The attendant's face that was visibly uncomfortable as he fidgeted while looking at Melvin was quickly registered in his mind. He glanced at him and smiled, "Alright, I'll leave now. You could have just told me you know." He said teasingly.
He knew that the attendant was a bit afraid because he seemed rather unpredictable with his black pants and boots filled with blood as he clenched his teeth in hatred with an unfocused gaze.
He walked out of the alchemy shop and after throwing a brief look at the Royal Plaza, he picked a random street in the southern main road and strode in its direction. The plaza was still a bit too crowded, and he reasoned he must still be fresh in most of those people's minds, and he didn't want that.
After he walked for a little while, he found a secluded alleyway with some cats and sat down beside them in order to play and kill some time. He quickly noticed how the three cats in this alley were rather skinny, and at the same time, the first thing he saw them doing was rummaging through the street, seemingly looking for something to eat.
Just as his butt touched the ground, it started raising up once again. He had noticed that one of the stalls in a previous street was selling some fresh fish, and thus he went back and brought a small paper bag that had around eight small fish at the cheap price of 35 copper coins.
He gave the skinnier cats of the group three and gave the last one two. 'Seems fair?' He thought, enjoying the sound of them chewing.
However, something soon caught his attention and also soured his mood. This particular street he was sitting in, was rather deserted, and that was why he decided to rest here for a while. Opposite to him, was another alleyway, the only difference was that this one was closed and didn't lead anywhere.
He noticed that a teen boy, slightly younger than his new body's age running there, and he was followed by a group of six boys around his age too. The boy was running with such a speed and a scared look on his face, that he didn't even have the time to register that the alley wasn't leading anywhere. By the time he did, the other group had already closed his way out.
They didn't taunt him, or anything like that. What they did was much worse, the leader of the group a tanned brown haired teen with a beige shirt and some red shorts kept running toward him, and when he reached him he pulled his leg backward and kicked the guy right in the heels.
Needless to say, facing such a strong kick in his vulnerable state, he was sent airborne before crashing face-first into the unforgiving hard bricks below.
"You fucking coward." The attacker uttered, face stretched into a grin. The boys behind him laughed as well before they joined in attacking the victim whose head was bleeding from the previous fall.
"Why don't you talk back now?" Questioned the attacker, with another kick in the curled up boy's stomach.
Although Melvin didn't understand really what was happening, this group made him recollect when he was walking back home yesterday and a group of boys just like them hassled him.
He understood very well the psychology and motivations behind groups such as these, and they were entirely related to domination and coping mechanisms. Their life would suck in some ways, and they would channel that hate, envy, and what have you into dominating those they deem more fortunate.
This wasn't a random thought, but more so an educated guess he made after looking at both the differences in their clothing. The victim seemed well dressed, showered, and had a fresh haircut, and the others weren't. The way they gloated and laughed with one another didn't help their case either.
Moreover, Melvin had grown up in a very tough neighborhood, and he was very much familiar with how people like them operated.
With some grievances from yesterday that he had buried in his heart, and now after the humiliation in the plaza, he approached the group, and he didn't forget to remove his cloak because he wanted them to see his age.
The group who were still attacking the guy even though his previously tense arms that he protected his head with had already given out, soon noticed an approaching teenager. Although he seemed slightly older and more mature facial wise, he was still someone they would consider a peer. Thus, they were immediately annoyed looking at his all-knowing and confident smile.
"Why are you attacking him?" Melvin asked once he reached a satisfying distance from the group, he also quickly noticed that several windows had swung open in the alleyway, and the people behind were quietly watching everything unfold.
The moment he said that question, the group had all turned toward him, leaving the bloodied man on the streets. The leader of the group furrowed his brows, his expression both solemn and serious, "What's it to you?"
Still smiling, his confidence rooted in his ability, Melvin replied, "Well, I am just a concerned citizen. I see a group of people attacking a guy at the same time, and I worry."
The leader bit his lower teeth when he heard that, and a small cracking sound echoed as his thumb cracked his ring finger. His gaze unwavering, he approached Melvin step by step.
His arms moved slowly, and he grabbed Melvin's collar tightly with his left hand, his right hand clenched into a fist until his knuckles turned white and threatened, "What can you do about it?" He smiled, his expression clearly conveying his confidence in his ability as well. The group behind him all encircled Melvin, glaring at him with a cold look.
