The fluorescent lights of the convenience store buzzed like angry wasps above Kang Min-joon's head. He stood behind the counter, counting coins for the third time, hoping the numbers would somehow change. They never did."Two hundred won short," he muttered, staring at the small pile of money.His phone vibrated. Another message. Min-joon did not need to look to know what it said. The collectors always sent reminders at exactly 11:47 PM, thirteen minutes before his shift ended.A customer walked in. Min-joon looked up and forced a smile onto his tired face."Welcome," he said, his voice flat.The man ignored him and walked straight to the instant noodle section. Min-joon watched him grab three cups and a can of coffee. Regular customer. Always bought the same things. Never made eye contact.The automatic doors opened again. This time, Min-joon's stomach dropped.Two men in black suits entered. One was tall and broad, with a scar running down his left cheek. The other was shorter, wear

Min-joon opened his eyes and fell to his knees, gasping.He was back in the convenience store. Behind the counter. Exactly where he had been before.The clock on the wall said 12:00 AM. His shift was over.He looked down at his hands. They were shaking but uninjured. No scratches, no bruises. His clothes were clean. It was like nothing had happened.But his phone was still glowing red in his hand.TASK COMPLETE.REWARD: 5,000,000 WON REMOVED FROM YOUR DEBT.NEW DEBT TOTAL: 37,000,000 WON.NEXT TASK WILL BE ASSIGNED IN 24 HOURS.Min-joon stared at the screen. Five million won. In thirty minutes, he had reduced his debt by five million won. That was more than he could earn in a year of working both jobs.But he had almost died. Those creatures had been real. He could still hear the clicking sound in his mind.His phone buzzed again. A new notification appeared, but this one was not from the app. It was a bank alert.Payment received: 5,000,000 won.Min-joon felt like he might throw up.

When the white light faded, Min-joon was standing in a hallway.The walls were white tile, cracked and stained with something dark. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, buzzing like insects. The air smelled wrong. Like chemicals and rot mixed together.Min-joon looked down. He was still holding the steel bat. Good. The weapon had transferred over.His phone buzzed.TASK: FIND THE EXIT.TIME LIMIT: 2 HOURS.REWARD: 7,000,000 WON WILL BE REMOVED FROM YOUR DEBT.PENALTY FOR FAILURE: DEATH.SPECIAL CONDITION: DO NOT LOOK AT THEM DIRECTLY.TIME REMAINING: 1:59:58.Min-joon read the message three times, focusing on the special condition. Do not look at them directly. Look at what?He started walking down the hallway. His footsteps echoed on the tile floor. Every few steps, he passed a doorway. Some doors were closed. Others hung open, showing dark rooms beyond.Min-joon peered into one of the open rooms without entering. It looked like a hospital room. There was a bed with restraints on i

Min-joon woke up twelve hours later. The sun was setting, painting the apartment walls orange. He felt better, but his body was still sore.His phone showed several missed calls from Ji-ho at the construction site. Min-joon sent a quick text saying he was sick, then checked the Debt System app.NEXT TASK IN 36 HOURS.Still plenty of time. Min-joon decided to use it wisely.He needed to understand his power better. The lying ability was useful, but dangerous. He needed to practice controlling it before the next task.Min-joon went to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. Dark circles under his eyes. Pale skin. Bandages on his back. He looked like someone who was dying.Maybe he was."I look healthy," Min-joon said to his reflection.The change was immediate. The dark circles faded. His skin got some color back. He looked like he had slept for days instead of hours.But he felt the drain. Something inside him got a little bit emptier.Min-joon tried a truth next. "I am scare

Min-joon spent the next day practicing. He woke up early, left the apartment before Tae-hyun was awake, and went to the abandoned parking lot.He practiced lying and speaking truths, over and over. Building his confidence, learning to feel the flow of power. It was like exercising a muscle he never knew he had.By noon, he could make small objects disappear with barely any effort. By evening, he could change the properties of materials without draining himself completely.He was getting stronger.NEXT TASK IN 6 HOURS.Min-joon checked the notification and took a deep breath. Time to prepare.He went home and found Tae-hyun cooking dinner. The apartment smelled like soy sauce and garlic."Perfect timing," Tae-hyun said cheerfully. "I made japchae. Your favorite."They ate together, talking about Tae-hyun's day at school. He had aced another test. The scholarship essay was going well. Everything seemed normal and peaceful.Min-joon wished he could freeze this moment forever.After dinne