Debt Collection and Shadow Stacks
A man in a hard hat wipes the sweat from his forehead with a towel slung over his shoulder. His shabby outfit fits right in on the construction site. The deep wrinkles etched into his face tell a story of endless hardship.
He squints at me suspiciously, scanning my clothes as if to say I'm not the guy he borrowed from.
I silently hold out the promissory note. Jang Segun's face changes in an instant. His wide eyes fixed on the document make him look like a cornered rabbit—a frail, sickly old mountain hare.
The grimace twisting his features screams utter desperation. Can't blame him.
"The repayment deadline was clearly this week."
His voice crawls out, meek and trembling.
"It's already three weeks overdue, isn't it? Here's the IOU."
I pull out the IOU from the creditor, and his face drains to a sickly blue. Red to blue—like a damn traffic light.
"I'll scrape together the money somehow by this week... please, just give me a little more time."
He's on the verge of dropping to his knees. Probably sweet-talked his way out of this mess a dozen times before. But not with me.
"No way in hell. I'm not out here digging dirt for meals either. I won't budge until I get every cent on that contract. Your daughter's sick, right? Want me to drop by the house?"
Mentioning his daughter hits the mark.
"P-Please, anything but that... Don't say a word to my little girl!"
His bluish face pales to a jaundiced yellow. Must taste like death. Yeah, I'm a real bastard.
"Doesn't look like you'll ever pay up properly. Guess I'll have to track down the family..."
"I'm begging you!"
The guy slams his forehead into the dirt.
But groveling doesn't erase debt. Life ain't that forgiving.
"You got zero cash right now?"
"Ten thousand won in my wallet... that's it. But I'm hitting up everyone I know to borrow..."
"Juggling loans forever—when the hell you planning to touch the principal?"
"That's..."
Jang Segun trails off, speechless.
I lean in and whisper sweetly.
"If you're really tapped out, I can take goods instead of cash."
"Goods?"
"Yeah. Antiques or whatever. Got a hobby collecting that shit."
"Antiques too...? Ah! Got it! You'll take antiques in place of money?"
Something clicks—he jumps up, clapping his hands.
"Sure. But they gotta be worth something."
"I... dunno the value, but there's this antique my daughter treasures."
"Oh ho. Let's see it."
"Got it. I'll grab it after work."
"Nah, come with me now."
"Th-That's... my daughter might see."
"I promise I won't show my face to her. That's the best I can do."
My tone leaves no room for argument. He stiffens up.
"W-Well then..."
He nods with a defeated look. I wait patiently while he finishes his shift. Watching him toil through the dust and grime looks brutal.
Work wraps up at dusk. We head to his place together.
"Just wait here a sec."
His home's a tiny villa. As he ducks inside, a piercing scream rips out. Place is so small, their voices carry clear through the windows. Reminds me of my old one-room dump.
"Dad! What the hell!? Not that one!"
"Sorry! I'll buy you a dozen more later! We gotta pay this debt now!"
"Anything but that!"
"I'm really sorry!"
Their bickering echoes outside. My lips curl into a smirk.
"What's the play this time?"
Lumiia Deneba crosses her arms behind me, asking. She's tried jumping me four times already. Gave up when she saw zero openings.
"That champion's a pain, so prepping ahead. Ah, here he comes."
The man's holding a small porcelain vase. Puffy eyes—he's been crying. Handing over his daughter's prized possession to a debt collector. Pathetic.
"H-Here it is! How much debt does this cover?"
"You're free."
I snatch the porcelain and shred the IOU right there. Leave the stunned Jang Segun in the dust. Too soon to tangle with his champion.
Next day. Summoner Survival's been going a full day, and I've only bagged one summoner. Gotta hustle if I wanna wrap this in a week.
"Still no ambush? Chicken?"
"Ugh...! Quit it. You got no goddamn openings!"
Lumiia grumbles bitterly.
"Rejoice. Fight time. Might spot one."
I step out, stretch a bit. Village outskirts has a small factory. Barely under 500 pyeong. Reed fields out front.
Fence around it, but I hop it easy. Don the Leon Mask and slip inside. Workers spot me and scream.
"L-Leon Mask!"
They drop everything and bolt. Place makes stuffed toys.
Not everyone's running. One bushy-haired kid in work clothes glares daggers—pure hate. My second mark: Choi Kang-seok.
"Cut the crap. Retire."
"What? Leon Mask's a summoner too?"
Same line as yesterday's chump.
"Wirren!"
Choi yells. Black shadow bursts from the ground. His champion, Wirren—shadow powers.
"Light Saber."
I draw the blade of light. Black tentacles lash out from the shadow.
Flick 'em away easy. Feel the rebound in my grip—weaker than expected.
True KHC - Shield Strike (순격(盾擊)) 3Lv (C-grade)
Consumes inner energy or mana to convert a defensive stance into an offensive one. Gains additional attack power equal to defense.
‘Survival kicked off faster than the original? Champions seem nerfed.’
Music to my ears.
"That guy's the champion, not summoner!? Tch!"
Choi bites back a groan.
More tentacles spew from the shadow Wirren. But I bat 'em aside with casual swings.
Not fast, not clever. Weak even in the original.
"Gotcha."
Jam the Light Saber into the ground—Wirren's real body.
-Kreeeech!-
Scream rips from the floor. Shadow dissolves into light particles. One-shot retirement. Choi shakes his head, yelling.
"What the...! Am I dreaming?"
"Reality, buddy. Not a dream."
Mission done, I bail the factory. Lumiia still hasn't stabbed my back.
After retiring Choi Kang-seok, I head to Dohyeon Mountain in Loss City. Follow the trail till the rest spot with exercise gear, then veer off-path.
Deep in the woods, a rickety log cabin pops up. Naturalist shack, slapped together from scrap timber.
"Seriously, how do you know so much about the other summoners?"
Lumiia hits me with the obvious question.
"Fuck my brains out, I'll spill."
"Tch! Shoulda known better than to ask you...!"
She glares like she wants to kill me.
Nice view.
"Huh? Who the hell're you, trekking out here? What's with the freak mask?"
Middle-aged guy with an axe over his shoulder eyes me. No TV in his life? Just standard suspicion of a weirdo.
"Survival. Quit."
Short and sweet—he gets it.
"Another summoner. Wait, champion?"
He levels the axe. Then, from behind, a tanned beauty materializes.
Long silver hair down to her waist, slutty high-slit outfit. Aros—one of my targets. Assassin class.
"My lord. Enemy?"
"Looks like."
"I'll eliminate my lord's foe."
Aros vanishes. Her signature Blink.
Aggro as hell—she dives right in.
She reappears a ghost right on my flank.
"Slow."
Tilt my head, let the dagger glance off. Shock flickers across her face. Holy Gauntlet forms on my right fist, thrust at her. She blinks out again.
True Shield Strike (순격(盾擊))
‘Aros's Blink has stacks. Five total.’
Recharges daily. Burn 'em all, she's harmless.
In the original, she toyed with Lumiia using those stacks. Won't work on me. I'm a pro at hide-and-seek.
"Nngh! What the fuck are you!?"
Aros blinks frantically.
She's burned three already. One leap closes the gap she makes.
"Two left."
"H-How...?!"
Caught her weakness—face cracks with panic. Opening in her moves.
"Found it!"
Lunge at the flustered Aros. Then—sharp killing intent from behind.
‘True Shield Strike’
Activate to parry the attack. Lumiia's massive greatsword slams into my gauntlet-clad right hand.
"Tch! That was your opening!"
Lumiia looks pissed. Aros just stares, totally lost.