Melvin's smile widened even further, there was a reason he didn't do anything thus far. He had no idea how to gauge people's strength, and although it seemed improbable he was afraid they were all very powerful. However, the moment he felt the force by which his collar was grabbed, his mind was at ease.
Still, he was grabbed in such a difficult position that it was visually humiliation for him. His shirt scrunched up, squeezing his neck hard cutting the blood flow, and his belly was visible. But he didn't do anything, his voice smooth and collected he said, "You know, I learned something a while ago."
His words caught the boys slightly off guard as a conversation was the last thing they expected here, but he didn't give them any time to analyze and gripped them with his words as his title worked in full effect, "Living in a society, we more or less agree to some social contracts. And in this case, it is the contract of living together in peace. Now, most people follow it, that is why people like you can wake up in the morning and go have breakfast without anyone beating you up."
His expression gradually changed from amiable to deadly cold as he continued, "However, other people following it and them not killing you and letting you live to such an old age requires you to follow it as well. Otherwise, it makes you a hypocrite, a scourge that is infecting people's peace. A virus that is threatening the vital contracts that hold civilizations together."
Melvin's hands moved and grabbed the wrist of the hand latching into his collar, and he stabbed his finger into it, prompting the guy to immediately release his grip through sheer pain.
Before the guy could even grimace or groan in pain, sturdy powerful hands clucthed his collar, and his legs soon left the grounds as he was easily raised like a toddler. Then, the voice echoed, "Now that you have broken the contract that was so graciously given to you by everyone else, then naturally what takes place is the one you're contributing to. The strong preys on the weak. Correct?"
The moment the last word was heard, Melvin pushed the guy backward with every bit of his strength, and he flew several meters back before he fell on his back with a thudd, eyes widening from the collision.
He looked at the other ones and continued, "So let me show what are the consequences are for the contract you have just broken, you little shits."
His body easily tilted to the left, he raised his right leg with astonishing speed and hit the guy to his right in the stomach. The force behind it sent him flying through the air before he crashed into the wall of the nearby house before he fell weakly on his head.
The remaining four looked at him with a terrified expression, but before they could even think of how to react a menacing shadow lunged at them, beating in all kinds of shades of red and blue.
After he was done with the others, he approached the leader of the bunch who didn't move after the first fall. 'You think I am stupid?' Melvin thought, amused by the sight before him.
The guy was laid on his back, feigning losing consciousness. His eyes however betrayed him as they rapidly fluttered, a testament to the fear and anxiety he was feeling knowing that Melvin was right above him.
Melvin quickly thought of how he woke up that morning and decided to do the exact same to this fella. He swiftly bent down his legs and punched the guy right in the mouth, prompting him to open his eyes and grab his bleeding mouth as he groaned in pain.
Melvin's steps were steady as he approached the guy who was crawling on the ground trying to put a distance between them, and once he got close enough. He repeated what happened to him just a while ago in the plaza, he kicked the guy right in his rib cage, sending him flying to the side with eyes widening in shock and pain as a crack was heard. The guy's mouth opened gasping for breath as he held his stomach with his hand, a reflexive attempt to soothe the pain.
"See, this is the game you chose to play of your own volition," Melvin said as he approached him once again. This time, with a dagger that still had some blood left from his previous endeavors in hand. He crouched down, and played with it under the horrific guy's gaze, and asked, "Do you understand what I wanted to say?"
The guy furiously nodded his head in understanding. Witnessing this, Melvin pushed, "Explain it."
Hearing that, his expression of fear stiffened, and felt lost unaware of how to proceed. However, the sight of Melvin's smile quickly scared him and he began repeating what he heard before.
Their victim had already woken up and was watching everything unfold, his expression was filled with satisfaction as he looked at their bloodied faces and more so mortified expressions. He stood up with difficulty due to sheer pain in his back, stomach, and face as he began to approach Melvin. "Thank you," He said, with a bloody weak smile.
Standing up, Melvin put down his dagger in the back of his waistband and put on his hood once again. "It's fine," he replied, "Come, let me walk you out, these guys might come looking for trouble again."
'That is the beauty of power' He gleefuly thought with a wide grin as the two walked out of the alleyway, but he understood that it was more than just power. It was a fact that he was now a man who was already considered a criminal, so he didn't have much to fear.
The moment he saw those guys and wanted to beat them up, he went for it. At the same time, the fact that he had killed several people that same day only boldened him more.
