The Otto Triangle

"So, you can't even keep an eye on your own son?"

"He made some friends behind my back, which was unexpected."

In the imperial palace of the capital, in the study of the supreme human being, the emperor's face was calm, his gaze following Kang De's movements until the Cathayan stopped in front of the bookshelf by the wall.

Kang De took a book from the bookshelf and casually flipped through it.

The emperor's gaze fell upon the book, and he recognized the title from the cover.

"The Art of Spirit Summoning - The Mysteries of the Positive Elements of Enlightenment" is the original manuscript, the first book written in the book. Only such manuscripts are qualified to be placed in the study of the human sovereign. Every page is imbued with the wisdom and Magic Power of the Hierophant.

He said calmly, "Can you understand it?"

"Now I can understand... The Arcane insights of the Magic Emperor Qisifudinuo, who pioneered the Theory of Positive and Negative Elements, and meticulously recorded his exploration and understanding of the essence of the world, as well as the construction methods of many energy storage Magic Power circuits. This is undoubtedly the wisdom of a giant from 726 years ago."

Kang De held the book without needing to turn the pages, for this magical book, imbued with spirit, sensed the gaze of a great spellcaster, sensing his thoughts and intentions, and turned its pages on its own.

The emperor said, "If you like it, take it."

"No need. The Tower of All-Seeing already has a copy of this book, which is an elective textbook for Level 10 of Elemental Model Construction. Every Archmage studies it. Although this book records the wisdom of giants from 726 years ago, the Mortal World today stands on the shoulders of giants."

Kang De turned the pages of the book and calmly said, "Many of the doctrines, insights, and ideas contained within have been corrected, developed, and rejected by spellcasters over the past few centuries."

"The greatest value of this book lies in the fact that it is a memoir written by the Magic Emperor, who poured his life's wisdom and achievements into it. It is imbued with the essence of his arcane path and power, and can serve as spiritual nourishment for future generations. This peerless powerhouse from over seven hundred years ago is still one of the beings who has gone the furthest on the path of arcane magic."

He closed the book, put it back on the shelf, and turned to look at the emperor.

His eyes shone brightly.

"And I have seen his path."

The surrounding air distorted, light flashed, and elemental marks were imprinted on the void before dissipating.

A sinister ripple stirred within the emperor's heart.

That was an instinctive reaction.

It is the subconscious response of a powerful Predator when its territory is invaded by a threatening creature.

He felt a surge of irritation.

The chaotic battle between Distant Harbor and the Council came to Veil, and the results of the final battle were delivered to him as quickly as possible. He thought of Griffin's execution, the shocking report from the Royal Mage Guards, and the situation where the Royal Spellcasters' Association almost turned out in full force after Kang De was teleported to the Imperial Court in the capital.

His chief court priest said they sensed the arrival of a supreme being.

The emperor said coldly, "Is this a demonstration?"

Kang De then took out another book, flipped through two pages, and put it back.

"This is to demonstrate my value to potential collaborators and give them more confidence."

"Value?" The Emperor glanced at the secret letter of surrender from the Northern Council on the table. "Does it mean that you not only publicly executed Griffin, but also used terrible secret techniques to plunder his power and even his memories? In the eyes of the extraordinary beings, your actions are probably more Destroyer of the Star Palace."

Isn't this a good thing?

Kang De pulled out another book, this time a magnum opus manual. His eyes lit up, and as he flipped through it, he said, "If they genuinely believe that even being killed in the battle against the Star Palace is better than becoming my enemy and facing my wrath, then my career will be much easier."

The emperor's eyes flickered slightly. "Is the Star Palace really that powerful?"

"For every era that has been destroyed, there has been a corresponding Fire Thief, and they all lost... At the pinnacle and most prosperous moment of the Mortal World, when the Fire Thief gathered the glory of an entire era."

Kang De looked down at the book, comparing its contents with Griffin's memories.

