Pirate Kingship-Chapter 593 - 427: Wealth Contest: Giving the Lake Monster a Little Shock from the Rich!_2
"Can you withstand such temptation?" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
Violet shook her head slightly. "My assessment is... mediocre."
Atahualpa shook his head even more vigorously.
"It's far shabbier than I imagined. Is this supposed to test a Son of the Sun? Which Son of the Sun couldn't withstand such a test? There must be a catch, definitely a catch!"
As he spoke, he even took out a crystal magnifying glass from a storage-type Miracle, cautiously approached, and began appraising the quality of the gemstones on the Bizarre that seemed most likely to be fakes.
But after careful observation for a while, he found there seemed to be no catch after all.
The treasures on the Bizarre were indeed valuable, but that was truly all there was to it. All told, they might fetch, at best, a sum comparable to their initial transaction: 200,000 pounds.
He had just been scaring himself. When he looked at the Bizarre again, his eyes even showed a hint of... pity.
Everyone possesses greed. This trial tested whether the Princes would, in their lust for treasure, forget their original goal: to find a place to establish their nation.
But the bait was clearly subpar.
To put it bluntly, the trio's appetites were too large; ordinary material wealth could no longer sway them.
What does it mean to be without desire? It means one only lacks desire when one already possesses everything.
The same Gold Coin holds vastly different allure for different people.
A wealthy man might see a Gold Coin at his feet but not pick it up; his time is too precious to waste on such a trifle.
If an ordinary person has a Gold Coin at their feet and doesn't pick it up, it must be because they haven't seen it!
The current situation was clearly the former.
"SCREECH—!"
Perhaps because the trio's attitude was so insulting, the Bizarre, annoyed and embarrassed, let out a sharp screech from its throat and opened its mouth for the first time.
Something glinted faintly in the sunlight before she quickly retracted it.
It appeared to be a sun, molded into the shape of a smiling face.
Only then did the trio's eyes finally light up in unison, for what she held in her mouth was precisely the "Sun Badge"—the pass token they were searching for.
"The rules state that every piece of treasure on the island could be Gibaro's main body or one of its avatars. This must be one such avatar. This means that in this trial, each group must eliminate at least one of Gibaro's avatars to obtain a Sun Badge."
"Your Highness, lend me your Miracle money bag."
Recalling the rules of the Secret Realm, an idea suddenly flashed in Byron's mind—a way to use those rules to eliminate this Bizarre's avatar.
Taking the Miracle money bag Atahualpa handed him, he approached her and, consulting his [Nautical Logbook], began to appraise her from head to toe:
"Silver has a density of roughly 10.49 tons per cubic meter. Your entire body amounts to a mere 600 kilograms, less than 700 pounds. Let's value that at 700 Gold Coins.
The Gold ornaments on you total about sixty pounds, lighter than a 64-pound cannonball.
The gemstones' quality and weight are also ordinary—the kind jewelers sell in bulk. Their estimated value of 200,000 pounds is largely on account of their Antique quality.
Friend, no offense, but presenting yourself like this to test people... it's really not up to par.
Moreover, no matter how abundant, the treasures scattered in this Sacred Lake are just fleeting wealth. Gold gets spent eventually.
Only enterprises that generate positive cash flow can provide an endless stream of wealth.
Take our Fourth Prince, the [Hand of Wealth], for example. The Empire's most productive Gold mines are under his domain, averaging 200 grams of Gold per ton of magma.
Just submit to His Royal Highness Prince Atahualpa, hand over the badge, and His Royal Highness the Prince will give you... more money than you can spend!"
As he spoke, he gestured with a thumb towards The Fourth Prince behind him.
Hearing this, Atahualpa also stood tall, chest out, deliberately looking down his nose at the Bizarre.
As a Bizarre, lacking self-awareness but possessing fundamental instincts, she immediately sensed their emotions. They dare... look down on me?! To scorn a Bizarre born from countless offerings in the Sacred Lake for being too poor?!
But before she could grow angrier, Byron had already reached into the Miracle money bag, casually pulling out a gleaming silver bracelet and dangling it before her.
"A Mithril bracelet! Tougher than steel, yet light as a feather. Pure, flawless, and it never tarnishes. Worth ten times its volume in Gold! Do you want it?"
The Bizarre involuntarily stopped her dance, her eyes fixated on the Mithril bracelet, gulping audibly.
