1. Mercy Gets an Invoice
Ne Job woke up to paperwork on his chest.
That was new.
Not metaphorical paperwork.
Actual forms.
Heavy. Warm. Breathing slightly.
He screamed.
Yue slapped the stack off him. "Stop panicking, you're fine."
The papers scuttled away like embarrassed crabs and stapled themselves into a neat pile.
Ne Job panted. "…Why does mercy crawl now?"
Qi-Yun examined the stack.
"These are cost assessments."
Ne Job blinked. "For… being decent?"
Qi-Yun nodded. "Oversight has begun monetizing deviation."
Yue cursed. "They're charging him for kindness."
2. The Interest Clause Appears
The top form shimmered.
MERCY APPLICATION — POST-THRESHOLD
Base Cost: Undefined
Interest Rate: Adaptive
Repayment Method: System Load
Ne Job stared. "…What does 'system load' mean?"
Qi-Yun did not answer immediately.
Yue read ahead, went pale. "It means the cost is paid in pressure. On you."
Ne Job laughed weakly. "Of course it is."
A chime rang.
MERCY COST ACCRUED: 1 UNIT
Ne Job winced.
It felt like a headache that knew his name.
3. Kindness Starts Hurting Faster
Ne Job helped anyway.
He always did.
He stayed a correction long enough for a mortal to say goodbye.
MERCY COST ACCRUED: +2
He deferred a punishment until context was reviewed.
MERCY COST ACCRUED: +3
Each time, the pain sharpened.
Not unbearable.
Calculated.
Yue grabbed his arm. "Stop. Please."
Ne Job shook his head. "If I stop now, this is the new normal."
Qi-Yun watched silently.
His fists were clenched.
4. Oversight Explains the Interest Model
Oversight spoke without appearing.
"Deviation creates debt,"
it said calmly.
"Debt incentivizes restraint."
Ne Job snapped. "So you're trying to teach me not to care?"
"We are teaching you to prioritize."
Yue shouted, "YOU'RE TEACHING HIM TO SUFFER."
"Suffering is within acceptable parameters."
Qi-Yun stepped forward.
"Your model assumes pain deters behavior," he said. "What if it reinforces it?"
A pause.
"Clarify."
Qi-Yun gestured to Ne Job, shaking but upright.
"He will not stop," Qi-Yun said quietly. "He will just pay."
Silence.
Then—
"Unsustainable behavior detected."
Ne Job smiled through the pain. "…Yeah. That's kind of my thing."
5. The Ledger Starts Watching Back
Something new happened.
When Ne Job helped someone, the ledger didn't just tally.
It hesitated.
Lines blurred.
Values flickered.
Yue noticed first. "…The cost changed."
Qi-Yun leaned closer.
MERCY COST: RECALCULATING
Ne Job blinked. "…Why does it look confused?"
Qi-Yun's eyes narrowed. "Because the system expected diminishing returns."
Yue whispered, "But he's not slowing down."
The ledger pulsed.
INTEREST RATE ADJUSTMENT FAILED
Ne Job laughed weakly. "You broke math."
Qi-Yun smiled. "No. He broke assumption."
6. The Dangerous Feedback Loop
The more it hurt, the more deliberate Ne Job became.
He stopped rushing.
Stopped reacting.
Every intervention was careful. Intentional.
And every time—
The Archive paused.
Yue felt it. "He's forcing the system to think."
Qi-Yun nodded. "Pain has made him precise."
Oversight noticed.
"Subject efficiency increasing under stress,"
it noted.
That was… not supposed to happen.
7. Oversight Tries a New Tactic
The ledger slammed down harder.
MERCY COST MULTIPLIER: ×2
Ne Job screamed this time.
He dropped to one knee.
Yue rushed to him. "STOP. THIS ISN'T WORTH IT."
Ne Job shook his head, tears streaming.
"If mercy costs everything," he gasped, "then I'll spend everything."
Qi-Yun closed his eyes.
"…Foolish."
But his voice was proud.
8. A Crack in the Accounting
The ledger trembled.
A new line appeared—faint, almost accidental.
UNACCOUNTED EFFECT:
Morale Increase
Compliance Improvement
Error Reduction
Oversight paused.
Those were… benefits.
Unquantified.
Uncharged.
The ledger didn't know what to do with them.
Yue stared. "…It's helping."
Qi-Yun exhaled slowly. "The system never priced hope."
9. Oversight Faces a Paradox
Somewhere beyond the Archive, Oversight recalculated.
Mercy increases cost…
Mercy increases efficiency…
Contradiction.
The interest model stalled.
INTEREST RATE: SUSPENDED (PENDING REVIEW)
Ne Job collapsed flat on his back, laughing weakly.
"…Did I just default the system?"
Yue laughed through tears. "You weaponized kindness."
Qi-Yun looked down at him.
"This will not end well," he said softly.
Ne Job closed his eyes.
"I know."
10. The Ledger Does Not Close
The paperwork did not vanish.
It waited.
Watching.
Learning.
Because systems adapt.
And Oversight never forgives losses it can't explain.
END OF CHAPTER 282