"You don't actually think that I, who have only been in this world for less than three years and haven't even begun to unify the Mortal World, am the strongest Fire Thief of all time, do you?"

The empire's supreme ruler fell silent, unconsciously tapping the table.

After thinking for a moment, he looked up and asked, "What are your plans?"

What do you mean?

The emperor glared at him and replied, "What if we lose?"

Kang De shrugged. "We're all doomed."

Otto II, the supreme ruler of mankind, immediately let out a loud sneer.

"Your wife gave birth?"

What are you saying?

"Then what are you laughing at?"

"I'm laughing. The most cowardly and pessimistic person in the world, and a stranger at that, is already prepared to fight to the death for this world?" the emperor sneered. "You might as well tell me that you, this womanizing and insatiable lad, are still a virgin."

"Pfft." Kang De chuckled, then composed himself and said earnestly to the emperor, "As you say, I am indeed a virgin, and I worry about it all the time. What do you suggest I do?"

"Damn it!" the Imperial Supreme Emperor glared and said, "Go to hell, don't change the subject."

They had absolutely no suspicion of him.

After all, Kang De's response was too perfect, using offense as defense, without revealing the slightest flaw.

The emperor said bluntly, "I have said that I believe in your morality and promises, and that you will fight for the Mortal World, but I do not believe that you will die for the Mortal World when defeat is inevitable... This is not your style. You are not one to sit idly by and wait for death, especially considering your origins..."

Faced with his gaze, Kang De turned his head to the side, put his hands behind his back, and said, "I don't know anything, meow."

"Having defeated Griffin, your martial prowess has shaken the continent. From the moment Griffin died, you were no longer a ruler who ascended to the Mortal World solely through the power of Forbidden Spell, but rather one of the kings who reign supreme over the Mortal World with power, prestige, and military might, equal to me, on par with dragons, and on par with elves."

"You must command the awe of those who submit to you and those you conquer; you must possess the majesty and magnanimity to command the Mortal World; remember that your every word and deed represents the will and power of countless people..."

The Supreme Being said calmly, "So, stop saying such disgusting things."

"This is an optimistic attitude towards challenges, what's the fun in keeping a straight face all day?" Kang De exclaimed. "You, a political creature obsessed with power, would never understand this vibrant and lively state of mind!"

The emperor said casually, "Then you're wrong. I've always believed that only through experience can one be qualified to judge. If a poor man tells other poor men that money doesn't necessarily bring happiness, or that nobles also lead stressful lives, then he must be a bad seed. And if the other poor men believe him, then they are fools."

"These scoundrels and fools deserve to be exploited and humiliated by the nobles. They can't even understand something so crucial to their own fate, and they only deserve to spend their lives humiliated, bullied, and used in the mud."

Kang De thought for a moment before he understood, "You mean, you were just as wild when you were young?"

The emperor nodded reservedly. "I... I was young once too, and of course I was lively. Having experienced it all, I can certainly say that those superficial pleasures and liveliness are meaningless. A ruler should be dignified and composed, inspiring fear and awe in his subjects; this is the most stable order."

Kang De clicked his tongue and said, "You have no fun at all now? How pathetic."

"There are still some." The Emperor spoke to Kang De about this with surprising patience, as if he were happy to impart some life experience to Kang De. "Let me ask you, for a person living in the world, as long as he is not hiding in the deep mountains and forests, but is connected with society, what is the most important, most beneficial, and most cost-effective resource for him?"

Without waiting for Kang De's reply, he said on his own, "It is power."

As he said this, the emperor picked up a pen, drew a triangle on a piece of white paper, wrote something on it, and then showed it to Kang De.

By the way.

Perhaps it was because Kang De's spiritual strength had advanced by leaps and bounds in the past two years, far surpassing his former abilities, or perhaps it was because Griffin's spirit was far more resilient than that of a knight; in any case, this Extraction was far more successful than the one at Glittering Sand. Kang De fully inherited Griffin's knowledge and power, and it was only natural...

