Chapter 107: Development 2
During this time, the territory underwent tremendous changes.
First, something truly astonishing happened.
After eliminating the highly threatening Gas Town and Bullet Farm, the new ruler didn't continue expanding his power. Instead, he seemed to focus on cultivating loyalty and consolidating his rule.
In this land, organized faith was a joke; many didn't even know what it meant.
Only the War Boys might understand some faith, but their faith was as fake as a cult, utterly misguided.
The War Boys, painted entirely white, were reformed into knights. The transformation from fanatic to knight, though somewhat arbitrary and unusual, was undeniably a strategic move.
And besides this, he even released tens of thousands of slaves!
On this day,
a fierce wind whipped up yellow sand, forcing those on higher ground to squint.
The sand grains were large, stinging the face; moreover, they would slip down collars and into clothing, causing discomfort.
Fortunately, people in this world didn't worry much about clean clothes, and many didn't even wear shirts.
This large group included both men and women.
From the former stronghold of Immortan Joe, amidst the yellow sand, emerged a stream of people.
Clad in tattered clothes, emaciated, with suffering etched on their faces, they now appeared incredibly excited.
It was hard to imagine how those thin, stick-like legs could run; one feared one slip and fall in the sand would break them.
This small group numbered only about twenty.
A closer look revealed that these were actually slaves kept by Immortan Joe's forces!
Besides internal and structural reforms, Jake's most important task was to get rid of the almost useless slaves.
Eliminating tens of thousands instantly was impossible for him; he lacked the stomach for it.
However, releasing these people was something he could manage.
But when he tried to release them, a problem arose: they refused to leave!
Although Immortan Joe was dead, his influence remained. These slaves, ingrained with a submissive nature, neither knew how to be independent nor dared to.
After all, life had no future, so it was better to learn to survive like dogs under Immortan Joe's oppression.
If they pleased him, they might even get a sip of water.
Therefore, although these slaves hated Immortan Joe to the core, deep down they craved this kind of structure.
Especially after the new ruler, known as Father, appeared, everything changed.
The new ruler didn't even like Immortan Joe's methods; he seemed particularly fair, even letting everyone drink their fill of water.
All the slaves felt that their tomorrow might be easier.
So when Jake announced the establishment of the Order, even though they didn't understand, they shouted loudly, just to please the new ruler—a trick they were very familiar with.
However, they didn't expect that the new ruler didn't need slaves, or rather, didn't need dependent slaves, nor did he want to experience that feeling of being worshipped by everyone.
He actually declared everyone free!
Whether War Boys or slaves, anyone who wanted to leave could leave!
Why?!
Some of the War Boys, die-hard followers of Immortan Joe, chose to leave. They longed to enter Valhalla, even though Jake had also established it, but it was no longer ruled by the invincible Immortan Joe in their hearts.
About one-tenth of the War Boys left; those who wavered, wanting to stay yet also wanting to go, were simply driven away.
Those who remained couldn't be said to be completely loyal, but it was guaranteed they weren't die-hard fans of Immortan Joe.
Next came the slaves.
To encourage these slaves to leave, Jake set up a competition, or rather, a selection process.
The Order pursued equality and purpose, so this selection was no exception.
The winners would have the opportunity to leave Immortan Joe's stronghold and embark on the path to freedom, while the losers would have to wait for the next selection competition.
It was a typical case of reframing, but the wording changed, and so did people's attitudes.
The previously unenthusiastic slaves instantly became enthusiastic, and the selection process began with one hundred slaves who had signed up first, supervised by dozens of reformed War Boys.
Honestly, these slaves, who barely had anything to eat, were no match for anyone in a fight. They were weak and listless, swaying and staggering. Maybe a contest to see who could stand the longest would have been just as effective, and there would be far less violence.
No matter how much Jake observed, the final competition was over. Only twenty out of a hundred slaves emerged victorious. Aside from the unfortunate souls who died of exhaustion and starvation during the competition, the rest were only wounded.
Just moments ago, Jake stood on the observation platform, watching those twenty-odd slaves happily depart.
They ran so fast, as if afraid Jake would change his mind.
What will happen to these people after leaving the Citadel is no longer Jake's concern.
He only needs an experimental facility, perhaps with the necessary forces to protect it. The War Boys will play those roles, but definitely not slaves who will get in the way.
The successful departure of twenty slaves clearly set a precedent for the remaining slaves. Jake kept his word, allowing them to leave without sending out the War Boys to eliminate them.
The slaves were buzzing with discussion, seemingly anticipating the next selection, hoping to be chosen and escape this harsh place to find water and food.
Jake didn't disappoint them. A day after the first selection, he swiftly launched a second round, this time on a larger scale, with 1,000 people competing for a chance. Successful candidates would be allowed to leave, while failures would be disqualified from future competitions.
This punishment sounded harsh, but upon reflection, one realized they simply had to succeed or remain.
His underlying reason was to send all these tens of thousands of slaves away; there were still many places for them to settle along Fury Road.
Things progressed smoothly; within a week, small groups of slaves departed one after another.
Only a few thousand people remained at the Citadel. The rest were either gone or eagerly waiting for their chance. However, they were destined to either fail or succeed to leave!
[500 PS unlocks 1 Extra Chapter]
[10 Reviews unlock 1 Extra Chapter]
Thanks for reading—reviews are appreciated.
P1treon Soulforger has 25+ advance chapters