2026-01-27 19:29:28Thick concrete dust hung suspended in the air, dancing within the beams of the colossal mechanical eye that pierced through the shattered pantry wall. Amidst the carnage, Mark Miller stood with an uncanny stillness—an emotional anomaly fueled by the neon-green fluid he had just consumed.
The icy sensation coursing through his veins made Mark feel as though he were merely a spectator in a film of his own life. He knew his ribs were crushed; he knew his fingers were turning a bruised indigo, but his numbed mind no longer registered the signals of alarm.
"Subject Miller," the voice of The Auditor resonated like a thousand colliding radio frequencies. "Your work efficiency exceeds the average employee in this sector. However, the financial report of your life... shows an unacceptable deficit."
Mark wiped the black ichor of The Janitor from his cheek, meeting the mechanical eye with a flat, hollow gaze. "Deficit? I just finished cleaning up the mess on this floor. Isn't that what you people want? An employee with initiative?"
"Initiative without compliance is insurrection," The Auditor countered. The giant metallic arm lurched forward, sweeping away the ruins of the kitchen counter as if it were mere dust.
"Mark! Help us!"
Sarah’s scream shattered the tension. Mark turned to find Sarah and David buried beneath the wreckage of the exploded wall. Heavy concrete pinned David’s legs, while Sarah was trapped in a corner, her oxygen thinning amidst the dust and pressure.
"Miller... don’t leave us..." David whimpered, his face a mask of grime and blood. "You said... you wouldn't let the system win..."
Mark stared at them, his thoughts a chaotic whirl, before glancing at the holographic screen flickering red beside him.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: AUDIT STATUS]
[The Auditor is evaluating the value of 'Side Assets' (Sarah & David).]
[Market Value: Low. Suggestion: Allow elimination to reduce your point debt by 150 points.]
"Only 150 points?" Mark muttered, his voice chillingly devoid of emotion. "You’ve got to be kidding. Is their lives truly that cheap? Bargain-bin system."
"Mark, what are you talking about?!" Sarah shrieked from beneath the rubble. "Help us! Use your system powers! I don't want to die for nothing!"
Mark stepped toward The Auditor, ignoring Sarah’s pleas. He stood directly before the metallic limb that could crush him in an instant. "Listen, Auditor. You called me an important subject. Why? Is it because I’m the only one who didn't cry like a babe when you tore the world apart? What is the real reason you consider me significant?"
The lens of the mechanical eye whirred, conducting a rapid scan of Mark’s vitals. "Your heart rate... 60 bpm. Stable. You do not fear death, Miller. That is what makes you a high-value asset for the Third Party. We require operators who can think with absolute clarity as reality collapses. You are near-perfect for what we deem essential."
"If I’m a high-value asset," Mark pointed his iron beam toward Sarah and David, "then I need assistants. I can't manage this entire city alone. It’s inefficient. I’m sure you understand—even HR needs administrators to track attendance."
"Low-tier employees will only hinder you," The Auditor hissed with sharp static. "Let them become hell-fuel for a thousand years, or an eternity. That is the ultimate destination for those who fail to adapt to this system."
Mark felt the effects of the painkiller begin to wane; a faint throb emerged in his ribs, a grim reminder that his "peace" was on a timer. He had to act fast to win this high-stakes negotiation.
"I’m proposing a renegotiation," Mark stated, his voice deep and dramatic. "I will sign the 'Permanent Overtime' contract if you release them from the thousand-year sentence. Put them on my team. If they die in the line of duty, that’s on me. But don't turn them into fuel yet."
[System: "Warning! The 'Permanent Overtime' contract will lock your points forever. You will never be able to purchase 'Freedom' or 'Return to the Old World'."]
The old world is dead, you idiot, Mark cursed internally. There is no home to go back to.
The Auditor went silent for a moment, the sound of data processing like a small thunderstorm behind the wall. "Negotiation accepted—with one additional condition. You must settle your 440-point debt within the next hour... or you will take their place in the furnace of hell yourself."
