The steel was cold against my neck.
That was the only thing that felt real. The rest of the world was a blur of screaming faces, flashing cameras, and the heavy, metallic scent of blood.
"Kill him! Kill the traitor!"
"Murderer!"
"You killed them all, you F-Rank trash!"
I didn't blink. I couldn't. The mana cuffs dug into my wrists, burning my skin, but the pain was distant. My eyes were locked on the VIP box hovering above the execution platform.
Park Jin-ho sat there.
The "Hero of Seoul." The Golden Rookie. The man who had led our party into the Red Gate, triggered the trap, and then locked the door from the outside.
He was wearing a pristine white suit. He held a glass of champagne. And as our eyes met, he smiled.
It wasn't a sad smile. It was a smirk. A quiet, arrogant twist of the lips that said: Thanks for the EXP, trash.
My throat felt dry. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell them that the "Hero" was the one who fed the Healer to the chimera. I wanted to tell them that I, Kael Mors, the useless Necromancer, had been the only one trying to hold the line with my brittle skeletons.
But F-Ranks don't get a trial. We get a guillotine.
Chunk.
The heavy blade released from the lock.
Gravity took over.
I didn't close my eyes. I watched Park Jin-ho until the very last millisecond. I etched that smirk into my soul.
If there is a hell, I thought, the world slowing down to a crawl. I'm going to crawl out of it and drag you down with me.
The blade hit.
A wet crunch.
Then, darkness.
"GAAAAH!"
I woke up screaming.
My hands flew to my throat, clawing at phantom blood. My lungs heaved, sucking in air like a drowning man breaking the surface.
"Haa... Haa... Haa..."
I wasn't dead.
I scrambled backward, my back hitting a damp, cold wall. I wasn't on the execution block. The roaring crowd was gone. The smell of rust and blood was replaced by the smell of... mold?
I blinked, my vision swimming.
A peeling floral wallpaper. A sink filled with dirty dishes. A single mattress on the floor with a yellow stain.
My apartment. My shi**y, 10-pyeong semi-basement apartment in the Gwanak District.
"What..."
I looked at my hands. They were trembling, but they were whole. No mana cuffs. No scars.
I slapped my face. Hard.
Slap!
The sting was sharp. Real.
"I'm... alive?"
I stumbled toward the bathroom, my legs feeling like jelly. I gripped the porcelain sink, staring into the cracked mirror.
The face staring back wasn't the broken, hollow man who had spent three months in a torture dungeon awaiting execution. This face was younger. Less scarred. There were still dark circles under the eyes, but the eyes themselves... they weren't dead yet.
I looked down at my wrist. My smartwatch was sitting on the counter.
[Date: March 14, 2024]
My breath hitched.
March 14th.
That was six months ago. Six months before the Red Gate. Six months before Park Jin-ho recruited me for the "Suicide Squad."
"I went back," I whispered, the realization crashing over me like a tidal wave. "I really went back."
I started to laugh. It started as a low chuckle and erupted into a manic cackle. I laughed until tears streamed down my face, mixing with the sweat.
"I'm back. I'm actually back."
Park Jin-ho. The Guild. The executioner.
They were all still alive.
And so was I.
Ding!
A sharp, mechanical chime echoed inside my skull. It wasn't the sound of my smartwatch. It was the sound of the World System.
The sound every Hunter hears when they Awaken. But I had Awakened five years ago.
A translucent blue window materialized in the air, hovering right over the dirty sink.
[Condition Met: The Vow of the Damned.]
[You have died with a hatred strong enough to anchor a soul.]
[The Entity 'Death' has taken an interest in your case.]
My laughter died instantly.
'Death'?
Not the God of Light. Not the War God. Death itself?
The text on the blue screen dissolved and reformed. The letters dripped like red ink.
[Contract Proposal]
[Objective:] Collect 100 'True Souls'. [Reward:] The Authority of the Underworld. [Failure Penalty:] Eternal Oblivion (Soul Destruction). [Time Limit:] 3 Years.
[Do you accept?][Y / N]
I stared at the screen.
In my past life, my class was [Necromancer (F-Rank)]. My skill was [Summon Skeleton]. But my skeletons were made of glass. A strong breeze could shatter them. I was a joke. A baggage carrier who could summon a temporary distraction.
That weakness was why they framed me. Who would believe the weakling?
But this...
"100 True Souls," I muttered.
The System didn't explain what a 'True Soul' was. But I had a feeling it didn't mean killing goblins.
I thought of Park Jin-ho's face. That pristine white suit. That champagne glass.
If I refused, I would live this life again. Maybe I could run away. Change my name. Become a farmer in the countryside.
Run away?
The memory of the blade hitting my neck flashed in my mind. The cheering crowd. The injustice that burned hotter than the mana cuffs.
"No," I hissed. "No more running."
I raised a trembling finger and stabbed the [Y].
[Contract Accepted.]
[Welcome, Contractor.]
[Unique Trait Unlocked: 'Death's Ledger'.]
Whoosh.
A heavy, leather-bound book materialized in thin air and dropped into my hands. It felt cold, like holding a block of dry ice.
I opened it.
The pages were blank. Except for the very first line on the very first page. It wasn't a name. It was a counter.
[Debt: 0/100]
"Death's Ledger..." I ran my finger over the paper. The texture felt like skin.
[System Notice: The Ledger tracks those who owe you a 'Life Debt'.]
[Rule 1: If you save a life, a Debt is formed.]
[Rule 2: You may 'Call' the Debt at any time.]
[Rule 3: Calling a Debt results in the immediate death of the Debtor and the harvest of their Soul.]
I froze.
If I save someone... they owe me their life?
And I can cash that check whenever I want?
A dark, twisted realization bloomed in my chest. This wasn't just a power up. This was a trap. To get strong, I had to be a hero. I had to save people.
And then, I had to kill them.
I looked at the mirror again. The fear was gone from my eyes.
In the reflection, a shadow seemed to loom behind me. It looked like a reaper, its scythe resting on my shoulder.
"Park Jin-ho," I said, testing the name on my tongue. It tasted like blood and expensive wine.
"You like to play the hero, don't you? You like to save people for the cameras?"
I grinned.
It wasn't a nice smile. In the dim light of the bathroom, with my pale skin and hollow cheeks, it looked like a skull splitting open.
"I'm going to save you, Jin-ho. I'm going to save you so many times."
I snapped the Ledger shut.
"And then, I'm going to collect."
[Time Remaining: 2 Years, 364 Days, 23 Hours.]
The countdown had begun.
I grabbed my phone and opened the Hunter Association app. I needed money. I needed gear. But first, I needed a test subject.
I scrolled through the 'Dungeon Requests' board.
[E-Rank Dungeon: Goblin Caves. Tank Needed. No Healer. High Risk.]
Perfect.
I tapped 'Apply'.
The Undertaker was back in business.
[Author's Note] The ledger is open. First entry coming soon. Don't forget to Bookmark and Rate if you want to see who gets crossed out first!