Volume 9: Follower Chapter 4: Personal worship is wrong
Now it seems that we were too pessimistic about the prospects of establishing a guild. When the deadline for the guild announcement came, in addition to the original 20 signatures, there were seven more signatures on the notice board, which greatly exceeded the limit required to form a guild. In this way, a newly listed adventure guild "a group of people who are bored and chattering about random things" was officially established.
With her unparalleled prestige and management skills, the human female magician naturally became the first president of this guild, in charge of all the money and property of this guild. When President Feiyin took office with great pride, every guild member was delighted to find that although our guild has a small number of members and a small scale, if we look at the accounts, both material and financial resources are extremely strong, even far exceeding the "Knights of the Hammer of Punishment", the largest guild in the Falvi Continental Alliance. The public assets owned by this guild exceed 50 million gold coins, and the treasury war reserves are enough to arm every guild member with the most advanced weapons and equipment. It is really an honor and happiness for every guild member to join such a powerful guild that is almost as powerful as a small country!
However, there are some minor discrepancies between this and reality. That is, most of our wealth, assets and equipment are just foreign debts of the guild that remain on the guild's bills, have not yet been redeemed, and we don't know when they will be redeemed. The original creditor of all these debts is our current guild leader, the theoretically (this is very important) richest person in Falvi Continent, a collector and collector of wealth, a loan shark who devotes his life to collecting debts, and one of the important reasons for the increasing polarization of social wealth - Feiyin; and more than 70% of the members of the guild are debtors of the guild's public debts, and are destined to fall into a state of extreme poverty for a long time. At least in the foreseeable future, they will always be poorer than the dwarf beggar with a broken leg outside the garbage station in Fresshit City - at least the tattered clothes on the beggar's body and the broken porcelain bowl in his hand are his own personal property, while these poor people who have been exploited by Feiyin have truly and completely achieved "nothing". Strictly speaking, all the equipment they wear, all the supplies in their backpacks, including all the thinking power and labor that their bodies can provide, all belong to Feiyin and our guild. I believe that if someone can offer a high enough price, Feiyin will not mind exchanging their eyeballs and kidneys for gold coins.
But to be honest, this is the first time in my life that I feel sincerely grateful and admire Feiyin's endless hobby of making money - if it weren't for her, the establishment of this guild would only exist in our beautiful conception. Establishing a guild requires a huge deposit of 5,000 gold coins, which is an astronomical figure for us, the petty bourgeoisie who wander around, have no fixed place to live, and spend all the spare money on potions and equipment. We emptied our pockets and scraped together but couldn't even raise one-third of this amount.
Fortunately, with Feiyin, she single-handedly paid off all the remaining balance and was able to keep nearly a hundred gold coins as start-up capital for the guild's operations. This made me suddenly realize why young girls from wealthy and noble families were called "daughters of gold" - before this, I once thought that this elegant and obscure term referred to their weight that they did not want others to know.
Based on this alone, Feiyin became the undisputed and popular candidate for the guild president election, and in fact, the only candidate. She won the election without any suspense and was pushed to the throne of president by her supporters, who were mostly debtors.
From the first moment Miss Feiyin ascended the throne of the guild, she "generously and selflessly" merged all her personal debts into the public account, making our guild possess a huge fortune that even the monarch of any powerful empire would envy; and from our treasury list, whether it is the signature double swords "Wind and Fire Twin Blades" of the Elf Great Chanter Hongyan or the magic shield "Wall of Denial" of the Doomsday King "Heartbreaker" Darendil, and even the legendary super artifact "Creation Wand of Creativity" lost in the world by the omniscient and omnipotent Supreme God, have all become the common property of our guild.
If our debtors can really pay off these debts one day, I will fully believe that our guild is capable of fighting the invaders of the Doomsday Empire alone and expelling them from the Farvi Continent on its own. But before the corresponding debtors actually hand them over to the public treasury, these invincible magic weapons have to be lost as the guild's assets, and are being temporarily kept and used by someone else, and their whereabouts are unknown.
