Chapter 35: Absurd to the Extreme!

The quality of life for the residents near the Daister family had risen to the highest level in Minnet City, all thanks to Sivis.

They had always been strong supporters of this conscientious merchant from the Daister family.

A scene from the past flashed through Sivis' mind, but he didn't have the time to chat with the common folk. He was moving swiftly towards his family's location, his body glowing with the magic of acceleration.

But his path was blocked.

Sivis furrowed his brows as he saw a few young men standing in front of him, holding crude, makeshift weapons.

What's going on?

Do they want to ask for their wages?

Impossible. How could I have made any money if I hadn't kept wages low?

I don't even have the support of any family.

"Young Master Sivis, you can't go take risks!" one of the young men exclaimed.

"Something must have happened to your family," another one said.

"Why don't we go check it out for you?"

"With your noble status, how can you go ahead and scout the way?"

"You can't afford to get into any trouble!"

"We'll go first. If it's dangerous, don't go back to your family. If there's nothing wrong, we'll report back to you. Does that sound good?"

Sivis was taken aback. He recognized these young men.

They had worked in his small workshop before.

Now, they were standing resolutely in front of this "heartless capitalist" to stop him.

They want to scout for me?

Go face a bunch of Blood Servants??

Sivis could see that, despite their outward bravery, these young men were not as fearless as they appeared.

Their faces were twisted with fear, their expressions terrified, and there were even tears welling up in their eyes.

The young men were trembling, their legs shaking uncontrollably. Their teeth chattered so violently that they could barely speak.

Their clothes were patched and ragged, emitting a sour, foul odor.

Even though they had once worked for Sivis, they barely made enough to eat. Like most of the common folk in this world, their lives were miserable, devoid of hope and future.

Did these people really have such a strong bond with me?

Were they really...

Sivis hesitated for a moment in his desperate rush to rescue Reina.

The adventurers who perished on his land, in their fight for a slim chance of survival, had no hesitation in abandoning their comrades. Johnny even intended to sacrifice the lives of the other two adventurers to buy time for himself.

This wasn't unusual in Gandanyir. Everyone was desperate to fight for their own interests.

Sivis hadn't expected that the common folk, who usually lived their lives like rats in the sewers, would be willing to die for him??

The Blood Clan exerts a natural pressure and suppression on ordinary beings. Even animals like cattle, horses, pigs, and sheep would be scared out of their wits.

This shows just how determined these young men were when they offered to scout the way for him.

Without wasting a second, Sivis flickered and bypassed them.

He couldn't afford to delay any longer.

The young men, in their extreme fear, continued with the part of their sentence they hadn't finished earlier: "If we go ahead to scout for you, could you come back and reopen the factory?"

"After your brothers took over the factory, they haven't paid us a single coin, only giving us moldy food."

"We really can't hold on much longer. Could you come back and recruit us again?"

In their terrified state, the young men didn't even realize that Sivis had already passed them and was now several meters away.

The common folk also had their own motives. They were willing to die for Sivis, but it was also for...

A little bit of wages, a little bit of hope, a little bit of something to look forward to...

The next moment, as they watched Sivis' retreating figure, their faces instantly turned ashen.

Sivis continued to move quickly, but he left behind one last sentence: "I now have my own territory. Maybe after some time, I can hire you all to work for me again."

Even in his rush, he couldn't help but say those words.

However, Sivis didn't slow down because of this extra comment.

He didn't notice that as soon as his words left his mouth, not only did the young men's eyes light up with joy, but the surrounding common folk who heard his words also suddenly brightened.

Their previously gloomy expressions were now completely transformed.

It was as if the fear they had felt from the Blood Clan's presence had been completely dispersed!

"Can our families also come work for you?" one of the young men called out, gathering his courage.

Sivis didn't respond, his figure already a distant speck. He merely raised his hand in a gesture—a universal sign from his previous life...

"OK."

In the next instant…

Sivis heard the system notifications ringing in his ears:

[A voluntary member (human) has joined your territory.]

[Detected that there is a non-monster gathering point in your current territory, with a potential risk of evacuation. This member is counted as 0.5 people, and the bonuses and enhancements they provide are only 50%.]

[Detected that a voluntary member has joined your territory…]

[Detection…]

[Detecting…]

Far off, the common folk were quietly praying for Sivis as they distanced themselves from the Daister family's residence.

They watched the eerie smoke swirling above the Daister family estate, their eyes glinting with determination.

"No matter what you are! You won't hurt Young Master Sivis!"

"It has to be this way!"

The common folk were resolute.

