Ji-woo made it three blocks before they found him.
He was walking through Gangnam's morning crowds, trying to blend in despite his disheveled appearance. The dungeon might heal his wounds, but it did nothing for his sweat-soaked clothes or the mental exhaustion that came from nearly dying several times in an hour.
"Kim Ji-woo." The voice came from his left—male, confident, with an edge that suggested he was used to being obeyed.
Ji-woo turned to see three people blocking his path. Two men and a woman, all in their twenties or early thirties, all wearing matching red leather jackets with a stylized crimson blade embroidered on the back.
Crimson Blades. One of Seoul's three major guilds.
The speaker was tall and well-built, with sharp features and eyes that evaluated Ji-woo like a piece of equipment. His hand rested casually on his belt, where Ji-woo's Debt Sense detected something powerful—a weapon, probably a high-level drop.
"We need to talk," the man said. It wasn't a request.
"I don't think we have anything to discuss." Ji-woo tried to step around them, but the woman moved to block him. She was smaller than her companion but moved with predatory grace.
"Oh, I think we do." The leader smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "You just cleared a level two dungeon solo. Took you thirty-five minutes. That's... impressive for someone who just started four days ago."
They'd been watching. Tracking him somehow. Ji-woo's mind raced—had they been inside the abandoned clinic? No, Yoon had said other Reapers couldn't enter unless they chose the same dungeon from their own notifications.
"We can track dungeon clear times through the regional leaderboard," the leader said, reading his expression. "You're rank 189 now in Seoul. Moving up fast. That attracts attention."
"What do you want?"
"I'm Lee Tae-yang, vice-commander of Crimson Blades." He gestured to his companions. "This is Kang Min-ji and Park Sung-ho. We're recruiters. And you, Kim Ji-woo, are exactly the kind of talent we're looking for."
Yoon's warning echoed in his mind: Guilds offer protection, resources, training. But they also take a cut of your debt reduction—usually twenty percent. And if the guild master orders you into a suicide dungeon...
"Not interested," Ji-woo said flatly.
Tae-yang's smile hardened. "You don't understand how this works yet. Let me explain. Seoul has roughly two hundred active Debt Reapers. About sixty percent belong to one of the three major guilds. The rest are independents—solo players trying to survive on their own."
He stepped closer, lowering his voice despite the crowd around them. Normal people passed by, oblivious to the conversation happening in their midst.
"Want to know how many independents make it past level ten? Less than five percent. The dungeons get exponentially harder, Ji-woo. The monsters get smarter, faster, deadlier. And without guild support—equipment, information, backup—most solo players end up dead in some nightmare dimension."
"I'll take my chances."
Min-ji laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "Tough guy. We get a lot of those. They all think they're special, that they can beat the system alone." She leaned in, her breath smelling of mint and something metallic. "They're usually dead within three months."
"We're offering you something valuable," Tae-yang continued. "Join Crimson Blades, and you get access to our guild warehouse. Weapons, armor, consumables—all at discount prices. You get information on dungeon types, boss patterns, optimal strategies. You get training from experienced Reapers who've survived dozens of dungeons."
"And in exchange?"
"Twenty percent of your debt reduction goes to the guild fund. You participate in mandatory guild dungeons once a month. You follow orders from the commander." Tae-yang shrugged. "Small price for staying alive."
Ji-woo considered it. Twenty percent of fifteen million was three million won. Still, twelve million in debt reduction per dungeon wasn't bad. And the benefits—equipment, information, training—could be the difference between life and death in higher-level dungeons.
But something about Tae-yang's smile, about the way Min-ji and Sung-ho flanked him like enforcers, set off alarm bells.
"What happens if I refuse?"
The smile vanished. "Then you stay independent. And independent Reapers... well, they have accidents. Dungeons are dangerous places. Easy to get overwhelmed. Easy to die." His hand touched his belt weapon. "Especially when other Reapers decide you're competition for the best dungeon locations."
There it was. The threat underneath the offer. Join us or face us.
"I need time to think about it," Ji-woo said carefully.
"Sure. Take twenty-four hours." Tae-yang handed him a business card—an actual physical card with a phone number and the Crimson Blades logo. "Call this number with your decision. If we don't hear from you..." He left the sentence hanging. "Well, let's hope we hear from you."
They walked away, disappearing into the Gangnam crowd as quickly as they'd appeared.
Ji-woo stood there for a moment, processing. He'd been a Debt Reaper for four days and already he was being recruited—no, coerced—into joining a guild. And if Crimson Blades was recruiting him, the other two major guilds probably knew about him too.
His phone buzzed. Not the system this time—a text from an unknown number.
Don't join them. - Y
Yoon. Somehow she'd been watching too.
Another text followed immediately: Meet me. Same place. Tonight 11pm. Important.
Ji-woo deleted both messages and headed home. He needed rest, food, and time to think without people threatening or recruiting him every five minutes.