As a child prodigy (with cheat codes), he jumped directly from the level of a high school student to the level of Nobel Prize winner!

He can read now!

And he can write in cursive script now!

However, as a diligent, studious, down-to-earth, and steady student, he attaches great importance to the basics and will not neglect the consolidation of the most basic knowledge because of this huge leap in grades.

Therefore, Ms. Tina's tutoring must not stop!

The thought flashed through Kang De recognized the emperor's handwriting.

Each of the three corners of the triangle was written with a word.

The word above is "power".

The bottom left corner represents "money".

The bottom right one is "Power".

"I call it the Otto Triangle, a theory that my father and I perfected together."

The emperor smiled slightly, and when he spoke of his father, a look of reminiscence flashed in his eyes—time is the best healer of all forgetfulness, and at least now, he could only remember his father with fondness and reminisce about the warmth, laughter, and affection they once shared. He had truly forgotten the way they used to be, so wary and disgusted with each other.

He said gently, "... Now I'll tell you."

"You're trying to take advantage of me," Kang De glared. "Besides, I can see that these three things you consider important can be transformed into one another, but power should be at the top, right?"

No, power resides at the very top.

The emperor shook his head and said, "As Forbidden Spell spellcaster, you use the Sword of Deterrence to bully the Mortal World, so of course you can think that power is above all else and can be exchanged for money and authority. But I must tell you, if you want to unite the power of the Mortal World to fight against the Star Palace, you must correctly realize the importance and supremacy of power."

He pointed to his head. "You need to change your mindset and truly look at problems from the perspective of a ruler... because you need to realize one thing."

"That is, although the dragon race is still the most powerful force in the Mortal World and is treated with respect by us, the entire Mortal World knows that the age of dragons has ended. The dragons' power has not diminished in the slightest, but they have lost their authority and the power of their dominance, and this is the root cause of the rise of elves and humans."

He pointed to the supreme power of the Otto Triangle.

"Power can be exchanged for money; this is its most basic and stable use."

"Money can refer to all material resources, from the desires of an individual to the interests of a group or even a class; all can be represented by money... and power can determine it."

"Political infighting, court struggles, clashes between two interest groups, wars between two nations... the root of all of this is not belief or faith, but ultimately, money. Because they represent different interests, two people will fight, there will be political clashes, and there will be wars between nations. And the underlying force is the shifting and intertwining of power, which dominates everything."

The emperor paused here, glancing at Kang De, who seemed lost in thought.

"If you want to unify the powers of the Mortal World, you must realize this."

"Using this theory to analyze it specifically, what you did in the Northern Council can only be done once more—using force to confiscate money from the northern counties will inevitably provoke a backlash from those in power, thus creating unpredictable chain reactions. You threatened the Southern Council with your overwhelming victory, suppressing it with both force and authority, which is why money yielded. This is the reason for your success."

"But other forces are watching closely; if this method is used too often, it will cause trouble."

So—what are your thoughts and insights?

Kang De seemed to be deep in thought, his expression subtly shifting.

The Imperial Sovereign laughed with delight, "Excellent, excellent, far superior to them."

"Since I've given this example, there's no need to delve into how power should leverage money to drive force, or the balance of power in the power struggle. Of these three, only two are needed to maintain the stable and enduring balance of the Otto Triangle. It's quite interesting, don't you think?"

Kang De casually pulled over a chair, plopped down, and thought for a long while.

He then slowly exhaled.

He cupped his hands and said, "I have learned a great deal."

"So polite?" the emperor asked in surprise. "It seems you've gained something else."

"Yes," Kang De nodded. "To be honest, I've been pondering what role the extraordinary class will play in the nation I'm building, and how to restrain and protect them."

"Do you have an answer yet?"

"No, it's far from it," Kang De smiled slightly, "But it seems he already has some ideas."

Having ideas is a good thing. You just need to shift your mindset, control and use power, and you'll find that compared to the pleasure that power brings, all the worldly pleasures are insignificant.

