God-Tier Enhancement: My Upgrades Never Fail-Chapter 198: Episode _You Can Come Whenever You Want, But You Can Only Leave When I Say So (6)
11.
Back when the Rich Territory was poor—a time that was now hard to imagine, when it was nothing but a barren wasteland—the villagers trembled at the sight of a single wolf. The men of the village would stand guard all night with spears. If two wolves appeared, they would abandon their meager belongings and flee, fearing that other monsters might follow. It was during that time that Han Simin had been assigned to this place and declared:
“I will make you rich!” 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
He had been dignified, charismatic, and trustworthy. Of course, this was a memory embellished by the villagers after they had become prosperous. In any case, as their quality of life improved, Simin had given several lectures on how the simple-hearted villagers needed to change to live well. It was all an investment of time for the development of the Rich Territory.
’If the residents are all pushovers, it doesn’t matter how much money I pour into this place,’ he had thought. He could lay the foundation, but they had to learn to develop on their own. They had to be sharp and confident. He had wondered if these simple people, who were always so eager to share what little they had, were capable of it, but Simin didn’t believe in the inherent goodness of people.
’I was born innocent, too. The world made me this way.’ He rationalized his condemnation of the villagers with such absurd logic. ’They’ll change on their own if they want to survive.’
Position makes the man! A late-learned thief is the most fearsome! For the sake of his own wealth and glory, Simin imparted a few tips and tricks from the hyper-competitive society of his homeland. And so, in time, the Rich Territory theme park, which had become one of Fantastic World’s premier tourist destinations, began to see things that were more commonly found in the real world.
—The top 3 must-visit spots when you log into FW.
—A theme park you can’t even find in reality. The Rich Territory!
Ever since it started appearing on blogs, internet searches, and even on TV, it wasn’t just players who flocked there, but NPCs as well. It was a natural phenomenon.
“How much is this?” a customer asked.
“Ah, that’s three silver,” the merchant replied.
“What? Three silver for this? I can buy it for one silver elsewhere.”
“You can’t even find this here. It’s always sold out.”
Price gouging on goods.
“Hello, do you have a room?” a traveler asked.
“Yes, but it’s peak season, so the price is a bit...” the innkeeper trailed off.
“How much?”
“Two gold.”
“What? Two gold for one night? I came here specifically because I heard it was the cheapest.”
“Hah, don’t even get me started. During peak season, there are so many people sleeping on the streets because there are no rooms, even if they have money. And with so many people, there are also a lot of robbers. Many of those who sleep on the streets end up paying their entire fortune for a single night’s lodging. You’re lucky, you know.”
The traveler was left speechless.
Price gouging on lodging. They ripped people off wherever they could. And that wasn’t all.
“Hey, isn’t this carriage going in circles? Weren’t we just here a minute ago?”
“You must be mistaken. How would you know, being your first time here?” the driver retorted.
Even taxi fare scams! Anyone who looked like an easy mark was relentlessly fleeced. It was the brilliant result of Simin’s brainwashing-like special training.
Of course, the original residents hadn’t been this good from the start. They were, by nature, simple and kind-hearted fools. At first, they were awkward and embarrassed. But as time passed and more people came, and as they felt the pressure of their own financial needs and the rising cost of living in the Rich Territory, one of them must have started it. The first time is always the hardest. They must have realized that they could make far more money this way than by working honestly.
Of course, doing business like this would tarnish the Rich Territory’s reputation and image. No matter how much of a theme park it was, there was a clear difference between the perception of a high-class cultural space and a tourist trap that ripped off its customers. So, Simin drew a line.
“Just target the ones who look like it’s their first time here, the ones who have no money but are greedy enough to try and live lavishly. Strip them bare so they can’t even set foot here again. To our wealthy customers, you must always be kind.”
Distinguishing between the two? It was difficult, of course. But over time, the residents mastered it. The black magic mages were the latest result.
“You don’t have any money? Then you’ll have to pay with your body,” the woman said.
The black magic mage was stunned into silence.
Not everyone fell for it. But if you let yourself be led around without a firm refusal, this was the inevitable outcome. The black magic mages, who were acting like ordinary people and knew that a dispute could expose them, were no match for the seasoned hands of the local women. Two of them, having used a guide without any money, were captured and forced into labor.
The only silver lining was that one of them had escaped. He rushed to the rendezvous point.
“Why haven’t you sent a signal?” the waiting black magic mages asked, frowning. A delay in the appointed time meant the mission had failed. No news of a delay meant it had been a complete disaster. They were not in a good mood. But could it be worse than the one who had witnessed his comrades being dragged away?
“Two of them have been captured.”
“What?!”
The serious tone of his report made the angry black magic mages gasp in surprise. Captured!
“There are so many people there, how...”
“They weren’t discovered. But they foolishly let themselves be led around and...”
He trailed off, the words dying in his throat.
As he explained the situation, looks of disdain filled the room. But soon, they nodded in understanding. It could happen. Usually, when black magic mages infiltrated human society, they adopted a role. To avoid detection, they had to be faithful to that role, and in doing so, they could sometimes feel as if they had truly become that person. Most of them probably set their personas as generous people who wouldn’t arouse suspicion, which led to this.
