The Ordinary Me is Worshipped as a Deity by the Extraordinary Them-Chapter 20.1 - Gold Coins Are Not Money (part 1)

Su Li, who considered himself to have seen quite a few battle styles of the people in this world, thought he understood some of the battle logic.

But who could have imagined that light elements could condense into a solid form, directly turning into an arc-shaped flying knife, speeding towards Su Li’s head?

Cyril couldn’t stop it. This thought flashed through Su Li’s mind in an instant. Reason also made him judge that others couldn’t reach in time, and instinct made it clear that the possibility of his death was unbelievably high.

But for some reason, he didn’t feel scared at all.

The flying knife formed by light elements seemed to move in slow motion, approaching Su Li’s eyes bit by bit. Even so, he had the leisure to think that when human thought processes reach a certain speed, the concept of time becomes infinitely stretched…

Whether he would die or not no longer seemed to be the question at this moment.

With a “clang”, the flying light blade, as Su Li closed his eyes, collided with the weapon held by a somewhat familiar-looking mercenary.

While shaking off the strange weapon that had just sparked quite a few sparks, he said, “I say, do you have some inappropriate thoughts about the young master of the teammate I’ve set my eyes on?”

Su Li opened his eyes at these frivolous words.

“Having an employer killed would greatly reduce a mercenary’s rank. I don’t want to bring third-rate mercenaries to complete an eighth-grade beast hunting mission in the Beast Forest.” The man scratched his messy back of the head with a sunny smile, indifferent to the various emotions aroused in people by his sudden action.

The consternation in the expressions of Egbert, Euphia, and even the Lion’s Club leader, the uncontrollable smug smile of Heinacius, and even the undisguised arrogance of that Knight of Light, all shattered without leaving a trace when this shabbily dressed mercenary made his move.

Su Li blinked his eyes, and after confirming that he was still alive, he raised a polite and courteous smile and said to the mercenary in front of him, “Thank you very much for your assistance.”

When the mercenary heard this, his eyes instantly lit up. “Then you should let your domesticated mercenary go with me to complete a hunting mission. That’s my only request. Don’t worry, I promise that after fulfilling this request, I absolutely won’t do anything to take advantage of this favor.”

Su Li’s mouth twitched.

“But you’re doing that right now.”

This familiar-looking mercenary was indeed familiar. He was one of the few people Su Li hadn’t interacted much with since coming to this world, yet could still remember his face.

He was the mercenary who had said “Isn’t Sadina City great?” when they first arrived in this city.

However, what left the deepest impression on Su Li was his experience discussing alcohol with this man.

“Mr. Mercenary worth twenty gold coins per slap.”

“It’s rare that you still remember me.” He raised an eyebrow, bent down, and gazed into Su Li’s eyes.

Before he finished speaking, Su Li felt himself being quickly embraced by Egbert, who had rushed over.

“Hey, domesticated mercenary, you were almost about to never see your employer… oh, what was it, young master again.”

Su Li always felt that this person’s way of speaking was just as annoying as when they first met.

And also…

“Egbert, you’re squeezing too hard, I can’t breathe,” Su Li said, desperately trying to save himself before being suffocated, not wanting to experience the charm of an adult man’s pectoral muscles. “Relax a bit.”

These few words were accompanied by the background noise of Euphia and the Lion’s Club leader exchanging glances before working together to directly bundle up and give the church crowd a beating.

Roaring fire dragons and tornadoes howled in the street, excited that the enemies weren’t instantly killed.

On the other side of the fight, the Son of Light felt very uneasy. “This is the second time.”

Egbert’s muffled voice came from above Su Li’s head.

The first oversight could be said to be the result of various coincidences, but this time… Egbert lowered his head and looked at the hand holding Su Li’s back, which had some bluish-purple liquid on it.

The plan not only failed to go as imagined, but it also implicated Su Li… This was the second time Egbert despised his own powerlessness.

And incompetence.

Su Li couldn’t find any comforting words, and Egbert didn’t need his comfort. The Son of Light was simply blaming himself.

As such, Su Li recalled the kitten he had kept before his transmigration, which would show a pitiful and grieved expression once it pushed a porcelain cup from the table to the ground.

He reached out his hand, ruffling Egbert’s rather stiff hair, his tone showing a rare maturity and steadiness befitting his thirty years of age since his transmigration.

“This isn’t your fault.”

“Even if one day an accident happens and I suddenly die, I won’t harbor any resentment. Because before that, I promise that every day I’ve lived has been according to my wishes.”

Su Li was finally let down by Egbert.

Whether the words of comfort had any effect, Su Li wasn’t sure. He only knew that those people from the Church of Light were ultimately all imprisoned in the underground cells of the Mercenary Alliance.

