Chapter 362 – King of Greed (2)
The King of Greed, Makibeldor — most of his authority was governed by the Law of Equivalent Exchange.
A power that allowed him to wield authority in exchange for an appropriate price.
That price, naturally, was gold.
Gold, regardless of time or place, had always been the seed of growing greed, and the same held true even in Makibeldor’s era, when he had reached the pinnacle as an alchemist.
After being cast beyond the boundary, Makibeldor had been lending power to contract holders consumed by greed, like Azonne, steadily hoarding gold all the while.
Snap—
The ability to snap his fingers and crush or squeeze a target’s heart, known as Quick Gesture, was one of Makibeldor’s powers governed by equivalent exchange.
Each snap cost him some of his gold, but the price was minimal compared to when Azonne used the Greedy Arbiter.
That was why Quick Gesture was one of his most frequently used powers.
What is this creature...?
Makibeldor narrowed his brows and stared at the being before him.
“Grrr...”
He had already snapped his fingers multiple times, effectively delivering a death sentence. The man’s heart should’ve been crushed and destroyed by now—but it wasn’t.
Each snap only made the man twitch or stagger. He would bare his teeth and keep walking forward, slowly approaching Makibeldor.
It seemed his reason had vanished.
Those glowing red eyes—
Recalling how he’d instinctively recoiled from them moments ago, Makibeldor frowned in irritation and raised his fingers again.
—How dare a lowly beast...
This time, he snapped with greater force and in rapid succession.
Snap! Snap! Snap! Snap!
This time, there was a reaction.
The man’s eyes flew wide open, and he vomited a handful of blood.
His body curled in pain, then collapsed heavily to the ground.
Seeing this, Makibeldor smirked with satisfaction.
—Yes, that’s how it should be.
With a casual flick of the hand, he could take someone’s life or spare it. That was the authority of the King of Greed.
But then—
—...?!
The man’s body vanished from sight. He hadn’t seen him move—when did it happen?
A sharp wind gusted past, and Makibeldor turned his gaze in shock. A massive fist was suddenly inches from his face.
Feeling the man’s breath against his skin, Makibeldor’s eyes widened.
KWAANG—!
“Guh!”
Makibeldor’s body crashed into his golden throne. The shock shattered the throne like a mirage, leaving only him embedded in the floor.
His face flushed red with humiliation.
—You dare...?
Furious, he shot to his feet and thrust his hand into the air.
Through the back of his hand, he saw the man charging at him like a beast.
The moment the human vanished again in a lightning-like burst of movement—
Crunch!
Makibeldor clenched the air tightly.
“Ku—kuugh!”
A groan came from behind. He turned to see the man grimacing in agony, grasping at his throat as if strangled, feet kicking helplessly.
Soon, Arthur’s body rose into the air as if caught by a noose.
Makibeldor, lifting his clenched fist upward, let out a vicious grin.
—I was going to send you off cleanly, but now... I’ll tear you apart.
He had only intended to play with the human before killing him anyway.
Now that the plan was disrupted, there was no point in sparing him.
Azonne Vistas—
He had been a reliable contractor, faithfully delivering gold for a long time.
Thanks to that, Makibeldor’s power had grown stronger than ever. A few more massive contributions of gold, and through equivalent exchange, he could open a passage beyond the Boundary.
—I was so close...
Once the passage was created, the outside world awaited him.
But now, that promising contractor had died right before his eyes.
—You’ve inconvenienced me. You will be judged.
This space was a sliver between the inside and outside of the Boundary. Even remaining here demanded a hefty toll, so Makibeldor intended to eliminate the human swiftly and search for a new contractor.
He chanted a spell while glaring at Arthur.
Soon, a small golden puppet appeared in midair. Makibeldor grabbed it and twisted it in both hands, glaring at Arthur as he crushed the puppet.
Crrkk—
......!
Arthur’s suspended body began to twist like a doll. His mouth opened in a silent scream, his spine bending like a bow in agony. Makibeldor watched it with a sharp grin.
Equivalent Exchange Authority — Fate Snatching Puppet
By paying the target’s fate value in gold, he could seize their fate and use it to torment them.
—A toy should entertain, then disappear.
Makibeldor began breaking the puppet’s joints one by one.
Each time, Arthur let out a cry of pain.
As Arthur’s body hung limply, worn down by the torment, Makibeldor grabbed the puppet’s torso and neck.
He pulled with the intent of tearing off its head.
Vrrrm—
But then, Makibeldor paused. He stared at the puppet, confused.
—What... is this?
No matter how hard he pulled, the puppet didn’t tear apart.
Startled, he examined it—then his eyes flew wide open.
