Turns out, bandits are just people. Violent, morally questionable people, but people nonetheless.
Over the next six days, I learned their names, their stories, why they'd turned to crime. Most were ex-soldiers, abandoned by the kingdom after the war. Some were farmers who'd lost everything to corrupt nobles. A few were just assholes who liked hurting people.
That last group watched me like wolves watching a wounded deer.
[SURVIVAL TIP: MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL][DEAD HOSTAGES HAVE NO VALUE]
I started helping around camp. Cooking (turns out my instant ramen skills translated to camp stew). Maintaining equipment. Even treating minor wounds—thank you, YouTube first aid videos from my old life.
[MINOR QUEST COMPLETED: HELP THE BANDITS (x15)][REWARD: +150 CREDITS][CURRENT BALANCE: -992,740]
On the third night, one of the younger bandits—a kid named Rolf who couldn't be more than nineteen—sat next to me by the fire.
"Why'd you do it?" he asked.
"Do what?"
"Stay here. Risk your life for some merchant's daughter you don't even know."
I thought about it. "Because the alternative was letting her die. And I'm tired of being the kind of person who lets people die when I could help."
"That's stupid. You could've walked away."
"Yeah. I used to do that a lot. Walk away. Ignore problems. Let other people deal with things." I poked at the fire. "Then I died owing the universe a million credits worth of karma. Turns out being selfish has consequences."
[PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSION INITIATED][ROLF'S PERSPECTIVE SHIFTING]
"A million credits?" Rolf laughed. "What'd you do, kick puppies?"
"Worse. I wasted my potential. Hurt people who cared about me. Just... existed without contributing anything positive to the world." I looked at him. "What about you? How'd you end up here?"
His smile faded. "Joined the army at sixteen. Fought in the Border Wars for three years. When I came back, my village was gone—wiped out by monsters while all the soldiers were deployed. No family. No home. No pension. The kingdom I bled for just... forgot about me."
[EMPATHY (RANK F) UNLOCKED][YOU'RE BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND OTHERS' PAIN]
"That's rough, man. I'm sorry."
"Don't be. I made my choices. But sometimes I wonder..." He trailed off.
"Wonder what?"
"If there's still a way back. From this." He gestured at the camp. "Or if once you're a bandit, that's all you'll ever be."
[CRITICAL MOMENT DETECTED][YOUR RESPONSE WILL MATTER]
"I think," I said carefully, "that people can change if they want to. It's hard. Takes work. But it's possible. I mean, I'm trying. And if a waste of space like me can attempt redemption, anyone can."
[SINCERITY: 91%][ROLF'S PERSPECTIVE: SHIFTING SIGNIFICANTLY]
We sat in silence for a while. Then Rolf stood up.
"Thanks, Marcus. For not treating us like monsters."
"You're not monsters. You're just people who got a bad deal."
After he left, the system pinged.
[HIDDEN QUEST COMPLETED: PLANT SEEDS OF REDEMPTION][REWARD: +1,000 CREDITS][BONUS: ROLF'S KARMIC DEBT DECREASED BY 5,000 CREDITS][NOTE: YOU CAN AFFECT OTHERS' KARMA. INTERESTING.]
I sat up straighter. "Wait, I can help other people reduce their debt?"
[YES][IF THEY'RE RECEPTIVE TO CHANGE][NOT EVERYONE IS]
"Can I see other people's debts?"
[NOT YET][THAT ABILITY REQUIRES UNLOCKING][CURRENT UNLOCK COST: 50,000 CREDITS]
So I needed to be 50,000 credits POSITIVE to see what I could already sense—that some of these bandits could be saved.
[QUEST CHAIN UNLOCKED: THE REDEEMABLE BANDITS][HELP AT LEAST 5 BANDITS FIND A BETTER PATH][REWARD: +25,000 CREDITS + SPECIAL ABILITY][DIFFICULTY: MODERATE]
Over the next three days, I worked on it. Talked to the bandits. Learned their stories. Found the ones who were here out of desperation rather than cruelty.