“What should we do?” The problem was what came next. They weren’t discovered, but they were captured. It might not be a major issue, but the fact that they were captured at all was a crisis for the black magic mages. It meant they couldn’t control what happened next. Of course, they wouldn’t talk. But at a time when every single member was precious...
“We rescue them. We have to destroy the Rich Territory anyway.”
“Yes.”
The black magic mages made their decision, their eyes filled with grim determination. It was a disgrace. To have their unblemished record of never being caught by even the Imperial Knights broken here. And not as black magic mages, but as penniless tourists. They had to get them out before anyone found out.
Dark shadows seeped into the Rich Territory.
*
The black magic mages lived in hiding, but they were not poor. Their abilities, even excluding the forbidden black magic, made it easy for them to earn money. They could hunt monsters and sell the loot by blending in with the populace. Of course, they didn’t have much need for money, so they didn’t bother to accumulate it, but they had enough to bail out their two captured comrades.
“Our apologies.”
“It’s fine. We could be discovered, so we’ll execute the plan quickly.”
“Yes.”
“In three days, there will be a large feast in the territory. We will use that opportunity to wipe them out with cursed food.”
“...!”
The gathered black magic mages plotted. Nine of them, to bring down a single territory. The others were shocked at the bold declaration.
“Are we really doing that?”
“Yes. It’s the only way to kill all the residents.”
“Understood.”
It wasn’t the thought of killing so many people that made them shudder. It was the mention of a high-level curse—a terrifying spell that would spread from one person to another. Not just anyone could cast it. It was a feat only possible for someone like their leader, a 7th-circle black magic mage.
The black magic mages looked at him with reverence. It was a spell that was not only difficult to learn but also to cast, a spell not even all 7th-circle black magic mages could use. A spell that would drain a black magic mage’s power for days after a single use. To witness it would be a great honor.
Their resolve burned brighter. They began to spend money freely in the Rich Territory, blending in and preparing.
The Rich Territory Festival! The name was grand, but it was nothing special, just something like the weekly light show at an amusement park. In fact, it was inspired by one, so the concept was similar. It was a ploy to create a festive atmosphere for the visitors, encouraging them to stay longer and spend more money. It cost money, of course, but compared to the profits they were raking in, providing a little food was no loss at all.
The loud music and cheerful laughter drew large crowds into the streets, and people reached for the food laid out everywhere. It was genuinely enjoyable. Even the long-term residents of the Rich Territory, who had seen it all before, were having fun. This was that kind of place. A place to eat, play, and enjoy. People’s enjoyment often took precedence over their bank accounts, at least until their credit ran out.
Watching the scene from the shadows, the black magic mages swallowed nervously. They had pooled all their dark magic to place a curse. They didn’t have enough power to curse all the food, so they had targeted only a portion. It was that difficult of a spell. Moreover, they had to pour a large amount of dark magic into it at once, risking detection. The stress of it must have added ten wrinkles to their faces.
The black magic mage who cast the spell was left drained and haggard, and the others who had assisted were pale from the expenditure of their own power. But their hopes were high. They hadn’t been detected, and the spell had succeeded. That was all that mattered. The food was already out on the streets. Once someone ate it, it was only a matter of time before the curse spread.
Scattered around the area, the black magic mages watched the food stalls they had targeted. Finally, a ray of hope shone down.
“Someone’s eating it.”
They had intentionally cursed the food in a less crowded area to obscure the source of the curse. Their plan worked. The person who ate the food soon grew ill, vomited, and collapsed on the spot.
It was the beginning. The beginning of the curse. The beginning of the terror.
The black magic mages rose from their positions and left without a second glance. They had seen the curse manifest; that was enough. It was contagious. It was important to get away before it reached them. Success? They had no doubt. It was, after all, a 7th-circle curse.
*
Around the same time, Kang Yeseul asked Han Simin, “Are you sure it’s okay?”
“What is?”
“The Rich Territory. The walls may be strong, but the black magic mages can just blend in and attack the people with curses or plagues.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s not just ‘yeah.’ Won’t that affect business?”
“It will,” Simin replied nonchalantly to her worried tone.
“This isn’t something to be so calm about.”
“I’m not calm.” He wasn’t. The corners of his smiling mouth were twitching. “That damn pig of an aide. It’s been months, and he hasn’t sent me a single coin. All he does is take my money. He’d better be able to handle this on his own. Whew.”
Yeseul stared at him, dumbfounded.
“I need to find out what he bought this time that cost fifty thousand gold.”
“...Like master, like subordinate, I guess.” Yeseul shook her head at his reaction. ’Right, I was worried for nothing.’ The Specialists had met and spoken with the aide who extorted money from the great Han Simin and developed the territory with as much care as if it were his own. She had momentarily forgotten that the pig’s attachment to the territory was as strong as Simin’s attachment to money.
“If anyone messes with the territory, that pig of an aide will probably be more furious than I am and go on a rampage. So I’m not going to worry about it,” Simin said with conviction. As he was surfing the web, a news flash caught his eye.
—Curse spreading in the Rich Territory. It’s insane. People are collapsing everywhere.
Three minutes after placing his faith in his loyal subordinate, Han Simin was soaring through the air on Squeaker.
*
