Chapter 360: Capitalistic Fanaticism (4)

“Does this make sense? Pours in this much capital without leaving a trace? Is it China? Or is it an oil money alliance of the Middle East?”

“It is a scale impossible even if all their national wealth is combined. Above all, dollar liquidity exploded like this, but there is no trace of money draining from the national treasury of any country. It is as if…… perfect real dollars are falling infinitely from the empty air.”

Curses burst out from the mouths of the economics scholars and board members gathered in the conference room.

What kind of ghost eating seeds nonsense was this?

Systematically generating this massive scale of funds was an impossible task even for any superpower country.

A suffocating silence.

The FED Chairman's glasses dropped onto the table with a ttuk.

“If that is true…… doesn't that mean this guy Kim Minwoo is chewing up the monetary hegemony of our United States of America all by himself!”

It was the moment the USA, the final boss of capitalism and the ruler of the dollar, was perfectly robbed of its economic sovereignty and screamed before the money-flexing of Kim Minwoo, who was armed with other-worldly capital and system exchange.

＊ ＊ ＊

At that time.

System windows poured down like a waterfall without rest before the eyes of Kim Minwoo, who was resting in the VIP room of the Pentagon after resolving the ark incident.

[Explosive faith is collected!]

[Your divinity rises very greatly!]

Watching the system windows constantly popping up before his eyes, Kim Minwoo let out a smirk.

“The guys in the USA, they're properly pickled.”

It was the moment the massive continent called the USA perfectly fell into Kim Minwoo's grasp, starting with an internet testimony of one fanatic.

Even at this moment, dozens of Dragon Tooth Soldier manufacturers were running their ovens day and night, churning out dragon-made weapons and armors like factory managers.

Kim Minwoo sold those armaments to the Heavenly City and the Eastern Witch Coven, literally without leaving even a pair of panties behind.

The amount remaining on credit from last time?

‘Pay all those back later.’

He received the Witch Currency first.

It was possible because his external credit had increased while killing Lupus.

Originally, if one had ability, one could take on large debts.

The massive other-worldly currency earned like that, Witch Currency.

He completely substituted it all into Earth's money through the achievement shop's exchange system.

Into United States dollars.

‘In the past, I had to walk on eggshells around the USA, and I scattered it gently to prevent any talk behind my back, but…….’

It was different now.

The time remaining until the descent of the Outer Gods was a mere 5 years.

On top of that, it was a situation where the Shadow bastards even openly started to maneuver, talking about an ark or whatever.

Exchange rate collapse? Dollar devaluation?

It was none of Kim Minwoo's business.

If he couldn't stop the Outer Gods 5 years later, the entire Earth would perish, so what in the world did it matter if the petty dollar value was smashed?

“I don't have time either, there's no need to act petty.”

Ttalkkak.

Every time Kim Minwoo's finger moved, astronomical dollars in the units of hundreds of trillions ruthlessly poured into the US market through the exchange system.

And the aftermath was devastating.

[Breaking News] US Consumer Price Index (CPI) skyrockets 18% compared to last month! Worst inflation since the 1980s!

[Breaking News] Mart grocery prices break records every day! “It's scary to buy even a carton of milk” Sighs of ordinary people.

[Breaking News] Wall Street Panic! Dollar value declines day after day, Federal Reserve (FED) convenes emergency meeting!

The US economy began to scream at the suddenly released liquidity of astronomical dollars.

A hamburger combo that was 5 dollars yesterday began to jump to 15 dollars and 20 dollars in just a few days, and the gas prices at gas stations and the price tags of daily necessities at marts were replaced differently every day.

The ones to be hit first and most miserably were, naturally, the poor and lower-tier Awakened who lived hand to mouth.

Their salaries and hunting profits remained the same, but only the prices skyrocketed crazily, so the people who became sudden beggars overnight struggled with starvation and hardship.

A painful reality where even if they earned money, it was overwhelming to pay rent and buy a loaf of bread.

However, paradoxically, there was exactly one group perfectly smiling in this hell.

It was exactly the Death Cult.

The more the dollar's credit shook and the value of cash was chipped away, the more the status of the Death Cult, which tightly gripped physical goods, was truly elevated to the absolute domain of a god.

A world where one became afraid to buy a pound of meat with the dollars in their wallet right away.

However, if they turned on the Death Cult app and offered a prayer sincerely praising Kim Minwoo?

[F-rank Benefit: Immediate provision of one month's worth of highest-rank grocery and daily necessity vouchers!]

[C-rank Benefit: Granted qualification to move into rental housing in the Cult's affiliated safe zones!]

Instead of the depreciating dollars, the Cult poured out meat and bread to enter their mouths right away, houses safe from monsters, and equipment and potions for Awakened for free.

The result was as obvious as seeing fire.

The more the poor suffered from economic hardship and starved, the more desperately and blindly they became absorbed in the religion.

“Oh great savior! Praise Lord Kim Minwoo!”

“When the damn capitalistic system tries to starve us to death, he is the only true god who gives us our daily bread!”

