Aidan sat against the cracked wall of the alley, panting, heart still racing. The rusted pipe lay beside him, sticky with drying blood. The zombie's body was already starting to rot faster than normal, its skin sagging like melted plastic.
He checked the alley twice before pulling up the interface again.
[BloodCoin Balance: 1][Crystal Fragments: 1 (Tier F, Unstable)]
Below that, a blinking tab read:
[Trade Menu – Level 1 Access]
He tapped it mentally, and a red ledger bloomed across his vision like a stock ticker come to life.
⚖️ CRIMSON LEDGER – TRADE MENU [Level 1 Access] ItemPrice (BloodCoins)AvailabilityMolded Combat Knife2LockedEmergency Ration Pack1In StockClean Water (1L)1In StockBeginner's Skill Scroll5LockedPain Suppressant Capsule2LockedCrystal Stabilizer Kit10Locked
"Note: Host must increase Coin Flow and Trade Volume to unlock higher tiers."
He frowned. The only things he could afford were food or water.
"I need a weapon," he muttered.
"Then earn more. This is not a charity."
"Of course it's not," Aidan said, rubbing his temple. "You're too smug for that. Speaking of which…"
He swiped to a different screen—Account Summary.
His brow furrowed.
At the very top, bold and unignorable:
[Current Debt: 100,000 BloodCoins]"Applied immediately upon system initialization."
His pulse spiked.
"Wait—what the hell?! I didn't buy anything yet!"
"Incorrect."
The system's voice was crisp and cruel.
"System initialization includes a full-body biological repair, memory transfer, dimensional anchoring, soul stabilization, and trade-channel grafting. You were clinically dead, and your life was restored via hostile market conditions."
"All services rendered. All charges applied. As per binding terms and conditions."
Aidan stared at the number, his mouth dry.
"One hundred thousand coins. You're saying I'm in debt before I've even started?"
"You died broke. Now you live in debt. A net improvement."
"Also, interest compounds monthly."
He wanted to throw something. But there was nothing to throw. Just a rotting corpse, an unstable crystal, and one measly coin.
He cursed under his breath and navigated back to the menu.
"I'll take the food," he muttered. "Ration pack."
"Transaction accepted. One BloodCoin deducted. Item will be delivered shortly."
A red spark flickered in the air—and with a dull thud, a shrink-wrapped MRE dropped in front of him. The packaging was unmarked but warm. Real food.
He tore it open, half-expecting it to vanish, but the smell hit him like heaven—something vaguely resembling beef and rice.
He devoured it.
It wasn't good. It was fuel.
But it kept him alive.
As he licked the last smear of paste from his fingers, the system chimed again.
"Market Tip: More entities nearby. Crystal fragments grow unstable if left too long. Recommend immediate hunting to maintain liquidity."
Aidan stood slowly, grabbing the pipe again.
His body was still sore. Still weak. But the food made it easier to move.
"You really don't care if I live or die, huh?"
"Incorrect."
"I care if you default."
Before he could respond, a new prompt blinked at the corner of his vision.
[Special Offer – Limited Time System Promotion]Would you like to unlock: [Dimensional Storage Pouch – Basic Tier]?
He blinked.
"Allows host to store up to 5 items across all categories. Expandable. Automatically binds to soulprint. Loss-proof. Currently priced at: 500 BloodCoins."
He laughed bitterly. "What part of that is generous? That's highway robbery."
"Generosity is relative. Without this offer, you would need to drag every piece of trash on your back like a junk trader."
"This system respects mobility."
"Of course you do." He muttered, selecting yes anyway. There was no way he could carry food, crystals, weapons, and whatever else he found out here by hand.
The moment he confirmed, a small red pouch shimmered into existence and floated down into his palm. It was light, almost like silk, and thrummed faintly with energy.
[Storage Capacity: 5 slots unlocked]Next Expansion (10 slots): 1,000 BloodCoins.
"Note: An additional 500 coins has been added to your existing debt."
Aidan stared blankly at the ledger, now reading:
[Current Debt: 100,500 BloodCoins]
And finally snapped.
"Are you—kidding me?! That's your idea of a deal?!"
"You accepted the terms."
"If you'd prefer to carry rotting zombie flesh in your bare hands, the offer can be reversed."
Aidan gritted his teeth, shoved the pouch into his jacket, and kicked the alley wall.
"Goddamn bloodsucking AI."
"Correct. That's the brand."
Before he could rant more, the system's voice returned with a more calculating tone.
"Market Advisory: While most lesser entities yield only Crystal Fragments, higher-tier monsters may—occasionally—drop additional assets: raw ores, salvageable weapons, encrypted skill scrolls, rare biological reagents."
"Probability of itemized drop from Tier F monsters: 0.0002%."
Aidan squinted. "That's… basically zero."
"Correct. Risk-to-reward ratio is optimal once you graduate to killing real threats."
"You may die horribly, but the returns are excellent."
Aidan sighed and slung the pipe over his shoulder.
"So it's either die broke… or die trying not to be."
"There it is. That's the spirit."