Chapter Thirty-One: The Debt Collector

A chilling, hostile force seeped into your very blood and flesh.

Upon seeing the Debt Collector, you halted, steeling your presence and taking the initiative to assess your adversary.

The Debt Collector was both the assassin and enforcer of order within the sewers. His entire body was wrapped in cloth strips, each densely inscribed with the names of debtors yet to repay. Legend had it that with every debtor slain, they would reap a portion of the victim’s strength. The Debt Collector before you was shrouded in strips bearing names, every one of them already struck through.

This particular collector was named “Profit,” one of the finest in the area. Gripping three bloodstained long knives, he fixed you with a cold gaze from beneath the strips. He seemed to catch a familiar scent from you!

He hadn’t ever defaulted on a loan in the sewers, so what was this familiar scent? Could it be the Night Watchman Ford? Perhaps he could be a source of information... Chen Qi speculated. Yet the Debt Collector’s level was above five, beyond the scope of the texts, and likely just as difficult to question for information.

Profit approached, extracting a strip from his body to check if your name appeared among his marks.

You were not on his list. Without a word, Profit turned and left, cold and impassive.

A death list of some sort? Chen Qi made a mental note of it.

You shook off the Debt Collector’s chilling aura and continued forward, the ringing of hammer on anvil growing clearer as you slipped through a narrow, frigid alleyway.

With each step, the passage grew broader.

A new world unfolded before you—you had arrived at the Rat’s Nest!

At last, Chen Qi exhaled in relief. Apart from a run-in with a giant rat and the inscrutable Debt Collector, the journey had been uneventful.

The Rat’s Nest was a vast underground street. Shops lined either side, and the “veteran rats” who had long dwelled there plied their trades with skill and expertise greater than most.

At that moment, a set of choices appeared before Chen Qi.

It was not business hours at the Rat’s Nest, but some shops still had their doors open. Make your choice.

First, at the farthest end, a pretty, petite blonde woman stroked the head of a cloth doll. She was a lender, and also a gem merchant. You could borrow money from her—for a price, of course—as well as trade in gems.

Second, to your left, a pharmacy. A man in white lay drunkenly across an operating table. He sold medicine and could perform certain procedures.

Third, to your right, an elderly blacksmith with skin turned to stone hammered tirelessly at a greatsword. He was both a weapons dealer and a smith.

Fourth, leave this place and venture deeper.

A gem merchant, a blacksmith, and a doctor already passed out drunk? Both the gem merchant and blacksmith could be useful. The doctor, on the other hand, seemed unreliable.

Best to seek out the blacksmith first; after all, his Shadowsting Dagger needed repairs, and perhaps he could learn a thing or two while at it.

You approached the blacksmith, who shot you a look of utter contempt.

The old smith had seen too many like you before; he could tell by your eyes you were sniffing for information. He said you could call him the Stone Blacksmith. He suffered from a disease called "Stonehide," which would require a fortune to cure. So, he would sell or repair weapons, but for anything else—forget it.

So he saw right through Chen Qi’s attempt to gather intel.

The only thing left to try was whether this smith could repair the Shadowsting Dagger. The blacksmith at the Trading Post had flatly refused, saying he lacked the skill. Could this one succeed?

You produced the Shadowsting Dagger and asked the Stone Blacksmith if he could fix it.

He examined your weapon and replied that, just barely, his skills would suffice. It would cost three Daylight Coins, plus a stone with the Shadow attribute. If you didn’t have such a stone, you could buy one from the gem merchant nearby—around five Daylight Coins.

“It’s six Daylight Coins! Not a coin less—Blackwater Stones aren’t cheap!” the gem merchant called out, correcting the blacksmith from afar.

So it could be repaired, but for three Daylight Coins! Chen Qi was taken aback. Fortunately, he had a Blackwater Stone on hand and didn’t need to buy a Shadow Stone from the merchant, or the repair would be ruinously expensive. Even without needing to purchase the stone, three coins was steep—well beyond what Chen Qi could afford unless he sold his ruby for barely enough cash.