Suddenly, the metallic arm moved. Instead of attacking Mark, it hoisted the massive slabs of concrete pinning David and Sarah with a single, powerful jolt.
CRACK!
"Cough! Cough!" David wheezed, trying to pull his mangled legs free. Sarah scrambled out immediately, trembling violently, staring at Mark as if he were the devil who had just spared them.
"You... you sold your freedom for us, Mark?" Sarah whispered, her voice thick with disbelief.
Mark didn't look back. He stared at the holographic screen, which had turned a blinding gold—yet felt like a noose around his neck.
[System: "Contract Updated. New Position: Senior Field Operator (Status: Bound Eternally)."]
[New Mission: 'First Quarter Target'. Kill 10 'Elite' level monsters in the emergency stairwell within 60 minutes.]
[Reward: Group Survival. Failure: Collective Infernal Reincarnation.]
"Don't thank me," Mark said coldly, his eyes fixed on the rubble-strewn pantry exit. "You’re no longer my coworkers. You’re my equipment. If you prove useless, I’ll hand you over to the Auditor myself."
"Miller, my leg... I can't walk fast," David groaned, struggling to stand.
Mark approached, gripping David’s shoulder with enough force to press into an open wound. David cried out in pain.
"That pain means you're still alive, David," Mark hissed. "Relish it. Because soon, you’ll be yearning for this kind of ordinary agony."
Mark kicked the emergency door open. Beyond it lay not the office stairs he remembered, but an endless spiral lined with pulsating flesh and thousands of eyes staring back at them.
"Run," Mark ordered.
However, as they took their first step out, one final notification appeared before Mark's eyes, freezing him in place.
[System: "Message from the Prime Administrator: 'Mark, do not trust The Auditor. He does not work for us.'"]
Mark was stunned. If The Auditor wasn't part of the system... then who—or what—had he just signed a contract with?
"What do you mean? The Auditor isn't one of yours?"
A chilling, static-filled laughter echoed from the ruined wall as the light of the mechanical eye slowly faded, leaving them in the darkness of the pulsating stairwell.
Had Mark just signed a contract with an entity far more dangerous than the System itself?
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CHAPTER 12: BLOODY MERGER AND THE UNION OF THE DAMNED
The world was like a piece of paper being crumpled by a giant hand. The thunderous roar of concrete grinding against other realities created a deafening symphony of destruction. The Debt Collection Headquarters, which had just been Mark’s battlefield, was now merely a tiny cell in a growing, gargantuan organism. Through the cracked windows, Mark saw skyscrapers from various corners of the globe—some appearing to be from a flickering neon future, others like medieval castles infected by digital circuitry—colliding and merging into one another.[MERGER PROCESS: 88% COMPLETE][NOTICE: REGIONAL RESTRUCTURING IN PROGRESS][Executive Voice: "Miller, congratulations. You are no longer a big fish in a small pond. Welcome to the Corporate Ocean. 10,000 Operators from the Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Near-Galaxy sectors have been merged into a single server: 'THE GLOBAL OFFICE'."]"Global Office?" Mark spat, wiping blood from his lip. He stood atop the ruins of the 50th floor, which was now forcib
Chapter 11 - Termination Without Severance
The lift to the 50th floor hurtled upwards at a speed capable of leaving an ordinary human’s stomach behind on the ground floor. Inside the polished, chrome-plated metal box, Mark Miller stood rigid, unmoving. His reflection on the lift wall was no longer that of an exhausted man in a crumpled office shirt, but a predator with a dark aura shimmering faintly around his body.David leaned against the corner of the lift, gasping for air. He stared at Mark with a look that bordered more on fear than admiration. "Mark... you... are you alright? You haven't blinked since we left the lobby."Mark turned his head slowly. His movements were calculated and highly efficient, as if every inch of his muscle had been calibrated by an algorithm. "A low blink rate increases visual focus by 12%. I am currently performing asset optimisation, David. You should also learn to regulate your oxygen intake. You’re wasting breath.""Wasting breath?" David gave a bitter laugh. "Mark, you’re talking like a poss
