Solo Leveling- Ragnarok-Chapter 283 - 281

It was an obvious choice.

"I'll buy fruits!"

"Give me the fruits now!"

"Fruits!"

Even if they killed 'Beru' outside the bank and stole all the coins, it was clear that those who remained would fight over the coins again. And it was virtually impossible to avoid getting hurt in that process. In other words, they would eventually have to come back to the bank, bleeding, to buy fruits. Then what would be left? Only the bank would benefit. Compared to that, what about the other option? To get that huge pile of coins gleaming before their eyes? All they had to do was buy the fruit at the regular price and resell it at five times the value; how could they resist?

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"Fruits!"

"Give me the fruits!"

They were no different from rioters. Madness could be felt from the villains who were scrambling to pressure the bank employees into selling them fruits. The citizens of this city were already brainwashed by debt and coins. They wouldn't hesitate to kill to pay off their debts or to get coins...

Just killing? First and foremost this was a city of villains. Especially the debt-ridden Hunters wearing bomb chokers, they blatantly threatened the bank employees with killing intent, grabbing them by the collar.

"What are you doing! Hurry up and bring them out!"

"What's the problem with me buying fruits from the bank with my own money!"

"How much more loan can I get?!"

"Yes! Let's get some loans while we're at it!"

"Give them to me! Now!"

They didn't hesitate to buy fruits, even by taking out loans. If they resold it immediately, the money would be multiplied by five, so what was the problem? With such a guaranteed investment, how many people would refuse a loan?

"W-wait!"

"Just a moment!"

The bank employees couldn't help but panic at their explosive momentum. But there was no other way. Of course, they could refuse the transaction under the pretense of maintaining the city's balance, but if they restricted the purchase of the essential fruit for survival in this apocalypse, all the villains in the city might riot. If it was just 'Beru' alone, it would be fine, but if all the villains in the city rose up, there was no way for the bank to subdue them.

'That crazy bastard...' The deputy manager, with a defeated look, looked blankly at 'Beru,' who was leisurely watching this chaotic scene beyond the crowd. And...

* * *

...Crack—!

The bank manager, after hearing the whole story, snapped his employee's neck and killed him. The deputy manager died without even screaming. And then something amazing happened.

Whoosh—!

The bank manager's 'root,' which was made of hard bark and wriggling vines instead of an arm, began to suck the red energy from the dead deputy manager's body.

Thud!

The corpse, devoid of life like a withered tree, rolled powerlessly on the floor. The expression on the bank manager's face as he stomped on the remaining shell of the corpse with his foot was, surprisingly, 'satisfaction.'

"Ugh. You little shit, you ate a lot. Did you steal fruits behind my back?"

Hiccup.

Someone hiccuped. The faces of the employees who had a history of secretly stealing fruits from the warehouse turned pale at the bank manager's words. As far as they knew, the bank manager's awakening rank was only B-rank. But at the same time, he was the bank manager who ate the most fruits of Alfheim in this city. They didn't know what would happen or how strong they would become if they ate that many fruits. Alfheim itself was an unknown existence. They couldn't understand what effect it had on the body until they tried it themselves. But there was one thing. They knew that the bank manager was most wary of anyone eating more fruits than him.

Rustle.

His arm, which had turned into vines, returned to its original state. The bank manager nonchalantly stroked his hand, which had returned to its normal skin color, and asked the employees, who were trembling in fear,

"So, where is he?"

"Th-that... He disappeared again. Suddenly, as soon as he stepped out of the bank."

"Then what about the others who were here?"

"They all resold the fruits to him and scattered."

"Well, that's understandable. They would have made a lot of money thanks to him, so they'll probably hide and be wary of each other for a while. Haa, this is troublesome." The bank manager, who regained his composure after venting his anger and feeling a sense of fullness, organized his thoughts for a moment.

"Hmm. First, we need to refill the empty warehouse. If rumors spread that the bank doesn't have any fruits, the debtors will attack us."

Gulp... The employees' expressions became determined. The reason why the bank could exist as a bank in this lawless wasteland was thanks to the 'fruit.' No matter how much the debtors were struggling with debt. No matter how much they were threatened with death every day with bomb collars around their necks and treated like slaves, The reason why they could never challenge the bank's authority was that the bank stored the 'fruits.'

With all the fruits that healed all wounds gathered in this place, what madman would try to rob the bank just to earn some money? While everyone else could be easily killed, the bank employees who possessed the fruits were practically holding countless spare lives in the warehouse. But the situation was completely different now.

'The fruits are gone.'

'But instead, there's a mountain of money.'

...A bank without fruits, only money. Truly the worst. Was there a better situation to provoke the debtors?

"Everyone, be prepared for a raid. The debtors might attack if the rumors spread."

"...?!"

All the bank employees, who had been terrified, now had determined expressions. He wasn't joking. They had just experienced the momentum of the rioters who screamed for fruits. But that was nothing. Their goal then was to earn money, not to repay their debts. But how many debtors had they squeezed dry with the bait of debt? If all of them in this city found out about this situation, they would turn into bank robbers in an instant.

"And spread false rumors in the city as soon as possible. That the bank actually has another fruit warehouse."

"Y-yes."

"We have to buy time. Time to refill the warehouse with fruits." The employees began to move busily at the bank manager's orders.

