Ch.5Chapter 5. Convenience Store Worker Becomes a Totem (5)

# Chapter 5. A Wage Slave Becomes a Totem (5)

I learned the blessing first.

I had no choice since I was literally nothing but a Totem A without it.

My 250 points became 150, and one blessing filled the previously empty blessing slot.

[Name: Malak]

– Available Blessing: Healing Totem (Low)

– Available Points: 150 -> 170

– Vassal: Paya

– Community Access

My points are increasing even as I check.

With my followers working this hard, I can’t just sit around complaining.

Let’s try something. I clicked on my newly acquired blessing with my eyes.

The ground within a 100-meter radius began to glow with a soft blue light.

The visuals pass the test at least. The once-dreary altar now looks somewhat sacred.

I’ll have to check its effectiveness when Kanto and his warriors return.

…With nothing else to do, should I check out the community?

I feel like an unemployed bum fiddling with a computer while the family is out earning money.

[MeleeSpy: This happened recently~

A high-ranking demon was harassing a nun who was resting against a tree, asking why she was sitting with her legs spread… Even though the nun immediately closed her legs, he kept hurling insults…

High-ranking demon: Haaa~~~ Really, these young ones nowadays, are their heads empty or what… Showing their panties so defenseless. Well, I guess that’s what sluts do?

Me: !! You bastard. Calling a nun a slut is absolutely the lowest… Stop right there.

High-ranking demon: Haa? You… Are you this woman’s this (showing his pinky finger)? Are you going to take the beating for her?

I told him to try hitting me, and he really did…-_-;; But I endured it with gritted teeth.

High-ranking demon: One hit! Two hits!! Three hits!!…! Huff… Huff… One million and twenty-one! One million and twenty-two!!!

It hurt terribly, but I glared at him without making a sound, and then the high-ranking demon said.~

High-ranking demon: You… Why would you go this far for a woman? Those unwavering eyes… What are they!!!!! Who the hell are you!!!!

Paladin: …Ah… Just… an ordinary wandering paladin… who can’t stand by and watch a woman being harassed.

The high-ranking demon stared blankly for a moment, then laughed…

High-ranking demon: ….Pfft…Puhaha…..Kahahaha!!!!!

Me: Eh….? Why… Why are you laughing! Are you manic?! Is your head hurting?

High-ranking demon: Ah… There used to be… a ‘foolish paladin’ who said exactly the same thing as you… It’s an old story though…

Then he flew away. The watching demon worshippers cheered ㅡㅡ;

Demon worshipper 1: Woooah~~~!! That’s amazing, damn it~~!!!

Demon worshipper 2: Hey, you’re pretty good!

Demon worshipper 3: This is the warrior spirit of a paladin…!

Other worshippers: (Standing up and giving a standing ovation)

Nun: (Glaring while sobbing)…. Really… Don’t do such reckless things, you foolish paladin!!!

Then the nun suddenly kissed me. ㅡ,ㅡ;;;

It was truly a troublesome day, wouldn’t you say~?]

…I think I’ll avoid reading recent posts for a while.

Should I go to the last page again?

After looking through several times, I found that the posts from the early days were of higher quality.

Stories of paladins fighting with their lives on the line. The early posts seemed like text versions of the game “Surviving as Paladin.”

Compared to that, now it’s just… an eyesore.

First, let me look for information. I need to figure out exactly what’s the same and what’s different compared to the game.

The safety of my followers depends on how much I know. And my safety depends on their safety.

Suddenly, a question occurred to me. If this totem breaks, will I die too?

Or would I have to stay in another space until a new totem is created?

This was clearly information I couldn’t get anywhere in this community.

It’s probably something only I can find out. And I’d have to risk my life to do it.

Trying to shake off the uneasy feeling, I searched through the community for information that might help me understand this world.

***

Kanto and his warriors arrived at the tribe only after sunset.

“Lord Malak! We have achieved a crushing victory! We slaughtered them without losing a single warrior! Your name, Malak, will echo throughout the mountains!”

Always so dramatic. This isn’t some neighborhood hill—my name isn’t going to “echo” just because you killed a few infected animals.

– I know of your victory. Come and receive my blessing.

I upgraded the blessing since we passed 500 points earlier. It’s called ‘Healing Totem (Medium)’.

