My Bad Karma

6.The Dragon’s Liability and the Watchful Eye

Freza Peina wasn't just swimming with the sharks anymore; he was pitching to the biggest predator in the ocean. The Crystal Palace of the Great Dragon King, Bima Sena, was a neon-lit underwater flex—everything was made of glowing coral and reinforced diamond. But as Freza adjusted his golden duster, he didn't look impressed. He looked like a guy about to close a very lucrative, very shady real estate deal.

"Look, King, I’m gonna be straight with you," Freza said, his voice echoing through the massive throne room. "You’ve got a massive target on your back. And it’s not because you’re a bad guy. It’s because you’re too good. Your karma is so clean it’s basically blinding the universe’s sensors."

Bima Sena, a towering figure with sapphire scales shimmering under his human skin, narrowed his eyes. "Grand Master Freza, I have protected these waters for three millennia. My heart is a fortress of purity. Why would the heavens seek to test me now?"

"That’s exactly the problem, Your Majesty," Freza said, pacing the diamond floor. "You’re a 'High-Value Asset.' But the universe hates a vacuum. All that purity? It’s attracting a 'Heart Tribulation' like a magnet. I’m talking about a total emotional meltdown. Every bit of empathy you’ve ever felt for a dying whale or a shipwrecked sailor is piling up in your subconscious. It’s gonna hit you like a freight train, and when it does, your palace, your people, and your legacy? Poof. Gone in a wave of cosmic depression."

The Dragon King gripped the arms of his throne. "I have felt a certain... heaviness lately. A sorrow I cannot name."

"Exactly! That’s the 'pre-load' phase," Freza leaned in, his voice dropping to a persuasive hum. "But I’ve got the fix. I call it the 'Great Heart Redemption.' It’s a specialized insurance protocol. We take that emotional baggage—the 'Heart Debt' you’ve been carrying—and we offload it into a dedicated 'Security Vault.' You stay clean, you stay focused, and in exchange, you become the lead protector of my new 'Global Security Network.' Your aura will be used to shield the weak, and the friction from that shielding? Well, the vault handles that."

"So, I become a shield for the world, and my own heart remains clear?" Bima Sena asked, his voice booming with hope.

"More than a shield, King. You’ll be the Gold Standard. The ultimate 'Safe Haven' for karmic energy," Freza pulled out a glowing blue scroll. "Just sign off on the 'Protector Clause.' It’s a formality. It basically says you’re the lead guarantor for my sect’s spiritual stability. You get the prestige, and I handle the back-end logistics. Win-win."

The Dragon King didn't hesitate. He slashed his signature onto the scroll in a burst of blue light. The moment it was done, a wave of cold, hollow emptiness washed over him. He felt lighter, sure, but it was the lightness of a vacuum.

"There. Feel that? That’s the 'Optimization' kicking in," Freza smirked, tucking the scroll away. "You’re now the official 'Karmic Firewall' of the Freza Peina Foundation. Welcome to the board, King."

As Freza walked out, his AI whispered, "Target acquired. The Dragon King is now the primary 'Sponge' for all emotional and empathy-based debt in the network. System capacity has increased by 500%."

"Perfect," Freza thought. "If anyone starts crying about their soul, it goes straight to the fish-man. He’s got enough purity to soak up a century of tears."

While Freza was closing deals with royalty, Giyani was doing some old-fashioned boots-on-the-ground detective work. She was back at the Hope Orphanage, but the "Hope" part was feeling more like a marketing gimmick.

"Hey, kiddo," Giyani said, crouching down next to the little girl she’d spoken to before. "You still having those bad dreams?"

The girl looked up, and Giyani felt a cold shiver down her spine. The girl’s eyes weren't just tired; they looked like they were being drained from the inside. "The shadows are louder, Kakak. They sound like people screaming about things they lost. But Guru Freza says it’s just my 'protective shell' getting stronger."

