Aurelius stood on the Apex Throne, his golden collection box hovering in the center of the room like a hungry mouth.
"Come now!" Aurelius urged, his smile straining. "The Glitch approaches. Don't be miserly. Your tithes ensure your survival."
A low murmur rippled through the Ranks 1-10. Finally, a God of River Pebbles (Rank 2) stepped forward. He looked like a collection of wet stones held together by algae.
"We... we paid last year," the Pebble God stammered. "You said you would build a Northern Wall. You took 10,000 DP from my stream. I have not seen a wall. I have only seen your Golden Spire get taller."
"Investments take time!" Aurelius dismissed him with a wave. "Infrastructure is not instant."
"But your Rank is instant!" a Wind Spirit (Rank 3) shouted from the back. "You went from Rank 8 to Rank 9 in the last five years! We are still starving! You use our tribute to power-level yourself!"
The dam broke. The grumbling turned into shouting.
