Chapter 149 – And So, the Rich Old Man Produced an Iron Rod as Thick as a Wrist!

Volume 2: Battlefield Between Two Worlds

"However, at this point in the story, things took a turn!"

"Oh, before that, I haven't introduced the circumstances of this family to you all yet!"

The Ruler's voice was calm yet charismatic, devoid of any significant emotional fluctuation.

"The rich old man started from nothing. It wasn't until he was old that he finally built a massive foundation for his estate!"

"The eldest son had endured hardships and exhaustion. He was malnourished in his youth, so his body was very thin and weak!"

"The second son was hopelessly addicted to wine and women!"

"As for the third son, he was a fitness fanatic."

"So, generally speaking, the third son had the highest Physical Attribute!"

"Seeing that the eldest son could not break the bundle of chopsticks, the rich old man handed the bundle to the third son!"

"What was difficult for the eldest was entirely different for the third son."

With a loud 'crack,' the third son snapped the entire bundle of chopsticks at once!

"So, everyone, having heard up to this point, you should understand that this is not a story about unity!"

It was still that same gentle, magnetic voice, but the feeling it evoked was becoming increasingly different!

This sensation made Wen Yu feel as if he were constantly sliding down into an abyss!

No one offered any more opinions on the Ruler's story, because every living creature could now hear something else in the Ruler's words!

That thing was called-malice!

At this moment, the Ruler's story was not yet over.

"Seeing the third son break the bundle of chopsticks, the rich old man smiled with satisfaction."

"Then, the rich old man pulled out an iron rod as thick as a wrist from under his pillow."

"'Now, why don't you try this?' the rich old man said."

"'Father, that's impossible!'"

"The third son shook his head decisively. To a normal person, an iron rod as thick as a wrist is completely indestructible!"

"'And so, I have found a way to distribute my property!'"

"The rich old man allocated all his assets to the eldest son. Because the eldest had suffered and toiled since childhood, he naturally understood that money does not come easily. Furthermore, he had often stayed by his father's side; through constant exposure, he knew much about the principles of doing business."

"Moreover, the rich old man made a will requiring the eldest son, who inherited all the property, to pay the second and third sons a sum of money every month so they could do whatever they wanted!"

"Can you guess the final ending?"

"After the rich old man died, the eldest son's business flourished. Then, the eldest son bought a trust for the second and third sons. Every year, the two younger brothers received a large sum of money, enough to support their lifestyle!"

"A perfect result, wasn't it?"

"So, what kind of lesson does this story teach us?"

The entire field was deathly silent!

Because this story wasn't a fairy tale or an inspirational anecdote; this story was what one would call 'toxic chicken soup.'

Toxic chicken soup is always realistic, and reality is always cruel!

The Ruler's voice rang out once more.

"This story tells us that chopsticks can never compare to steel!"

"Chopsticks are just chopsticks. Even a hundred chopsticks are not as strong or resilient as steel!"

"Power is the same. The so-called 'strength in numbers' is a complete joke!"

"Power only achieves its maximum effect when concentrated in the hands of one person!"

"Just as with the same amount of force, a palm will never have the impact of a fist!"

"In the current situation, you have won the war against the Demon Race, but you are still just a bunch of chopsticks! What I need is steel! Even if there is only one piece!"

"What method shall I use to screen for steel? By breaking the chopsticks and using their bodies to fuel the furnace, thereby forging the hardest steel!"

"Among the rules of the Battlefield Between Two World, there is a line that goes: 'The creatures of the Demon Realm and the Earth Creatures shall determine the strongest!'"

"Right now, you are merely the powerful side-or rather, a powerful group! You are not the strongest!"

"The range of the Barrier of the Battlefield Between Two World will shrink by ten meters every ten minutes. In other words, this Barrier will get smaller and smaller until every creature within the battlefield's range is eliminated! However, before that happens, as long as you can determine a single strongest creature, the Barrier will stop moving! And that creature will receive a supreme treasure I have personally prepared!"

"So, whether you kill or are killed, that is for you to decide!"

"Now then, which among you is the Steel I desire? I shall wait and see!"

The Ruler's voice gradually faded, but the shock it left behind kept every creature present from regaining their composure for a long time.

"I… I quit! I don't want anything! Ruler, I don't want anything, I just want to get out of here!"

The first to speak was a Class Holder standing not far away.

That Class Holder's face was pale, clearly devastated by such cruel rules.

Unfortunately, in the Apocalypse, and in the eyes of the Ruler, human life was truly cheap.

"That is not possible. You see, every creature present has a chance to obtain the final treasure, and most of your evolutionary starting points are the same! Under such circumstances, you still want to quit? You don't have even a shred of ambition! You don't have even a shred of competitive spirit! You truly disappoint me!"

"I have never been tolerant toward children who disappoint me!"

The Ruler's tone gradually shifted.

A sense of cruel, tyrannical emotion clearly flowed through its voice.

Then, a cluster of white light suddenly erupted from the Class Holder's body.

It came quickly and vanished just as fast.

When the white light dissipated, the Class Holder collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale.

"My… my power! My power! It's all gone… my Class… my Skills… my Physical Attributes… everything is gone!!!"

"This is your punishment! You must understand that your power originates from me! What I have given you, I naturally have ways to take back!"

The Class Holder, who had lost all his strength, sat slumped on the ground, muttering to himself as if he had lost his soul. He didn't even hear the Ruler's words. He knew that without power, there was no hope left for him in this Battlefield Between Two World.

The only fate awaiting him was death.

However, every creature besides him felt a chill rising through their bodies.

The Ruler's methods, the Ruler's mindset of viewing human lives as mere ants-everything about the Ruler terrified the Class Holders.

Wen Yu lowered his head, his fists slowly tightening.

"What do you call this? What is this?"

"This is murder! This! Is! Murder!"

"Aren't you supposed to be helping us? Aren't you helping us defeat the Demon Race? Aren't you our savior? Our backer? What are you doing now!"

"Just what exactly are you?"

Wen Yu's voice started low, then grew louder and louder as his emotions became more agitated, until finally, he was roaring at the sky.

The Ruler's reply, however, carried no hint of emotion.

"First, you must understand that this is not murder. This is called Survival of the Fittest."

"On this planet, in some remote places, there is an ancient practice called Gu1 Raising."

"How do you raise Gu? You put a group of venomous insects in a sealed environment to slaughter each other. The one that emerges as the strongest is the Gu King!"

"Why raise Gu? Because a single Gu King is far stronger than countless ordinary insects!"

"That is the significance of the Battlefield Between Two World!"

"Furthermore, how dare you say I am not helping you? I brought you the Exchange Pillars; I brought you the Enhancement System!"

"Without me, what would you be? Without me, could you defeat the Demon Race? Without me, what hope would you have?"

"I am indeed your backer, and I am on your side. However, that does not mean I must act according to your whims!"

"I am telling you this much only because you are the Sequence 2 I have chosen. I hope you do not disappoint me!"

"Strive to become the Steel I need. That is what you should do! It is also the only thing you can do!"

"Otherwise, since you could become Sequence 2, others can, of course, do the same!"