## Chapter 1: Debt of Shame

Lee Myung-gi stood in the dimly lit bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His black hair, parted down the middle, was disheveled, and his brown eyes looked tired. The X patch on his green tracksuit, adjacent to his player ID, 333, seemed to mock him. He had been dreading this moment, and it had finally arrived. The vote to leave or stay in the games had just ended, and he knew he had to protect Jun-hee, his ex-girlfriend, who was also a player in the game. Myung-gi's mind drifted to Jun-hee, who was player 222, and his unborn child, which he didn't know about. He thought about how he had to keep her safe, no matter what. He had become a crypto influencer and accidentally promoted a scam, which led to immense debt for himself and many others, including Jun-hee. He knew he had to make things right, but how? As he washed his hands, he couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. He had tried to convince himself that he wasn't afraid, but the truth was, he was scared. Scared of what would happen next, scared of who would win, and scared of who would lose. The faucet water cut off, and Myung-gi dried his hands. He was about to leave the bathroom when the door opened, and Choi Su-bong and Nam-gyu walked in. Myung-gi's heart sank as he saw Thanos, player 230, with purple hair and dark brown eyes, standing behind them. "Well, well," Nam-gyu said, his expression unreadable. "MG Coin. What a fucking surprise." Myung-gi stopped in his tracks, backpedaling slightly. He knew where this was going. Thanos had been blaming him for his debt, and it seemed like he was about to take it out on him. Thanos took a step forward, his eyes bulging with rage. "Huh? Thinking about how you scammed me out of all my damn money?!" Myung-gi tried to defend himself, but Thanos wasn't having it. "How many times do I have to tell you? The price of the coin increased, but nobody sold at the right time," he said, trying to sound calm. Thanos took another step forward, and Nam-gyu followed suit. "Does that fix anything, MG Coin? Hm? No. I'm still in debt because of you—I was gonna kill myself because of you." Myung-gi tried to apologize, but Thanos wasn't interested. He swung at Myung-gi, landing a sickening thud into his ribs. Myung-gi yelped, curling up defensively. Nam-gyu joined in, delivering another strike to Myung-gi's cheek. Myung-gi fell to the floor, his vision blurring. Thanos stood over him, his hand pulling at the X patch on Myung-gi's chest. "You don't get to leave this game," he said, spit flying from his mouth. "Not until the prize money is enough to pay me back. I want what I'm owed—and extra. Every last piece you make? It's mine." Myung-gi shook his head, shoving Thanos away from him. "I need the money too!" he said, but it only seemed to enrage Thanos further. Thanos stumbled, but quickly corrected himself. Nam-gyu kicked Myung-gi in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Myung-gi couldn't even yell; it came out as a weak whimper. Thanos threw heavy blows directly at Myung-gi's face, and the smaller man didn't even have time to put a guard up. The punches landed, each one doing a fair amount of damage. Blood spilled from Myung-gi's nose, a gash formed on his forehead, and his cheek swelled up. Myung-gi tried to call out for help, but it left his throat as a croak. He wished it would end there, but it wasn't going to. Thanos' eyes seemed to gleam with a sadistic pleasure as he continued to beat Myung-gi down. "Until you've got enough money to pay me and Nam-gyu back," Thanos said, his voice dripping with malice. "You aren't going anywhere. You're my slave." Myung-gi's eyes widened in horror as Thanos' intentions became clear. He was in grave danger, and he didn't know if he would survive.