At the same time, Sadina City also issued an order allowing people to enter but not leave.

Egbert first expressed his gratitude to the nameless mercenary, and then once again refused his invitation to go to the Beast Forest to hunt an eighth-grade beast.

He then indicated to Euphia and the Lion’s Club leader that he had a new plan that needed to be discussed with them.

This matter not only concerned Su Li’s future personal safety, but also the future of Sadina City, and even the future of the entire world.

The overly heavy tone made the other two exchange glances, their expressions also becoming serious as they followed Egbert into a small dark room.

The strange mercenary didn’t follow them in. He pulled out a blade of grass from somewhere and held it in his mouth, lazily leaning against the wooden door that had been sealed with a sound-blocking elemental barrier, mumbling, “Young master, what exactly do I need to do to get your doomesticated mercenary to go with me to the Beast Forest to hunt an eighth-grade beast?”

Su Li glanced at him and replied in a heavy tone, “It might be more realistic in your dreams.”

For the past two days, Su Li had vaguely had the idea that Egbert was about to leave. Where to, when he would return, all remained unknown.

However, even so, Su Li didn’t have any thoughts of trying to keep him. He respected everyone who would be part of his life for a short or long period.

The strange mercenary let out a long sigh. “Finding a suitable teammate is really difficult.”

Su Li didn’t know what he meant and didn’t ask. He just quietly waited for the people discussing important matters in the dark room to come out, occasionally exchanging a few words with Cyril. “We might need to give Egbert his birthday gift early.”

Cyril waved his hand. “It’s okay, as long as Brother Egbert knows what our gift represents, that’s enough.”

Whether it’s a day early or a day late, whether it has to be on that exact day, none of that really matters.

The mercenary beside them marveled at how quickly the two children could change their expressions. After all, not long ago, they had both been walking on Death’s scythe.

Now they could calmly discuss everyday small matters in the blink of an eye. Should he say they have big hearts or…

“Can you really guarantee that every day you live is according to your wishes, that you won’t regret it?” The mercenary frowned. He felt that these words didn’t sound like something a child could say, but more like an old person in their seventies or eighties who had seen it all.

So he followed his thoughts and questioned.

“I suppose I can.” Su Li guessed this was another person with a story. He lowered his head, looking at a line of ants crawling on the ground, and said frankly, “Everything I’ve experienced in the past has shaped who I am now. Unless I want to become something else, I’ll never regret it.”

He was living each day adhering to his own principles…

This thought made the strange mercenary withdraw his doubts.

“I’m Roy, just an ordinary lone wolf mercenary.” The strange mercenary, no, Roy once again showed a brilliant smile.

He spoke in a pleading tone that actually sounded more like whining, “Can’t your domesticated mercenary really come with me to the Beast Forest to hunt that eighth-grade beast?”

Roy even blinked his eyes as if trying to be cute.

If it were a handsome guy, it might have been a bit cute, but if it’s someone who looks rather scruffy…

Su Li felt his eyes were bearing an unbearable pain for this stage. “…I remember I said a long time ago, don’t involve me in matters between you and Egbert.”

Come to think of it, back then, Egbert seemed to have pulled Roy into a small alley and had a very reasonable “conversation” with him.

And yet, not long ago, Roy still chose to help him…

Now it seems a bit unbelievable.

Su Li thought about this and then asked.

Roy shrugged it off. “A Knight of Light ambushing someone who doesn’t even have elemental affinity, anyone with a conscience wouldn’t be able to watch such a scene unfold, right?”

“Don’t you think it’s no different from seeing someone defecate in the street?”

Su Li: “…Not at all.”

He didn’t want to associate himself with any part of that description.

Afterwards, the air became quiet. Even though no one was speaking, Su Li inexplicably felt relaxed. The aura of this mercenary beside him was truly strange, like a cool feeling of morning dew in the sunshine, yet not as cold as rainwater on a chilly night.

Every person in this other world had a past that Su Li had never understood, yet was full of splendor.

It was this thought that made him involuntarily say, “Perhaps people live to encounter the unknown, and time turns the unknown into the known, allowing us to experience that gradually familiar intimacy.”

“You’ve said something nice there.” Roy’s eyes sparkled, like a lake surface reflecting sunlight on a clear day.

When Su Li felt Roy’s gaze on him, he smiled, encouraging him to tell his own story.

Two-star mercenary, Roy, one of the top mercenaries in Sadina City, with formidable strength. The difference between him and the Lion’s Club leader was that he hadn’t chosen to upgrade to a three-star mercenary, but remained at this neither high nor low two-star stage.

His story could be summarized in one sentence.