Until Byron tossed the bracelet into the air.
WHOOSH!
The Bizarre immediately pounced like a starving hound, snatching the bracelet.
Black, face-filled mist billowed from within her, and a chorus of mouths chanted in unison:
"My precious!"
Her words said no, but her body was brutally honest.
Byron continued to pull items from Atahualpa's hoard, identifying them with his logbook.
"A refined Holy Gold Treasure Crown, worth a hundred times its weight in Gold, weighing sixty kilograms!"
Saying this, he tossed it forcefully. The Bizarre leaped up, allowing the crown to land squarely on her head.
The black mist within her surged, and countless voices cried out in blissful unison:
"Ah, my precious!"
It was clear what Byron intended.
The most crucial rule was:
"Anyone in the Secret Realm who takes possession of treasures belonging to others (items with an owner) will be haunted by spirits of Greed. The precious metals and inorganic materials in their bodies will grow increasingly heavy until they are crushed to death and their bodies disintegrate."
This rule applied to everyone equally.
When it came to avarice for treasure, no one here was more rapacious than the Bizarre herself!
She could freely claim the possessions left by defeated trial-takers. However, the moment Greed compelled her to take such an owned item, she too would be consumed by the rules.
A Dog Landlord is a Dog Landlord. He presented treasures one after another, each more valuable than the Bizarre's entire being, instantly inflaming her boundless Greed.
The weight forced the Bizarre avatar lower and lower, until she was prostrate on the ground.
Finally, the decisive moment. Byron casually produced the last item. Even he was startled upon seeing it:
"The world's largest red diamond, a stunning 13.9 carats—the 'Diamond Star'! A world-class treasure, a Second Grade Sacred Relic? A priceless treasure!"
He turned to look at Atahualpa, who chuckled.
"The 'Sun God' desires the Belief Willpower offered with sacrifices during rituals. Treasures are of little use to a powerful God. How could such a precious treasure be used as a mere offering, tossed to the bottom of the lake? Besides, ever since I received the title [Hand of Wealth], many of the Empire's treasures have mysteriously found their way into my hands."
In other words, what was the God's belonged to the God, and what was worldly remained worldly. Their family's patron God was probably not as wealthy as they were.
Plus, there was the effect of the [Hand of Wealth]:
"The bearer is destined to be blessed with Fate throughout life, never troubled by money. Money appears at their feet, lotteries are always won, businesses always prosper. They will live the life of a mega-millionaire; wealth spent will always return. This is what it means to be able to do as one pleases with wealth!"
Byron, already numb to such displays, simply reached out and placed the Diamond Star around the Bizarre's neck, which she eagerly extended.
CRACK!
The Bizarre, already unable to rise under her own weight, instantly shattered and disintegrated.
She was literally crushed to death by wealth.
Yet, a smile lingered on her lips; perhaps she was quite satisfied with this manner of death.
The items she carried now became ownerless.
Wealthy matron versus Dog Landlord—the wealthy Bizarre was utterly defeated!
Byron repacked the treasures belonging to Atahualpa and returned them, then pocketed the inheritance left by Gibaro's Bizarre avatar.
To take, one must first give.
The victor of this contest of wealth naturally claimed the now truly ownerless items.
Atahualpa cared little for these spoils, waving a dismissive hand to indicate Byron needed not share. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, an air of "invincibility is so lonely" about him.
If this fellow could ascend the Gold Sequence in the future, Byron thought, he would undoubtedly be an 'Innate Sacred Body of Gold,' destined for great heights. A [Hand of Wealth] renowned only on the Southern Continent could very well become a 'King of Gold.'
"Regrettably, the collective unconscious of the Sun Empire isn't connected to the Silver Law of the Old Continent. Unlike the Banta'an Archipelago, colonized for over seventy years, where individuals like Wayne Dote could leverage it for 'part-time' advancements. Unless, one day, the seven-layered Law Net of the Golden Law is fully nurtured, Atahualpa might, through the shared ancestry of the Quechua People and the Taino People, get a chance to ride my coattails."
Acquiring the badge had taken some time. Byron was about to have Atahualpa activate the Sun Badge to proceed to the next stage when he noticed more uninvited guests approaching.
This time, however, they weren't Bizarres, but a large troop of [Molten Giants] with pink-glowing eyes.