Three options popped up.

Unable to pay, you felt the blacksmith’s hostility. Make your choice.

First, leave.
Second, go to the gem merchant and sell an item.
Third, present your Rat’s Certificate to show you’re a fellow “rat.”

Time to put that Rat’s Certificate to use! Chen Qi picked the third option.

You produced Weigel’s Rat’s Certificate, displaying it in hope of securing a discount.

The Stone Blacksmith continued hammering, his heavy voice declaring, “You’re from Black River Prison—I can smell it on you. I despise you people from the prison! Even if your scent seems weak, I know it’s just a ruse. You must have power sealed beneath those ragged clothes and shoes. You can’t fool an old man like me. Anyone sent from the prison to do business here is easy to spot!”

“…”

He couldn’t view the smith’s level.

Chen Qi was dumbfounded. The Rat’s Certificate didn’t work as the walkthrough suggested; it seemed to be of little use after all. Perhaps the guide was only a loose suggestion. Still, the smith seemed to think him a formidable figure, likely due to his gear—not that it concealed his presence, but it did lend him an imposing air.

You tried again, asking if he could lower the price.

The Stone Blacksmith went on, saying he had seen through your disguise: “A high-ranking officer from Black River Prison! You can’t fool me! I suffer from Stonehide, but the people from Black River Prison have never shown me an ounce of pity! That’s why I ended up here as a rat, scraping together enough money to survive. My closest friend was taken to the prison, used as fuel for their power! I will never forget the prison’s cruelty, nor my own pain, and I will forever hate those who hold themselves above us! Even if you reveal your terrifying strength, I will never give you any information! That is my principle as a rat of the sewers! But since you somehow hold such an ancient Rat’s Certificate, I’ll lower the price to two Daylight Coins.”

This blacksmith...

“Tch, I’m just an ordinary Night Watchman—the kind they use as bait for disasters at night, nothing like a high-up in Black River Prison,” Chen Qi muttered, chin in hand. The misunderstanding was immense.

At that moment, a shocking scarlet message flashed before Chen Qi’s eyes.

During your tense exchange with the Stone Blacksmith, a bloodstained hand wrapped in cloth landed on your left shoulder!

What in the world?

You turned to see that it was Profit, the Debt Collector from earlier, drawn by your argument.

“O mighty one from Black River Prison, know this: the rats of New City’s Eighth District have principles that cannot be broken! You’ll never worm any secrets out of us!” Profit declared coldly, drawing a crimson blade and leveling it at your throat.

Chen Qi frowned. His in-game character’s attempt to gather information had been noticed. And now, thanks to his supposed identity, he was in a tight spot—those in the sewers harbored deep hatred for people from Black River Prison.

You felt the chill, but did your best to maintain your composure.

The Stone Blacksmith, seeing the Debt Collector’s arrival, seemed much relieved; he had been terrified of your hidden strength.

“…”

How had he suddenly become a target?

Chen Qi was disoriented; maybe it was time to slip away and return with the Dog Master for backup.

Profit’s cold voice continued: “Even if you possess an ancient Rat’s Certificate purchased from a traveling merchant, it won’t sway us! No matter how old the certificate, it changes nothing!”

Profit’s icy gaze fell upon the certificate in your hand.

Clearly, relations between Black River Prison and the rats of the sewers were abysmal.

Time to make a retreat.

Chen Qi bit his lip. Even from outside the screen, he could feel the tension in the air, the rats’ fierce hostility towards him. He was no match for Profit now!

Profit’s gaze lingered on your Rat’s Certificate.

Hm? Why did the narrative repeat itself here?

Chen Qi was puzzled.

Profit’s gaze lingered on your Rat’s Certificate.

Staring at your Rat’s Certificate...

Staring...

Suddenly, Profit swung his crimson blade—not at you, but at the Stone Blacksmith!

“???”

Both Chen Qi and the blacksmith in the game were left speechless. What on earth was happening?