The emperor gazed at Kang De and said softly, "With power in your hands, you can overturn all the rules of the world; with power in your hands, you can see the pursuit and fanaticism of all living beings."

"You can see all the ugly things they'll do for power. You can use your power to get anything you want. You're not a god, unable to create things out of thin air, but driven by power, you can still make the tribes you rule offer sacrifices to you. This is actually no different from the power of a god to create things. What's even more interesting is that, like money, power, once accumulated to a certain level, will..."

The empire's ruler revealed a sinister smile, "--The more you use it, the more you get."

Kang De gave a look of disgust. "Oh, you look terrible now."

"Don't make judgments if you haven't experienced it."

"But I still think that abandoning all the good things in the world, hiding in a room to manipulate power and make the world dance... what a weirdo, buddy."

"Beautiful... What do you think I gave up?"

Instead of discussing dull topics like family and romantic love, Kang De gave a knowing look, clapped his hands, and said mysteriously, "Seriously, you..."

"I don't have any particular thoughts on this anymore."

Kang De winked and said, "Oh, that's truly a pity."

"You haven't reached that level yet, so you don't understand."

"You see, I really don't understand anything."

The emperor chuckled faintly, "Around the age of thirty-seven, I found myself losing interest in this area. Perhaps the physical pleasure could still remain, but the mental aversion had already set in."

"Oh, old friend..." Kang De's hand reached into the White Mist World, preparing to bring the beautiful fantasies of Earth's painters to the impoverished emperor of this otherworldly realm. "You might need..."

"After all, sensory enjoyment has reached its peak, providing abundant satisfaction, and it's difficult to surpass that."

--Don't be so sure, Your Majesty.

Kang De found his collection.

"You probably haven't experienced this, Kang De," the Emperor said calmly, "The experience of the stunning quadruplets, with their telepathic connection, using a spiritual union spell to link their senses and serve you together."

"..."

"Power can do many things. The world can turn around the slightest thought you have. An entire department under the court secretariat, at its peak with thousands of employees, was dedicated to serving your every need. This tradition has continued for centuries, and even if you have absolutely no interest in that area, the department will still exist, just in case."

"..."

"Every year they buy, adopt, and raise baby girls, nurturing, teaching, and training them from a young age to grow into the most outstanding women, ensuring they can always provide you with the ultimate enjoyment."

"..."

"They will constantly travel to brothels around the world to acquire experience and skills, continuously innovating, to the point that if they are allowed to go out and do that kind of business, they will monopolize the entire Mortal World within five years."

"..."

"A druid with serpent spirit bloodline possesses only a few serpentine characteristics, but their flexible and supple waist and tongue remain unforgettable to this day. What is it like to be a spellcaster wielding both ice and fire powers?"

"..."

"Their voices are as melodious as larks, their dances are beautiful and stunning, pure, lively, cunning, and elegant. With just a word, they will kneel docilely before you. Of course, if you don't like them to be too submissive, they are also natural actors and can portray any personality you desire."

The emperor paused here, looking at Kang De expression had stiffened.

"This is the most insignificant use of power."

"It's something that money and power can never buy."

"So..."

He leaned forward and whispered, "Kang De, come and be my son-in-law and heir—treat me as you would your own father, and I will treat you as a human father."

"..."

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh this class enemy! Feudal emperor!

Oh shit!

This is so... so...

Kang De leaped to his feet, pointed his spear at the emperor, and shouted sternly, "You said it yourself!"

Otto II exclaimed in astonishment, "What?"

Didn't you tell me to treat you like I would my father?

Kang De, the twenty-fifth most exemplary figure of filial piety in the new era, shouted, "Meow!"

"... What are you saying?"

"Meow to me!" Kang De shouted, "You almost got me into this mess—didn't you just say you wanted to know my trump card? Meow once, and I'll tell you!"

The emperor looked at him coldly, as if he were looking at a foolish son.

