Hearing Noa's words, the woman's hands froze over her keyboard.
Now she knew she had to pay attention. If not, even a simple mistake might be enough for her to lose her job.
So, her eyes finally lifted.
She met Noa's expressionless face and found herself reevaluating her current client.
$10,000 might not sound like much to a bank, but to a salaried worker like her, it was a fortune. "Can I have your ID, please?" she asked, her voice soft and polite.
Noa nodded, quietly reaching into his pocket.
From it, he took out his ID and gently put it on the counter.
The woman took it with professional care, her eyes scanning the information on the monitor. Soon, the numbers on the screen made her gulp a little.
"Mr. Osborn," she started after a moment. "Your total debt is $41,237.84. That includes inherited debt under your father's name and your student loan. Can you please repeat how much you want to transfer?"
Hearing this, Noa didn't flinch.
He roughly knew the number, even predicted that it would have grown over the last few months. Still, hearing it stung.
He was once again reminded of how hopeless his situation had been just two days ago.
Thankfully, it was in the past, and his future looked promising.
Hana didn't react the same way he did.
Although she was just a kid, she still knew how hard it was to gather that amount. So she squeezed Noa's hand tighter, overwhelmed by gratitude and guilt for having such an amazing older brother.
He, however, repeated the number calmly. "$10,166.37."
The receptionist nodded again.
She then took his card and said carefully, "I should remind you that if you fail to keep up with payments, the remaining debt will be increased by 12% each month. And if six months pass without full settlement, you will lose the house."
Not responding to her warnings, Noa completed the transaction.
The woman hesitated only a moment before typing numbers with silent precision, afraid to miss even a single digit.
An electronic chime and a receipt confirmed the transfer.
The balance of his bank account dropped to zero.
[Account balance: $0]
Noa then accepted the card back and pocketed it without showing a single emotion. 'Now I am broke again. Great!'
Now he couldn't even afford a bus ride—let alone a cab.
Thankfully, the apartment was around the corner.
Just as he was about to bid farewell to the receptionist, the system rang in his head, flooding his vision with transparent windows.
[Quest Completed]
[Requirement: Pay the full amount in your account toward your existing debt. Leave no cent behind.]
[Reward: $5,000 has been transferred to your account.]
Noa almost exclaimed upon seeing the messages.
He was penniless only a second ago, but now had received five grand for trusting the system and completing the mission.
His chest tightened instead. It was filled with relief and a sudden urge to giggle like Hana.
However, as he was enjoying the small victory, another notification appeared.
[New quest available]
[Pay the full amount in your account toward your existing debt again. Leave no cent behind.]
In an instant, Noa's face stiffened.
The smile that even Hana started to notice froze.
His eyes lingered over the text only he could see. 'Damn. I just spent everything I had, and you are asking me to do it again?'
The system didn't answer, however.
[Account balance: $5,000]
Noa didn't want to worry Hana, so he didn't show anything. But inside, he was cursing the system's sense of humor, his lips curling into a sharp grin. 'I see…' he thought to himself. 'That's how you want to play, huh?'
With that, Noa turned around, looking back at the receptionist.
Instead of leaving the bank, he approached the woman again, his hand already in his pocket to take the cards out.
"Is everything alright, sir?" the receptionist questioned, thinking that Noa might have some questions for her. "Do you need my help with something?"
Noa didn't answer.
He just handed her his ID and card again. "I want to make another payment," he said, his lower lip trembling in excitement. "This time, $5,000."
For a second, the receptionist thought she had misheard Noa.
Not even a minute had passed since he paid more than $10,000. Based on her experience, people like him either never managed to gather enough money to clear their debt or simply didn't come back for months.
Yet here he was, already asking to transfer another 5 grand.
Even Hana was surprised by his unusual actions. "Brother… didn't you just…" she trailed off, observing him with her round, confused eyes.
Seeing this, Noa patted her head.
Then he said softly, trying to reassure her. "It's fine. Trust me."
The woman corrected her posture. She even nodded politely to Noa, regaining her composure. "Very well. So you are transferring an additional $5,000 toward your remaining balance of $31,071.47. Is that correct?"
Noa gave a short answer. "Yes."
Instead of second-guessing and looking at him as if he were a puzzle, the receptionist didn't waste more time.
The line behind Noa kept growing, so she had to hurry up.
"Understood," she said and typed something on her keyboard again.
Soon, the printer spat out a second receipt. "Payment completed," she said, and added with a warm smile. "Have a great day, sir."
Noa took his cards back.
[Account balance: $0]
The scene was quite familiar to him. For the second time in one day, he didn't have even a single cent to his name.
But instead of turning back and leaving the office, Noa lingered, as if waiting for something.
Seconds ticked by, and nothing happened.
Still, he didn't give up, exchanging glances with Hana and the receptionist waiting for him to leave. 'Come on. Do it!'
[Quest Completed]
[Requirement: Pay the full amount in your account toward your existing debt. Leave no cent behind.]
[Reward: $10,000 has been transferred to your account.]
Noa skimmed the message. Now he had 10K in his bank account, yet he didn't look satisfied.
And when the people behind him started to stir in frustration for him to move, something flashed right before his eyes.
[New quest available]