"I guess I don't have a choice… gotta face all the vain I've built up while being an inferior mortal." After all, if he cowered away now, he'd be abandoning the pledge he made back in that parking lot, rambling about risking his life. He couldn't bear to speak so highly of himself just to run away at the first threat, so he proudly stepped up into the octagon.
Facing off against his opponent, Zach Bird who had a short brown middle part, stared menacingly at Vale, making him lock a strange eye contact.
"He looks like a beast, huffing and puffing while holding absolute eye contact with me…" Upon closer inspection of his appearance, Vale's eyes grew wider, entering a performative flow state before the fight even started. "But those eyes, they seem awfully sad." Vale thought, his facial features taking on a deep pity.
Almost instinctually , he was holding eye contact fiercely, that from Zach's point of view, looked insanely kind. There wasn't a doubt of inferiority in Vale's mind, which was surprising for Vale, since he often entertained his inferiority complex.
Zach, who was waiting on Sergeant Derrick to signal the start, questioned his strange opponent intently. "Your eyes are so compassionate. Why are you up here? Don't tell me I have a psychopath on my hands."
Vale didn't respond, he was too busy diving into another world entirely. A mind state had been reached by his recently awakened mind, and initially, even he had trouble realizing its meaning.
All he knew is that he liked this feeling, and it made him feel like he mattered for once. Not being in the know about this power quickly changed as his first talent finished materializing.
"What… in the world am I realizing right now?" Vale said out loud, tracking the invisible atoms of the world. Lasering his gaze back on Zach, he questioned him out loud. "You… Just who are you? I really want to know."
[Main talent of the Skinny Warlock Psychologist System unlocked upon facing death diligently.]
[Mind Talent: Endure A Being's Pain]
[With one look, you'll understand all that's wrong and well with the conscious condition! If the target is completely understood, they'll grovel at your feet. You're now one step closer from becoming a true psychologist.] The System closed its window, leaving Vale to touch base with his new power.
"BEGIN YOUR BATTLE!" Derrick declared, where Zach was the first one to move.
Dashing at an incredible speed, his forward assault ended almost as fast as it started.
Vale, his eyes now furious in a rage that changed the air surrounding everyone spectating, forced Zach to fall to the ground, belly to the floor.
"What… the hell did you do?! What type of magic is this?!" Squirming on the ground, Zach screamed at him instantly like a trapped beast.
Vale had now abandoned all sense of fear, stepping indifferently towards the fallen Zach. "You're a monster… all these thoughts. I'd cry, but that would be giving you an edge I just can't allow you to have." Seeing into Zach's memories with more intent, the entirety of his mind was wrapped around Vale's palm. A poor cat was wondering, and Zach, who laughed hysterically, killed the innocent feline with his fire magic, burning the animal to a crisp. Like nothing happened, he celebrated the false domination of his friends. Then, the worst of it came when Vale realized his plans for the future.
Gut wrenching, vermin morals were seen wandering in his brain like a parasite, leeching off the last pieces of virtue he owned. Zach wished for power so he could have slaves, money to punish those slaves, and enough power to destroy cities if he wanted to. There was no remorse or care for living creatures in that brain of his. A complete psychopath.
Thinking, Vale was absolutely revolted by this person's desires. "And he had the audacity to call me a psychopath? If he's just a cadet, then how messed up is the rest of this world? This really is a chaos planet."
Upon completely realizing the memories of Zach in mere seconds, Vale squatted all the way down, bending his knees as much as he could as he balanced perfectly on his toes. Just as he realized victory over this scumbag, a long doctor's coat materialized from the air, white and without buttons, its parted elegance falling on Vale's back and surrounding itself around his arms as a fresh nascent accessory.
[Reward received for activating your two universe-defying talents. One of the few accessories made by the system is the "Cloak of Pathy." Details will be revealed later. Ride your wave of intellect and kill this insect!]
Derrick, witnessing the complete dismantling of Zach, who was a highly anticipated combat recruit, floated ominously, his own fear being retracted from realizing what was happening.
