Chapter 320
Chapter 320: Heavenly City (10)
The occupation of District 8 was smooth.
It wasn't that there was no resistance.
However, there were no powerhouses capable of facing Kim Minwoo, and the majority of them were bastards who ran away.
It didn't matter.
He just had to kill them when he met them.
Since he had already shown mercy once, there wouldn't be a second time.
The third day of the occupation.
The entirety of District 8 was submerged in an atmosphere holding its breath.
An overwhelming ruler had appeared.
And a merciless one at that.
"Phew……. I wonder what will happen……."
A lament leaked out from the corner of a bar.
They were careful with every single word.
Because they didn't know who might be listening.
Rumors circulated that Kim Minwoo's summons were spread out everywhere.
It was true.
Undead patrolled all over District 8.
Every time blue eye sockets flashed, passersby bowed their heads.
If they showed even a hint of rebellion?
It was the end right then and there.
Fear created order.
However, Kim Minwoo knew.
Domination is not achieved through blood and fear alone.
"Kku?"
Hayang tilted its head.
Kim Minwoo's gaze was directed toward a mountain piled up on one side of the plaza.
It was the loot scraped together by the Legion Commanders and the newly recruited guild members over the past few days.
The weapons of the Red Flag remnants.
The equipment left behind by the Demonic Cult dispatch unit.
The supplies abandoned by the fleeing guilds.
Even the secret funds Irokes had hidden away.
Roughly thousands of items.
It was a quantity that would make up half of the entire circulation volume of District 8.
Kim Minwoo chuckled.
"It's the same here with the higher-ups hogging everything. Then the domination is roughly finished, so……."
A single gesture with his chin.
"Now I should bestow some welfare, right?"
Olivia tilted her head.
"Welfare?"
"Yeah. Welfare. If I've tightened things appropriately, I should slowly loosen them."
Kim Minwoo reached out his hand into the empty air.
The Merit Point Shop window popped up.
[Faith Orb — 1 Point.]
It was a newly opened item.
As his finger moved, a transparent orb fell onto his palm. A faint light hovered within its glass-like clear surface.
[Faith Orb]
[Grade: Special.]
[An orb that can verify whether someone is Kim Minwoo's believer.]
[Effect 1. When a believer stands in front of it, a black light flows out. The greater the faith, the darker the color becomes.]
Kim Minwoo rolled the orb between his fingers.
A mere 1 Merit Point.
If it has this effect at this price?
'It's just crazy, a total steal, isn't it?'
He could distinguish between believers and non-believers.
That in turn meant…….
'I can set up a structure that gives benefits only to believers, right?'
Supply distribution.
Shop usage passes.
Safe zone transit passes.
He could filter them all out with this single orb.
Kim Minwoo's mouth twisted.
'If you believe, you eat and live. If you don't believe?'
It was simple.
He just had to make it so they couldn't use Marks.
Erased from all transactions in District 8.
Whether they starved to death or froze to death, they would crawl to him on their own.
Since he had tightened them with fear, now it was time to tame them with carrots.
"I'm going to release the goods. You guys handle the surveillance. If there's anyone siphoning things off, take care of them."
"Sure thing."
Kim Minwoo's finger pointed at the mountain of loot.
"Open a workshop. Repair fees at half price. Create an equipment exchange too, and only take a 5% brokerage fee. The hunting grounds are liberated too. Everywhere the existing top guilds used to divide and hog. Abolish the entrance fees. First-come, first-served free hunting."
At those words, the guild members flinched.
He was scary.
It wasn't simply because his power was strong.
That man knew how to reach out a hand after crushing them with fear. He made them tremble, and he made them feel grateful. He piled grace on top of fear.
That was even scarier.
Half-price repair fees, liberated hunting grounds, abolished entrance fees.
The moment they accepted it, it became a debt. Debt became loyalty, and loyalty became faith.
'That is not domination.'
A hand holding a liquor glass trembled.
'That is co-optation. Capturing the soul entirely.'
Instinct warned.
That Necromancer wasn't just commanding corpses.
He was trying to reap even the hearts of the living.
If this mercy continued to last?
The domination would solidify.
Eventually, it would become the completion of a perfect fortress wall where no one could rebel.
＊ ＊ ＊
Rumors spread faster than the color of blood.
No, this time it wasn't the color of blood.
It was a golden color.
"Hey, is this for real?"
"What?"
"The workshop directly managed by the Money Talks Guild. They say repair fees are half price."
"Stop talking nonsense. Who would do such a thing……."
"No, it's really true! I just went there and came back!"
District 8 central plaza.
A crowd flocked in front of a newly built building.
On the signboard, 'Money Talks Guild Workshop ― District 8 Branch' was written.
"Welcome."
The Ratman standing at the counter skillfully took the equipment. Behind him, the sound of a smithy rang out loudly.
"How much is the repair for this sword?"
"Let me check. Ah, you are a believer of the Death Cult?"
"Uh…… is there a need to express it so grandly as a believer……."
He had just prayed slightly because they told him to believe?
At those words, the Ratman pointed at the orb.
A faint darkness was flickering within that orb.
"If this flickers, you are indeed a believer. Your grade is F."
