Natural Orator

The moment Xu Xiaoyou's finger touched the email, it vanished silently into the air, as if it had never existed.

Xu Xiaoyou opened her inbox but failed to find the previous email from the 'Unknown Visitor.'

The latest email was a nursery rhyme Akabane Tsubaki had recorded for her.

Ever since the Sisyphus Train dungeon ended, the girl would occasionally recall memories from the past; for instance, she had suddenly remembered this song while humming and recorded it for her immediately.

"[:There was a farmer who had a dog]"

"[:And Bingo was his name—o~]"

That youthful voice, humming the nursery rhyme in a babbling tone, gave a sense of innocent brilliance that perfectly matched her lively personality.

Xu Xiaoyou listened to half of it, feeling the pent-up gloom in her heart suddenly dissipate significantly before she stopped the audio.

Was that just an illusion just now?

Xu Xiaoyou shook her head; perhaps she had been overthinking things lately, causing her spirit to become a bit trance-like.

How could that person possibly send her an email through Oasis?

"Please... give me a warm hug."

"The world is so cold... I am about to lose my way."

Yet the hallucination had been so vivid; as she recalled the letter she had seen earlier, Xu Xiaoyou's thoughts couldn't help but drift.

Pangard, was it? Regarding the 'Gnawing Parasite Miracle' advent event, she would naturally lead her own guild to participate.

Her gaze lingered on the guild's online list.

The first batch of Light-Chaser Garden had recruited thirty members in total; aside from 'Fei Yueyue,' every guild member was grade 2 or higher, with six players at grade 3 or above. To Xu Xiaoyou's surprise, not a single grade 4 or higher player had applied to join the guild.

Yes, not even one.

Grade 4 lone wolf players were few and far between to begin with, and most players at grade 4 or higher were recruited by large guilds with various perks to become professional players for certain teams.

Thinking about it, she was just a lone commander; aside from her famous title, she offered no bonuses or benefits compared to the major guilds.

At the very least, those large guilds would occasionally paint empty promises for their members; she, starting from scratch, didn't even have the flour for a promised pie, so she naturally lacked the persuasiveness to make those observing lone wolves join her.

It seemed that the title of Dark Gold Rose alone was far from enough; if she wanted to make the name of Light-Chaser Garden famous, she would have to achieve a top ranking in this world dungeon to let those lone wolves see the future in joining her.

Looking around, the first floor of the guild base was completely empty; forget specialized training facilities like a 'gravity room,' there wasn't even a decent decoration in sight, making the phrase 'four bare walls' perfectly apt.

The location for Light-Chaser Garden's guild base was in the core district of Oasis City, with a rent of approximately thirty thousand federal shields a month.

She and Angelina were both penniless, so the heavy responsibility had naturally fallen onto Akabane Tsubaki.

"[:Hey, what do you guys think our guild base will look like?]"

"[:Yeah, I'm so curious! It must be very luxurious, right?]"

"[:That's the great Dark Gold Rose we're talking about; it's got to have prestige! The location is in the most central part of Oasis City—many big guilds on the rankings can't even afford to rent a place like this!]"

"Black Crow: Don't care, as long as there are basic training facilities."

Recalling the girl's teary, pained expression when her small treasury was emptied, Xu Xiaoyou let out a light laugh and sent the summons to the guild channel.

Before setting out, she had to properly arrange this place that, for her, felt like 'home.'

In a short while, about twenty people responded, teleporting to the guild base one after another as flashes of white light arrived in succession.

Upon seeing the surrounding scene, the players who had been excitedly discussing earlier were dumbfounded, rubbing their eyes as if they had miscalculated.

With the strength of the great Dark Gold Rose, how could the guild base be so... shabby?

Even the worst guilds usually had basic training facilities; this place was empty except for a few walls. Could it be that the great Dark Gold Rose had only just rented this place?

"Where is this?"

"Did I come to the wrong place?"