Chapter 10 - Bloody Audit on The Liquidation Floor
The Billing Headquarters stood tall like a gargantuan tombstone amidst the city’s ruins. Its brutalist architecture—composed of windowless grey concrete on the lower floors—exuded a cold, predatory aura of authority. As Mark Miller stepped through the creaking revolving doors, he was greeted by a scent he knew all too well: the smell of aged paper, cheap printer ink, and the cold sweat of desperate workers.[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: YOU ARE ENTERING THE 'DEBT COLLECTION' RED ZONE][Status: Delinquent Debtor (Category: Total Default)][Helpdesk System: "Mark, as your career assistant, I strongly advise you to turn back. Entering this area without additional collateral is considered an attempt to evade debt. Consequence: Forced Soul Seizure."]"I’m not evading anything, you idiot," Mark growled, tightening his grip on the 'Contract Termination' Hammer he had purchased on the Black Market. "I’m here to perform a counter-collection. Tell your boss Mark Miller wants to close his account... per
Chapter 9 - Minimum Service Standards
The lingering static from the "system penalty" still prickled Mark Miller’s nerve endings as he landed on the scorched asphalt of Residential Sector 4-B. Smoke curled from his charred shoulders, but Mark only grunted, rolling his neck with a sickening crack. Thanks to the mysterious "hacker" from The Underground, the lightning meant to incinerate him had been diverted to recharge the Budget-Cutting Chainsaw in his grip.[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: HELPDESK OPERATIONAL][Status: Reboot Complete.][Message: "Operator Miller, baiting lightning is a severe violation of Workplace Safety SOPs. This has been noted in your behavioral conduct report. Now, please resume asset clearing."]"A conduct report? Am I back in high school now?" Mark spat, his blood mingled with soot. "I nearly died, and you’re worried about SOPs? Where’s your corporate empathy, huh?"[Helpdesk System: "Empathy has no exchange value on the galactic stock market, Mark. Efficiency, however, is at a premium. Before you lies a cl
Chapter 8 - Helpdesk From Hell and The One-Star Rating
Mark Miller stood at the threshold of the rooftop, but instead of the open sky, he found himself plunged into a liminal space that resembled a gargantuan customer service hub, suspended over a burning residential zone. Before him, a new holographic display flickered to life—this time in a dull, uninspiring pale blue, reminiscent of the office software color schemes from the early 2000s.[WELCOME TO THE LATEST FEATURE: HELPDESK SYSTEM & FIELD PARTNER][Your status has been upgraded from ‘Operator’ to ‘Customer Success Hero’.]"Customer Success Hero?" Mark spat, his blood staining the translucent hologram. "You rebrand me after I’ve killed the man who tried to warn me? And what is that smell? Why does this place reek of old carpets and despair?"[Helpdesk System: "That aroma is ‘Essence of Productivity,’ Senior Operator Miller. We apologize for the inconvenience. Based on your performance evaluation in Chapter 7, the Board of Directors has determined that you require stricter bureaucrat
Chapter 7 - Termination of Speaking Right
The silence within the opulent room was more suffocating than the dust-choked air of the spiral staircase. The man behind the executive desk exhaled a cloud of cigar smoke that smelled of expensive vanilla—a sickening contradiction in the midst of a rotting world.Mark Miller did not move. His hollow eyes were locked onto the man’s throat. In the periphery of his vision, a crimson system notification pulsed incessantly, demanding execution.[System Order: EXECUTE TARGET NOW][Status: Priority SSS][Delay Penalty: Erasure of Self-Awareness in 60 seconds...]"Mark, wait!" Sarah screamed from the doorway, her voice trembling. "He said that contract is a suicide note for humanity! We have to hear his explanation!"The well-dressed man offered a thin smile, as if Sarah’s plea were nothing more than insignificant background noise. "The System is afraid, Mark. It fears I will tell you that you aren't saving the world. You are building a much larger prison for—"WUT!Without warning, Mark lun
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