Chapter 225: YOU DARE MOTHERFUCKER?! [2/2]
"But I currently have less than that, so why did I still experience a collapse?" I probed.
"I am unsure, my lord. My master was religious about keeping his extra souls in his soul crystal. However, in the times when he did not. Soul collapses would immediately ensue.
"Phantoms and Specters, as far as I know, usually stored their excess souls in their soul crystals. I have never seen one, but I surmised that they must have the ability to naturally purify malice by reliving the burdens of a reaper."
Wow, so the Soul Crystals in the Zones not only purified the land, but malice itself? Was that the main reason they purified the lands in the first place?
If i remember correclty the only way to get a Soul Crystal was to choose a zone to defend.
This requirement, would force a Reaper to forever defend that particular zone. After all, his money was in it.
'These fucking sneaky bastards. Was that why the jaded Specters used money instead? Money had no disadvantages. So to minimize malice, they would just store the money and buy souls when the time came to pay the tax.'
It was as if Battlefront wanted to make sure the reapers stayed on the front lines. But because of the options available, there was a loophole in the system. And that loophole was called capitalism.
I took the necklace off and gave it back to Vincent.
"Thank you for your words Vincent. I am truly lacking in information, so tell me everything you think I should know. I will protect you as my own from today on."
"Haha, my lord. Think nothing of it. Truly, you never fail to keep your promises. Your blood is in me now. As long as you are present when I die, I can ascend to join the reapers. This bond we now share is worth more than any promise my old master made.
I am truly grateful."
Feeling uncomfortable at the happiness radiating from this fat bastard, I tried to forcefully change the subject.
"Since you have already helped me with some of my errands, I have one last task to complete. Do you know of a large property I could buy to use as a base? Preferably somewhere defensible."
"Hmm, I cannot think of any place right now. If this place is supposed to withstand a reaper siege, then it would be difficult to find a place near the city."
"Then what do you suggest?"
"If it were me my lord, a man-made island would be best. You could slowly expand it over time. Much like what Singapore is doing."
"How much does an island cost anyway?"
"It depends mostly on the size, an acre would cost around $300,000. If we are talking about an island that could be developed, you are looking at over 12 million. Still, defending from the sea is easier than from land."
"Hmm. I will think about that. For now, just find a place in Phoenix that can be easily defended and is away from prying eyes."
"Does it have to be in Phoenix? Or even in the USA?"
MVLEmPyR-your-story-source
"Of course it..." I stop halfway as my thoughts begin to twist.
Was there even a reason to stay in the United States of America? If I was going to change battle fronts in Hellsgate, would it matter where I lived on Earth?
After some thought, I came to the conclusion that there was little reason to stay. Originally, many immigrants came to America for the American dream. But inflation has gone way up since the golden age of America.
And with the insanity of current events, American democracy is tearing itself apart. I mean, we don't even know what a fucking woman is anymore. It might be a good time to decide to move.
After all, the only reason most people stayed in their own countries was because it was easier than packing up and moving.
Realistically, though, that was not the case. There were large numbers of Americans who used the power of the American dollar to live like kings in third world countries. The so-called "passport bros" many even managed to find excellent wives in the process.
However, the world as a whole was going to shit, so no matter which continent I ended up on, the problems that plagued humanity would always be present.
But now that I was a Reaper, people were no longer the problem. I don't know if that was a good or bad thing.
Since money would never be a concern for me ever again, this might be a good opportunity to start thinking about my future. If I could get Earl's family to come with me, that would be perfect.
It doesn't really matter what happened to the rest of the country. If they expected me to become some kind of white knight to save America, they were barking up the wrong tree.
'I should ask the Sirens about this. My girls have come all this way just to see me. If possible, I want to be with them, as friends and maybe something more.'
When I imagined separating from the Sirens, my heart ached as if it were being stabbed with a huge knife.
'What was this fear, it made no sense. Sure I liked them, but why was my body acting like it had a mind of its own?'
Vincent said that soul collapses can be triggered by fear, trauma and anxiety.
It started when I started having these strange dreams. About the seven warriors from seven lives. Then I saw the visions of the Sirens dying brutally.
Using my knowledge of anime and manga, it felt like I had lived seven different lives with each of the Sirens.
"Yeah right, like that could be true..."
"My lord?"
Vincent, noticing my blank expression, shook my shoulder in concern. Coming to my senses, I decided to put the matter of the Sirens aside and concentrate on the current discussions.