His apartment felt both too small and too large when he got back. The walls seemed to close in, but the space felt empty—no one to talk to, no one to share the insanity of what his life had become.
He checked his new items in inventory.
[CORRUPTED SURGEON'S SCALPEL (RARE)][DAMAGE: 25-35][SPECIAL: CRITICAL HIT RATE +15%][SPECIAL: ATTACKS INFLICT BLEEDING (5 HP/SECOND FOR 10 SECONDS)][DURABILITY: 100/100]
The scalpel was significantly better than his starting weapon. The bleeding effect alone could add fifty damage over time to every hit. And the increased critical rate meant more big damage spikes.
[SURGICAL MASK OF CLARITY][TYPE: ACCESSORY][EFFECT: +2 INTELLIGENCE][EFFECT: IMMUNE TO FEAR AND CONFUSION EFFECTS]
His first piece of equipment with stat bonuses. Two intelligence meant more MP and faster regeneration. And immunity to fear effects could be lifesaving against certain monsters.
[MEDICAL SUPPLIES][TYPE: CONSUMABLE][EFFECT: RESTORE 50 HP INSTANTLY][QUANTITY: 5]
Healing items. Finally. Each one could save his life in a tight spot.
Ji-woo equipped the Surgical Mask—it appeared on his face, translucent and almost invisible unless someone looked closely. The intelligence boost was immediate; he could feel his thoughts becoming sharper, his MP bar ticking up from 50 to 54.
His status now read:
[KIM JI-WOO - LEVEL 4 DEBT REAPER][HP: 160/160][MP: 54/54][STRENGTH: 10][AGILITY: 11][VITALITY: 14][INTELLIGENCE: 14][UNALLOCATED STAT POINTS: 5]
He was getting stronger. Each level made a noticeable difference. But Tae-yang's words haunted him: Want to know how many independents make it past level ten? Less than five percent.
What happened at level ten? What changed?
Ji-woo opened his phone and checked the leaderboard. He'd jumped to rank 189 in Seoul after clearing the clinic. The top-ranked player in Seoul was rank 12 globally, level 34, with their debt reduced to ₩89,000,000 from an unknown starting amount.
Level 34. That player had cleared at least thirty-four dungeons. At one per week, that was over eight months of constant fighting. Eight months of surviving.
Could Ji-woo do that alone?
His phone rang. Unknown number. He almost didn't answer, but something made him pick up.
"Kim Ji-woo?" An unfamiliar female voice, professional and crisp.
"Who is this?"
"My name is Song Ha-yoon. I represent Silver Dawn, one of Seoul's three major guilds. I understand Crimson Blades already approached you today."
Word traveled fast in the Reaper community.
"I'm not interested in joining a guild," Ji-woo said.
"I'm not calling to recruit you." Ha-yoon's tone was matter-of-fact. "I'm calling to warn you. Crimson Blades has a reputation for aggressive recruitment. Players who refuse them often find themselves targeted in dungeons. If you enter the same dungeon as a Crimson Blade member and you're not part of the guild, they'll kill you and take half your debt reduction as a bonus."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because Silver Dawn believes in choice. We recruit through demonstration of value, not threats. I wanted you to know that you have options." She paused. "We're hosting an information session tomorrow evening at our guild hall in Itaewon. No obligation, no pressure. Just come, listen, meet our members. If you decide Silver Dawn isn't for you, you walk away. No consequences."
It sounded too good to be true. But Ha-yoon's tone lacked the predatory edge that Tae-yang's had carried.
"I'll think about it," Ji-woo said.
"That's all I ask. The address is 47 Noksapyeong-daero, third floor. 7 PM tomorrow." She hung up before he could respond.
Two guilds in one day. Ji-woo wondered when the third—Iron Chains—would make their move.
He didn't have to wonder long.
At 6 PM, there was a knock on his door.
Ji-woo looked through the peephole and saw a man in his forties, stocky and muscular, wearing casual clothes. No guild jacket or obvious insignia. But his Debt Sense pinged powerfully from the man—this was a high-level Reaper.
"Kim Ji-woo, I know you're in there." The man's voice was gravelly but not unkind. "I'm not here to threaten or recruit you. I just want to talk. Five minutes of your time."
Against his better judgment, Ji-woo opened the door but left the chain lock engaged.
"I'm Hwang Dal-soo, Iron Chains guild." The man held up his hands, showing they were empty. "I heard about your encounters today. Crimson Blades threatening you, Silver Dawn playing nice. Thought you might want to hear the third option before you make any decisions."
"And what's the third option?"
"Don't join any guild." Hwang's expression was serious. "Stay independent, get strong on your own, and only work with others when it benefits you directly. That's what Iron Chains is—a coalition of independents who cooperate when it makes sense but don't owe anyone anything."
"That sounds like a guild."