"And summon the Reapers as secretly as possible. Tell them we'll double the reward for fruit harvesting for a few days. We have enough money thanks to that damned bastard."

"Ah, I underst..."

"If you understand, move quickly!"

"Y-yes!"

"...No, wait." The bank manager suddenly turned his head towards the window, feeling an ominous sensation.

Thud! Thud! Thud...

He could feel a faint vibration from under his feet.

"Don't tell me already...?"

Something was ominous. His expression hardened. No, that couldn't be. This was way too fast. Considering the size of this city, there was no way rumors could have already spread to the debtors.

'Even if the rumors spread, it's impossible for everyone to hear about it already. It's still too early for them to gather and attack...' But...

Ominous premonitions were always right.

"...Damn it. Everyone, stop what you're doing and grab your weapons!"

"...!"

The bank employees were startled and hurriedly grabbed their weapons at the bank manager's sudden shout. And then they also saw what he was looking at.

Thud! Thud! Thud...!

Far away, outside the window... Countless debtors were swarming towards them. With bomb chokers around their necks.

"H-how already...?!"

This was absurd. Even if there were many Hunters who earned five times their money and returned here, this was way too fast! But... They couldn't ever imagine that under the feet of the debtors who were rushing towards the bank with weapons, there were 'shadows' spreading rumors in real-time.

[Hey, did you hear? The bank ran out of fruits.]

[Ah, no way.]

[No, it's true! That bakery villain who appeared in the market earlier bought all the fruits from the bank.]

[What, really?! Then the bank right now...!]

[Doesn't have any fruits!]

[What? Then isn't this our chance?]

[What are you waiting for? I heard others already left, saying it's a chance to get revenge on those bank bastards!]

[How long do we have to live as their slaves?]

[Yes, that's right. We escaped to North Korea, do we have to become slaves to capitalism here too?!]

The identity of those voices was the numerous shadow soldiers that Suho planted in the shadows of the people gathered at the market this morning. And at this moment, the rumors about the bank were spreading throughout the city, following people's shadows.

"Damn it! What's going on?!" The bank manager couldn't believe it.

The situation in the city, which had been peaceful until now, had become like this in just one day. He had no choice but to resort to his last hope. When the city reached this state, there was only one thing to do.

"Block them somehow! I'll come up with something, so buy as much time as possible!"

"Y-yes!" The bank employees responded to his orders. And as if on cue, they began to draw out the energy of the 'fruits' they had eaten.

Crackle—!

Their skin instantly hardened like bark. Even if it wasn't to the extent that the bank manager showed, the bank employees gathered here were those who had consumed the most fruits in the city. And they could easily learn how to use this power from the bank manager's demonstration a while ago. It seemed like they could buy some time with this much power, as the bank manager ordered. Their defense increased as their skin hardened. But none of them knew what the bank manager was planning to do now.

Crack—!

The bank manager tore up the bank floor in front of everyone. And the 'vault' hidden underneath was revealed.

'A secret vault?'

'There was a vault we didn't know about?'

'Don't tell me the fruits are in there?'

'Or weapons?'

The first thing that came to mind were the fruits, but what the bank manager took out after opening the secret vault wasn't any of that.

'A stone tablet?'

It was a small stone tablet with strange patterns engraved on it. While everyone was puzzled, the bank manager gritted his teeth and gripped the stone tablet.

"Just hold them off. In the meantime, I'll... go buy fruits from another city."

"...?!"

The bank employees' eyes widened. This city was the last villain's paradise left in 'North Korea.' But... villains' cities didn't exist only in North Korea. Although they had only heard rumors, there were villains who escaped to avoid the Association into China and Russia...

"Huu. I'd rather die than ask those guys for help, but I have no choice. I'll have to go to either China or Russia and buy at least a few hundred from whoever sells the fruits cheaper." Again, thanks to that damned bastard, they had plenty of money. The bank manager sighed and activated the stone tablet.

Whoosh—

As the red energy emanating from the bank manager's hand made the stone tablet flash, the space before him distorted, and a 'Gate' opened.

* * *

At that time.

"Association President, we have a message."

"Oh?" Somebody approached Woo Jinchul, who was taking a breather on the pile of magical beast corpses. The Hunter handed him a walkie-talkie along with a water bottle.

"Thank you. I was thirsty."

Woo Jinchul gulped down the water and turned on the walkie-talkie. It looked old, but it was a state-of-the-art device that maintained communication even in this foggy apocalypse.

Static—

Static—

And a calm voice came from the walkie-talkie after a moment.

– Reporting. This is the Shadow of Paradise. An anomaly has occurred. A riot broke out in the city. It's because of a villain named 'Beru' who first arrived in the city yesterday...

"Pfft!" Woo Jinchul, who was leisurely listening to the report, suddenly spat out the water in his mouth in surprise.

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The Hunter who brought the walkie-talkie couldn't help but be even more nervous at his visibly flustered appearance. Association President Woo Jinchul, who always calmly and coldly controlled everything... was this flustered?

'Just how serious is the situation on the other side of the walkie-talkie! No, wait. Is he laughing now?' The Hunter was momentarily confused. Woo Jinchul pushed up his black sunglasses and asked into the walkie-talkie,

"You're saying 'Beru' appeared there?"

Woo Jinchul's lips curled up into a grin as if he hadn't been flustered at all.