Chapter 4: The Price of Loyalty
The air inside the newly sanctified dispensary grew heavy. The tactical team from **Golden Leaf Corp** didn't look like common thugs; they moved with the precision of machines. Their "Energy Nullifiers" hummed—a jagged, artificial sound that grated against the peaceful vibration of the Earth Union's first branch.
"Last warning, kid," the lead mercenary, a man named **Vane**, barked. His suit was reinforced with a dark, matte alloy. "This building is under corporate seizure. You're trespassing on a legacy that was bought and paid for before you were born."
Dev stood his ground, his hands folded behind his back. He didn't look at the weapons. He looked at the men.
Under the golden light of his System, he saw more than their gear. He saw their "Status."
> **[System Insight: Identifying 'Contracted Souls'...]**
> **[Target: Vane (Mercenary). Status: High Stress. Debt: $1.2M (Medical debt for daughter).]**
> **[Target: Merc-2. Status: Resentful. Loyalty: 12% (Paid in installments).]**
Dev realized a profound truth: The **Asuric Cartel** didn't rule through loyalty; they ruled through **Debt**. They kept people in chains of paper and interest.
"You speak of legacy, Vane," Dev said, his voice echoing in the sandalwood-scented room. "But your heart is elsewhere. Your daughter is in a hospital owned by the same man who pays you to break doors. He creates the illness, then sells you the cure. Is that the Dharma of a man?"
Vane stiffened. The hum of the Nullifier wavered. "How do you know about—? Shut up! This is business."
"Then let's talk business," Dev said.
---
Outside, a crowd of slum-dwellers had gathered. They saw the black SUVs and the armored men. They expected another "eviction," another tragedy.
But then, a strange sound drifted from the windows of the dispensary. It wasn't the sound of fighting. It was a rhythmic, digital **[Ching! Ching! Ching!]**.
---
Inside, Dev's golden screen was a blur of activity.
> **[Action: Strategic Buy-Out initiated.]**
> **[Calculating Debt Clearance for 4 Targets...]**
> **[Total Cost: $4.8 Million.]**
> **[Balance: $5.1 Million... $4.8 Million... Deducting...]**
Vane's wrist-mounted comms unit suddenly screamed. A bright green notification flashed on his display—not from his company, but from his personal bank.
**[ACCOUNT NOTIFICATION: External Deposit Received. Balance: DEBT CLEARED. Remaining Credit: $100,000.]**
The other three mercenaries gasped, their weapons lowering involuntarily. They stared at their screens in disbelief. In a single heartbeat, the weight that had crushed their lives for years was gone.
"What did you do?" Vane whispered, his face turning pale.
"I didn't buy you," Dev said, stepping forward. "I bought your freedom. You are no longer 'Contracted Souls.' You are men. And as men, you have a choice. You can go back to Vikram Singh and beg for more chains, or you can take the **Wristband** and work for the Earth. $1 per second. No debt. No lies."
The mercenaries looked at each other. The silence was deafening.
Vane looked at the Nullifier in his hand—a tool of suppression. With a grunt of disgust, he threw it onto the floor, where it shattered against the hard sandalwood.
"My daughter... she gets the treatment?" Vane asked, his voice raw.
"The Earth Union takes care of its own," Dev replied. "Kavi, give them the bands."
> **[DING! 4 New Employees Hired.]**
> **[Passive Income Multiplier Updated!]**
> **[Followers: 6 | Host Income: $600/sec]**
> **[Host Strength: Increased by 400% (Cumulative Guard-Class Strength)]**
As the silver bands snapped onto their wrists, Dev felt a surge of physical power so intense it made his veins glow with a faint blue light. He could feel the training, the reflexes, and the muscle memory of the four warriors merging into his own body. He wasn't just Dev anymore; he was a one-man army.
---
Far away, in the **Obsidian Tower**, Vikram Singh watched his monitors go black. The "Energy Nullifiers" had stopped transmitting.
"They... they vanished?" Vikram hissed, crushing his glass. "No. Not vanished. They were *bought*."
He turned to a shadowed corner of the room where a man sat in a meditative pose, dressed in saffron robes that felt strangely oily and dark. This was **Guru Bhram**, the face of the false Sanatana.
"The boy is using the very thing we love against us," the Guru said, his voice like sliding silk. "He is using Wealth. But he does not know that the gold in this city is cursed. Every coin he spends is a link in a chain he doesn't see."
Vikram narrowed his eyes. "He's restoring a dispensary in the Grey Quarter. He thinks he's a healer."
"Let him heal," the Guru smiled, showing teeth like yellowed ivory. "The more he heals, the more 'Energy' he draws to that location. And once the Energy is ripe... we will harvest it. Tell the media: A 'dangerous cult' is brainwashing security teams in the slums. Let the law do our dirty work."
---
Back at the Sanctuary, Dev stood over the blue seal in the basement. Now that he had the strength of six men, the seal seemed to pulse in time with his own heartbeat.
"He's coming, isn't he?" Kavi asked, standing by the stairs.
"Vikram? No," Dev said, looking at the ancient, cracked floor. "He's a businessman. He'll send the world's opinion first. But look at this, Kavi."
Dev pointed to the seal. Under the blue light, the dust had shifted to form a word in Sanskrit: **'Satyameva'** (Truth alone).
"The Guru in the tower thinks he owns the gold," Dev whispered. "He doesn't realize the Gold is finally coming home."
**[Clue:]** *The medical debt Vane had wasn't accidental. The 'Asuric Cartel' has been intentionally poisoning the city's water supply to keep the population in perpetual medical debt. Dev's next move isn't just a building—it's the water.*