There was Jenna, the archer, who'd turned to banditry to pay for her brother's medicine. Marcus (not me, different Marcus), the scout, who was sending money back to his elderly parents. Even Korran himself had a story—his wife had been killed by a noble's carriage, and when he sought justice, he was beaten and exiled.
Not all of them were redeemable. Three of the bandits were genuine sadists who enjoyed hurting people. But the others? They were just broken people who'd made bad choices when they saw no other option.
[ANALYSIS COMPLETE][REDEEMABLE BANDITS: 14 OUT OF 20][IRREDEEMABLE: 6]
On the sixth day, Frost returned with the spice shipment. The bandits verified it, took their cut, and I was free to go.
Korran walked me to the edge of the forest.
"You're an odd one, Marcus Chen," he said. "Most hostages just sit there terrified. You talked to us. Helped us. Why?"
"Because you're people. And people deserve a chance to be better."
He snorted. "We're criminals."
"Today. Maybe not tomorrow." I turned to face him. "That deal you made? That's legitimate income. You could expand it. Turn this whole operation into actual merchant protection. Go legal. It's not too late."
[FINAL NEGOTIATION CHECK][ATTEMPTING TO CONVERT BANDIT LEADER]
Korran stared at me for a long moment. Then he laughed—genuinely laughed.
"You really believe that, don't you? That people can change?"
"I have to. Otherwise, what's the point?"
He clapped me on the shoulder hard enough to make me stumble. "Maybe you're right. Maybe you're naive. But you gave us a real option, and I respect that. If you ever need help, Marcus Chen, the Bloodfangs owe you a favor."
[ALLIANCE FORMED: BLOODFANG BANDITS][REPUTATION: HONORED FRIEND][THEY WILL REMEMBER THIS]
As I walked back to the city with Frost and Elena, the system chimed repeatedly.
[QUEST COMPLETED: THE MERCHANT'S DAUGHTER][REWARD: 50 GOLD SUNS + 15,000 CREDITS]
[BONUS QUEST COMPLETED: THE REDEEMABLE BANDITS (4/5)][REWARD: +20,000 CREDITS]
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: DIPLOMAT][SOLVED DANGEROUS SITUATION WITHOUT VIOLENCE][REWARD: +5,000 CREDITS]
[CURRENT BALANCE: -952,740 CREDITS]
I'd broken through 950,000. Nearly 50,000 credits earned in a week.
Elena hugged me when we reached the city gates. "Thank you. For saving me. For risking your life."
"Hey, it worked out. Besides, your dad paid me a fortune."
Frost handed me the purse of gold. "It's not enough for what you did. You have a place in my household if you ever need it. And..." He hesitated. "I want to hire you."
"For what?"
"I have other problems. Problems that require someone clever, brave, and unconventional. Someone who can solve impossible situations." He smiled. "I think that's you."
[JOB OFFER: FROST MERCHANT HOUSE PROBLEM SOLVER][SALARY: 10 GOLD SUNS PER MONTH + BONUSES][BENEFITS: ROOM, BOARD, ACCESS TO RESOURCES][ACCEPT?]
I looked at the gold in my hand. At this merchant who'd trusted me. At the city where I'd helped people and actually made a difference.
"I accept. But I have conditions."
"Name them."
"I work for you, but I also work for me. If I see someone who needs help, I'm helping them. Even if it's not profitable. Even if it's risky."
Frost extended his hand. "Deal. I wouldn't want you any other way."
As we shook, the system displayed a new message.
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: FRESH START][YOU HAVE STABLE EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, AND PURPOSE][PERHAPS YOU'RE NOT COMPLETELY HOPELESS AFTER ALL]
[NEW QUEST HUB UNLOCKED: KALRETH CITY][MULTIPLE QUESTLINES AVAILABLE][YOUR REPUTATION IS GROWING][PEOPLE WILL SEEK YOUR HELP]
I smiled. For the first time in both my lives, I had direction. Purpose. A reason to wake up that wasn't just existing.
And I had 952,740 credits left to earn.
The journey was just beginning.
[END OF CHAPTER 4][CURRENT DEBT: -952,740 CREDITS][STATUS: EMPLOYED, HOUSED, MOTIVATED][NEXT CHAPTER: THE CITY'S PROBLEMS]