Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: ACT.10 Throne of Greed (2)
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Chapter 5 was a battle between people.
It was the worst kind of chapter, one that forced survivors to fight amongst themselves when they should have been helping each other and overcoming the odds together, with the demonic beasts taking a backseat.
[You know you can't refuse, right? If you don't participate for a certain period, you'll be forcibly deposed! You'll lose everything! Keeheehee! Ah, but you'll lose it all if you're defeated, too! If you don't want to lose, then move! Win! Fight tooth and nail!]
The devil’s wiggling butt as it vanished beyond the dimensional tear momentarily stole my attention.
I would get to give that butt a good smack eventually, but not yet.
He who laughs last, laughs best.
I sighed and pushed the thought of the devil from my mind.
Chapter 5 was still relatively early. I could clear it with ease.
After a certain point, I had always used the same repertoire to win without issue, but the situation was a little different now.
‘Our side is the smallest.’
The size of a group was directly proportional to the ruler’s power.
The other four locations would already have their golden crowns, receiving the maximum effects of their trait.
Especially the ruler of the center, who had occupied Yongsan.
Since Yoo Seong-hoon had left this place for there, he would be well aware of the situation here.
So, where would he choose to strike first?
‘It’s a no-brainer.’
Here.
But he wouldn't be able to attack right away.
Just as the center was easy to attack from, it was also easy to be attacked.
If he moved recklessly, another ruler could raid his empty base. He wouldn't be able to invade us without making other arrangements first.
‘That damn devil.’
A sharp sound escaped my lips.
In the first place, there was nothing to be gained from survivors fighting each other.
The other rulers weren’t stupid enough not to know that.
And yet, we had to go to war.
Because the devil himself had set the stage.
The thought of his gleeful face as he watched people tear each other apart in a world hurtling toward destruction made my fists clench automatically.
*Crack!*
The sound of my pen snapping brought me back to my senses.
If I just followed the plan, I could screw the devil over in the end.
There was no need to rush.
“Ruler’s Proclamation.”
A deep smile on my face, I slowly opened my mouth.
[The Ruler of the North proclaims.]
“The North will not collect taxes.”
[Your proclamation has been broadcast to the entire region. It cannot be revoked.]
“S-Sir Kim Se-hyeon!!”
Im Byeong-hwi, the leader of the original survivors who had been working in the next room, rushed in with a shocked expression.
My declaration had clearly startled him.
“No taxes? What on earth are you planning!?”
“You don’t like it?”
“We love it, of course. But if you do that…”
“You’re worried it will stunt my growth.”
Im Byeong-hwi slowly nodded.
A ruler had a duty to ensure the safety of others.
Therefore, the stronger the ruler, the more secure the people felt.
Since they had voluntarily made me their ruler, they likely had no objections and intended to pay their taxes diligently to ensure their own safety.
“It’s fine. You all chose me, so I hope you’ll trust me and follow my lead.”
After all, this was the best method, verified hundreds of times over.
At my confident reply, Im Byeong-hwi wore a complicated expression but didn’t argue further.
“Very well. Then let me ask you a few things.”
“What… about?”
“About Yoo Seong-hoon, the one who abandoned this place for the center. Tell me everything you know about him.”
***
“I can’t let an opportunity like this slip by.”
The ruler of the center, Yoo Seong-hoon, smirked.
He was currently checking the effects he gained from his enhanced ruler status.
[Directive – Throne of Greed]
[Ruler (Enhanced)]
Tax collection amount increased by 50%.
Stat increase within your territory raised by 2.
This effect is enhanced each time one of the five major strongholds is captured (1/5).
‘It’s this good, and he’s giving up on collecting taxes?’
What a madman.
Yoo Seong-hoon chuckled, mocking the nameless ruler of the north.
He should be thinking about getting stronger through taxes to win, but instead, he forgoes them?
To Yoo Seong-hoon, that was as good as giving up.
A foolish act of abandoning his own advantage.
‘That’s why it’s best to nip any potential growth in the bud.’
The moment he saw the system message, Yoo Seong-hoon had decided to strike the north.
He knew it was a much easier place to conquer compared to the other major strongholds because he had been there, and their latest response only confirmed it.
But he couldn’t move carelessly.
The other rulers were surely thinking the same thing.
Not only that, but the rulers of smaller territories would also be holding their breath, racking their brains.
‘I can just sweep up and absorb the smaller rulers.’
Yoo Seong-hoon was lost in thought.
The problem was everything else.
The other rulers who were also targeting the north, or who might raid the territory of whoever invaded the north.
“I should make a move first.”
Yoo Seong-hoon stood up.
He intended to send a few of his stronger players as messengers.
Just then, someone burst in, urgently calling for him.
“Sir Yoo Seong-hoon!!”
“What is it? You’re pale.”
“P-People… are leaving!”
“What?”
For a moment, Yoo Seong-hoon couldn’t process the situation and just stared blankly.
“What are you talking about! Why are people suddenly leaving! Have they all gone mad!?”
Outside was a danger zone teeming with demonic beasts.
He had intentionally left some of them uncleared.
It was a situation where other regular players couldn’t get any stronger.
He had set it up so that no matter how much they disliked it here, they couldn’t recklessly move elsewhere.
But what was this?
“Catch them all! It can’t be more than a few, can it!?”
“It’s, it’s not just a few. By a rough estimate, it’s easily over a hundred.”
“There can’t be that many people who don’t value their own lives…!”
He rushed to the window and looked outside.
A shocking scene unfolded before him: a crowd of people, large enough to fill the street, was pouring out of the stronghold.
