Chapter 55: Thirty Years West of the River
Chapter 55: Thirty Years West of the River
(Amended)
Accompanied by the confident words of the Golden Toad, the mountain of Gold Wheels in front of it instantly vanished and reappeared in front of Leon.
"Zzzzzzz!"
A mechanical warning tone, far more shrill than any before, echoed in Leon's ears.
[Warning, the anomaly "Wealth-Changing Golden Toad" is attempting to change system ownership]
[System ownership cannot be transferred, the change operation is rejected]
[Warning, the anomaly "Wealth-Changing Golden Toad" is attempting to change system ownership]
[System ownership cannot be transferred, the change operation is rejected]
[...]
"How could this be..."
Seeing Leon, who, despite his pained expression, had not a single wrinkle on his face or a single strand of hair turned white, the Golden Toad couldn't help but widen its eyes in shock.
This was a full thirty thousand Gold Wheels! Enough to buy the lives of a dozen people, and yet it couldn't even make him show signs of aging? Does the Cleanup Bureau pay that well?
Refusing to believe it, the Golden Toad moved back, gathered five times the previous amount of Gold Wheels with both hands, and pushed them all toward the man in front of it.
"150,000!"
"Zzzzzzz!"
[Warning...]
[...Rejected]
"500,000!!"
[Warning...]
[...Rejected]
"1,000,000!!!"
[Warning...]
[...Rejected]
"Ahhh!!! It hurts!!!"
"This can't be!!!"
Why is one human so valuable?!
Watching Leon, who continued to clutch his head and scream but refused to die, the Golden Toad, whose worldview had been severely shaken, gritted its teeth and opened its mouth to its maximum, spitting out enough Gold Wheels to form a river.
"These... all of them, added together!!!"
Like a gambler who had lost everything, the Golden Toad, whose very existence was being challenged, began to spit out Gold Wheels with all its might. It continued until the Gold Wheels submerged Leon up to his chest, formed a massive mountain in the center of the shopping square, and its golden skin turned pale. Only then did it pause, but...
[Warning...]
[...Rejected]
"Ahhh..."
After enduring the noise for over five minutes, whether his ears had gone completely deaf or he had gradually gotten used to the pain, Leon stopped screaming, stood up straight, and even had a healthy flush on his face from the intense "exercise."
"..."
Impossible! I don't believe it!! It shouldn't be like this!!
Seeing Leon, who, apart from being a bit uncomfortable from the pressure of the Gold Wheels, looked even better than before, the Golden Toad felt its mind go blank, as if it had been struck hard on the top of its head. It fell flat on the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
"I told you long ago, many things cannot be measured by money!"
Seeing that the stubborn creature had finally stopped, no longer tormenting him, Leon couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. After struggling out of the Gold Wheels that had submerged him to his chest, he thought for a while about how to respond, then climbed up the mountain of Gold Wheels, looking down at the Golden Toad with eyes full of hatred, and half-truthfully bluffed:
"Though I am just a insignificant ordinary person, struggling every day for a meager salary, as you said, indirectly selling my life.
But I know deep down that I am not a slave to money! I have never lived for money! So even if you can control money at will, you can never buy my life!"
"Bullshit!"
Angered by the disdain in the "slave's" eyes, the faded Golden Toad struggled to stand up, its massive head arching higher than the mountain of Gold Wheels. It opened its mouth and aimed at Leon, trying to spit out more Gold Wheels to buy this human's life.
However, this time, it spat out not the gleaming Gold Wheels but a large amount of silver-white coins with intricate patterns, covering the mountain of Gold Wheels with a layer of pale snow.
"Why did it change to Silver Wheels? Are you out of money?"
"I have it!"
Spitting out a massive amount of Silver Wheels, it found that it had no effect on Leon, and a flicker of doubt crossed its eyes, but it quickly straightened its head, roaring in anger:
"I am the Holy Spirit of the Scale Gold Sect! My wealth is endless! I've only expended too much power upon my descent, but once I leave here and return..."
"Don't be foolish, no matter how much money you spit out, the result will be the same!"
