Lord

A notification appeared on Cassius's panel. [You have occupied a city with a population of ten thousand. You have obtained the special achievement: Lord.] Achievement: Lord "This shall be my territory, and I shall be the lord of the world! — Audic the Conqueror" Acquired Trait: Dictatorial Law Charisma +1 Rulership Proficiency +6 You conquer city after city by overwhelming might. Your dictatorial rule fills all with dread; no one regarded as a "subject" within your territory can easily defy your commands. In addition, your decrees will manifest as natural laws within this land. (Note: When any player belonging to your faction within your territory attempts to break the law, they must pass a grueling Will check; failure results in death. Based on the size of your territory and the number of your subjects, the number of laws you may currently enact is: 3.) An invisible force enveloped Cassius. His Charisma climbed even higher, reaching a staggering 26 points—virtually rivaling ancient dragons that had lived for nearly a millennium and forged profound ties with the world. A distinct power, akin to psionics, also materialized within Cassius's will, quietly awaiting his command. "Dictatorial Law... interesting..." "This will work wonders for keeping players in line." On the surface, players seemed chaotic and unruly, but in reality, they were bound by the ultimate order—the System. Everything they did, from combat to leveling up, strictly obeyed the System's rules. Now, armed with Dictatorial Law, Cassius could act like a system administrator, exerting far more precise, granular control over player behavior until they grew used to it and obediently toiled away as wage slaves for the Cinder Nest. "Let's test it out, then." With that in mind, Cassius channeled the invisible force bound to his will and enacted his first Dictatorial Law. Knowing players as he did, they were bound to violate it, and then he could see the new ability's effects firsthand. *Theft is prohibited here.* ... "Holy crap, this city is way bigger than the City of Baator." "Yeah." "I heard over ten thousand people live here." "The modeling is so realistic. Even the marks on the city walls look like they've seen centuries of history." Standing at the city gates and gazing up at Teluo City's towering walls that had stood for centuries, the players marveled in awe. "A city this big, imagine how much loot there is to pick up..." mused a player with the username "Heiye Shipian." The others turned around, eyed him warily, and quickly backed away to put some distance between them. Heiye Shipian was a Level 3 rogue of the thief subclass, a notorious pickpocket who, along with Langlibaitiao, was known as the "Twin Dogs of the Mine." Together, they had robbed countless newbie players of money and gear in the dark mines. His class traits, Fast Hands and Second-Story Work, let him slip away unscathed after every theft, leaving his victims fuming and helpless, reduced to venting impotent fury in forum callout posts. "Get lost, Hei-beast!" "Don't walk into town with us!" The players sneered in disgust; after all, his victims numbered in the hundreds. Heiye Shipian protested indignantly, "I was just making an observation! It's not like I actually did anything, and I didn't steal from you guys. Why so serious?" Only after those players walked off did he pull out the ring he had just pilfered, a sleazy, wicked smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Ring of Treasure Quality: Common Description: A very valuable ring. Can be sold to a jewelry shop for five gold coins. "Heh heh, nice find." Heiye Shipian deftly activated his Second-Story Work trait, leaping soundlessly onto the roof of a nearby building. Minutes later, the robbed player finally realized something was off. Feeling his bare finger, he let out a startled cry. "Wait... my ring's gone!" "Damn it, it was Hei-beast!" By the time he whipped around in fury, Heiye Shipian was nowhere to be seen. "Next time help me corner him!" "Scumbag! That bastard is a total animal!" "I worked for over ten straight days to earn that reward—!" While the players wallowed in grief and indignation over their losses, Heiye Shipian had already picked a complex lock and slipped into a magnificent mansion. "Heh heh, what good stuff could there be in a dump like the City of Baator? Not to mention those annoying peace officers." "This is the true paradise for rogue players like us!" Inside, the décor was exquisite, with an array of precious gold and silver jewelry displayed within mahogany cabinets. Heiye Shipian rubbed his hands together impatiently, eyes gleaming with excitement. "This necklace is worth fifteen gold coins, this bracelet is eleven gold coins, this pendant is twenty-one gold, these earrings are six gold..." "Heh heh..." "Babies, here I come—" Suddenly, Heiye Shipian's body froze. Notifications flashed across his panel in rapid succession. [You have violated Dictatorial Law #1: Theft is prohibited here.] [You must make a Will check.] [DC: 20. Your result: 2.] [Will check failed.] [You have gained the status: Dead.] Heiye Shipian barely managed to choke out two words: "Holy crap..." Immediately afterward, his brain was crushed by a powerful, invisible force. *Bang!* His entire head burst open like a smashed watermelon, splattering red and white across the floor. The next day, rumors spread that several mysterious headless corpses had been discovered in Viscount Burton's manor, strewn across different locations with nearby door locks picked open. Gossip claimed these men were Count Dawson's trusted confidants sent to assassinate Viscount Burton for surrendering to the Cinder Nest, only to fall right into a trap the prepared viscount had laid for them. Meanwhile, several posts popped up on the player forum. "Solemn protest against the developers targeting rogue players!" "Is this game bugged?" "What kind of bullcrap law is this—" "Theft is an intrinsic part of the world! Banning theft hurts the game's normal progression!" However, most of the comments under those posts were sheer mockery—especially under Heiye Shipian's thread, which had turned into a full-blown festival of schadenfreude for his victims. "Good and evil both find their due; what goes around comes around." "Look up if you don't believe it—has the dev team ever spared a soul?" "Hei-beast: 'I steal your money.' Devs: 'I steal your head.'" "Full support! I suggest the devs expand this law to the City of Baator." "Looks like it got updated over there too. Now the peace officers don't even have to catch thief players anymore; they only have to arrest native pickpockets." "Serves you right! Best news all day!" "Dog devs, damn good job this time!" "Why hasn't it triggered when I steal in Northwind Keep? Did the update not drop there yet?" "Lang-beast, why aren't you dead yet—" Browsing through the players' posts, Cassius nodded slightly. This demonstration of making an example out of someone had clearly succeeded. These folks were already treating his laws as the System's own rules. Now that the precedent was set, he could gradually make them accept far stricter regulations down the road. He just needed to take it step by step. If he harvested his chives too aggressively and drove the players away from the Cinder Nest, it would defeat the purpose.