"……F?"
"It means your faith is not yet refined. In other words, you are a newbie. Well anyway……."
The Ratman examined the sword.
The blade was chipped, and the handle was loose.
"Since you are a believer, we must give you a discount. It is 12 Marks."
"……What?"
The sword owner's eyes widened.
"12 Marks? This is something that originally cost 30, though?"
"It is a special discount given to believers."
"F, Fu……."
A curse popped out automatically.
However, it was a curse of joy.
"District 9 sucked out all the sweet honey, huh?"
Someone muttered.
It was true.
It was a system already proven in District 9.
The economic policy of the Money Talks Guild.
Small margins and high sales volume.
Mass distribution.
Dismantling monopolies.
The result?
The economy of District 9 grew explosively.
The equipment level of the trainees went up.
Hunting efficiency increased. The amount of Merit Points acquired increased.
That led to consumption again.
A virtuous cycle.
And at the center of all that flow was the Money Talks Guild.
"I heard they're opening an equipment exchange too? Isn't it weird?"
"They say hunting ground entrance fees have been abolished."
"What? Even that Iron Blood hunting ground?"
"Yeah. First-come, first-served free hunting, they say."
The murmuring grew louder.
It was hard to believe.
Most of the hunting grounds in District 8 were monopolized by the top guilds. The entrance fee alone was dozens of Marks a day.
It was pie in the sky for ordinary trainees.
But that is being released?
"Hey, but isn't this a trap?"
"What trap?"
"Giving things away for free and then backstabbing us later……."
"Idiot, look at District 9. They've been doing that for months already, have they ever backstabbed anyone?"
"……."
"They haven't. They're just really doing that."
Silence.
And someone mustered their courage.
"……I'm going to go try selling my equipment."
"Hey, are you really going?"
"Yeah. Why not. If I die, I die, and if not, it's a huge profit."
The first step was taken.
When one person moved, two followed. When two moved, ten followed.
The floodgates opened.
＊ ＊ ＊
Every passing day, the scenery of District 8 changed.
Kung. Kung. Kung.
The sound of hammers echoed everywhere.
New buildings were going up.
Facilities directly managed by the Money Talks Guild.
Workshops, exchanges, accommodations, training grounds.
Dragon Tooth Soldiers carried materials, and the incorporated guild members helped with the construction. The efficiency was astonishing.
Undead labor force working silently without complaints or dissatisfaction.
On top of that, an integrated command system.
Construction that would have taken ten days finished in three days.
"Look at that."
Someone pointed at the sky.
The outskirts of District 8.
A massive castle wall was soaring up. No, it wasn't just a castle wall. Surveillance towers were erected all over.
Dragon Tooth Soldiers were lined up on top of them.
Defense facilities.
It was the exact same design brought from District 9.
A structure to prevent outside intrusion and maintain internal security.
"They say all of that is to protect us."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Whether it's Red Flag or the Demonic Cult, they say they can't just carelessly enter."
A sigh of relief leaked out.
The biggest pain for the trainees of District 8 was war. The clash between Red Flag and the Demonic Cult.
The weak caught in between always suffered damages.
Swept up in turf wars, they died, were plundered, and chased out.
But now?
"They say the Money Talks Guild will protect us. Giving us all the benefits too."
"Giving everything away like that? It's suspicious. Could it be a sinister plan?"
"From what I heard, there is something they want."
Gulp.
A passerby who had swallowed their saliva asked.
“……What is it?”
“Only one thing. Obey, they say?”
“……Obey?”
“With faith, obey. To Kim Minwoo.”
“……Like believing in a god?”
“Yeah. Like believing in a god.”
“……I-Is that really all it takes?”
“But, it seems you have to truly believe.”
At those words, one of the passersby tilted their head.
Believing is believing, but what does truly believing mean?
“Fascinatingly, they seem to be able to tell them apart. If you fake your belief.”
“No, how can they tell that apart.”
“There was some kind of orb or something? If you're a believer the orb shines, and if not it's dark. That's what they say. The guild members guarding the hunting grounds have them, they're at the exchange, they're just spread out everywhere, I tell you.”
“Right. I checked it too.”
“Then really…… you really have to believe truthfully? In him?”
“No, they say it's not necessary to that extent. You pass just by having a little bit of faith. Instead, if you believe deeply, your grade goes up or something and the benefits get bigger, apparently.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It's still a relief, though. Frankly speaking, how can you become a fanatic overnight? That Kim Minwoo guy being strong is one thing, but faith is a separate issue.”
At those words, the surroundings stirred.
“Then well……. Can't we just lightly try believing for now?”
“I thought that too.”
“They give all these benefits just for believing?”
“That human Kim Minwoo, isn't he actually an angel?”
Silence.
And someone chuckled.
“……He might really be an angel?”
“Looking at what the other bastards have done so far, it really seems like it?”
Where in the world is the idiot who wouldn't do this when Marks are copied just by believing.
Laughter spread.
It was laughter born of released tension.
“Hey, I'm going to go register as a believer first.”
“Uh wait, me too.”
“F*ck, I'm going too.”
The footsteps of the passersby quickened.
In District 8, the believers of the Death Cult were literally being copied.