Again submerged to his chest by the Silver Wheels, Leon sneered, secretly took out a bottle of alcohol, and took a large swig, relying on the [Alcohol Nation Martyr].
After witnessing the effects of the golden toad's technique, Lyon's lingering fear was suppressed. He gazed up at the enormous toad, its body faintly shimmering with a copper hue, and boldly continued his "attack," saying:
"Take a good look. Isn't the relationship between me and money just like this mountain that you spat out?"
Lyon reached out and brushed aside the heavy silver coins, struggling to free himself from the "snow-capped peak." Once again, he claimed the highest point of the mountain of gold and silver, looking down at the faded toad below with disdain in his eyes.
"Admit it. As long as I can stay alert and not be paralyzed and buried by the allure of money, but instead strive towards higher and greater goals, no amount of money will ever be worthy of standing above me!"
"Crack!"
"I don't believe it!"
Accompanied by a clear cracking sound, the toad, now covered in numerous cracks, suddenly raised its head and roared in disbelief. It tried to lift its head, attempting to regain a position higher than Lyon.
However, even with the support of the entire mountain of gold and silver, no matter how hard it struggled, it could only manage to stay a head lower than Lyon, enduring his contemptuous gaze from above.
"This is impossible!!!"
Feeling a profound humiliation from Lyon's condescending gaze, the cracked toad struggled to prop up its body and leaped upwards, trying to climb the mountain of gold and silver and once again look down upon Lyon from a higher position.
But even this small mountain composed of gold and silver couldn't support a six-meter-tall giant beast. Half of the mountain collapsed instantly, and the toad, which had barely managed to leap, tumbled down, rolling and crawling back down. It panted heavily, its head spinning as it looked up at Lyon on the summit.
"Look, even the money under your control is now abandoning you."
"Crack!"
Lyon, having delivered the final blow, sat cross-legged on the thick layer of silver coins, gazing down at the toad below, its eyes filled with resentment. He shook his head silently, then grabbed a handful of silver coins and scattered them, covering the toad's skin, which was now cracking even more deeply. He sighed and said:
"I, who have pursued money my entire life, now stand atop countless riches, while you, who consider yourself the master of money, are buried beneath it. Don't you find this ironic if you think about it carefully?"
"Crack!"
No... This can't be true! It can't be!
The toad, seeing its body almost completely shattered, and no longer having the strength to crawl back up, clung to its last hope. It raised its head and asked angrily:
"It's an anomaly! It has to be an anomaly, right? You must have an anomaly with an incredibly high position, one so powerful that it can even resist my abilities!"
"If you think so, then so be it."
Lyon, showing off his still-muscular arms, shook his head and scoffed. He thickened his skin and said:
"You guessed right. I do have an incredibly powerful anomaly, one with a position even higher than a true god. But it provides no support to my body, leaving me unable to even lift an iron box. I can only carry that sheep's head in a shopping bag to complete my tasks.
Oh, and the reason you couldn't buy me just now is because its position is too high, too high for your abilities to work on me. Haha, does hearing this give you some comfort?"
"I... I..."
"Don't 'I' me. You're just a pitiful fellow."
After giving the cracked toad's life a forced conclusion, Lyon, sitting atop the mountain of gold and silver, suppressed the excitement in his heart, ready to curse the Holy Spirit to death. He spoke calmly:
"I've always felt that a person's view of the world is actually just a reflection of their own self.
When you see someone making a racket, what you're really seeing isn't the noisy person, but your own aversion to noise.
When you see someone working diligently, it's not the hardworking person you perceive, but your own appreciation for effort.
This world is so vibrant and beautiful, yet you can't feel it at all. Instead, all you see is a group of slaves under the control of money..."
At this point, Lyon paused and looked down at the enormous toad below, which was slowly shattering inch by inch. His eyes filled with pity as he spoke softly:
"Who is it that the allure of money has truly buried? Is it those who strive to live their lives, or is it you, who see them as mere slaves?"
"Crack!"
"Crash!"
(End of Chapter)
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