Hearing Gilga’s words to Debbie, nearly everyone in the Mercenary Guild square froze. No one understood what “Your balance is insufficient, please top up with gold coins” meant. Ye Chui, however, found it oddly familiar, reminiscent of “insufficient balance, please recharge.” But what was this?
He looked at Debbie, recalling her frequent mentions of a “cost.” Could this cost mean gold coins?
Weren’t spirits supposed to be warriors sustained by a summoner’s magic? What use did they have for gold coins?
As these questions swirled in Ye Chui’s mind, Mayor Cass, standing nearby, suddenly exclaimed, “Could this spirit be using golden sword aura!?”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it drew the attention of those around him. They hadn’t noticed Cass was among them. An onlooker quickly asked, “Mayor Cass, what’s golden sword aura?”
“Golden sword aura… I’ve heard of this powerful force, but this is the first time I’ve seen it used!”
Cass, who had traveled widely as a mercenary, was knowledgeable. Recalling a rumor he’d heard, his face lit up with fascination. “It’s a supreme power that transforms gold into sword aura!”
“Gold can be turned into sword aura? How is that possible!” the crowd exclaimed.
Ye Chui echoed their astonishment.
Debbie had explained that Gilga used golden sword aura, but Ye Chui found it unbelievable. Though he had accepted this magical world, some common-sense notions from his previous world still held firm. Gold was just a material. How could it be converted into power?
“Gold contains ancient power. Do you know how gold is formed? It comes from the golden dragons, the dominant force on this continent tens of thousands of years ago. Their dragon breath turned matter into gold. When humans rose, gold became currency, but the dragon’s breath within it never faded. Only a rare few can extract this power and turn it into their own.”
Debbie explained quickly, pulling a handful of gold coins from her pouch to top up Gilga. The scene struck Ye Chui as bizarre. She continued, “The one who discovered the power in gold was the Goddess of Wealth among the ancient gods over ten thousand years ago.”
Ye Chui’s body jolted, his face showing surprise. He thought of the Goddess of Wealth temple in Stan Town’s western suburbs, where he’d found Debbie.
“Right, the Goddess of Wealth shares my name, Debbie. My old man said it was a good omen, so he named me that. After that, his business did take off. Now, the Anduin family is known south of the Warm River,” Debbie said, her face beaming with pride.
“Miss Debbie does share many similarities with the ancient Goddess of Wealth, which is why I chose to serve her,” said Gilga, the Platinum Knight. Despite her cold, proud demeanor, she seemed approachable.
When mentioning Debbie’s resemblance to the Goddess, Gilga’s eyes briefly flicked to Debbie’s chest. Ye Chui recalled the small, flat-chested statue of the Goddess in the temple and suddenly understood something…
Debbie didn’t notice Gilga’s glance. She held out a handful of gold coins to Gilga, but Gilga didn’t take them. With a helpless tone, she said, “Miss Debbie, please don’t pretend to forget. Last time you summoned me, you owed me thirty-three gold coins. Per our contract, you must repay the debt at the next summoning.”
“Haha, I owe you gold coins? Look at my memory,” Debbie said sheepishly, her face showing the frustration of a failed scheme. Catching Ye Chui’s shocked gaze, she quickly adopted an innocent look, handing over her entire pouch. “Here’s thirty-five gold coins. The extra two are for this summoning.” She turned to Ye Chui, “See, I told you summoning her costs a lot…”
“…” Damn, paying off debts as a cost? That’s a far cry from what Ye Chui imagined! Thirty-five gold coins in one go, their entire fortune! Was Gilga a pay-to-win knight who’d bankrupt them?
Taking the pouch, Gilga held it in her palm. A faint blush appeared on her stern face, her golden hair fluttering as she channeled some power. Under Ye Chui and the crowd’s astonished gazes, golden mist began to rise from the pouch.
It was the mist of gold coins transforming!
The golden mist flowed and merged into Gilga’s body. She clearly relished the process, letting out a soft moan, her body trembling slightly.
Ye Chui froze. His right arm, injured and bleeding, had been burning with pain, but now he seemed to forget it entirely… Was this the perk of paying to win?
Soon, Gilga glowed brilliantly again, her expression reverting to cold pride. She turned, walking toward Ryan, Tatak, and Meili, drawing her longsword with a swoosh. “My enemies, I’ve kept you waiting. Let’s continue.”
“…” Ryan, Tatak, and Meili had been in a stunned state since earlier but now snapped awake. Exchanging glances, they hadn’t heard of golden sword aura, but Gilga’s presence gave them a strong sense of threat. Hearing her words, they resolved to go all out.
“Mid-level attack spell [Bite of the Storm]!”
Ryan shouted, and roaring winds instantly gathered around him. The crowd seemed to see a giant, fanged mouth opening, descending to swallow Gilga whole.
Tatak and Meili, perfectly in sync with Ryan, acted swiftly. Tatak’s magic book flipped rapidly as he crouched, placing his hand on the ground. Orange, vein-like patterns spread from his hand, racing toward Gilga’s feet.
Mid-level attack spell [Dry Earth Explosion].
At the same time, Meili cast a mental attack spell: [Mind Fixation].
The trio’s attacks launched simultaneously, showcasing their usual seamless coordination. Meili dazed the enemy’s mind, Tatak attacked their footing with explosion magic, and Ryan struck from above. Top, middle, bottom—few could escape or counter such a combined assault. The onlookers gasped in shock.
Mayor Cass’s face grew grave, wondering how he’d fare against such an attack. The answer wasn’t optimistic. He could likely escape but at a cost. What about this golden sword aura spirit?
Golden light burst forth!
A roar like a dragon’s echoed, the sound of Gilga’s sword aura. Golden sword energy swept around, instantly slicing through the howling winds above, the exploding earth below, and even Meili’s mental spell.
The golden sword aura shone like the sun, forcing many to squint. When they opened their eyes, Ryan, Tatak, and Meili were on the ground, injured, their faces pale with disbelief as they stared at the golden figure before them.
The Platinum Knight, gripping her golden longsword, stood like a descended war goddess.
One strike had defeated all three!
“Holy crap!” Ye Chui exclaimed.
This was the difference between a regular player and a pay-to-win one!
