was a problem—he could hold his breath for over thirty minutes if he had to.

  “Big guy~ Big guy~” Kiki rubbed her cheek against Caius’ head, practically cuddling his face against her chest.

  It was in that moment Caius realized—this little Catgirl was very well-developed.

  “Caius, you—” Oern opened the smithy door, ready to speak. Instead, he found Caius standing there with a Catgirl latched to his face.

  “Need something?” came Caius’ muffled voice. His breathing stirred Kiki’s stomach, making her giggle uncontrollably.

  “You okay… like that?” Oern asked with an amused raise of his brow.

  Caius didn’t answer right away. He simply turned his body to face Oern and gave a big thumbs up.

  Even with a Catgirl stuck to his face, Oern could easily imagine the stupid grin Caius must be wearing.

  This kid really knows how to enjoy himself.

  Shaking his head with a laugh, Oern said, “I need a few minerals. Go fetch them for me.”

  “What kind?” came Caius’ muffled reply.

  “Huh?” Oern didn’t catch that.

  “I said, what kind?” Caius raised his voice slightly. Kiki, finding the muffled voice hilarious, clung even tighter.

  “Can you not talk through a Catgirl?” Oern grumbled, slightly hard of hearing.

  Caius gave Kiki a pat on the head. She shifted position, now straddling his shoulders from the front with her chin resting on his head. Her tail gently wrapped around his neck twice, snug and secure.

  How clingy could this Catgirl be?

  Oern muttered to himself before saying, “Earthen Core Crystals. You’ll find them in the Kotemo Ore Zone.”

  “You help me find three pieces. Each must weigh no less than 5kg. I’ll pay you thirty thousand gold.”

  Hearing this, Caius nodded with a smile. “No need for the money. I happen to have a material collection mission that takes me to the Kotemo Ore Zone anyway. I’ll just take care of it along the way.”

  “Besides, you let me use the Smithy for free. Consider this my way of returning the favor.”

  “Hahaha, you’re quite the tactful one, aren’t you? Alright then, I won’t be polite.” Oern chuckled warmly as he tossed over a map.

  Caius caught it and his eyes lit up.

  It was a freshly updated mineral distribution map—much more accurate than the one he had previously purchased. With this in hand, wouldn’t ore hunting be a breeze?

  No time to waste. Caius decided to skip sleep altogether and immediately set off for the Kotemo Ore Zone.

  With luck on his side, he might even complete all three ore collection tasks today.

  Then tomorrow, he could go see Silly Mushroom. It had been a while since he visited her.

  And the day after that, it would be Little Swan’s turn.

  Perfect.

  With that thought in mind, Caius wasted no time. After bidding Oern farewell, he headed straight for the Kotemo Ore Zone.

  Located more than 160 kilometers from Ocean City, the Kotemo Ore Zone was a sprawling range of mineral-rich mountains.

  However, due to its complex terrain and its position adjacent to the Vivian Forest—where Magic Beasts roamed frequently, and earth-type creatures like Elementals and Earth-aligned Magic Beasts often lingered—it had never been fully developed on a large scale.

  Caius’s current targets were three types of minerals:

  Fire Copper Ore — at least 50kg, guaranteed to sell for a minimum of 10,000 gold, with any excess purchased at 80% of the market price. This was from a Guild commission issued by Raymond.

  Runic Silver — 1.5kg, 20,000 gold per kilogram, totaling 30,000 gold. A material collection request from the Boss Lady.

  Earthen Core Crystals — 3 pieces, each no less than 5kg in weight. No payment involved. This was a personal favor for old man Oern.