Kaelen felt Alaric's gaze burning into the back of his neck like a branding iron. In his previous life, Alaric had been the "Steel Vanguard," a man who could parry a mountain. Right now, he was just a teenage boy with a bad attitude and a very expensive sword.
"Elara," Alaric's voice echoed through the damp library, cold and sharp. "The Headmaster is looking for you. You shouldn't be down here in the dark with... him."
Elara stood up, smoothing her skirt. "Kaelen just saved me from a Gloom-Crawler, Alaric. He's hurt."
Alaric stepped into the light, his eyes scanning the crushed remains of the shadow creature under the tax books. His lip curled. "Saved you? He looks like he can barely stand. He probably tripped and got lucky."
Spot on, you golden-haired bastard, Kaelen thought, nursing his shoulder. But his eyes weren't on Alaric. They were hovering on a flickering icon at the edge of his vision.
[SYSTEM SHOP UNLOCKED (Level 1)]
[Spend Karma to mitigate Debt Penalties?]
Kaelen ignored the bickering duo and swiped the invisible screen.
ItemCostEffectPauper's Cloak50 KPHides your 'Evil' aura from basic detection.Interest Refinance150 KPDelays Soul Liquidation by 48 hours.The Scoundrel's Strike100 KPA physical attack that scales with 'Malice' but counts as 'Self-Defense'.
Kaelen's heart (the physical one, currently taxed to its limit) skipped a beat. The Scoundrel's Strike. It was a loophole. A way to hurt people without the System putting him in a cosmic chokehold.
"Are you even listening, trash?" Alaric was suddenly in Kaelen's face. He was a head taller, smelling of expensive sandalwood and arrogance. "Stay away from Elara. People like you—talentless, bottom-tier dregs—don't belong in her circle. If I see you near her again, I won't be as 'polite' as the instructors."
[PROMPT!]
[A Hero is bullying you!]
[Option A: Turn the other cheek (+10 KP)]
[Option B: Tell an Instructor (+5 KP)]
[Option C: Defend your Honor (???) ]
Kaelen looked at Alaric. Then he looked at the 192 Karma Points he had painstakingly earned by scrubbing bird spit and throwing books.
I could pay my interest. I could be safe for another month, Kaelen thought. Or... I could remind this boy why I was once feared by gods.
"Alaric," Kaelen said, his voice dropping an octave, losing its shaky 'clumsy boy' facade.
Alaric paused, surprised by the sudden shift in the air. For a split second, the basement felt ten degrees colder.
"You have a very nice sword," Kaelen remarked, glancing at the silver hilt. "It would be a shame if you tripped and fell on it. You know... since the floors here are so slippery."
"Is that a threat?" Alaric laughed, his hand moving to his weapon.
"A prediction," Kaelen whispered.
[PURCHASE CONFIRMED: 'The Scoundrel's Strike' (-100 KP)]
[Remaining Karma: 92]
[Interest Payment: INCOMPLETE. Time Remaining: 14 Hours.]
Kaelen didn't wait. He didn't use mana. He used physics and a lifetime of knowing exactly where a human body is weakest.
As Alaric stepped forward to grab Kaelen's collar, Kaelen didn't pull back. He leaned in. He caught Alaric's lead foot with his own and delivered a short, brutal palm-strike to Alaric's solar plexus—disguised as a frantic, flailing "accidental" stumble.
THUMP.
Alaric's breath left him in a wheeze. His eyes went wide as his knees buckled. Because the System recognized it as "Physical Combat" fueled by the "Scoundrel" skill, it didn't trigger the Tax.
"Oh gods!" Kaelen wailed, suddenly loud and panicked, catching Alaric before he hit the ground. "Alaric! Are you okay? You just collapsed! Elara, help! He's having a seizure or something! The stress of being top student must be too much!"
Elara rushed over, her hands glowing with healing magic. "Alaric? What happened?"
Alaric couldn't speak. He could only gasp for air, his face turning a shade of purple that matched Kaelen's old void-fire. He looked up at Kaelen, seeing the terrifyingly cold, mocking glint in the "loser's" eyes.
[NOTIFICATION!]
[Hidden Objective Achieved: Humiliate a 'True Hero'.]
[Reward: 200 Karma Points.]
[Note: The System finds your 'Accidental' bullying highly efficient.]
[Current Karma: 292 / 500]
Kaelen smirked behind Elara's back. He was still in debt. He was still weak. But for the first time in this new life, he felt like the King again.
"Don't worry, Alaric," Kaelen whispered into the boy's ear as Elara fussed over him. "I'll take real good care of the Saintess while you're catching your breath."