Bro... I'm not even kidding, I was just sitting there on the grass, still trying to figure out if I'm awake or inside some horror fever dream—and Zian just dips. Like "Anyway, see ya," after dropping a whole cursed-ass lore dump on my head.
My guy's like, "You'll figure it out," and walks away like he didn't just tell me demons are real, blood debt exists, and I might have inherited some kinda cursed banking system from a literal possessed coma patient.
And as if the system couldn't wait to ruin my life even more—
[New Entry: Debt Inheritance Protocol Initialized.]
DUDE. I didn't press anything. I swear. It's just popping up now like it's excited I'm suffering.
Warning: External influence detected. Bloodline tracking initiated...
Okay wait—bloodline??
WHOSE bloodline? Don't drag my family into this, they're broke too
New Title Acquired: Inheritor of the Forgotten Ledger.
New Skill Unlocked: Soul Tax (Lv. 1).
"Soul what now?" I literally said that out loud. Some girl looked at me like I just confessed to a murder.
Then suddenly—BOOOOOM.
This pulse shot outta me. Not like anime-style explosion, more like… my shadow twitched, and the ground under me flickered like bad Wi-Fi. My phone glitched. A crow literally screamed and left the building.
Soul Tax (Lv. 1): Converts guilt, regret, and emotional residue into usable energy. Side effects may include hallucinations, insomnia, and identity crisis.
You're telling me I can power up by having anxiety? Bet.
But then it drops the worst part.
Debt Limit: 13,700 units
Current Balance: 14,920 units
BRO I'M OVERDRAWN???
HOW?? I DIDN'T EVEN USE THE CARD YET.
System got the receipts like:
–600: Passive curse exposure
–800: Emotional proximity to cursed entity (Zian)
–400: Curiosity
–420: Ignoring red flags
+300: Temporary clarity
+300 for clarity?? Bro I was DIZZY. That clarity was lagging.
And then—AND THEN—I opened the Debt Log to check more, and I wish I was lying:
'Smelled like fear. –90 units.'
Shut that thing down faster than a sketchy WhatsApp forward.
Later that night...
Yeah, I didn't sleep. Surprise surprise.
I kept seeing UI flashes when I blinked too long, like the red screen was burned into my eyelids. I got up at like 3am to splash water on my face. Tried to chill.
But the mirror?
The mirror was fogged up, but like... not from steam.
It looked like someone was breathing from the inside.
I wiped it—instantly regretted that.
There was a tall rotting figure behind me in the reflection. Holding a half-decomposed goat like it was a baby. Just standing there. Vibes ruined.
I turned around—nothing. Looked back—gone.
Then the system whispered again:
[New Collector Prototype Detected. Processing Integration.]
I swear I almost fought the sink. I was this close.
Next morning
Showed up to class looking like I got hit by a ghost truck. People were staring, I looked like I aged 5 years overnight.
Zian? Man just looked at me like, "Hehe, he unlocked Soul Tax."
I swear I'm gonna start charging him pain points just for existing at this point.