The System opened the store panel and started browsing. He started with the cheapest one.
Tyrannical Slap: A single slap bypassing all the defenses leaving a large handprint of shame. Physical Damage: None. Mental Damage: The higher the ego, the higher the damage. Cost: One tyrannical point.
"Huh? Higher the ego, higher the damage? Meaning if someone is shameless, he would not get any damage at all?"
[Correct]
"Mhmm... Nice." He looked at the next item.
Tyrannical Body: Level 01. Double your body into one. Cost: 100 tyrannical points.
"Double your body into one? What does that mean?"
[Whatever your body condition is right now, it will enhance it to double as if two bodies are into one.]
"Two bodies? This is confusing. Is this a cloning method?"
[Think of it like your body stat is 100, double it, 200 into one. Your body stat will become 200.]
"Then say it like that, that you will make my body twice as powerful... why say it so confusingly?"
[Because it is not just power, everything about your body will get doubled.]
"Oh... that makes sense. Wait... then my height will also get double?"
[No, no physical changes will happen. Only the attributes will be amplified, including strength, endurance, recovery speed, bone density, muscle density and efficiency, blood circulation, and even the natural resistance your body has against poison, illness, and fatigue. Everything will be doubled.]
Julius rubbed his chin at the explanation.
"So basically... the body stays the same size, visually nothing is changed but everything becomes twice as effective."
[Correct.]
He looked again at the price.
"One hundred points..."
Then he glanced at his current balance of negative 16 points and sighed.
"If only I did not have that thought of running away because of the nuke. FUCK YOU SYSTEM for taking my 50 days!"
[Tyrannical intent detected. +2 Points.]
"FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU!"
[Now you are trying to scam the System. Beware, that is also sometimes considered as cowardly ways. Keep an eye on the tyrannical meter or risk a penalty of life.]
"FUCK OFF!"
[Tyrannical intent detected. +5 Points.]
Julius kind of got the gist of it. It was really rage filled pure emotion of defiance which would count as points; if he acts like one, that will not count at all. He looked at the balance and now it was at negative 09 points.
"This will be a piece of cake. But System... you took my life as a penalty. Can I use my life as payment too?"
[Yes but are you sure? I genuinely do not have a way to tell how much life as days are left for you to stay alive. If you accidentally cross the limit, you will die and take 1000 kilometers of land with it.]
"You are right. 500 points to replenish life, it is a lose-lose scenario."
[It is also a cowardly way in the context of tyrannical where you believe sacrificing yourself is a noble act but in fact it is an escape rather than domination over your circumstances, and the Tyrant System does not reward self sacrifice disguised as courage or noble. Tyranny has nothing to do with being noble.]
Julius snorted.
"So dying gloriously is also considered cowardice?"
[Correct. Dying means you gave up and giving up is cowardice.]
"That is a strange definition."
[True tyrants do not escape responsibility through death. They bend the world until it obeys and keeps it under their heels.]
Julius stared at the floating meter like a ticking time bomb.
"Meaning I cannot run, cannot die, and cannot be kind either."
[Accurate. But kindness is allowed if they are obeying; that is a neutral mode.]
He exhaled slowly and looked toward the distant palace buildings beyond the trees.
"Well... that sounds like a perfect recipe for making enemies."
[You rather spend your life on a bed?]
"FUCK OFF!"
[Tyrannical intent detected. +5 Points.]
Julius glanced at the balance, negative four. He smirked. "So you enjoy provoking me just to farm points for me?"
[The System has no invested motive here. The System is True Neutral.]
"Yeah, yeah."
He crossed the trees towards a storage room as he saw some workers digging sewage canals and one of the palace eunuchs was instructing them using a whip.
WHIP! CRACK!
"Move faster, you useless worms!" the eunuch barked in his high pitched voice while the workers bent their backs deeper into the mud filled trench. They were thin starving laborers, not slaves, pushed into palace work, digging the sewage canal with rusted shovels.
One man slowed down for a moment, breathing heavily.
CRACK!
The whip struck his back and the man collapsed into the mud screaming in pain. The eunuch made a face full of pleasure as if that scream was some melodic tune. When the screaming stopped his trance broke.
"Get up or I will peel your skin!"
"My Lord... he has nothing left, I will work on my father's behalf!"
The eunuch as if he did not hear at all raised his whip when he paused. He looked up and saw Julius was glaring at him.
"Oh... a new worker!"
WHIP!
The eunuch immediately attacked Julius but the whip reach was short and only hit the mud near Julius.
"What are you standing there for? GET TO WORK!"
Julius did not move from his spot, a cold expression on his face.
"Did you not hear me? Move, you lazy dog!"
WHIP!
The whip still cut short to reach Julius.
"YOU!" The eunuch jumped to cross the canal so that his whip could reach Julius. He raised the whip to crack.
KICK! BAM!
However, the moment the eunuch came close, Julius sent a spartan kick to his chest.
"OUF!"
The eunuch flew backward and crashed straight into the sewage trench with a loud splash, scaring every worker around as they left the ditch too to make way or not get mixed up in this trouble. The muddy water sprayed everywhere as his thin body struggled in the foul ditch.
For a moment he was stunned, coughing and choking. He did not expect this ever; he was the master of this corner, he almost considered himself the emperor of this corner.