The Cult took in and fed the citizens neglected by the state.

In front of Ilsung Stores and Death Cult chapels all over the USA, tens of millions of crowds who flocked to obtain bread and salvation knelt, shed tears, and offered prayers.

‘Money is rotting and overflowing. If I can buy the entirety of the superpower country as the garden of my faith with that, I will scatter it as much as you want.’

The more the US economy shook, Kim Minwoo's divinity skyrocketed explosively without knowing an end.

＊ ＊ ＊

At that time, the Oval Office of the White House, USA.

“God damn it…….”

President Robert rubbed his bloodshot eyes with a feeling of his blood drying up.

The reserve currency dollar, which had been the pride of the USA, was completely smashed to pieces in less than a month.

The FED Chairman had already foamed at the mouth and collapsed three times.

Even the FED's system could not track where in the world these astronomical real dollars were popping out from. No, there was no need to track them.

Because the final destination this massive capital flowed into was only one place, the Death Cult.

Robert picked up the phone with trembling hands.

The connection tone did not ring many times before a familiar and relaxed voice was heard.

―Yes, this is Kim Minwoo.

“M-Mr. Kim…….”

Robert gulped down dry saliva and asked in the most cautious and subservient voice possible.

“Well, recently the economy of our United States of America is…… experiencing a bizarre level of inflation. Massive dollars of completely unknown origin are pouring out into the market…….”

Robert took a deep breath and pierced the core.

“By any chance…… Mr. Kim, are you printing dollars in the empty air and scattering them?”

Cold sweat dripped from the forehead of Robert, who threw the question.

However, Kim Minwoo's answer heard over the receiver perfectly cut off Robert's breath.

―Excuse me, Mr. President.

A voice running to the extreme of shamelessness, being arrogant beyond just relaxed.

―Do you have proof?

“…….”

Proof?

There was no way such a thing would remain on dollars exchanged from Witch Currency in the empty air.

“But aren't those astronomical dollars released into the market all becoming the goods of the Death Cult and flowing in!”

Robert shouted while raising his veins, but the voice over the receiver was as carefree as could be.

―And so?

“…….”

―Do you have anything else to say?

A shameless, do-your-worst attitude as if telling him to present proof.

Robert's breath caught in his throat.

“……Just what are you planning to do. At this rate, the economy of the United States of America will be smashed.”

―That is a pity. Well, still…… wouldn't it be better than the United States disappearing.

He wanted to overturn the desk and pour out curses right away. He wanted to mobilize the constitution and military of the United States of America to punish that arrogant Necromancer and close down all Cult facilities.

However, Robert could not do anything.

‘What if Kim Minwoo really leaves here?’

The hellscape that would unfold the moment Kim Minwoo packed his bags tomorrow morning and declared he would withdraw the Death Cult from the USA was vividly drawn before his eyes.

If the food and daily necessity benefits the Cult had been distributing to the American poor, who found it difficult to buy a slice of bread due to sudden hyperinflation, were cut off overnight?

That terrible anger and resentment would be directed intact at Robert himself and the US administration.

It was obvious that the White House would be occupied by tens of millions of rioting American citizens and turn into a sea of fire.

However, the true terror more terrible than that lay elsewhere.

‘The Shadow bastards…….’

The massive ark and swarm of spider demonic beasts that appeared tearing through the sky over Manhattan, New York a while ago.

That terrible disaster where the state-of-the-art fighter jets and tank battalions the USA boasted of, and tens of thousands of SS-rank and S-rank Awakened were butchered like toys without being able to leave a single scratch.

If the ark appeared once again in the sky over Washington D.C. or Chicago and the Shadow's attack began, what if a displeased Kim Minwoo didn't answer the phone or refused support?

‘……On that day, the United States of America is truly finished.’

Cold sweat flowed down Robert's spine like a waterfall.

As a politician and the head of a nation, a thorough and cold-hearted calculator ran fiercely.

The economy collapsing due to the dollar value being smashed versus the country truly perishing and tens of millions of citizens becoming lumps of monster meat.

Which of the two was better?

‘……Wouldn't it be a hundred times better for the dollar value to be slightly lowered instead?’

Whether money became a piece of toilet paper or a Zimbabwean dollar, shouldn't they stay alive and have a country exist to earn it back again.

In the end, Kim Minwoo's crazy money-flexing and inflation were nothing more than a very cheap protection fee that had to be paid for the USA not to be physically erased.

This was the cold reality.

At the end of the suffocating silence…….

Robert swept down his face with trembling hands and squeezed out a subserviently soft voice.

“……I-I see. I failed to fathom Mr. Kim's great will for a moment.”

―It is a relief that you understand. Well. All of this is entirely for the Earth, so please bear with it.

“……Yes?”

The phone was unilaterally disconnected.

Looking at the put-down receiver, Robert looked up at the empty Oval Office ceiling in dejection.

It was a cold night where he keenly felt that the era of Pax Americana had forever met its end, and the United States of America had perfectly submitted before the Death Cult armed with thorough physical goods and overwhelming military power.