Lin Yueru's Deterrence, The Origin of the Alliance

Swish!

The moment Gao Xu finished speaking, five figures flashed out with incredible speed, forming a pentagram that surrounded him tightly. However, these individuals did not focus their attention entirely on Gao Xu; instead, they scanned their surroundings, remaining secretly on guard.

"I didn't expect there to be a time when my judgment would fail me. Were you waiting here specifically for us? Call your companions out!" The Giant's face darkened, his iron fists clenched tight, and a raging fire ignited in his eyes.

The Giant's space clearance had reached Level 5, a rarity among First-Difficulty reincarnators, which was why he had been able to probe Gao Xu's status as a newcomer. Because he had received help from veterans when he was a rookie himself, he had intended to show mercy today and grant Gao Xu a way out.

Although aborting a mission halfway would reduce the clearance rewards to almost nothing, and the Return Scroll used was of a low grade—not to mention the permanent deduction of 1 point from his highest attribute—it was still better than losing his life immediately. The Giant believed that as long as one wasn't a fool, they would know how to weigh the options.

He hadn't expected Gao Xu to know the purpose of their trip; therefore, his newcomer status must be a facade, and it was highly likely that other reincarnators were lying in ambush nearby.

Facing the Giant's undisguised killing intent, Lin Yueru's Yuenü Sword was drawn in an instant. She shouted sharply, "We are total strangers, yet you want to kill us? Then let's fight! Who's afraid of whom!"

Lin Yueru's intervention changed the situation instantly. Not only did the five-man group about to strike freeze in their tracks, but even the Giant showed a flicker of surprise and wariness, falling into silence.

Previously, although they had noticed Gao Xu and Lin Yueru traveling together, they hadn't worried that Lin Yueru would join in a conflict between reincarnators. Only when favorability reached over 50 points would a plot character potentially offer assistance, and how could the weak Gao Xu possibly achieve that? Everyone knew that Miss Lin was notoriously cold toward reincarnators.

"This is troublesome..." The same thought flashed through the minds of the Giant and his companions. Lin Yueru was no ordinary plot character; she was one of the protagonists of the Chinese Paladin world!

Protagonists were equivalent to Children of the World. Unless guided by specific plot events, reincarnators would never dare to kill them, as doing so would trigger incalculable consequences and cause the total collapse of the entire world.

This was no alarmist talk, but a painful fact experienced firsthand by many veteran reincarnators! In the aforementioned conflict between the Black and White Miao, many reincarnators from the Black Miao faction had been held back simply because they dared not harm Anu. Everyone knew of this issue, yet no one dared to break the taboo, which showed just how high the stakes were.

Some might say, why not just avoid Lin Yueru during the fight and strike directly at Gao Xu?

That was easier said than done. Lin Yueru was not Gao Xu's summon; she would not disappear upon his death. On the contrary, given the relationship they had displayed, Gao Xu's death would very likely send her into a towering rage, causing her to pursue them relentlessly regardless of the cost!

One had to realize that Lin Yueru was no weakling. In a one-on-one head-on battle, even the Giant might not be a match for her. Gao Xu's previous fight with her had been a mere sparring match, not a life-or-death struggle; otherwise, even if his Insight skill had been raised to A-rank, he would have undoubtedly died.

Of course, if they truly let loose and surrounded her, Lin Yueru would certainly not be able to withstand so many powerful reincarnators. But the problem was that they dared not deliver a killing blow, leaving even a reincarnator of the Giant's caliber at a loss, resulting in a stalemate.

However, just as Gao Xu had anticipated, this standoff could not last forever. Lin Yueru's role was merely to deter. If Gao Xu insisted on not backing down, the Giant and his group, forced into a corner, would have no choice but to expend some precious items to beat Gao Xu to the brink of death. They believed Lin Yueru could not possibly watch him die and continue to entangle herself with them.

"Miss Lin, please hold your hand!" Gao Xu had provoked them specifically to play the Lin Yueru card. Now that his goal was achieved, he knew when to stop; if they really started fighting, it would be counterproductive.

