There is a specific kind of hunger that comes after performing a miracle. It feels less like an empty stomach and more like a black hole opening in your solar plexus.
I stumbled out of the hospital elevator and into the lobby vending machine area.
My account balance: 5,015 Gold. My debt: 5,000 Gold. Disposable income: 15 Gold.
A tuna sandwich cost 20 Gold.
"I hate my life," I whispered, resting my forehead against the cool glass of the machine.
Then, I remembered.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out the matte black metal card. The Sato Corp Black Card. It felt heavy, like it was made of condensed authority.
Unlimited, the Chairman had said.
I looked at the card reader on the vending machine. It was a humble machine, designed for coins and cheap debit cards. It probably wasn't ready for this.
I tapped the Black Card against the sensor.
BEEP.
[PAYMENT ACCEPTED: SATO CORP VIP][DISPENSING: EVERYTHING]
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.
I watched in horror and fascination as the machine began to vomit every single item in row A. Sandwiches, energy drinks, chocolate bars. They tumbled into the retrieval bin like a sugary waterfall.
"Whoa," a passing nurse muttered. "Jackpot."
I grabbed a sandwich and tore it open. It tasted like victory.
"It works," I chewed frantically. "It actually works. And the System didn't eat it."
[SYSTEM NOTICE][TRANSACTION DETECTED: EXTERNAL ASSET.][GLITCH STATUS: BYPASSED.]
I grinned. A piece of lettuce fell out of my mouth. I had found the loophole. As long as I didn't convert the money into my personal System Gold, the Waifus couldn't auto-donate it.
I checked the time. 10:15 AM. Deadline: 8:00 PM.
"Time to go shopping," I said, eyes narrowing. "Then, time to pay some debts."
'The Hunter's Depot' was the largest equipment store in Tokyo. It smelled of gun oil, leather, and testosterone.
I walked in, my arms full of vending machine snacks, still wearing my torn, bloodstained shirt.
The clerk, a guy with a mustache that looked like a push broom, didn't even look up from his magazine.
"We don't buy trash loot here, kid. Go to the pawnshop in the alley."
I walked up to the counter. I placed a half-eaten Snickers bar on the glass.
"I need ten kilograms of High-Grade Sulfur," I said. "Five bottles of Ethereal Blade Oil. And... do you have any 'Holy Water Bath Bombs'?"
The clerk looked up. He looked at my F-Rank badge. He looked at the Snickers bar.
"Sulfur and Blade Oil?" He sneered. "That's specialized material. Expensive material. The oil alone is 500 Gold a bottle. You got money, trash-tier?"
I didn't say a word. I just slid the Black Card across the glass counter.
The metal made a distinct shing sound, like a sword being drawn.
The clerk glanced at it. Then he froze. His eyes bulged. He looked at the card, then at me, then back at the card.
"Is this..." His hands started shaking. "Sato Corp? The... the Executive Card?"
"Swipe it," I said, taking a bite of my Snickers. "And add a new shirt to the bill. Something that doesn't smell like Minotaur guts."
Five minutes later, I walked out wearing a sleek, black tactical jacket (Armor Rating: C). My inventory was stocked.
Slot 1 (Sylvia):Oiled & Happy.Slot 2 (Ignis):Sulfur Snacking.Slot 3 (Elara):Bathing in Holy Water.
For the first time in 24 hours, the "Hunger" icons were gone. The silence in my head was beautiful.
"Now," I adjusted my collar, feeling like a mafia boss. "Let's visit Black Viper Finance."
The office of Black Viper Finance was located in the basement of a condemned building in the Red Light District. It was the kind of place where you wiped your feet on the way out.
I kicked the door open.
Inside, three thugs were playing poker. The room was filled with cigarette smoke and the smell of cheap cologne. Behind a mahogany desk sat Goro, the loan shark. He had a gold tooth and a scar running through his left eyebrow.
He looked up, surprised.
"Well, well," Goro laughed, tossing his cards down. "If it isn't Hiro. I didn't expect to see you. I thought we'd be collecting your organs by sunset."
The thugs chuckled, cracking their knuckles.
"I'm here to settle the debt," I said, walking to the center of the room.
"Settle?" Goro leaned back, putting his boots on the desk. "You have 5,000 Gold?"
"I do."
I pulled out my phone and prepared the transfer. "5,000 Gold. Principal and Interest. As agreed."
Goro's eyes glinted. He exchanged a look with his goons.
"Ah, about that," Goro sighed, feigning sadness. "You see, Hiro, the market is volatile. Since this morning... the interest rate adjusted. Inflation, you know?"
"Inflation," I repeated flatly.