The biggest problem now is that this illusory wealth, which only belongs to our guild in name only, has no practical help to us now. The final result of all this is that while we claim to be the richest guild in Falvi Continent, we also have to face the bleak reality that "we are the poorest guild in Falvi Continent". In fact, just to gather the 5,000 registered capital required to form a guild, many people have already lived a difficult life of tightening their belts and eating northwest wind. Not only do they have no money to buy new equipment, but they also have to borrow money from the president to pay for the few silver coins needed to repair old equipment.
Because of this, after some symbolic discussions, our president, Lady Feiyin, finally made the final decision to set "paying off the debt as soon as possible" as the highest principle and ultimate wish of our guild, and to take "killing someone does not necessarily mean paying with your life, but debts must be repaid" as the guild's organizational creed, and to implement it consistently.
After solving the organizational problem, all the members present did not feel moved for long by witnessing the establishment of the guild. They soon called their friends to go their separate ways: some went mining, some went collecting herbs, some set up stalls, some went to dungeons... After joining the guild, there seemed to be no significant change in everyone's life. Except for less money in their wallets and a long string of words on their heads, everyone was still doing what they were supposed to do before.
Foxiao and I happened to have accepted a mission to investigate the city defense of the Doomsday Empire, and we agreed to complete it together early in the morning. Just as we were about to leave, a flattering smile suddenly blocked my way:
"Are you two bosses free? Can you help me level up?"
Standing in front of us was a male human priest with shabby equipment, a big smile on his face, and a wretched expression. He was a strong middle-aged man with thick eyebrows, a strong outline, and a dark brown beard as thick and straight as a brush. At this moment, such a tough uncle was staring at us expectantly with a pair of "watery" big eyes , which made me feel creepy.
"Boss, please help me. I'm only three levels away from becoming a full-time employee. The missions I receive either give me too little experience or are too difficult. I really can't take it anymore..." Seeing our hesitation, the priest uncle pleaded timidly, "...For the sake of being brothers in the same guild, please only take me with you for half an hour, bosses..."
Seeing him pulling our sleeves and begging, I was really worried that if we refused, he would lie on the ground and hug our thighs. Fortunately, the enemy registration in the place where our mission was going was not very high, and the two of us with him were enough to deal with it. I looked at Foxiao inquiringly, and he thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.
Don't be fooled by this guy who calls everyone "Boss" as if he is inferior to everyone he meets. He has an arrogant name that people can't say: I am your father. He is one of the seven extra members who signed the last signature when the guild was established. He is currently the lowest level in our guild, only level 31, which is not the lower limit of the job transfer level.
He told me that he had just arrived in the holy city of Freschitte and got lost, and then he happened to see the guild's notice for collecting signatures. He immediately signed his name on it excitedly, as if he had seen a relative, hoping to find a stable backer. Seeing how happy he was after successfully joining the guild, as if he had picked up a great bargain, it was hard for me not to mourn in advance for the days when he would be exploited and oppressed by Miss Feiyin.
"Hey, you are already over level 30, why are you still using equipment of level 10?" Before leaving the city, we went to buy medicine and repair equipment as usual. In the blacksmith shop where the equipment was repaired, Foxiao casually checked and unexpectedly found that this priest uncle with a very arrogant name was still using some very low-quality low-level equipment, which was completely inconsistent with his current level.
The priest said, "I am your father." His face turned red. "I am wandering around alone. I can't get into the dungeon. I can't defeat the high-level monsters. I can only make do with this for now."
Perhaps his embarrassment touched Foxiao's sympathy. He immediately took out a level 30 "elf robe", a level 25 "magic ring short-handled staff" and a level 15 "breath bracelet" from his backpack and generously placed them in the priest's hands:
"Take these and use them first, and change the garbage you have on you. If I find equipment that suits you in the future, I'll keep it for you."
In my opinion, the equipment that Foxiao gave away was not good stuff, the attribute bonus was very limited, the market price was not high, and the total value was less than five gold coins. But for the poor middle-aged priest, the value of these things was no less than a fire in the cold winter, an umbrella in the thunderstorm, and a condom in the fire (that's what the airmen said), so precious that it could not be measured by money.