“I’m just a useless man living under his dead wife’s name, and my story would only cast a shadow over your childhood.” Roy said, seemingly indifferent.

“Then I guess I’m just an ultimate slacker with no elemental affinity, called useless by everyone I meet, and with no desire to change my situation,” Su Li said with clear self-awareness.

It’s not good to pry too much into others’ privacy.

Just thinking that Roy might read too much into his words, Su Li couldn’t help but shudder.

So he emphasized. “What I meant earlier was just that I think meeting you is a good thing.”

“I know,” Roy looked at him with a strange expression, “I just suddenly thought about myself because of what you said.”

“…Sorry?” Su Li said somewhat awkwardly.

“Why do I feel like you’re saying that as a question?”

“Because I’m not sure if I should apologize or not.”

Back and forth they went, and Roy truly became curious about this young master who remained steadfast despite being at the center of the storm.

But unfortunately, the people coming out of the small dark room interrupted his curiosity.

Egbert’s first words upon coming out of the small dark room shocked Su Li so much that he stood there with his mouth agape.

With a serious face, Egbert said, “Lord Su Li, I want to die.”

Su Li: ???

Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.

“What are you saying? Say it again!”

A friend suddenly wanting to die for no reason…

Does this world even have psychologists? Could someone like him, who’s consumed countless modern motivational quotes, act as a temporary therapist and save his friend from the brink of death…

Or…

“Do you really not want to live anymore?”

“Yes,” Egbert said decisively, shocking Roy so much that he could barely hold onto the conical bayonet in his hand. “I can no longer live with the identity of the Son of Light.”

“Oh, so it’s about the identity of the Son of Light.” Su Li, who had suddenly stood up due to shock, reverted back to his lazy posture sitting on the steps.

“Not wanting to live as the Son of Light…do you want to fake your death or create a fake identity, or both?”

“But come to think of it, based on the information you’ve told me before, the Church of Light should have records of all people with light element affinity,” Su Li said at a normal pace, neither rushed nor slow. “You shouldn’t be the type to give up all your power and slack off like me, right?”

However, when he said this, the other two who came out of the small dark room showed shocked expressions.

Euphia: “How did you connect not wanting to be the Son of Light to faking death?”

Su Li blinked. “If you don’t want to live under a certain identity, isn’t changing identity the only option?”

What else could one plus one equal if not two? A banana and an apple?

Euphia waved her hand decisively. “No, normal people would only think that Egbert wants to get rid of the Son of Light identity, or perhaps even consider directly challenging the entire Church as an individual, not immediately changing identity.”

Su “Not-a-normal-person” Li sincerely felt that they were the ones with the problem. “But the issue is that the Church of Light would never let go of someone they see as a ‘traitor’. A Church that executes people privately in violation of national laws doesn’t seem like a place that, despite harboring filth, still fundamentally belongs to the light.”

The Church gave Su Li the feeling of upper-class people in some countries on the verge of collapse from history books.

Outwardly still prosperous, but in reality, the branches have all been hollowed out by termites.

“You’re right,” Egbert affirmed. “My original plan was to fight those from the Church of Light at the gates of Sadina City, pretend to be severely injured, fake my death to exit the stage, then change my identity to plan more carefully…”

Roy directly interrupted his attempt to continue. “Look, this kind of conspiracy talk that needs a 10-kilometer radius sealed off shouldn’t be said in front of an ordinary two-star mercenary like me.”

The Lion’s Club leader shook his head. “From the moment you chose to save the young master, you were no longer an uninvolved party.”

Roy complained, “But I didn’t know that just by saving a young master, I’d be dragged into something that could send me to heaven at any moment.”

Then everyone, including Cyril who was dumbfounded by the flood of information, gave him a look that said, “Sooner or later, you’ll be like us.”

Roy felt chills down his spine.

These people’s gazes were too strange!

But Roy suddenly realized that the moment he chose not to leave after hearing these supposedly secret talks… he was already unable to walk away.

Accepting this reality, Roy sat down dejectedly on the steps outside the wooden house, decisively choosing to play dead.

Returning to the previous topic.

“After faking my death, I plan to leave Sadina City…” Egbert’s plan wasn’t detailed to every point; he had only prepared to leave this place.

Even the bluish-purple liquid on his hand was just onion juice. Egbert’s initial intention was to apply it to Su Li’s eyes while in a fake death state, making him cry for him to create a more realistic effect.

However, he later realized this plan was too outlandish.

As for after faking his death, the man who believed he had mastered a bunch of clever strategies (Su Li’s dark history) was absolutely convinced that as long as he had Su Li’s guidance, whatever he did in the future would definitely lead to the outcome he desired.