"Yeah. The new total is 10,000 Gold." He grinned. "Or, you can sign this extension contract. You work for us for ten years. As a... specialized mule."
I stared at him. This was the trap. They never intended to let me pay. They wanted a slave.
A day ago, I would have begged. I would have cried. But today, I had a dragon, a sword spirit, and a saintess in my pocket. And I had something even scarier.
"10,000 Gold," I said. "You're trying to extort me."
"It's just business, kid. Sign the paper, or we take your kidneys right now."
One of the thugs stood up, pulling a knife.
I sighed. "System? Is this considered a combat encounter?"
[HOSTILE INTENT DETECTED.][RECOMMENDED ACTION: EQUIP SLOT 1.]
"No," I whispered. "Sylvia makes a mess. Blood is hard to clean out of this new jacket."
I reached into my pocket. Not for the System. I pulled out the Black Card.
I held it up between two fingers. The dim light of the room caught the silver "Sato Corp" emblem embossed on the matte black surface.
"Do you know what this is, Goro?"
Goro squinted. Then, his face went pale. The color drained from his skin so fast he looked like he'd been hit by a vampire.
He scrambled out of his chair, knocking his coffee mug over.
"That... that crest..." Goro stammered. "Sato Corporation? The... the Chairman's personal line?"
"I just came from the hospital," I said, my voice low and dangerous. "Chairman Sato was very generous. He told me to use this for... whatever I need."
I took a step forward. The thugs backed away. In Tokyo, the Hunter Guilds were strong, but the Mega-Corporations owned the Guilds. Sato Corp could buy this entire district and turn it into a parking lot by lunch.
"If I swipe this card," I said, tapping it against the air, "I could buy this building. I could buy your debt agency. I could buy you."
Goro was sweating. Profusely.
"Wait! Wait, Mr. Hiro!" He waved his hands frantically. "There's been a mistake! A clerical error! The old system... it's buggy!"
"Is it?"
"Yes! The debt is 5,000! No... for a friend of Chairman Sato... let's call it 4,000! A discount!"
I looked at him. I looked at the knife-wielding thug who was now trying to hide the knife behind his back.
"5,000," I said firmly. "I pay my debts. I don't want favors from trash."
I tapped my phone.
Ping.
[TRANSFER COMPLETE: -5,000 GOLD][REMAINING BALANCE: 15 GOLD]
"We're done," I said.
I turned around and walked out.
Goro didn't stop me. He didn't breathe. He was too busy bowing to my back.
I stepped out into the fresh air of the alley. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of purple and orange.
I was broke again. But I was free.
"I survived," I whispered. "I actually survived."
[SYSTEM ALERT][ACT 1 COMPLETE.][CALCULATING REWARDS...]
[CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE UNLOCKED: "THE GACHA SHOP"][NEW FEATURE AVAILABLE: "DAILY FREE ROLL"]
My heart stopped. Free roll.
"No," I said. "No more. I don't have enough slots! I don't have enough snacks!"
[SYSTEM REMINDER: DAILY ROLL IS MANDATORY. UNUSED ROLLS WILL AUTO-TRIGGER AT MIDNIGHT.]
I checked the time. 11:59 PM. (Wait, did I blackout? No, it's sunset... 6:00 PM). Correction: The System timer runs on Gacha Server Time.
[TIME UNTIL FORCED ROLL: 10 SECONDS.]
"You have to be kidding me!"
I looked around the alley. Empty. I looked at the inventory. 100/100 Slots.
"Where is it going to go? I don't have room!"
[3... 2... 1...][ROLLING...]
The golden light exploded in front of me again. But this time, the notification wasn't [ERROR].
[CONGRATULATIONS!][YOU HAVE OBTAINED: SSS-RANK ITEM][ITEM NAME: "THE PENTHOUSE KEY"]
A golden key dropped into my hand.
I stared at it. It wasn't a girl. It was... a key?
[ITEM DESCRIPTION: KEY TO THE 'DIMENSIONAL MANOR'. A PHYSICAL HOUSING UNIT FOR YOUR INVENTORY ASSETS.][NOTE: ALLOWS ASSETS TO MANIFEST PHYSICALLY OUTSIDE OF INVENTORY WITHOUT MANA COST.]
I looked at the key. I looked at the 100 angry, bored, jealous icons in my menu.
"A house," I whispered. "The System gave me a house."
And then, the terrifying realization hit me.
If they can manifest physically... without mana cost... That means they can all come out. At the same time.
I clutched the key, staring at the notification in horror.
[WOULD YOU LIKE TO OPEN THE DOOR? (Y/N)]
"Oh no."