The Death List Novel - Chapter 81

Chapter 81 Urban Management
The administrators of the apostolic cities were intelligent races of the shattered starry sky, and their authority was based on the metropolitan code, with overt judicial and administrative powers.

The Metropolitan Code was originally formulated by a top apostolic team, and after many revisions and major changes over a long period of time, it has been able to cover all aspects of the city in a relatively complete manner. Each apostolic city had a different code, and the Corner of the Abyss had its own features.

Based on this Metropolitan Code, the intelligent races that govern the city form security forces and administrative bodies responsible for coordinating and administering the apostolic cities. Because of the particularities of the apostles, imprisonment and trial are futile. In response to illegal incidents, the Corner of Demons mainly used fines, forfeiture of employment points, dismissal of urban residents, and other law enforcement methods.

Of course, since the magistrates were not strong enough to supervise and control the higher apostles, they would be taken over by other higher apostles.

In the apostle city, Qin Lun’s conjecture was that the strong dominated the weak and the strong ate the weak. Of course, those who could become official apostles would not be too mentally weak. As long as they weren’t enemies of life and death, they wouldn’t go too far. Moreover, even if they were strong and bullied weak, everyone would still appear to be very low-key.

Interestingly, what Beelzebub said about keeping a low profile was not that the higher apostles were targeting the law enforcers, but the weaker ones that they bullied.

The strength of the apostles changed very quickly. The weak now could only complete a few foreign missions and become strong. In the apostles, there was no eternal supreme expert. Sometimes, if an alien mission failed, the higher apostles would be heavily injured, and they would once again turn from the strong to the weak. Even the ancient Fiendgod apostles had disappeared over a long period of time. No one knew what had happened to them.

Most of the apostles in the apostles’ cities used masks and cloaks to conceal their identities. Before confirming the strength of their opponents, few of them were mentally retarded enough to deliberately provoke others.

For the apostles of the Horn of the Abyss, there was no such thing as probing. Once they started to provoke, they had to decide between the victor and the loser. Soon, the weak egg that retreated without experiencing a battle would be swallowed by other people until every bit of the broken crystal on his body was squeezed dry.

“From what you’ve said, even if you can conceal your identity, it doesn’t seem to be beneficial for a low-level apostle to be in the Corner of the Devil. Even if you just want to exchange experiences with other apostles, it’s easy to detect your true strength and put yourself in danger!” Qin Lun frowned slightly and looked at the old devil strangely.

Berylseth shook his head and smiled, “Hehe, in fact, low-level apostles can only grow fastest in the apostle cities. Cheap equipment eliminated by high-level apostles, detailed information on foreign missions, colorful urban hiring missions, and various battles between arenas and cultivation grounds …”

“No single-race floating city can provide so much content and choice for low-level apostles! As for safety, low-level apostles receive a degree of protection in every apostle city.

The same was true of the Horn of the Abyss. A certain urban hire mission of the high apostles’ guild was to hunt down and persecute the low apostles. Once found, the punishment is severe and may even result in the immediate dismissal of the residents of the apostolic metropolis. ”

Qin Lun’s eyes lit up and he asked doubtfully, “The resident status you mentioned, and the city points …”

“The apostles of the Corner of the Devil are divided into three categories. One is resident, who make up about half of the population of the city, and the other is semi-resident. Although these apostles have residences in the apostle city, they often return to the original floating city. Both types of residents have official status as the Corner of the Devil!”

Beelzebub continued, “The last type is the wandering apostles. These apostles are not recommended by the management race and are only temporarily stationed in the Horn of the Abyss. Most of them will leave after completing the transaction or for a period of time. Of course, they can also obtain official residency rights by completing urban employment missions and accumulating urban points!”

“As for urban points, it involves urban hiring missions. There are many types of hiring missions, some of which are issued by the apostles themselves. The contents are usually information, special items, imparting specific knowledge, martial skill training, etc. Points for these missions are paid by the apostles themselves, and the management organization is responsible for hosting them!

“There are also some mercenary missions issued by the management of the Horn of the Abyss. The contents of the missions are more complicated. There are other war mercenaries, caravan guards, assassinations … anything is possible.”

“What can urban points be used for?” Qin Lun asked curiously.

“Metropolitan Points are a hard currency in the Corner of the Devil. Even high-level apostle teams and management councils do not have the authority to increase or decrease Metropolitan Points. Metropolitan Points are generated by the operation of the apostle metropolis. Each point of Metropolitan Points corresponds to the apostle’s broken crystals or equipment items.” Berylseth said solemnly.