"He’s full of it," Giyani whispered, though she knew the girl wouldn't understand. She moved on, visiting the Tian estate next.

She found Jianhui’s mother in the garden, looking like she’d aged twenty years in a week. "How is he, Ibu?"

"He’s... he’s not there anymore, Giyani," the woman sobbed. "His body is like stone. He just stares at the wall, whispering numbers and names. The doctors say he’s 'processing' something massive. He won't even eat."

"Processing," Giyani muttered, her teeth clenched. "He’s a human hard drive, and Freza’s filling him with corrupted data."

She walked away, her mind racing. She had the patterns. She had the victims. But every time she looked at the "contracts" Freza used, they were airtight. On paper, everyone was "consenting" to be "helped." Freza wasn't breaking the law; he was rewriting it.

"He’s not a cultivator," she whispered to the empty street. "He’s a money launderer for sins. He takes the dirty karma, washes it through 'charity,' and deposits the clean power into his own account."

High above the mortal realm, in a pocket dimension filled with drifting clouds of data, a massive eye made of blue flame flickered. This was the "Mata Langit"—the Eye of Heaven, a cosmic watchdog that had been dormant for centuries.

"The glitch is getting bigger," a voice boomed, echoing through the data-clouds. "Freza Peina. Grand Master Tier 1. Ascension speed is off the charts. Zero friction recorded. The books are too clean."

"We checked the logs," another voice replied, sounding frustrated. "Every transfer is signed. Every 'debt' is moved with the consent of the debtor. He’s found a loophole in the 'Free Will' clause of the Karma Laws. We can't touch him without a direct violation of the Cosmic Charter."

"So he just gets to play God because he’s good at paperwork?" the first voice growled. "Look at the Dragon King. Look at the children. They’re being used as 'Heat Sinks' for his ambition. The system is being cannibalized!"

"The Council is divided. Half of them think he’s actually stabilizing the world. They like the 'low-debt' environment he’s creating. They don't care about the 'Interest' building up in the shadows."

The blue eye blinked, focusing its gaze on a small dot on the map: Giyani. "What about the girl? She’s poking around the back-end."

"She’s a mid-level observer. No clout. No power. If she gets too close, Freza will just 'consolidate' her too."

"Then we watch. We wait for him to slip up. He’s getting cocky. He’s moving into the 'High-Yield' sectors now. Eventually, even a 'Fake God' has to pay the piper."

Giyani stood at the gates of Freza’s new headquarters, a massive tower that looked like a needle made of emerald and gold. She felt tiny, insignificant, and completely outgunned. But she also felt a cold, sharp rage that wouldn't let her walk away.

"The Elders won't help. The law won't help. Even the stars are just watching," she said, straightening her robe. "If I’m gonna take him down, I need to see exactly how he cooks the books. I need to be in the room when the ink is wet."

She walked up to the reception desk, where a disciple with a forced, "karmically-optimized" smile greeted her.

"Welcome to the Freza Peina Foundation! How can we help you achieve your destiny today?"

Giyani didn't flinch. "I’m here to see the Grand Master. Tell him Giyani wants to talk. Tell him... I’m looking for an 'investment' opportunity. I’m tired of being a broke observer. I want in on the 'Charity' business."

The disciple’s smile widened, but there was a flicker of something—maybe pity—in his eyes. "Of course. The Grand Master has been expecting you. He said you’d come around eventually."

As she followed the disciple into the elevator, Giyani’s heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She was walking into the belly of the beast. But she wasn't there to be a victim. She was there to be a virus.

"Keep your friends close, and your bankers closer," she thought as the doors hissed shut. "Let's see what happens when the Auditor becomes the client."

Up on the top floor, Freza watched the elevator’s progress on his holographic display. He took a sip of his wine, a slow, predatory grin spreading across his face.

"Right on time," he whispered. "Welcome to the executive floor, Giyani. Let’s see if you’ve got the stomach for the real business."