Vale looked at his cloak for a second, but immediately lost interest in it, questioning the losing Zach. "Whatever did that poor cat do to you? And why did you kill it?"
"I… You! How did you know that?! Kill me already, I'd rather die than give up and be exiled from the nation."
"That wasn't an answer. But if that's too much, then let me ask you this." He stared at his quivering body, then back to Zach's pupils.
"Do you think human trash like you deserves to tread these beautiful lands, leaving your revolting foot print on the soil you corrode?" His eyes projected a nasty disgust for what he was looking at. Like he didn't see a human, just all the appalling merits Zach has built up. "You probably think you're better than a cat." Vale scanned his body like a cold machine, continuing on as his voice became more cynical.
"Worst part isn't even you." He briefly laughed while Zach's chin was stuck to the ground, his defiant gaze holding its non lethal sword up like a worthless wooden blade. "It's your rotting nature. You're barely aware of your own imperfections."
"Huh?! What are you babbling about?! You think cause you have this weird fucking magic that you're better than me?" Zach bellowed, growing even more agitated.
"Why are you like this?" Vale deliberately ignored his screams of inferiority, leaving him speechless. "Don't you want to change?" Zach… who now couldn't respond out of his own will, was now under the influence of the Skinny Warlock's second talent. Vale's eyes, now changing into a permanent light green, signified a vital development in his magic.
[While asserting your psychological dominance, you've received your second main talent.]
[Havok To All Evil. Fix Their Nature For Rebuilding.]
[If the conditions are set, your persuasion becomes reality! Zach has felt a great deal of regret, and your words have suddenly gained more meaning.]
Zach, who was adamant on dying rather than being exiled, was now crying, not shaking Vale's stare in the slightest. But strangely, Vale couldn't resist the urge to help this loser who deserved to die. "Listen to me, lost soul of your dishonest world, the secret to life isn't complicated. Just being a good person will allow you to experience all types of joy." Seeing the disturbances in his malice, Vale saw hope.
"I…" Zach was now whimpering and crying, his sniffles and tears flowing down his cheeks, not planning to end any time soon. "I was a foster child adopted in a horrible family. They did horrific things to me, abused me in ways that I wouldn't dare speak of. I'm an abomation… a result of an unjust indoctrination." Zach looked at Vale, where he was now happily smiling with his lips at the genuine change in his nature. Vale could've questioned why this was happening, but for now, seeing his penance was enough.
"My god…" Zach said, Thank you so much. I've never received a kindness this genuine… I will kindly leave this empire and find a better life elsewhere. Never again will I hurt a soul. I want to live the life of a good man…" In disbelief, it was as if Zach's world was completely changing. "I want to have a family, and live an honest life. I don't want to hurt people anymore!"
The entire group of cadets stared in disbelief, their bodies experiencing a heavy anxiety. Seeing this, a few of them even decided to change their evil ways.
Derrick, who was frightened, in response to this spectacle instantly called up President Zeral using his communications watch. 'I can't tell you what's exactly going on Lord Zeral, but this medic who enlisted in the captain's brawl is displaying a bizarre magic, not known by this planet in the slightest. From what I'm hearing, he has the promise to be a spy for the empire. To think a magical specialist of this caliber is one of our cadets…"
"You're bothering me over a mere cadet? Just what is going on there?!"
"I… have to go. We'll discuss this later." Seeing Zach pass out, he levitated slightly, landing. He had to announce the match over with.
Vale didn't know what to say to Zach, so he resorted to some more hatred. "I don't care what you do. For all I know you could be lying to preserve your life." Vale knew this wasn't the truth. He sensed the sincere change using Endure A Being's Pain talent, confirming the change as authentic.
As he said this, Zach passed out from fatigue. Vale simply stood up, not caring if he died or not. "His fault, rushing at me like he had a chance…" Chuckling, Vale celebrated in the arena, staring at his open palm. "Looks like I won! Fuck you mediocirty, I just risked my life and won!"