The Zenith Building's stairwell was cold, echoing with the distant screams of a world realizing its currency was now worthless.
I walked down the concrete steps, my reflection in the polished metal doors of the lower floors showing a man who looked like a ghost returned to haunt the living. My violet eyes glowed with a predatory hunger—not for blood, but for data. For Karma.
[KARMA BALANCE: 800] [CURRENT RANK: UNRANKED (F)]
800 Karma was nothing. In the first year of the Market, a high-rank Hunter would burn through 800 Karma just to sharpen their sword. But in the first hour of the first day? 800 Karma made me the richest man in the building.
I reached the lobby. The glass doors were shattered. A group of office workers were huddling behind the reception desk, staring at a 'Grave-Rat'—a monster the size of a large dog with skin like rotting leather and teeth made of jagged bone. It was the lowest-tier scavenger of the Divine Market.
To the workers, it was a nightmare. To me, it was a walking debit.
"Help! Someone help!" a young woman screamed. She was holding a stapler like it was a holy relic.
The Rat hissed, its red eyes locking onto her. Above the monster's head, its value flickered: [ASSET VALUE: 50 KARMA].
I didn't run. I didn't shout. I simply walked toward the beast, pulling the silver pen from my pocket. In this world, the pen wasn't mightier than the sword—the pen was the tool that signed the sword's death warrant.
The Rat sensed me. It turned, its muscular legs coiled for a leap. With a wet snarl, it launched itself at my throat.
I didn't flinch.
[SKILL: DIVINE FORECLOSURE - TARGET LOCK]
I stepped to the left, a movement so precise it looked mechanical. As the beast flew past me, I tapped its skull with the nib of my pen.
"Contract terminated," I whispered.
The Rat didn't fall. It evaporated mid-air. The black ink-like mist of the Void wrapped around its body, crushing its existence into a single, glowing blue crystal that landed softly in my palm.
[50 KARMA COLLECTED.] [SOUL-FRAGMENT ACQUIRED: 'ANIMAL INSTINCT' (RANK: F)]
The lobby went silent. The office workers stared at me, their faces pale and streaked with tears.
"Who... who are you?" the woman asked, her voice trembling.
I looked at her. Above her head, her debt was low. She was a 'Safe Asset'.
"I'm the one who's going to make sure you don't become a bad investment," I said. My tone was flat, devoid of warmth. I wasn't there to be a hero; I was there to build a portfolio.
I turned to the shattered doors. Outside, the city was burning. People were discovering their 'Starter Skills'. Some were accidentally burning down buildings with fireballs; others were crying as their 'Healing' failed to save their loved ones.
"Wait!" A man in an expensive suit stood up. His name tag read Director Oh. [DEBT: 5,000 KARMA - REASON: EMBEZZLEMENT, FRAUD].
He looked at me with a mix of fear and greed. He had seen what I did to the monster. "You... you have power. I have money. Real money. Gold, offshore accounts. Protect me. Take me to my estate, and I'll make you a millionaire."
I stopped at the threshold of the building. I looked back at Director Oh. A thin, sarcastic smile touched my lips.
"Director Oh," I said. "In ten minutes, your 'millions' won't even buy you a loaf of bread. The Market doesn't recognize the US Dollar. It only recognizes the soul."
"I... I don't understand. Just name your price!"
I walked back toward him. The other workers backed away, sensing the sudden drop in temperature. I leaned in close to his ear, the violet glow of my eyes reflecting in his expensive glasses.
"Your price is already set, Oh," I whispered. "And you're heavily over-leveraged. 5,000 Karma in debt before the first hour is over? That's impressive, even for a criminal."
"How do you—"
"I see everything," I interrupted. I tapped his shoulder. "But I won't liquidate you. Not yet. A bankrupt man is useless. A man in debt, however... is a slave."
I opened the Market Interface and navigated to the [DEBT CONTRACT] tab—a feature no one else would discover for another six months.
[DEBTOR: OH SE-HUN] [LOAN AMOUNT: PROTECTION FOR 1 HOUR] [INTEREST RATE: 100% PER HOUR] [COLLATERAL: SOUL OWNERSHIP]
"Sign," I said, a holographic golden document appearing between us.
"What is this?" Oh stammered.
"Your life insurance," I replied. "Sign it, and I'll clear the monsters from this block. Refuse, and I'll leave you to the Rats. They're hungry, Oh. And you look like a very fat asset."
Terrified, Oh pressed his trembling hand against the golden light.
[CONTRACT SIGNED.] [THE SOUL OF 'OH SE-HUN' IS NOW PARTIALLY OWNED BY 'SILAS'.]
I felt the connection. A thin, black thread of energy now linked his heart to my shadow. I could kill him with a thought. I could drain his life to heal my own. He was no longer a man; he was a 'Managed Asset'.
I walked back to the street, the rain soaking into my hair.
"Stay inside," I commanded without looking back. "I'm going to go collect some more interest."
I stepped out into the chaos of the city. The real game was starting. The 'Guilds' of the future were currently just scared kids with new toys. I was going to find them before they grew up. I was going to own the heroes before they knew they were legends.
The Market was open. And I was going to buy the world.