"Boss!" The pastor was so moved that his eyes filled with tears. "From now on you will be my boss. I will follow you. I am your little brother. I dare to climb mountains and plunge into seas of fire!" He said this with deep emotion and gratitude overflowing from words.
"Why are you being so polite? We are all brothers..." Foxiao waved his hand pretentiously, "...If you have any difficulties in the future, just tell me. I will protect you, you don't have to worry about anything..."
It can be seen that the white-clothed swordsman Foxiao, who had very ordinary fighting skills, seldom received such courtesy, let alone been so popular. It was inevitable that he felt a little inflated and his words were exaggerated.
…
A white light flashed, a "holy strike", then the white light flashed again, another "holy strike", the white light flashed again, and it was still a "holy strike". Finally, a "healing wave" relieved more than half of his life that was knocked away by the horned demon, and then he continued to repeat the primary attack magic "holy strike"...
"Hey, he's a demon enemy, you can get a 15% bonus by using 'Light of Punishment' to attack!" Finally, I couldn't stand watching this stupid fighting method of I'm Your Father any more. Standing aside and watching this level 31 priest fight was even more tiring than for me to fight a group of crazy steel-maned demons alone. I doubted whether this guy had only used this one attack spell to fight since level 1.
"'Light of Punishment'? This... I don't know how to use it..." As expected!
This reckless guy actually relied on the most basic attack magic to rise to nearly level 40. His courage and perseverance are simply awe-inspiring and can be regarded as an outstanding example for the people of the entire Falvi continent. I think if every citizen of the continent fought the enemy with the same strong will as him, the invaders of the Doomsday Empire would have been driven into the Comet Sea to feed the sharks long ago - of course, the prerequisite for all this is that everyone must continue to maintain their normal IQ as they become resolute and brave.
"That's a spell you can learn when you are in your twenties. You can't have never learned it..." Foxiao's mental state seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
"I've learned it..." Phew, luckily, this guy wasn't that stupid, "but it's not on my spell interface..."
Huh? How is this possible?
Every adventurer will have a skill interface in his mind at any time. Whether it is magic, martial arts, war songs or other life skills, they will be arranged in a certain order on this interface. Of course, some unfamiliar adventurers may need to spend a long time to find the skills they want to use, but those experienced adventurers like me can completely skip this selection time. They can use any skill they know at will with just a thought.
However, once you have learned a certain spell or skill, you will definitely be able to find it on this interface. The situation where skills disappear as the bearded priest mentioned will never happen.
"Look carefully again, it should be on the second page." Foxiao reminded loudly while fighting with three magic servants.
"Huh? The second page? Is there a second page? How come I didn't know about it?" the bearded priest asked in surprise.
"I cough, cough, cough..." I felt the blood in my chest churn violently, and all the curse words I had learned since I could remember rushed to my throat and tried desperately to burst out. The energy I spent to hold back my anger and not curse was much greater than the energy I spent fighting the alien monsters in front of me.
After a moment, I am your father suddenly shouted with joy: "Ah, there really is a second page! Damn, there is actually a third page, eh, there is also a fourth page, so many spells, how do I use them?" While screaming, he kept throwing one "Holy Blow" after another on the horned demon, causing minor damage that was not much stronger than a flea sucking blood.
"You'll know if you try it..." Buddha's smile sounded like he had suffered serious internal injuries.
So, the Reverend Uncle, I am your father, started a very chaotic magic dance performance:
A golden light flashed, and a string of green numbers like "+25" and "+30" floated above my father's head. As these numbers continued to float up, his life began to recover little by little. If I remember correctly, this should be a level 16 healing magic called "Life Blessing".
The magic of "Life Blessing" is effective for fifteen seconds, during which the life of the caster can be continuously restored. However, in the case of I am your father, the effect of this healing spell did not even last for five seconds...