"It's the great Dark Gold Rose!"

The players' confusion vanished with an excited shout, only to see Xu Xiaoyou standing on a platform with a gentle smile, looking as if she were not at all surprised by their reactions.

"Everyone, do you find this surprising?"

Below the stage, a black-haired girl narrowed her long eyes, staring intently at the figure on the platform.

"Why does our guild base look so destitute, without luxurious decor, exquisite ornaments, or even the most basic training facilities?"

"Actually..."

Xu Xiaoyou paused briefly, the corners of her mouth curling up as she met countless expectant gazes and spoke the words she had long prepared in her heart.

"I want to build this guild together with all of you."

The eyes of the players flickered.

Xu Xiaoyou began her performance.

"Everyone present is part of the first batch of veterans for this guild. I believe that we will be spending a long time together, not just for this season."

"And in our time together, our understanding of one another will deepen, and our bonds will grow tighter. I will come to know all of you with your diverse personalities, and you will see different sides of me."

"I am happy to witness the deepening of these differences; it precisely shows that we are unreservedly integrating ourselves into this collective, shedding the prejudices in our hearts and making the self a part of the whole."

"An individual's strength is ultimately limited; there are too many examples that can prove this point. I imagine that before joining this guild, many of you suffered oppression from other guilds out there, didn't you?"

These words struck a chord in the hearts of the players present; they lowered their heads, their fists involuntarily tightening.

In their minds, memories of being oppressed by those large guilds or organized player groups flashed repeatedly.

Scene after scene of humiliating images surfaced on the sea of memory, churning up turbid bubbles.

"Small streams can hardly withstand a great river; despise not the tiny spark, for it can build a blazing sun."

"I have always believed that acknowledging the limitations of individual strength is not a sign of weakness, but a kind of wisdom."

"To blindly reject the collective and view it as a form of domestication is, in my view, a most arrogant perspective and a prejudice lacking in wisdom."

"It is a mental poison full of malice."

"They take the successful experiences of a few individuals and metaphysically force them upon the many individuals with different backgrounds."

"They use people's courage to completely deny all the glory of the collective, denying the necessary sacrifices made to achieve the ultimate goal, as well as those staged efforts."

"They brainwash individuals into distancing themselves from the collective so that they, as more powerful individuals or collectives, can harvest, oppress, and dominate!"

"Granted, no one can guarantee that the collective is absolutely good or the individual is absolutely bad."

"But there are some lives whose experiences and personalities destine them to be unable to survive apart from the collective; they can only find their value within it, radiating their hidden light and completing the puzzle of their self."

"They will obtain many unexpected results within the collective, such as seeing a self that radiates light and warmth and becomes meaningful, or continuously reaping benefits from it."

"What matters is choice."

"Relying on one's own values to distinguish the good from the bad in a collective and making a choice—that is what is most important."

"As you can see, this is all I have."

Xu Xiaoyou stood on the stage, looking around, and openly admitted that she had nothing.

"I cannot give you the welfare and benefits of those other large guilds. All I can give you is a promise—a promise that remains valid forever until I enter my grave."

"Here, I will have no requirements of you; I will not force you to sign any unequal treaties, nor will I place any restrictions on your behavior. You are free to leave at any time."

"I will give you the dignity that others cannot. Other guilds want you to die on your knees, putting collars around your necks and oppressing you like weak lambs. I insist on placing the power of choice in your hands, letting you stand up and fight against all unjust destinies!"

"I guarantee that from this day forward, in 'Light-Chaser Garden,' no one will have the right to boss around any of the buds who find their home here."

"And before the great tree of our collective grows sturdy enough to shield each of us from the wind and rain, it requires a little bit of care."

"I hope this little bit of care can be given by all of us together, so that everyone present can witness the entire process of this great tree sprouting, breaking through the soil, and growing into a towering giant."

"That would be very meaningful, wouldn't it?" Xu Xiaoyou said.