Chapter 102: First, You Need to Understand Something

Caelum’s days were comfortable.

Official agencies around the world, however, were losing sleep.

And ultimately, the reason was Caelum.

The last time he killed an S Rank invading character, the energy he released made every disaster monitoring agency in the world realize one thing.

There was power beyond S Rank on Earth.

When someone else holds the power to decide whether you live or die at any moment, and you have no way to resist, peace of mind becomes impossible.

Nobody likes having a sword hanging over their head, with their life and death controlled by someone else.

It does not matter whether that power belongs to an invading character or an Earth player.

Because of that, countries across the world began launching plans at any cost to cultivate their own SS Rank players as quickly as possible.

Compared with the anxiety of other nations, Arkenfall seemed much calmer.

They were making moves too, but not to the point of throwing everything away.

Life inside the country remained normal.

Beep beep beep!

Caelum was comfortably watching a movie when a phone call interrupted him.

"Hello?"

"May I speak with Caelum?"

"Speaking."

"Hello, Caelum. I’m calling from XXX Online Loan Company. According to our records, you applied for a loan with us last month. Please make this month’s repayment as soon as possible."

Caelum frowned.

Then he hung up.

"Wrong number."

One minute later.

The phone rang again.

Caelum answered impatiently.

"Hello."

"Caelum, this is not the wrong number. Our company records clearly show that you applied for a loan with us. If you fail to make this month’s repayment on time..."

"What, you’re going to come chop me up?"

The staff member froze for a moment, then carefully reorganized his words.

"Of course not, Caelum. We are a legitimate loan company. We don’t casually murder your entire family. Please rest assured about that."

"..."

Caelum rolled his eyes.

That did not sound like something anyone from a legitimate company would say.

Not interested in listening to more nonsense, he hung up again.

A moment later.

A confused Fluffball was tied up like a dumpling and hung upside down in midair.

Its little brain spun furiously.

It did not think it had done anything recently.

So what was going on?

Caelum walked over carrying a knife.

Fluffball’s fur immediately exploded.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Let’s talk this out, okay? Everything is negotiable! No need for knives or weapons. We’re civilized people here!"

"I ask. You answer."

"Uh huh! Uh huh!"

Fluffball nodded frantically.

Caelum asked, "Did you take out an online loan in my name?"

"Loan?"

Fluffball tilted its head, confused.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

Caelum aimed the knife at Fluffball like a spear.

Fluffball trembled all over.

Then it suddenly remembered something and shouted,

"I really didn’t take out a loan! But I did get some emergency funds online a while ago! I used my own emergency funds, so how can that count as a loan?"

"Sigh."

Caelum shook his head, lowered the knife, and started poking Fluffball’s head repeatedly.

"How did you believe that garbage? Why not wire money to God while you’re at it?"

"..."

Fluffball fell silent.

Caelum raised an eyebrow.

"You actually did?"

"No!"

Fluffball immediately denied it.

Mainly because it did not know God.

Even if that old man could issue receipts.

Caelum thought for a moment, then a faintly profiteering smile appeared on his face.

"How about this? I’ll settle the loan for you. Consider it a debt you owe me. Sound good?"

"Mm."

Fluffball nodded blankly.

That seemed like the only solution.

Besides, the offer sounded reasonable enough.

It had no reason to refuse.

"You borrowed three hundred thousand. I won’t overcharge you. Principal plus interest, you owe me three million."

"What?!"

Fluffball might not be smart.

But it could count.

"Three million?!"

Fluffball’s eyes widened as though seeing Caelum for the first time.

"You already have money! Do you really need to scam me this hard?"

It was deeply indignant.

"First, you need to understand something."

Caelum picked the knife back up.

The cold gleam made Fluffball break out in sweat.

"Me having money doesn’t mean I enjoy getting scammed. I don’t do losing deals. Understand?"

Fluffball nodded immediately.

"Got it, got it."

"Second, you’re an illegal immigrant with no papers. Getting a job from me that includes food, housing, and a monthly salary of three hundred is something you should be thanking the heavens for."

"Monthly salary of three hundred?"

Fluffball looked confused.

Where did that come from?

"Yes."

Caelum explained with a cheerful smile.

"Starting today, you’ll clean the apartment every day to repay your debt. Food and housing included, plus a monthly salary of three hundred. I already did the math for you. After one thousand years, you’ll have paid it off. See? I’m good to you."

"..."

Fluffball understood.

It had truly fallen into a pit this time.

There was no room to bargain.

In the end, it could only blame itself for being careless.

Rather than struggle meaninglessly, it might as well accept reality.

With a stiff smile, it said,

"Wow. Thanks so much."

"You’re welcome."

Three hundred a month?

What kind of monster offered that salary?!

Once everything was settled, Caelum happily continued watching his movie.

Fluffball, meanwhile, was burning with rage.

Tears of humiliation filled its eyes as it pulled out Caelum’s tablet and began operating it.

It growled through gritted teeth,

"A gentleman never leaves revenge unpaid!"

Of course.

It did not dare take revenge on Caelum.

Debts had owners.

The true culprit responsible for forcing it into a thousand years of unpaid labor was obviously that loan company that had scammed it.

But times had changed.

It, Fluffball, was no easy target.

Opening a chat app on the tablet, Fluffball entered a group chat named Room and Board Family.

It was, astonishingly, the group owner.

[Cosmic Hamster: Damn it, I got scammed! Angry emoji barrage]

[Big Potato: Confused. Boss, what happened?]

[Minotaur: Yeah, Boss, what happened? I, Old Bull, will handle it for you!]

[Cosmic Hamster: Big Potato, I’ve got a mission for you!]

[Big Potato: Don’t worry, Boss. Mission guaranteed! Salute.]

...

After giving instructions, Fluffball let out a cold snort.

A dark, sinister smile appeared on its round little face.

"You dare scam me? This isn’t over!"

A rag flew over and landed on Fluffball.

Caelum lay lazily on the sofa without moving.

"Time to clean."

"Okay!"

Fluffball instantly abandoned its previous sense of humiliation, hugged the rag obediently, and began cleaning with surprising effort.

No complaints.

No slacking.

Every now and then, though, it seemed to think of something funny and revealed an extremely sinister smile.

Caelum kept glancing over.