The attendant's face that was visibly uncomfortable as he fidgeted while looking at Melvin was quickly registered in his mind. He glanced at him and smiled, "Alright, I'll leave now. You could have just told me you know." He said teasingly.
He knew that the attendant was a bit afraid because he seemed rather unpredictable with his black pants and boots filled with blood as he clenched his teeth in hatred with an unfocused gaze.
He walked out of the alchemy shop and after throwing a brief look at the Royal Plaza, he picked a random street in the southern main road and strode in its direction. The plaza was still a bit too crowded, and he reasoned he must still be fresh in most of those people's minds, and he didn't want that.
After he walked for a little while, he found a secluded alleyway with some cats and sat down beside them in order to play and kill some time. He quickly noticed how the three cats in this alley were rather skinny, and at the same time, the first thing he saw them doing was rummaging through the street, seemingly looking for something to eat.
Just as his butt touched the ground, it started raising up once again. He had noticed that one of the stalls in a previous street was selling some fresh fish, and thus he went back and brought a small paper bag that had around eight small fish at the cheap price of 35 copper coins.
He gave the skinnier cats of the group three and gave the last one two. 'Seems fair?' He thought, enjoying the sound of them chewing.
However, something soon caught his attention and also soured his mood. This particular street he was sitting in, was rather deserted, and that was why he decided to rest here for a while. Opposite to him, was another alleyway, the only difference was that this one was closed and didn't lead anywhere.
He noticed that a teen boy, slightly younger than his new body's age running there, and he was followed by a group of six boys around his age too. The boy was running with such a speed and a scared look on his face, that he didn't even have the time to register that the alley wasn't leading anywhere. By the time he did, the other group had already closed his way out.
They didn't taunt him, or anything like that. What they did was much worse, the leader of the group a tanned brown haired teen with a beige shirt and some red shorts kept running toward him, and when he reached him he pulled his leg backward and kicked the guy right in the heels.
Needless to say, facing such a strong kick in his vulnerable state, he was sent airborne before crashing face-first into the unforgiving hard bricks below.
"You fucking coward." The attacker uttered, face stretched into a grin. The boys behind him laughed as well before they joined in attacking the victim whose head was bleeding from the previous fall.
"Why don't you talk back now?" Questioned the attacker, with another kick in the curled up boy's stomach.
Although Melvin didn't understand really what was happening, this group made him recollect when he was walking back home yesterday and a group of boys just like them hassled him.
He understood very well the psychology and motivations behind groups such as these, and they were entirely related to domination and coping mechanisms. Their life would suck in some ways, and they would channel that hate, envy, and what have you into dominating those they deem more fortunate.
This wasn't a random thought, but more so an educated guess he made after looking at both the differences in their clothing. The victim seemed well dressed, showered, and had a fresh haircut, and the others weren't. The way they gloated and laughed with one another didn't help their case either.
Moreover, Melvin had grown up in a very tough neighborhood, and he was very much familiar with how people like them operated.
With some grievances from yesterday that he had buried in his heart, and now after the humiliation in the plaza, he approached the group, and he didn't forget to remove his cloak because he wanted them to see his age.
The group who were still attacking the guy even though his previously tense arms that he protected his head with had already given out, soon noticed an approaching teenager. Although he seemed slightly older and more mature facial wise, he was still someone they would consider a peer. Thus, they were immediately annoyed looking at his all-knowing and confident smile.
"Why are you attacking him?" Melvin asked once he reached a satisfying distance from the group, he also quickly noticed that several windows had swung open in the alleyway, and the people behind were quietly watching everything unfold.
The moment he said that question, the group had all turned toward him, leaving the bloodied man on the streets. The leader of the group furrowed his brows, his expression both solemn and serious, "What's it to you?"
Still smiling, his confidence rooted in his ability, Melvin replied, "Well, I am just a concerned citizen. I see a group of people attacking a guy at the same time, and I worry."
The leader bit his lower teeth when he heard that, and a small cracking sound echoed as his thumb cracked his ring finger. His gaze unwavering, he approached Melvin step by step.
His arms moved slowly, and he grabbed Melvin's collar tightly with his left hand, his right hand clenched into a fist until his knuckles turned white and threatened, "What can you do about it?" He smiled, his expression clearly conveying his confidence in his ability as well. The group behind him all encircled Melvin, glaring at him with a cold look.