...

At the same time, in the central area of Minnet City, a group of people were watching the location of the Daister family through magical observation.

Suddenly...

Within the grand and magnificent cathedral…

Many clergy members were visibly panicked!

"This... This is the aura of the Blood Clan! No, the intensity of the aura isn't strong enough; it's the Blood Servants that have appeared!"

"How could they show up in our remote city?"

"What's going on?"

"Could it be that the Blood Servants sealed during the past Exorcism War have been resurrected?"

"We can't waste any time. We must report this to the nearest main city immediately! We need to request a bishop to come here—only then can we possibly deal with these monsters! We need to report right away!"

Among the many priests, including the Silver-tier priest who had originally been stationed in the cathedral, there was a clear sense of panic.

Adventurers still had the chance to hone their combat abilities through exploration and battle, but the priests, accustomed to a life of luxury, had extremely weak combat skills.

When they saw the Blood Servants, their first reaction wasn't to worry about the monstrous creatures potentially causing a devastating plague, even plunging Minnet City into ruin. Instead, they were focused on how to protect themselves.

As for taking the initiative to save the residents of the city?

The clergy hadn't even considered it.

The Silver-tier priest regained his composure the quickest. He quickly walked to the center of the cathedral and pressed down on a beautifully bound book. As the book was activated, a series of mechanical sounds echoed through the air.

A glowing shield, formed from radiant light, slowly appeared around the cathedral.

"Everyone, please don't worry. We also have colleagues from the Knights Templar here, and you don't need to be overly concerned about this disaster," the voice of the clergy rang out.

"Based on our observations, those Blood Servants shouldn't have any Silver-tier members. With the protective magical formation of our church, we can ensure everyone's safety."

"The formation would only be broken by something close to a Golden-tier existence! After all, Minnet City was one of the frontlines against the Evil God back in the day!"

"Everyone, just wait here. Once the bishop arrives, we will begin addressing the blood plague in Minnet City."

In the church's explanation, the appearance of the Blood Clan and Blood Servants was referred to as the "blood plague."

Upon hearing these words, along with the warm and soothing glow from the protective light shield, the crowd's previously panicked hearts began to calm down. They all began to feel more at ease.

"Apologies, fellow colleagues, for my earlier lack of composure."

"Indeed, we were caught off guard. Even though the blood plague has arrived, with the profound foundation of our church, how could the descendants of the Evil God easily shake us?"

"Everyone, let us not remain idle. Let us pray together for the citizens of Minnet City, hoping they are spared from the evil's harm. Should they unfortunately face untimely death, may their souls ascend to heaven and return to the embrace of the great and righteous gods."

Soon, the priests all knelt down, beginning to pray earnestly.

The many members of the Knights Templar stood faithfully nearby, guarding them.

The only issue was…

With a protective shield that could not be broken by anything below a Golden-tier strength, was the presence of these guards even necessary?

This harmonious scene was suddenly shattered.

One of the young women among the Knights Templar, her face flushed with uncontrollable anger, spoke up. "You… Is this really your solution?" Vikalina clenched her spear tightly, feeling utterly ridiculous about her current situation.

As a talented individual with unwavering faith, and regarded as a future star of the church, Vikalina was the first to notice the unusual situation in the city.

Rather than rushing off to deal with the blood plague alone, she led the Knights Templar members to the church for assistance.

She had envisioned a plan where the Knights Templar would take the lead in clearing the blood plague while the church's priests and clerics would provide various buffs and support magic, steadily and carefully purging the plague.

Vikalina wasn't someone who acted recklessly. She knew that when facing Blood Servants, one had to be extremely cautious; otherwise, if someone was infected, they would simply add another powerful Blood Servant to the ranks, created from the very knights or priests who were supposed to be fighting the plague.

Thus, within minutes of the abnormal situation at the Daister family estate, she had commanded her team to head straight for the church.

Vikalina never expected that the final decision would be one of inaction!

The priests and knights had all locked themselves inside the church, helplessly watching as the common folk suffered.

All Vikalina could think of in that moment was one word that kept echoing in her mind.

Absurd!

Absurd to the extreme!

"Vikalina, you should listen to Priest Conner's arrangement. He has far more experience in handling such matters than you," the Knights Templar members quickly began to urge her.

They all wore grim expressions, fully aware that Vikalina was about to "lose it" again.

The female knight's face was resolute, and she raised her spear.

"The priests in this church are not under my jurisdiction."

"But right now…"

Before Vikalina could finish her words. 

An out-of-place voice suddenly rang out.