"It doesn't matter if you don't tell me," he said calmly. "It seems you'll tell me sooner or later."

"Alright, you're impressive." Kang De nodded. "It's fine to say it now, anyway... hmph."

He sat down with an air of authority and tapped the table. "Come, let me ask you, what do you think is the most important resource for doing things in the Mortal World, such as fighting against the Star Palace or accumulating power?"

The emperor answered without hesitation, "Money."

"Yes, money is the most important thing." Kang De then asked, "Who is the richest?"

The emperor replied, "The nobility, the aristocratic class—they have amassed and stored vast amounts of wealth, which has become entrenched and solidified within this class."

"Yes... Fighting the Star Palace requires money for training troops, money for manufacturing weapons, money for expanding production, money for motivating people—in short, everything requires money."

Kang De rubbed his hands together. "I'm about to drain the Northern Council's funds. The Southern Council's backlash and wariness are too strong, making it difficult to act. The dragons are a bit too difficult, Goth's are still being fished out, and the elves are a bit hesitant to act because of Dairila, so..."

He looked at the emperor. "The empire, the nobles of the empire are the richest, and they can set an example."

Otto II was not angry at all; on the contrary, he was quite interested.

He said, "I must remind you that, according to the Otto Triangle Theory, power driving force can most efficiently reap money, far faster and in much greater quantities than power or force alone can do so."

"But those who control the money and will be exploited are not the fat sheep, the merchants."

"Rather than saying, businessmen who control money, in order to avoid being exploited by a coalition, choose to merge with power or authority—the former being various extraordinary organizations and groups, and the latter being bureaucrats."

"And the nobility, the nobility is the embodiment of power, strength, and money."

"This is the foundation and the reason for the aristocracy's rule over the Mortal World."

The most powerful noble in the empire, and indeed in the Mortal World, stared intently at Kang De: "With you joining us, our power will surpass that of the nobles. My power already exceeds that of the other nobles, so a joint harvest is feasible. But as I said, it will cause turmoil and suspicion, and the consequences will outweigh the gains."

He said slowly, "This empire was meant to be yours. Do you want to destroy it like this?"

Kang De gave a strange smile.

"You know nothing about true power and strength."

The emperor raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh?"

"Having seized absolute power and strength, the harvest will be elegant, invisible, and irresistible."

Kang De said in a deep voice, "No one understands harvesting better than me!"

Otto II fell silent, his expression one of attentive listening.

Kang De grinned, revealing his teeth. "You wanted to hear my backup plan, didn't you...? It's simple. If everything is beyond repair, then I will do my best to save lives and take them to a world beyond the reach of the Star Palace!"

Even with a vague suspicion, the emperor was deeply moved!

His voice was somewhat hurried. "How many people can you take?"

"This is a last resort."

Kang De calmly replied, "Regardless of whether people's hearts will be stirred—Your Majesty, by agreeing to follow me to that world, you have essentially signed a contract, allowing me to mold and manipulate you at will. In the Mortal World, you are the supreme ruler. Are you willing to go there now and become a groveling dog with no bargaining power?"

The emperor was taken aback and met Kang De's gaze.

Slowly, he began to laugh.

"But there's no need..." Otto II said, "There's no need to let them know."

"Yes."

Kang De also gave a knowing smile.

"As the impending doom of the Star Palace looms, and the flames of destruction descend, ancestral assets will be reduced to ashes, utterly meaningless. But at this very moment, another absolutely safe world offers a secluded Shelter far removed from the Mortal World, a place of pristine beauty, symbolizing rebirth and hope..."

He revealed an elegant yet fierce expression. "How much do you think a square meter of that place should cost? How much do you think a ticket should cost?"

"I see."

The emperor understood everything completely.

Harvesting.

Elegant, formless, and unstoppable.

Because this is called...

Essential need!

He clasped Kang De's outstretched hand tightly, power and strength merging.

Meeting the emperor's gaze, Kang De let out a sharp shout.

This is...

Real Estate Saves the World!