It turned out that the apostles would have to pay a certain amount of money to the Horn of the Abyss to spend, live, eat, repair equipment, replenish potions, and so on in the Horn of the Abyss. Moreover, the apostolic cities did not accept the currency of the shattered starry sky, only the apostle’s specialized currency. For example: Shattered Crystals, Soul Strength Crystals, Equipment Items …

Metropolitan Points may not be used in the outside world, but they are an indispensable currency in the apostolic metropolis. It can be used to issue missions and purchase special services that only certain apostolic cities can provide. For example, invite urban-trained alchemists to synthesize equipment, use skill training grounds, hire life attendants, and so on.

The number and quality of apostles in an apostolic city represented the hard power of the city, while the accumulated metropolitan points represented the soft power of the city. Neither the high apostle guild nor the management council had the power to use these points, which they usually accumulated more than they consumed.

Metropolitan Points are consumed only when the apostle metropolis issues large-scale hire missions.

This usually happens if the apostolic city is challenged by other apostolic cities, or if its governing race is invaded by an outsider, the apostolic city is required to fulfil its duty of protection.

“Aside from the intelligent race’s attendants, the number of Apostles in the Corner of the Devil is generally around 20,000. The City Hall has now stored 1 million City Points last month. During the administration of the Devil race, the number of City Points has increased by more than 100,000.” Berylseth said proudly, “The reason the elves ended up like this was because they lost 50,000 urban points during their administration.”

In a city of twenty thousand people, the main currency was actually only one million. In other words, an average person only had fifty urban points. Qin Lun raised his eyebrows. The old devil’s words revealed two pieces of information to Qin Lun.

A million dollars was not enough to satisfy the consumption of the whole city, which showed the value of the city points, but also one-sided that there were many private transactions between the official apostles, not through the city government. After all, they had the common currency of shattered crystals and exchange vouchers among themselves.

As for the elves … Qin Lun glanced at Berylseth indifferently. The old man’s words concealed a lot of things. The elves no longer had a business mind and would not be in such a deficit.

In fact, his guess was correct. In the years when the elves were in charge, there happened to be a war between the elves. It belonged to the Moonlight Elves and the Dark Elves. Although the apostle city fulfilled its war obligations, the consumption of urban points was inevitable.

Moreover, this war was for the elves themselves, and the change in the management of the main body had become inevitable, giving them the feeling that life was inevitable.

The elves were also mentally prepared to lose control of the main body. However, they did not expect that the Abyss Devils would join forces with the other three major management races and intend to exclude them from the management council.

The apostle city had made great achievements under the management of the demons. After deducting mission expenses, it had gained an entire 100,000 city points in just a few years. Even without that war, the demons were still better than the elves.

Under such a premise, coupled with the fact that there were no other intelligent races in the Governing Council that followed the rules, the Fairy Race had fallen into a desperate situation. In fact, the elves had tried their best to bring the apostles from the floating cities into the apostle cities in recent years to win the hearts of the people in the cities, but they were powerless in the face of the union of the four ruling races.

The Moon Night Fairies knew that they must not lose control of the apostolic city, otherwise their racial influence would immediately be reduced to a whole new level.

What does it mean to have the authority to govern an apostolic city? This meant that behind the Moonlight Fairy stood twenty thousand official apostles and hundreds of high-level apostle teams. Before the Horn of the Abyss was destroyed, no race could defeat the Moonlight Fairies in a war.

Losing the protection of the apostle city was equivalent to losing the nuclear umbrella in ancient China. This was the Achilles heel of the Moon Night Fairy, an unbearable weight.

“By the way, what do you mean by saying that the new apostles have a foothold in the Horn of the Devil, as long as they follow one principle?” Qin Lun came back to his senses and looked at the old devil calmly.

“Haha, you already know that as long as your identity is well concealed, you won’t be deliberately provoked under normal circumstances.” Beelzebub said with a smile, “But if you have already intervened in the dispute, you must be careful not to reveal your apostle number!”

Qin Lun lowered his head and pondered. Whether it was bullying or being bullied, there would obviously be countless grudges in the Evil Devil’s Horn. The apostles had many abilities, including similar skills, combat skills, and their body shape and appearance could be changed at any time. Even if he participated in the robbery, as long as he kept a low profile, nothing would happen.

If the unique apostle number was leaked, the city punishment would be nothing more than broken crystals, but if the other apostles hated it, it would not be a small matter.

This reminder from the old Abyss Devil was probably the most important point of all the intelligence.