I really didn’t want to upgrade it, but no other blessings appeared, so I just invested in it.

It’s not my style to save points for emergency situations.

Besides, we’re still in the early stages. I shouldn’t save but use points early to prepare adequately.

“Oh! You can use blessings now!”

Kanto and his warriors entered the altar with big smiles.

They were all covered in dark green blood, which wasn’t a pleasant sight.

“This is the blessing of Roa!”

“I feel refreshed somehow!”

“My fatigue is disappearing!”

“The aching spots feel better!”

Kanto and the warriors exclaimed in wonder as they entered the space glowing with a soft blue light.

It doesn’t just recover fatigue, right? That would make it no different from an energy drink.

[Healing Totem (Medium): Moderately heals followers within a 100-meter radius. Significantly increases natural recovery rate.]

I’m anxious because I don’t know how much “moderately heals” actually means.

It would be bad if it only healed as much as applying a lot of antiseptic. I hid my impatience and waited calmly.

It was after five minutes that the warriors’ wounds began to heal.

The blue light surrounding their bodies seeped into their wounds, regenerating flesh. Thankfully, it was more effective than just antiseptic and energy drinks.

“Chief! Look at this! The wounds are healing!”

“The burn marks are disappearing! I’ve had them for 10 years!”

“I think my hair is growing back too…?”

“That’s just your imagination.”

It seems it can heal most injuries, even if it can’t regenerate severed parts.

One of the first skills that playable characters learn in “Surviving as Paladin” is ‘Healing Touch’.

It was a skill that restored a small amount of the character’s HP, and my blessing seems to be about that level.

No, it’s better since I can heal multiple people simultaneously instead of just one.

– This blessing is among the most pathetic ones I possess.

Anyway, since they seem satisfied, I decided to raise their expectations a bit more.

– Defeat many enemies for more blessings, defeat strong enemies for better quality blessings.

“To think this is a pathetic blessing. Hahaha! Tribal unification must not be far off!”

Kanto slapped the shoulders of his warriors, who were grinning like country bumpkins seeing a city for the first time.

“Tonight we’ll enjoy wine and women! Tomorrow we’ll hunt more beasts!”

After making this bold declaration, Kanto and his warriors enjoyed the blessing for several hours before leaving.

Wine and women. I could use those too.

But with this body, I can’t enjoy any pleasures even if I wanted to. I resigned myself to this fact and continued browsing the community.

“…How is the totem?”

I looked over as someone approached stealthily—it was Paya.

She was holding a towel and a water container, which seemed a bit heavy as it was tilting to one side.

– Nothing unusual. What’s the matter?

As if a totem would change after just one day? It’s just a piece of wood.

“I came to maintain it.”

Saying that, Paya put down the water container, moistened the towel with water, and began wiping my body—I mean, the totem.

The totem became shinier with each wipe, suggesting this wasn’t ordinary water.

Some kind of barbarian-specific wax?

– Hmm.

I felt strangely embarrassed as this kid voluntarily cleaned my body.

This wasn’t my real body, and Paya wasn’t exactly a very young child, but still.

“Is your recovery going well?”

– It’s progressing smoothly.

“Is the recovery process painful?”

– It’s bearable.

“That’s good… What is the world where Roas live like?”

The world where they live, huh. I don’t know about Roas, but I came from Earth.

Unlike here, it’s very peaceful… no, not entirely peaceful since wars break out occasionally.

Still, I think it’s a decent place to live.

– It’s a good place.

Of course, I had no intention of telling her the truth.

“Are my parents there too?”

Ah, I remembered the setting I’d forgotten.

Barbarians believe that after death, those who achieve great deeds go to the dimension where Roas live.

I don’t remember exactly… but it was something like Valhalla, I think.

Anyway, being a religious group, they probably have many stories about the afterlife.

Though that wasn’t implemented in the game.

– I cannot speak of the affairs of the dead.

I decided to avoid the question.

I had neither reason to tell the truth nor courage to lie.

In fact, I’m already deceiving them a lot.

“…I see.”

Paya nodded slowly and concentrated on maintaining the totem.

And so I received a full-course massage that I’d never experienced even on Earth.

“I’m finished. Have a peaceful time.”

Paya left after making the entire totem shine.

A peaceful time… for me now, it’s just a boring time.

I tried to sleep while listening to the sound of insects.