We spent the next week working together. Every problem that came my way, Lyssa shadowed me. She watched me negotiate with angry merchants, mediate family disputes, help struggling workers find employment.
Her debt dropped steadily: -2,845,000 → -2,821,000.
Twenty-four thousand credits in a week. Not much compared to her total, but it was real progress.
[LYSSA'S PERSPECTIVE SHIFT: 34% → 67%][SHE'S BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND NON-VIOLENT SOLUTIONS]
Then we got a quest that tested everything.
[EMERGENCY QUEST][THE DEBT COLLECTOR][A LOAN SHARK IS THREATENING TO KILL A FAMILY OVER UNPAID DEBTS][TIME LIMIT: 3 HOURS][LOCATION: WAREHOUSE DISTRICT]
The loan shark's name was Vex. He was known throughout the city for his cruelty—anyone who couldn't pay had their fingers broken, then their limbs, then worse.
The family he was threatening owed him 50 gold they couldn't repay.
When we arrived at the warehouse, Vex had the family on their knees. Mother, father, two kids. He was sharpening a knife, making a show of it.
"Well, well," Vex said when he saw us. "Marcus Chen. The bleeding heart. Come to save more worthless peasants?"
"Come to offer you a better deal," I said, keeping my voice steady.
Lyssa's hand was on her sword. I could feel the tension radiating from her.
"Better deal? They owe me fifty gold. I want my money."
"And you'll get it. With interest. Just not from them."
[NEGOTIATION INITIATED][VEX'S INTEREST: 23%][CAUTION: HE'S SADISTIC AND UNPREDICTABLE]
"I'm listening."
"You're a businessman, right? You want profit. What if I could guarantee you seventy gold—your fifty plus twenty profit—within a week?"
"And why would I trust you?"
"Because I'm good for it. Ask around. I helped the Bloodfang Bandits go legitimate. I took down Whitmore Corporation. When I make a deal, I keep it."
Vex studied me. Then he laughed. "I know who you are. The idealist. The fool who thinks everyone can be saved." He kicked the father. "These people are worthless. They'll never pay. But you? You're worth something. How about this—I let them go, and you work for me. One month. Do whatever I say. My personal problem solver."
[ALTERNATIVE OFFER DETECTED][WARNING: VEX WILL EXPLOIT THIS][ACCEPTING MEANS WORKING FOR A CRIMINAL]
"No," Lyssa said before I could respond. "He's not working for scum like you."
Vex's eyes gleamed. "And who are you, pretty lady?"
"Someone who's killed forty-seven people. Want to be number forty-eight?"
[WARNING: LYSSA REVERTING TO OLD PATTERNS][VIOLENCE LIKELY IF NOT DEFUSED]
I stepped between them. "Lyssa, no. We talked about this."
"He's threatening children, Marcus. Children."
"I know. But killing him won't solve anything. It'll just put someone worse in charge of his operation."
Vex was grinning. "Go ahead, girl. Try it. My men will cut you down before you draw that sword."
I looked around. He was right—a dozen thugs had emerged from the shadows, all armed.
[COMBAT PROBABILITY: 94% FAILURE][ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION NEEDED]
Think, Marcus. Think.
Then I saw it. The ledger on Vex's desk. His financial records.
"How much debt do you have, Vex?" I asked suddenly.
He blinked. "What?"
"Your operation. How much do you owe to your suppliers, your bosses, the people above you in the criminal chain? I'm guessing it's substantial."
[STRATEGIC INSIGHT ACTIVATED][ANALYZING VEX'S OPERATION...][DEBT ESTIMATED: 500+ GOLD]
His face twitched. "That's none of your business."
"It is if I can help you clear it. I helped the Bloodfangs go legitimate and profitable. What if I could do the same for you? Turn your loan operation into something legal, more profitable, and without the constant threat of violence?"
"You're insane."
"Maybe. But I'm also right. You're not doing this because you enjoy it—well, maybe you enjoy it a little—but mainly you're doing it because you're trapped in debt yourself. Let me help you get out."
[MAJOR NEGOTIATION ATTEMPT][SUCCESS RATE: 31%][VEX'S GREED VS VEX'S SADISM]
He was thinking. I could see it. The calculation happening behind his eyes.
Then he smiled—and it wasn't a nice smile. "No. I think I'll take my original offer. You work for me, or I kill this family right now."
He raised his knife toward the children.
Lyssa's sword was out before I could stop her.
But she didn't attack Vex. She pointed it at his men.
"You move toward those kids, and I'll kill every single one of you before you touch them. Marcus might believe in redemption, but I've already got three million in debt. Adding a dozen murderous thugs won't make much difference."
[LYSSA'S THREAT CREDIBILITY: 97%][VEX'S MEN BELIEVE HER]
The thugs hesitated. They'd heard of Lyssa—the dangerous Host with the massive body count.
Vex lowered his knife slightly. "You'd really massacre my men to save strangers?"
"Try me," Lyssa said coldly.
But then she did something I didn't expect. She turned to me. "But Marcus is right. Killing you all would be easy. Solving this without bloodshed would be hard. So I'm going to try hard. One last time, Vex—take Marcus's deal. Let him help you go legitimate. Or I demonstrate why my karmic debt is so high."
[LYSSA CHOOSING NON-VIOLENCE FIRST][WHILE MAINTAINING CREDIBLE THREAT][PERFECT BALANCE]
Vex looked between us. The idealist and the killer, working together.
Finally, he lowered his knife completely. "Fine. One week. You get me seventy gold and a plan to clear my debts. If you fail, I take payment from your flesh."
[QUEST ACCEPTED: REDEEM THE LOAN SHARK][TIME LIMIT: 7 DAYS][REWARD: +10,000 CREDITS][DIFFICULTY: EXTREME]
As we left with the family, Lyssa was shaking.
"I almost killed them. I was this close."
"But you didn't. You found another way. Used the threat of violence to prevent violence. That's progress."
[LYSSA'S KARMIC DEBT: -2,821,000 → -2,816,000][MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH: CHOOSING REDEMPTION OVER VIOLENCE]
She looked at her hands. "I could've slaughtered them all. It would've been easier. But you've shown me something better. Something harder. I want to keep trying."
[LYSSA'S PERSPECTIVE SHIFT: 67% → 89%][SHE'S ALMOST FULLY COMMITTED TO NON-VIOLENCE]
"Good," I said. "Because now we have to figure out how to reform a sadistic loan shark in seven days."
"You really think you can?"
"I've done crazier things. Probably."