The Sovereign Overlord: I Can See The Hidden Stats

Collecting the Debt

Chidi took one step forward, the black shaft of the Dragon Spear resting in his right hand. The cheap linoleum floor beneath his boots groaned under his weight.

"Say that again," Chidi said. His voice was deep, muffled by the black cloth over his face.

Tunde scoffed, waving a hand toward his three massive bodyguards. "I do not care what mercenary guild hired you to guard this trash heap. I am the young master of the Golden Sun Guild. If you interfere with guild business, I will make sure your hunter license is canceled by midnight."

Amina stepped around Tunde, holding the eviction notice higher. Her fingers were steady, but she looked at Chidi's black mask with a flicker of doubt. "This has nothing to do with you, stranger. Chidi Vance signed a contract. He used our guild's advance money to buy high-grade fire potions for me, promising to pay it back with dungeon loot. He died today because he was weak. His family must give up this apartment to clear the balance."

Chidi looked at Amina through the narrow eye slots of his mask. The shameless words left her lips so easily. He had starved himself for months so she could drink those flame potions. He had destroyed his knuckles carrying her gear. Now, she stood in his mother's home, using his supposed death to throw his family onto the street.

From the old sofa, Chidi's mother looked up, tears staining her wrinkled cheeks. "Please, Amina. We grew up next door to each other. You know we have nowhere else to go. Give us a few weeks to find a new place."

"We cannot do that, Mrs. Vance," Amina said. Her voice was flat, totally empty of the warmth she used to have when they were kids. "Business is business. In this new world, people without levels cannot expect charity from high-rank hunters. It is a waste of resources."

Tunde laughed, adjusting his golden gauntlets. "Stop talking to them, Amina. Men, throw this masked trash out of the room first. Then toss the old woman's clothes onto the pavement."

The largest bodyguard, a level-15 defender with a heavy steel shield, stepped toward Chidi. He raised his shield, intending to slam Chidi against the wall.

Chidi did not move until the heavy metal shield was inches from his face. His Sovereign Gaze flashed instantly, projecting a clear blue box over the bodyguard’s stance.

[Target: Level 15 Defender.]

[Weakness: Heavy shield creates a blind spot on the lower right flank. Balance center is shifted forward.]

Chidi moved like a blur. He dropped his shoulder, sliding right beneath the bodyguard’s line of sight. He drove the blunt end of the Dragon Spear upward, striking the man directly under the right armpit where the armor plates connected.

The massive defender let out a loud gasp. The force of the strike lifted his feet off the floor, sending his heavy body crashing hard against the apartment’s small dining table. The wooden table shattered into splinters.

The other two bodyguards drew their steel swords, their faces twisting in shock. Before they could take a full step, Chidi spun the Dragon Spear in a tight circle. The long black shaft whipped through the air, striking both men across their shins at the exact same moment.

A double crack filled the room. The two men fell forward, dropping their swords as they clutched their broken legs, groaning in intense pain on the floor.

Tunde’s smile vanished. He stumbled backward until his golden armor pressed against the front door. "What kind of monster are you? My father is an S-rank hunter! He will hunt you down for this!

Chidi did not say a word. He walked toward Tunde, the silver tip of the Dragon Spear scraping lightly against the floor.

Amina’s face turned completely white. She dropped the eviction notice, her hands shaking as she looked at the three unconscious bodyguards. She raised her right hand, a small flame flickering on her fingertips. "Stay back! I am a rare flame mage! If you touch us, the entire Golden Sun Guild will destroy you!"

Chidi stopped just two inches from the tip of her fingers. He did not look at her flame. He reached up with his left hand and slowly pulled the black mask down from his face.

"Chidi?" Amina gasped. Her small flame died instantly, her eyes going wide as she stared at his face. She stumbled backward, her knees knocking together. "No... no, this is impossible. You were locked in the boss room. The Stone King... the roof fell. We saw it collapse!"

Tunde’s mouth fell open, his face turning the color of old paper. "You... you are that useless scavenger? How are you alive? What is that weapon?"

Chidi looked at Amina, his face completely expressionless. "You said I panicked, Amina. You told the news cameras that I caused the roof to collapse because I was careless."

Amina swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She looked at the powerful black spear in his hand, then at the defeated bodyguards. A look of desperate panic filled her eyes, and she immediately tried to change her expression, forcing a soft, tearful smile onto her face.

She took a small step toward him, reaching her hand out as if to touch his sleeve. "Chidi... listen to me. Tunde forced me to close that door! He threatened to throw me to the monster if I didn't help him. I only said those things on the news because his father forced me to. I did it to survive, Chidi. You know I still love you. I was going to use the guild’s money to help your mother later, I swear!"

Before she could finish the sentence, a bright, jagged crimson screen erupted right in front of Chidi's eyes, flashing with blinding intensity.

[Warning: High-Frequency Lie Detected.]

[Target Amina is attempting psychological manipulation. Malice level: 95 percent.]

Chidi did not wait. He raised his right foot and kicked Tunde hard in the chest. The rich boy flew out of the open doorway, tumbling down the concrete stairs outside like a heavy golden ball.

Chidi then turned back to Amina, his eyes colder than ice. He grabbed her by the collar of her expensive red robes, dragging her toward the door.

"Let go of me!" Amina cried out, clawing at his hands. "Chidi, please! We grew up together!"

Chidi threw her out into the hallway, right next to where Tunde was groaning in the dirt. He tossed the crumpled eviction paper onto her face.

"The debt is settled," Chidi said, his voice ringing through the corridor. "If I see either of you near my mother again, I will not use the blunt end of this spear."

He slammed the apartment door shut, locking it tight. Inside, his mother was staring at him in absolute shock, unable to speak.

Suddenly, a muffled, angry scratching sound came from the inner pocket of Chidi's jacket. The tiny golden lizard, Obi, poked its round head out, its black eyes blinking rapidly. It let out a loud, high-pitched squeak, pointing its fat tail toward the window.

Chidi walked over to the glass and looked outside. Down in the street, three black luxury cars had just pulled up, completely blocking the road. A tall man in a tailored suit stepped out, surrounded by dozens of heavily armed hunters.

Chidi’s system screen instantly turned a deep, bloody red.

[Warning! Emergency Status.]

[An elite hunting party from the Iron Fang Guild has tracked the silver token in your pocket. The sector is surrounded. Escape probability: 5 percent.]