—The arms... they’re fine?!
He frantically inspected the puppet. The broken joints had returned to their original state. The once-ruined puppet had healed.
A puppet that could regenerate—This was a first.
Thud—
Arthur’s body dropped to the ground.
Lying as if dead, he slowly released the grip on his throat.
The beastly groans faded. His pain-twisted face vanished, replaced by one of pure rage as he glared at Makibeldor like he would devour him.
As he drew near, Makibeldor hastily grabbed the puppet and twisted—
—Eeit!
But the puppet didn’t budge. Makibeldor’s face was a mask of disbelief. His power... wasn’t working on a mere human?
Impossible.
He clenched his teeth and twisted the puppet with all his might. He poured every ounce of authority into it.
Crkkk—!
A cracking sound echoed. With a demonic snarl, Makibeldor gave one final twist—
—YOU BASTARD!!!
He attempted once more to steal the man’s fate through equivalent exchange, intending to shred his body to pieces.
But then—
CRACK!
Kuaaaagh!
Makibeldor’s wrists burst apart. His bones snapped, then both hands were ripped off entirely.
The earlier sound—It had been the sound of his wrists breaking.
The puppet fell with a dull thud, and blood rained onto it like a waterfall.
Makibeldor’s face twisted in agony. Looking down at the intact puppet, disbelief consumed him.
He had enough gold in his treasury to buy the entire outside world and more.
—Why... why did equivalent exchange fail?
He couldn’t comprehend it. He had only tried to pay for a human’s fate. And yet it failed?
Staggering back, he stared blankly at his missing arms. Because the exchange had failed, his power had taken his limbs as payment for staying in this space.
Because of one human.
“Kuaaaagh!”
—......!
Gone was his former composure. Panic now filled him.
Arthur charged in. The entire ground trembled.
With a loud boom, Arthur’s figure vanished downward like a meteor.
Too fast.
Makibeldor hastily activated his Golden Armor of Authority.
As long as he had gold, it was an absolute defense capable of counterattack.
But—
.!"
The armor didn’t respond.
Why...?
He quickly tried to check the gold in storage—His eyes widened in shock.
It was gone. Like a dream, all his gold had vanished.
—Th-that’s impossible!!!
Stunned for just a moment—
Crackkk—!
—K-Kuhugh!
A horrific sound like metal crumpling exploded. Arthur’s fist pierced Makibeldor’s heart.
Makibeldor vomited blood and collapsed, looking dazedly at the human before him.
—Y-you... who are you?
All the gold he had stored was gone.
The Fate Snatching Puppet hadn’t failed. The exchange had happened.
But—
‘He didn’t have enough gold to pay for it...??’
How could the price of a human’s life be greater than all the gold he possessed?
Even Makibeldor, an absolute being, couldn’t explain the man before him.
Then—Arthur’s mouth slowly opened. But what came out wasn’t a voice—
Thump—!
A heartbeat.
Makibeldor clutched his chest and looked down at his own heart.
It had been cleanly pierced.
But the sound he was hearing—It wasn’t his heart.
His eyes widened in realization.
This heartbeat shook the air.
Thump— Thump—
The loud, resonant sound flowed from Arthur’s mouth.
—N-no...! It can’t be...!
To the absolute beings within the Boundary, this sound was unforgettable.
Familiar, yet terrifying.
A sound they never wanted to hear again.
—The Undying One...?
As Arthur gave a slow, dark smile, Makibeldor screamed.
—Impossible!! You... weren’t you dead?!
He had heard the man had taken his own life.
Even Bentu of Time and Space, an absolute being, had confirmed the death.
And the other absolutes had been preparing to reclaim their territory beyond the Boundary.
—No... it can’t be him.
Bentu could read the future. And she had never once been wrong.
The Undying One was dead.
You are...
Makibeldor’s form began to melt like wax. The golden glint in his eyes slowly faded.
Now penniless, all that remained of him was his life. Equivalent exchange took it as the cost of remaining in this space.
Who are you...?
Makibeldor’s consciousness vanished with his eyes wide open.
He had never imagined he’d be erased within the rift.
Soon, his body disappeared into a pool of filth.
Wuuuuung!
With the creator of the space now gone, the world around Arthur began to distort. Like a melting mirage, the scenery collapsed into a hollow library.
Arthur remained standing among the books—Then, like a puppet with its strings cut, he collapsed.
Thump— Thump—
The sound of a heartbeat echoed through the library.
Eventually, it began to fade.
The blood-colored aura vanished from his face.
Moments later, a quiet voice resounded in the air.
[That was close.]
It was Retonicalus, letting out a breath of relief.