If before you asked him, "What drives you to rule a vast market empire," Barter's Ruler would have responded as such.
"It's that fulfilling feeling of knowing I'm changing lives without even meaning to; I'm putting food on peoples' tables no questions asked."
"Well then, why do so much even when you make no money at all from the trades? You open up all of the lands to hotels and hustlers and leave none for yourself!"
"Yet, I am still the beloved ruler of the planet. The true value of these people lies deep within them; it drives them and I all the same."
"The power of greed goes beyond oneself and even further beyond others. It can uplift even the lowest of spirits from the deepest of depths."
"But what about the more negative aspects of greed. Greed can make people commit heinous atrocities without the slightest shred of remorse."
"The answer is quite simple, no? Greed never asked for anyone's filthy pride to manipulate its purest intent. If a greedy individual decides to do wrong it is because he is wrong; greed is innocent."
"How so?"
"Greed can be happiness. Greed can be prosperity. Greed is the strongest and yet there are those who treat it like dirt."
It was unknown what was happening or where he was.
There was no space for unnecessary thoughts like those in the mind of a higher being.
'My greed is my own'
"Then let it be known! SPARE ME YOUR THOUGHT AND LET IT OUT IN ONE BIG SHOUT!"
"MY GREED IS MY OWN!!!"
"And what do you seek to do with that greed you pathetic little pauper. Nothing of true value to your name. Ahaha!"
Disgust.
"It's revolting."
"What is?"
"That laughter of yours."
"Oh yeah," the voice spoke, still chuckling to itself.
"It's ignorance like that that blinds a dull eye. This pauper you speak of is wealthier than any king, leader, or other. He was born with all the tools he needs to get not only himself ahead in life, but also whomever he deems worthy of a crown of their own."
"That is my greed. Do what you will with it, because I know just where it'll lead me."
"Death is all that awaits you."
"Death awaits us all. What's your point exactly?"
"Do not lump me in with mortal scum like you!"
'God?!'
...
"WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!" Null was in full panic mode at the sight of the mistreated ruler thrashing about on the floor.
"I didn't even touch him! You saw!" Theef was visibly shook as his quaking hands tried to comfort his new pal.
"I know! I KNOW! DAMN IT!"
Null had leapt from his chair to inspect the convulsing ruler as best he could, but he had no knowledge pertaining to whatever was happening.
"Help him Null! Please help him!" Theef had immediately left his chimera form to catch the ruler as he fell.
Tears were beginning to shed as the situation escalated.
The thrashing worsened as Theef couldn't bring himself to hold him down in fear of hurting him.
'How the fuck do I help him? Fuck!'
"Theef you have to tell me what you did to him! It's not your fault! Just calm down!"
'JUST CALM DOWN!'
Null was breathing heavily; so much so that he began to feel light-headed.
But he reassured himself that there had to be a solution.
"I swear all I did was take some yellow goop out of his system. I didn't know! FUCK! I DIDN'T KNOW"
'YELLOW GOOP!'
Flashbacks of the time Barter's Ruler had first taken in the slimy yellow energy unbeknownst to himself reemerged.
'Then this must be some shit related to the universal rules people keep talking about!'
Null quickly raised his palms above his head and bellowed, "It's time for a GOLDEN SHOWER!"
SWOOSH!
A torrent of the yellow energy erupted from Null's hands as he drained his bank of spiritual energy.
Ba-dump!
"Ack!"
Null felt a pain in his chest.
He clutched at his heart with one hand but continued nonetheless with the other.
'If I lose you over some dumb shit like this, I'll never forgive myself!'
After a few moments passed, the ruler was submerged midair in the yellow energy.
It was not threatening whatsoever as the energy was of course not actually liquid, but at the rate it was going, that did not seem all to unreal.
Unfortunately, Null was about to kick the bucket.
"Stop it already man," Theef lunged at Null to halt his action.
"What are you doing?! Get off of me," Null cried out.
"Just take a look at yourself!"
Null ceased his struggling and took a second to realize what had happened.
"FUCK ME!" A tiny baby hand greeted his vision as he looked down.
"Fuck you is right! It's my fault alright, so just let me take over."
Theef marveled at the giant yellow mass of bouncy energy.
"It took me a minute of calming down to realize what happened," Theef said as he held out his hand.
One of the tendrils promptly spat out a chunk of something golden in his hand.
"Turns out this higher being shit is as real as it gets."
Theef held out what looked to be a golden coin with a man's face on it.
Upon closer inspection, the man on the coin was Barter's Ruler; the detail of the engraving was impeccable down to the last hair follicle.
On the backside of the coin was a single line in the center.
"Then this is something that he needs to survive now!"
"Exactly! It must be like a special organ or some kind of physical extension of his lifeforce."
Smack!
"THEN GIVE IT BACK DUMBASS!" Null smacked the coin out of Theef's clutches.
Who knows? The damn thief might just keep the thing.
"My bad."
As the coin flew through the yellow energy, it eventually nestled directly atop his forehead.
Ba-dump!
Another feeling struck Null's insides, but this time there was no pain.
He could feel the life returning to the ruler and not only was it reaching normality, but his vitality leapt further beyond what would have been expected.
Ba-dump!
With each growing heartbeat, the sound that resonated beyond the ruler's chest grew akin to the finest golden wind chimes.
Every breath he drew was a breeze going by.
As he opened his eyes, he could have sworn the world before him was dyed golden.
'Is this heaven? Have I truly reached the golden clouds so soon?'
The ruler peered left and right, but what he saw was all too familiar, yet it made him incredibly more grateful.
'Mother. Father. Edgar. Elise. You'll have to keep on watching from above as I move beyond the center of the universe.'
And in that moment, the golden coin shimmered with a golden light that drew all of the yellow energy inside of it.
The coin seeped within the ruler's forehead as a golden tattoo branded itself there before gradually fading away.
"What is this power that is all too familiar to me?"
Again, he spoke to no one in particular, but this time an answer met his ears.
"Your greed has been returned to you. Thanks for the upgrade."
"No."
The ruler turned to the voice that spoke to him.
"Thank you, kind soul, for finding something in this pauper's greed. A gift would be improper of me, but I must show that you have my utmost gratitude."
Thud!
Before Theef was Barter's Ruler.
Before Barter's Ruler was Theef.
Although one was standing and the other kneeling, the two men now acknowledged each other as equals.
Beneath the feet of the ruler, as if by magic the metallic floor was turned into solid gold.
With his jaw slacked, Theef could not believe the transformation of the man he saw before him.
His every feature made Theef's instincts flare up with adrenaline.
It was as if his body was telling him that the greatest treasure that he had ever seen lie in front of him, but all that sat there was the ruler.
The torn rags that he wore bore no semblance to their previous fancy look, but nevertheless Theef wanted to covet the cloth as his most prized possession.
'What the fuck is happening to me?'
The more he looked, the more he desired the precious ruler in front of him.
But something inside was also keeping him at bay.
Theef knew that what seemed to be your average, penniless pauper was actually a man worth his weight in gold.
"A Transcendent pauper, who the fuck came up with that one. Hehehe."
"Am I right Null?" Theef looked for his best bud to share the moment with, but he was nowhere to be found.
Ba-dump!
A pitch-black monster in the form of a child occupied Null's spot on the ship.
A wicked smile tinged its face as it craned its neck towards the kneeling pauper.
'Shit.'
Immediately his chimera mode was activated as Theef swallowed buckets of saliva down his gullet.
But he wasn't the only one feeling a bit peckish now, was he?