"Hehe, my friends, perhaps there is a misunderstanding. I did not come prepared to ambush you; I only made a guess because I recognized the long-admired Mr. Yi! My apologies!"

As soon as Gao Xu said this, everyone was stunned. The thin, elderly man who had been protected behind the Giant finally spoke: "In this old man's memory, I have never met you, young friend. How did you deduce our purpose from me? Please, explain what you mean!"

It's working! Gao Xu felt a surge of joy inwardly and put on a look of respect. "Sir, you may have forgotten. You have been traveling far and wide recently, working tirelessly for the Worker Alliance. I once saw you from afar and was deeply moved by your character and vision. Unfortunately, there are too many short-sighted people in the Space; unless you achieve something first, they will never believe. Given that, and the fact that you have brought your elite cadres here, isn't your purpose obvious?!"

Gao Xu wasn't just blowing smoke. Don't let the old man's ordinary appearance and average strength fool you; he was the person Gao Xu admired most in his previous life, bar none.

The third Great Purge of the Main God Space had led to the emergence of the Worker Alliance, but in reality, before workers appeared, there existed a similar group—mercenaries!

Mercenaries performed the same duties as workers, but their status was recognized by the Space, allowing them to sign high-authority contracts with employers beforehand to guarantee their earnings.

Workers, however, were private entities; the Space provided them no protection or support, which often led to situations where bosses would renege on their debts or turn hostile after a battle.

After the Great Purge, mercenary applications were closed, and solo reincarnators were forced to become low-status workers.

This situation was not unchangeable. Mr. Yi, a reincarnator of modest strength but unique vision, skilled at discovering and recruiting talent, had set the grand goal of establishing the Worker Alliance to improve the status of all workers!

Many workers scoffed at Mr. Yi's ambition, thinking it was a pipe dream. However, history proved that he was the one with true foresight. When reincarnators began breaking through to the Third Difficulty, the Space issued a series of high-difficulty certification missions. By then, the Alliance was already quite large, and they had a full opportunity to legitimize their status.

If not for the Europe-America Region interfering at a critical moment and assassinating Mr. Yi, causing the entire Alliance to crumble, the status of workers would have undergone a earth-shaking change, and the tragedy of the Evil Sword Immortal battle would never have occurred.

Although Gao Xu had not officially joined the Worker Alliance in his previous life, he had sincerely admired Mr. Yi's deeds. Realizing that the Worker Alliance was still in its infancy and that Mr. Yi had brought a group of elite subordinates to Heishui Town in the Chinese Paladin world, their goal could only be the First-Difficulty gatekeeper boss: the Red Ghost King!

As long as they took down the gatekeeper boss, Mr. Yi's reputation would soar. At that point, if he chose to delay his promotion to the Second Difficulty and remain in the First, he could recruit workers, and the establishment of the Alliance would be within reach.

Because of his past life, it wasn't difficult for Gao Xu to deduce Mr. Yi's goal. But to Mr. Yi, the fact that this person could be so certain based on mere scraps of information was somewhat incredible. He remained suspicious, squinting his eyes as he said indifferently, "Young friend, you are too kind. This old man is unworthy of such praise. I wonder what your original mission was? Since we have met by chance, perhaps we can assist each other! As for the issue of insufficient manpower, please do not trouble yourself!"

Mr. Yi's question was quite sharp. Didn't Gao Xu say he wasn't waiting here specifically? If so, he must have his own mission. In that case, how could there be any talk of joining their team to raid the boss?

In short, Gao Xu, a stranger, wanting to join their team was nothing but a pipe dream!

Mr. Yi had already made up his mind: even if it meant wasting a precious raid scroll this time, he would absolutely not let someone of unknown background infiltrate their ranks and cause a total party wipe. His hint and warning were clearly expressed in his words.

"Is that so?" Gao Xu showed a look of disappointment, muttering to himself, "Originally, I had wanted to present a great gift to you, sir..."