"It's not. We don't take a cut of your debt reduction. We don't have mandatory dungeons. We don't have commanders giving orders." Hwang leaned against the doorframe. "What we have is a network. Information sharing, emergency backup, group dungeon coordination when people want it. You pay a small membership fee—one million won per month—and you get access to our database and communication channels."
One million per month versus twenty percent of his debt reduction. The math favored Iron Chains significantly.
"What's the catch?"
"No catch. Iron Chains works because we don't try to control our members. We're not building a hierarchy or trying to dominate Seoul's Reaper population. We're just trying to survive." Hwang handed him a different business card, this one simple black with just a phone number. "Think about it. Call if you're interested. If not, no hard feelings."
He walked away without another word.
Ji-woo closed the door and leaned against it, exhausted. Three guilds, three different approaches, all in one day. And somewhere in this mess, Yoon wanted to meet him tonight with "important" information.
He allocated his new stat points—2 Vitality, 2 Agility, 1 Strength—and tried to rest. But sleep wouldn't come. His mind kept spinning through scenarios, weighing options, calculating risks.
At 10:45 PM, he left for Hangang Park.
Yoon was waiting in the same spot as before, but this time she wasn't alone. Two other people stood with her—a young man about Ji-woo's age and an older woman, maybe mid-forties.
"This is dangerous," Yoon said without preamble. "The fact that all three guilds contacted you in one day means they've been watching you closely. You're on everyone's radar now."
"Why? I've only cleared two dungeons."
"Because of how fast you cleared them and how efficiently you're progressing." The young man spoke up. "I'm Choi Min-seok. I've been a Reaper for six months, level 8. It took me three weeks to clear my first two dungeons. You did it in four days."
"The system identifies efficient players," the older woman added. "I'm Dr. Kang Su-jin, former physician, now level 11 Reaper. The guilds watch the leaderboards obsessively, looking for talent to recruit or eliminate."
"Eliminate?"
"Independents who show too much promise become targets," Yoon explained. "Guilds see them as future competition for high-level dungeons, which drop the best loot and offer the biggest debt reductions. So they try to recruit you first, and if that fails..." She drew a finger across her throat.
"This is insane."
"This is survival." Yoon's expression was grim. "Which is why we wanted to meet you tonight. The three of us, and five others, have formed an unofficial group. We're not a guild—we don't have a name, don't have ranks, don't take cuts from each other. We just share information and watch each other's backs."
"Iron Chains approached me with something similar."
"Iron Chains is too big, too visible," Dr. Kang said. "They claim to be independent, but they have over forty members. That's a power structure, whether they admit it or not. What we're offering is different—a small group of eight people who trust each other enough to coordinate when it matters."
Min-seok nodded. "We've helped each other survive multiple dungeons. We share loot, information on boss patterns, warnings about guild movements. And because we're small, we stay under the radar."
Ji-woo looked at the three of them. Yoon had saved his life with her advice. These others seemed genuine. But Yoon had also warned him: Don't trust other Reapers.
"Why should I trust you?" he asked bluntly.
"Because we're all three dungeons or less away from freedom," Yoon said. "I need three more clears. Min-seok needs four. Dr. Kang needs two. We don't need to kill other Reapers for their debt reduction because we're almost out. The guilds? They have members with hundreds of millions in debt. Those people are desperate enough to do anything."
It made a certain logical sense. Someone who could see the finish line wouldn't risk everything for a small bonus. But someone drowning in debt with no end in sight...
"I need to think about it," Ji-woo said.
"Take your time," Dr. Kang said. "But not too much time. The guilds will press for an answer soon, and once you're committed to one path, changing course becomes very difficult."
They gave him a different phone number—their group's encrypted messaging app—and dispersed into the night.
Ji-woo walked home through Seoul's neon-lit streets, his mind churning. Four days as a Debt Reaper, and already he was being pulled in multiple directions. Guilds, coalitions, small groups—everyone wanted something from him.
His phone buzzed with a system notification.
[NEW DUNGEON AVAILABLE][LOCATION: SEONGDONG WAREHOUSE DISTRICT - LEVEL 3][RECOMMENDED COMPLETION TIME: 72 HOURS][SPECIAL: DUNGEON OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER REAPER]
Ji-woo's blood ran cold. Another Reaper was already in that dungeon.
A second notification appeared:
[REAPER #1847 REQUESTS ASSISTANCE][DUNGEON: SEONGDONG WAREHOUSE DISTRICT][REWARD FOR ASSISTANCE: SPLIT DEBT REDUCTION + BONUS EXPERIENCE][WARNING: COOPERATION CARRIES RISKS]
Someone was asking for help. A stranger. And the system was giving him the choice to either help, ignore it, or potentially enter and kill them for half their debt reduction.
This was the real test. Not fighting monsters—fighting the temptation to betray other humans for personal gain.
Ji-woo stared at his phone for a long moment.
Then he made his decision.
[END CHAPTER 6]