Melvin's smile widened even further, there was a reason he didn't do anything thus far. He had no idea how to gauge people's strength, and although it seemed improbable he was afraid they were all very powerful. However, the moment he felt the force by which his collar was grabbed, his mind was at ease.
Still, he was grabbed in such a difficult position that it was visually humiliation for him. His shirt scrunched up, squeezing his neck hard cutting the blood flow, and his belly was visible. But he didn't do anything, his voice smooth and collected he said, "You know, I learned something a while ago."
His words caught the boys slightly off guard as a conversation was the last thing they expected here, but he didn't give them any time to analyze and gripped them with his words as his title worked in full effect, "Living in a society, we more or less agree to some social contracts. And in this case, it is the contract of living together in peace. Now, most people follow it, that is why people like you can wake up in the morning and go have breakfast without anyone beating you up."
His expression gradually changed from amiable to deadly cold as he continued, "However, other people following it and them not killing you and letting you live to such an old age requires you to follow it as well. Otherwise, it makes you a hypocrite, a scourge that is infecting people's peace. A virus that is threatening the vital contracts that hold civilizations together."
Melvin's hands moved and grabbed the wrist of the hand latching into his collar, and he stabbed his finger into it, prompting the guy to immediately release his grip through sheer pain.
Before the guy could even grimace or groan in pain, sturdy powerful hands clucthed his collar, and his legs soon left the grounds as he was easily raised like a toddler. Then, the voice echoed, "Now that you have broken the contract that was so graciously given to you by everyone else, then naturally what takes place is the one you're contributing to. The strong preys on the weak. Correct?"
The moment the last word was heard, Melvin pushed the guy backward with every bit of his strength, and he flew several meters back before he fell on his back with a thudd, eyes widening from the collision.
He looked at the other ones and continued, "So let me show what are the consequences are for the contract you have just broken, you little shits."
His body easily tilted to the left, he raised his right leg with astonishing speed and hit the guy to his right in the stomach. The force behind it sent him flying through the air before he crashed into the wall of the nearby house before he fell weakly on his head.
The remaining four looked at him with a terrified expression, but before they could even think of how to react a menacing shadow lunged at them, beating in all kinds of shades of red and blue.
After he was done with the others, he approached the leader of the bunch who didn't move after the first fall. 'You think I am stupid?' Melvin thought, amused by the sight before him.
The guy was laid on his back, feigning losing consciousness. His eyes however betrayed him as they rapidly fluttered, a testament to the fear and anxiety he was feeling knowing that Melvin was right above him.
Melvin quickly thought of how he woke up that morning and decided to do the exact same to this fella. He swiftly bent down his legs and punched the guy right in the mouth, prompting him to open his eyes and grab his bleeding mouth as he groaned in pain.
Melvin's steps were steady as he approached the guy who was crawling on the ground trying to put a distance between them, and once he got close enough. He repeated what happened to him just a while ago in the plaza, he kicked the guy right in his rib cage, sending him flying to the side with eyes widening in shock and pain as a crack was heard. The guy's mouth opened gasping for breath as he held his stomach with his hand, a reflexive attempt to soothe the pain.
"See, this is the game you chose to play of your own volition," Melvin said as he approached him once again. This time, with a dagger that still had some blood left from his previous endeavors in hand. He crouched down, and played with it under the horrific guy's gaze, and asked, "Do you understand what I wanted to say?"
The guy furiously nodded his head in understanding. Witnessing this, Melvin pushed, "Explain it."
Hearing that, his expression of fear stiffened, and felt lost unaware of how to proceed. However, the sight of Melvin's smile quickly scared him and he began repeating what he heard before.
Their victim had already woken up and was watching everything unfold, his expression was filled with satisfaction as he looked at their bloodied faces and more so mortified expressions. He stood up with difficulty due to sheer pain in his back, stomach, and face as he began to approach Melvin. "Thank you," He said, with a bloody weak smile.
Standing up, Melvin put down his dagger in the back of his waistband and put on his hood once again. "It's fine," he replied, "Come, let me walk you out, these guys might come looking for trouble again."
'That is the beauty of power' He gleefuly thought with a wide grin as the two walked out of the alleyway, but he understood that it was more than just power. It was a fact that he was now a man who was already considered a criminal, so he didn't have much to fear.
The moment he saw those guys and wanted to beat them up, he went for it. At the same time, the fact that he had killed several people that same day only boldened him more.