“H-Hey, let’s get a move on! We need to hurry if we want to get there before sunset!”
“Out of the way! Don’t block me!”
The crowd forced the gates open, pushing their way out.
The guards on duty, worried about a potential monster breach, were flustered and tried to stop them.
“Everyone! You can’t do this! We can’t guarantee your safety if you’re ambushed by the monsters outside!”
“Bullshit! I’d rather break through that danger than be stuck here unable to grow at all! You have to get over this suffocating fence to reach a wider world!”
“Hey, guard-nim. You should think carefully too. We’re in the same boat, with our coins not increasing because of the taxes.”
“……”
The guard, who had been silent for a while, furtively glanced around before nodding and joining the crowd.
He wasn’t standing guard for free.
His share of the day’s earnings increased for guard duty, but only by a little.
Ultimately, it didn’t mean much if he couldn’t do anything about the taxes.
Watching this, Yoo Seong-hoon was dumbfounded and speechless.
“These crazy bastards…! The guards are supposed to stop them, but they’re leaving too!?”
*Crash!*
Unable to contain his anger, he swung his fist, and the window shattered with a loud noise.
After taking a moment to calm his ragged breathing, Yoo Seong-hoon ran a hand through his hair.
“The guy I put in charge of the guards.”
“W-Well… we can’t reach him either. It seems he… also fled with them…”
“Ha.”
He couldn't believe his ears.
It was as if not only had the soldiers deserted as soon as war broke out, but the general meant to command them had also fled.
And it wasn’t just desertion; it was defection to the enemy.
Suddenly, Yoo Seong-hoon’s mind was filled with thoughts of the faceless ‘Ruler of the North.’
“…What was the name… of the Ruler of the North?”
“According to the list the devil revealed, his name is Kim Se-hyeon.”
“Kim Se-hyeon.”
*Ggrriind.*
Yoo Seong-hoon ground his teeth so hard the sound echoed in the room, his eyes blazing.
‘This was his goal from the start.’
He had thought some idiot had become the ruler, but he was wrong.
The man was meticulous.
He knew exactly how people would react if he declared no taxes. He had a perfect grasp of public psychology.
‘It’s probably not just happening here.’
The south would have a harder time moving immediately since they had to cross the Han River to get to the north, but the east and west were likely seeing an exodus of people toward the north.
Even from the center, which was closest to the north, it looked like roughly half the population was on the move.
With a considerable number moving from other areas as well, it was only natural that the north’s scale would swell in an instant.
It was obvious that even the south would start seeing defectors over time.
As the population shrinks, the crown’s rank goes down; as it grows, it goes up.
It was a strategy to boost his own power while simultaneously weakening all his opponents.
‘This is not good.’
He had looked down on them for being the smallest.
But who would have thought that the situation would be completely overturned in less than a few hours?
‘A fearsome man.’
Was it because of the cold wind blowing through the broken window?
An inexplicable chill ran down Yoo Seong-hoon’s spine.
A sticky feeling clung to him—the sense that Kim Se-hyeon possessed something immense that he knew nothing about.
“Wait. What about that guy, Choi Yeon-soo?”
“W-Well, we can’t contact him either. Circumstantially, it seems he also left with them…”
“Him too…?”
Yoo Seong-hoon brought a hand to his lips, pondering for a moment, before a corner of his mouth lifted.
“Forget it.”
“Sir?”
“From now on, stop anyone else from leaving, but don’t pursue those who have already left.”
“Understood.”
The player who had come to report scurried out of the room, and Yoo Seong-hoon sank into his chair.
Yoo Seong-hoon was a ruler too.
And not just any ruler, but the ruler of the ‘Center,’ one of Seoul’s five major strongholds.
‘I’m not just going to take this lying down.’
A vicious smile stretched across Yoo Seong-hoon’s face, revealing his teeth as he let out a stifled laugh.
***
“We’re going to clear the surrounding area along the path so people can get here safely. We cleared out the monster nests yesterday, so it shouldn’t be dangerous.”
Following my instructions, many players began securing the path by cutting down large trees and vines.
Everything was proceeding smoothly.
Both raising the trust of the existing people and drawing in survivors from other regions.
Those who now understood my intentions were shaking their heads in amazement.
The twins, in particular, were looking at me with eyes full of awe.
[Population requirement has been met.]
[The ‘Ruler’ trait has been enhanced.]
*Shaaa…*
The color of the crown floating above my head changed from silver to gold.
This was possible because of the swift arrival of people from the center, which was relatively close.
The stat increase within my territory was now a whopping 15.
Considering the stat cap in the current chapter was 30, it was an incredible number.
‘With the ruler bonus, my Mana stat should be in the 90s.’
Insane. A stat in the 90s in Chapter 5.
It was a level where the boss monsters we had to face could justifiably curse me for cheating.
“Se-hyeon-ssi. Do you think the other rulers will just stand by and watch this happen?”
“Of course not. We’ll get a bite soon enough.”
A reaction would come, one way or another.
Though the nature of that reaction would vary.
There were also minor rulers like Yang Gyu-hyeok, so the weaker factions in this vicinity would likely be the first to make a move.
“In a situation where a small nation has to face a powerful one, I doubt they’d pick a fight so easily…”
“Kim Se-hyeeoooooon!!!”
A tremendous roar echoed through the forest.
Turning my head toward the sound, I saw a bear-like man, his face flushed red, seething with anger.
Jeong Ha-yeon, who had been speaking, blinked and muttered under her breath.
“He picked one.”