After two low murmurs, a clear and gentle breeze blew out from the bearded priest, and the surrounding air became clear. At the same time, the "Life Blessing" that had just added less than 100 points of vitality to the priest immediately stopped its healing effect.
This "Wind of Silence" seems to be an eighteenth-level magic. When it is used, it will dispel all magical effects around the caster - of course, including the healing magic that increases his own life.
While the priest was busy making an own goal, the horned demon seized the opportunity and used his claws to launch two consecutive attacks. The short-lived effect of "Blessing of Life" was immediately wasted, and the remaining health of both sides returned to the same starting line.
A dazzlingly bright beam of light shot up into the sky, enveloping I Am Your Father in the center. Just as he was surprised that he could create such a grand, magnificent and unnatural spectacle, the horned demon dived into the beam of light unharmed and slapped him hard in the face with his right palm.
"What kind of magic is this? Why doesn't it have any effect?" The priest Wu Long said, "I am your father," confused and screamed, holding a large bottle of life potion and drinking it while running away.
"This magic is called 'activation', and it's only used to remove petrification and freezing states... He's not petrified, so how can it have any effect on his butt?" Although I tried hard to persuade myself and tried to calmly accept this completely unreliable adventure partner, I was still so angry that I rolled my eyes when I saw him wasting magic power in such a reckless manner.
A sharp band of light suddenly shot out from the hands of the bearded priest, rolled up in the air into a shining spiral, and then fell from the sky, surrounding the horned demon in the middle, wrapping it up.
"Good!" I am your father cheered happily, "I tied him up..."
Before he could finish his words, the horned demon strode forward and easily escaped from the layer of light that enveloped him - to be precise, he did not "escape" from it, but rushed forward without any hindrance, as if the layer of light did not exist.
"That magic is 'Binding the Undead', which is only effective against the Undead..." Buddha laughed helplessly and wailed in his ears, "...Please, can't you read the introduction of the magic before using it?"
After a long time of struggling, finally, just like the long-dry earth waiting for the first rain, just like the frozen mountains blooming with the first spring water, just like a wanderer who has been away from home for many years finally seeing the smoke from his home, we saw a friendly ray of lightning shooting at the body of the horned demon, bursting out eighty-four points of damage.
The Light of Punishment, he finally found it...
I never knew that I could be moved to tears just by watching others fight.
We have waited so long to witness this magic happen with our own eyes!
Ah, these bastards actually dared to attack me while I was feeling sentimental...
…
"I did it! I won! I beat him! I didn't die... Ahahahaha..." With one foot on the corpse of the horned demon, the bearded priest shouted "I am your father" to the sky, as if he didn't know how to express the ecstasy in his heart.
"...I can finally defeat the monsters of the same level as me!" This is such a pathetic declaration of victory.
I looked around vigilantly, luckily there was no one else around...
Otherwise, I must pretend to be a stranger.
"Boss Foxiao, it is really thanks to your guidance that I have made such great progress..." I, your father, shouted gratefully at Foxiao's fighting back.
Wait, it seems that the person who gave him instructions just now was not just Foxiao, right?
"How can this guy be so stupid? He doesn't even have basic common sense..."
Seeing the bearded priest's excited look, Foxiao knocked down the last magic servant that was entangled with him with a sword, then turned around, frowned, and whispered to me:
I agree with Foxiao's comments behind his back. I have seen at least 8,000 people who are involved in the sky on this continent, but I have never seen anyone as stupid as him...
"Boss, you can actually fight three of them alone, and they are all level 34 monsters. You are so strong!" Looking at the corpse at Foxiao's feet, the bearded priest's eyes shot out a light of worship, as if Foxiao was surrounded by a halo of the Supreme God. Hearing his shouting, Foxiao's face flushed slightly.
This poor priest who lacked the most basic observation ability did not seem to notice that the mediocre swordsman he praised was already covered in wounds after killing three magic servants, with less than a quarter of his life left. And next to him was a heroic warrior who could win a great victory against four without even wasting his magic power to heal his wounds.
As expected, personality cult will make people lose their rational judgment ability...
...I thought sourly in my heart.
