"You can detect the use of a Communication Crystal too?" Xiangzi retreated two steps, looking at him. "You can't read minds, can you?"

"Using a Communication Crystal will cause a fluctuation of Ether Magic Power, though faint, it's not hard to notice if you pay attention."

"But why didn't you ask him about the Dragon's Servant?"

Fang Hong looked at the guy as if he were a simpleton, too lazy to explain. He turned around, abruptly pointed the gun at the man's forehead, and pulled back the hammer to ask, "So, I'll ask you, are you wearing briefs or boxer shorts today?"

Xiangzi immediately choked, opened his mouth and said, "Wait, have you gone mad? How could I possibly tell you that?"

"Then I'm going to shoot—"

"Just shoot, I'll just resurrect at the Holy Sanctuary," Xiangzi was furious, stubborn to the end. "But I will definitely inform the others about you. Miss Atira would be so disappointed in you!"

Fang Hong chuckled and withdrew his gun. "So, you also know about resurrection. Why waste time?" He clicked the gun back and glanced at the man. "Besides, you got one thing wrong. You don't resurrect from the Holy Sanctuary here, idiot."

"Damn it!"

Only then did Xiangzi realize, enraged beyond measure: "You played me!"

Fang Hong mocked, "It's because you're brainless. Let me tell you a fact—a brainless Chosen, no matter how skilled, will never become a top Chosen."

He pointed to his own forehead. "You see? Use your brain, think more, learn from your excellent Captain."

Xiangzi was nearly dying from this guy's shamelessness, wishing he could find a weak spot and thrust a sword through, to put an end to this phony Captain of his.

But Fang Hong had already turned and walked away.

As they ambushed the 'Bloodstained Crows,' the Purple Mushroom Lord, which had been at a disadvantage in the battle, had already escaped. At that moment, there was no trace of it in sight. Since it moved slowly, it was unlikely to have gotten far, so Fang Hong was not in a hurry.

Furthermore, before pursuing, he needed to clean up the battlefield and collect the spoils of war—honestly speaking, the generosity with which the 'Bloodstained Crows' dispensed their wealth did indeed give him quite a stimulus.

After all, the Blood Oath Alliance was but an affiliate Guild to the Jiefulite Red Cloak Team. As for the extravagance of the Jiefulite Red Cloak Team's own adventurers, it was intriguing to imagine.

He unconsciously recalled the Ranger from Silver Shadow he and the Morning Dawn Star had encountered at the Elf Ruins.

He remembered how the other side, relying solely on the range advantage, had suppressed Miss Sicape, Mr. Kroid, and others from even lifting their heads, and had single-handedly overwhelmed an entire Adventure Group. The frustration of that time was still fresh in Fang Hong's memory.

Considering the other party's Level, there shouldn't have been such a huge gap between them. The remaining possibilities could only be the advantages of Skill and Equipment. However, equipment capable of producing such effects would, at the least, start at a million in price on the market. Before now, a million was a number so astronomical that he didn't even dare to dream of it, while such astronomical numbers were used by real Grand Guilds just to arm a single person.

Moreover, that was just the Silver Forest Spear's team. Above it, the Silver Forest Crown had even stronger subsidiary guilds, not to mention itself—what about Silver Weslan? What about the top guilds of the Second World?

Fang Hong couldn't help but wonder—

Back during his time with Morning Dawn Star, he wouldn't have had such a deep understanding as he did now, but after some time of independent adventuring, Fang Hong felt that he should have roughly sorted out the strength hierarchy of Summoners in this world.

He had seen the Tabopolis Oak Knights, Silver Forest Spear, and even the promising new members of the first and second-tier guilds from the First World such as the Jiefulite Red Cloak Team. He had also seen the seasoned adventurers from guilds like the Blood Oath Alliance and Rain Listeners. Comparing these to the ordinary Summoners he had encountered, it wasn't hard to draw conclusions.

He thought that after their adventure in Dolifen, although his group was not yet at the level of people like Wu Di or Liuli Yue—able to afford AEM-type neuron magic guided reactors, own spatial devices, or possess several flexible constructs that matched their level—at least compared to average adventurers, their financial situation had clearly improved.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to afford the Fire Giant.

He recalled the financial difficulties at the Morning Star—not just his alone, but the entire adventure group was in the same boat, and in fact, Miss Sicape often worried about the team's expenses. Now, it seemed, their situation had improved quite a bit.

He thought this was the norm for a free adventurer, and it wasn't impossible to compete with guild summoners, but now he realized he had taken some things for granted. The gap between him and the Invokers from the big guilds was still like a chasm.

If they were in such a state, let alone others.

At least their adventure group's total assets definitely didn't reach a hundred thousand Lycel. Compared to Silver Shadow, they weren't even worth the value of one Ranger's equipment. Although their levels were lower, the equipment of Lion People Reed was also extremely luxurious.

Fang Hong felt puzzled—was the gap between free summoners and guild summoners in this era really that big?

Since the first and second generation of summoners in the Stargate Era, with the rise of the Super Competitive League, the commercial development of the New World gradually deepened, a large amount of capital poured into Stargate, and the Grand Guilds and the clubs that followed had their most prosperous period in this era.

But the prosperity of the guilds led to the end of the era of free summoners.

The various adventure organizations, both large and small, were replaced by already formed behemoths. In Rotao, in Colin Ishurian, and even in Osh and Sanxiak, outside of the core areas controlled by these ancient native kingdoms, large guilds from Earth had gradually gained a foothold on even broader lands.

Fang Hong couldn't help but recall his time in Elpaxin—

That was where the Elpaxin Artisan Association was located, and its core controlled area, plus Elpaxin had powerful local organizations like the Silverwind Knights. Yet even so, the influence of the Rainbow Alliance was still visible everywhere in the city.

He shuddered at the thought of what the scene might be like in Gula Port, the heartland of the Rainbow Alliance, where the Tabopolis Knights Order and Silver Forest Spear had their headquarters, let alone what Eldenan, the headquarters of the Jiefulite Red Cloak Team, might look like.

In an age when Grand Guilds were becoming more powerful and had almost carved up the blank spaces of Eteliria's influence, did free summoners still hold any value?

Of course, this thought just flashed through his mind.

His current identity couldn't be changed, and clubs that had their own talent training systems hardly recruited newcomers from unaffiliated backgrounds anymore. Examples like the Lonely White Field in Rain Listener were extremely rare.

Moreover, Lonely White Field itself came from top-tier guild background, and Rain Listener wasn't exactly a first-tier organization.

Not to mention, the Descendants of Flor harbored ulterior motives towards him. He dared not reveal the secret of the Hailin Crown to anyone, and the behavior of the Jiefulite Red Cloak Team had just proven that. As for the Rainbow Alliance at the time, they didn't seem that trustworthy either.

In the end, he himself didn't even wish to deal with them.

Free summoners had their own path to follow.

Fang Hong glanced at the body on the ground, which was gradually fading and turning into white dots of light. He bent over, gently brushed aside the swirling light. Behind the scattered radiance was a delicate crystal bottle, its surface wrapped in filigree silver foil, and inside was something like a blue flame.

That was the liquid it contained.

The color of a Siren's tears, legend in Eteliria.

...

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