With the wide grin of his face burning into the mind of Null, Barter's Ruler leapt down towards the boy with the vase still in hand.
"You scumbag! I just shut the door!"
Null looked up at the grinning bastard despite his sleazy hands still clutching the vase.
"Who are you?"
"Null."
"No, that's not...," he pinched his brow, "What I mean is how are you?"
"I'm alright... how are you?"
Null was nervous in the face of a devilishly grinning greedy man standing before him, a "helpless" child caught dead in the act of theft.
"No, that's not it either. The scripture! Such sacred texts of greed myth channeled into written language could not be from any ordinary source."
'Scripture? Sacred texts? What the hell is he talking about?"
Thud!
Barter's Ruler fell on one knee in a sudden kneel, his head lowered in the face of a really confused Null.
.....
Ramona, the Wanderer's Guild's front desk worker was just tidying herself up when she heard a light thump from outside the restroom.
'What could that have been?'
She wondered but did not hurry in the slightest as she fixed her makeup.
'The ruler must be finishing up with his apprentice by now. Maybe they were doing something out there.'
Her curious nature got the best of her as she then hurried touching up and rushed out the door.
As Ramona walked out towards the front desk, the scene she saw made her gasp in shock.
...
'Are you serious, man? Get up!'
Null thought but chose not to speak out of sheer curiosity of what was to come of this weird ruler.
"Null, I promise not to pry into your most esteemed background, but I would find myself an utter fool if I did not plea for a chance to learn more about these sacred texts."
"What do you keep ranting about sacred texts for? What sacred texts are you talking about?
Null tried to snap the ruler out of his derision, but as if he was a pauper before a king, the man knelt down and spoke to Null.
"All of my possessions, my wealth, my planet, my life. I offer these to you in return for just a few more pages... No! A single page more and it's all yours!"
The selfish ruler stopped at nothing to search for a way to further his powers by way of his universal rule.
And for him, this was just another example of how far he was willing to go to do so.
"Listen to me! I have no clue what these scriptures you're talking about!"
Null yelled at the kneeling fool and beseeched him to explain what was going on.
"When I glanced at the glyphs my own rule was triggered and I saw the path ahead to perfection."
"Are you talking about my paper? Oh no!" Null just then realized that he wrote in his native alphabet.
It must not have registered on the translator, so he regarded them as the copy of some other text.
If what I wrote could be considered as sacred texts, then I might actually be more powerful than I thought!
"What exactly made those simple scribbles of mine sacred texts you imbecile!"
Smack!
A clean slap to the face of the lowly ruler set him in his place.
He did not resist in the slightest and even lightly shivered as a tinge of fear began to settle in his mind.
'How could I have let my greed blind me so? I truly made a grave mistake this time even though it was all so intuitive.'
'WHAAAT?'
Ramona covered her mouth so as to not make a noise while she continued watching the dramatic scene unfold before her.
"Forgive me Sir Null," the ruler now knelt on both knees.
'Sir Null? Now I could get used to that!'
Null stuck his head up haughtily.
'Sir Null?! The roles have reversed!!!'
Ramona was eating up every last bite of the conversation.
"I have always believed that beneath a man's two knees lie a bounty of gold only permissible to those deemed worthy of such respect."
Barter's Ruler continued, "Ever since my days as a humble beggar, upstart businessman, and new founded ruler, I have never once gone on both knees to beg as I do now."
"It would be my greatest life's accomplishment if you would do me the honor of furthering my path," Barter's Ruler had never once been as sincere in his life.
For once, he had seen a glimmer of hope.
Hope to eventually reach the center of the universe.
Null thought carefully about his next words; he wanted to maintain his position of power, but to also claim what he was so generously offered.
"It's a pity your path can only lead you so far. It would be unsightly of me to help someone so lowly of your stature," Null started off strong with harsh words.
'My path is wrong?'
The ruler was on the verge of a breakdown.
He had heard of those that spend their lives trying to understand their rule without the slightest success.
If he was to become one of those people, then all that he built would have been for nothing.
"However," Null tossed in some bait.
'However?!'
The ruler snapped up to look Null in the eyes.
A yellow light shone at the last signs of hope Null had made for him.
Null thought back to the yellow energy at this moment and had a sudden epiphany.
If he could learn something from others and use it to his advantage, why couldn't they do the inverse.
"The path you have taken in naturally the best for you is it not? Since you've offered all of your possessions down to your very life, I suppose I could help you this once."
'If I can utilize this chance, maybe I'll learn something about my powers too.'
And so, Null pressed a finger to the ruler's forehead.
"Tell me golden nugget," Null thought it'd be best to put on all airs, "What kind of greed do you think a ruler would be wise to have?"
Seeing as Null was still needing one more requirement before the assistance, Barter's Ruler answered without hesitation.
He had not fought tooth and nail from nothing up until now for nothing.
"A ruler's greed needs to account for the future of his lands and the safety of his people."
Null felt the pride the ruler felt for his answer and smiled.
"You've got it all wrong little nugget. Greed is considered a sin by many don't you know?"
"That's exactly right Sir Null," just like that, the ruler seemed to revert to his previous self.
"Greed is a heavy sin that can only be conquered by the strongest of wills. But my greed has grown beyond my own concerns."
"What do you mean by that?" Null was feeling something happening to the cosmic structure.
"I have amassed grand wealth only through my hardworking subjects," Barter's Ruler turned to Ramona, "What kind of ruler would I be without my people."
When Ramona met his gaze, she there was no semblance of a ruler in the man before her.
She only saw an honest man wishing for the best for those around him.
Null had not even noticed the last traces of yellow energy that seeped into the ruler's forehead because of his turned face.
However, just as the room was quiet, a golden sheen released from the exact same spot.
Barter's Ruler stood still just staring into the eyes of his front desk receptionist.
"I would entrust my all to you for the sake of a more bountiful future."
A smile unlike the devious grin that had solely appeared on the ruler's face took form.
It was unknown when the lustrous golden crown materialized on his head and the regal gold-trimmed coat fell to his ankles.
A glorious golden scepter adorned with a single golden orb was held in his right hand.
Ramona genuinely could not help herself but to silently prostrate before her ruler and new master.
She felt elated to be the recipient of her ruler's gaze; it fulfilled her and made her all the more willing to work hard on his behalf.
"A true ruler does not forget the debts he owes Sir Null. As I had previously stated, all I own is yours down to my very life."
The ruler returned to his previous half kneel.
'NOW THAT'S NEW!' Null was breathing heavily, sweat forming on his brow at the sight before him.
He was wondering what else would be possible from now on.