{A/N: The first bonus chapter is here! If you want more, make sure to comment. I don't care what you comment—just comment! I heard it helps with the rankings.}
"Tell me, does it feel good getting beaten up like this?" Brianna asked Octavian, her beautiful—no, downright infuriating—face radiating that signature "I don't give a shit" energy. And what pissed Octavian off the most about her?
Those damn eyes of hers…
They weren't just looking at him. Oh no, they were judging him. Like he was some insignificant insect crawling across her path, one she could crush underfoot at any moment—but, out of sheer pity or boredom, chose not to.
It honestly made sense, though. Brianna had been studying magic for years now, and Octavian? Well, he was basically just another peasant to her—one who happened to also be a bit corrupted and, let's be real, a criminal.
The punchline? He'd earned this beatdown fair and square.
And Brianna? She wasn't even mad. She was just here to teach him a lesson. A little "How to Behave 101," courtesy of her fists. But for Octavian, this was not it. Oh no, my guy hated this with every fiber of his being. The humbling? It came fast and hard, like a magical slap to the ego. I mean, let's not sugarcoat it—he was being unreasonable by our standards.
But Octavian's standards? A whole different game. He hated anyone laying a finger on him without his permission.
"Are you a little… slow?" Brianna asked, tilting her head with the kind of curiosity you'd reserve for a particularly dumb puppy.
Her tone carried the kind of exasperation that made it clear she was trying—trying so hard—to understand if Octavian was actually an idiot. And then, after a moment of silence, she nodded like she'd solved a great mystery.
"Yeah, that would explain your behavior, Mister."
Meanwhile, Octavian's brain was on the verge of meltdown mode. Bro was spiraling—his mind bouncing around faster than a rubber ball in a tornado. What kind of magic did this woman use? Was it telekinesis? Atomic shifting? Gravity manipulation?!
And just like that, his overworked brain started running on pure fumes, crafting theories—big, complicated, absolutely ridiculous theories—on how to replicate her moves. Bro was mentally launching a full-scale research project mid-beatdown.
Octavian's mind whirred like an overclocked engine, racing through possibilities in mere seconds as he tried to piece together how Brianna's magic worked.
"Telekinesis... it has to be telekinesis. But how? Is it a direct manipulation of matter at the atomic level?
No, that would require a precise control of electromagnetic forces to alter the position of individual particles. But then, how would she anchor her influence?
Does she create a localized gravitational field to move objects by bending space-time? No... no, the energy cost for that would be astronomical, even for someone like her."
His brows furrowed deeper as his thoughts accelerated.
"Maybe it's something simpler, like generating psionic waves that vibrate through the etheric plane to displace matter. That could bypass the need for direct interaction with physical particles.
But then how does she stabilize the field? Oscillations of that frequency would destabilize unless she's anchoring them with an internal energy reservoir synchronized to her own biofield.
Does she have a neural enhancement or an extra sensory receptor for spatial awareness? That would explain the precision."
His fists clenched, frustration bubbling.
"Or is it quantum entanglement? Is she linking herself to the target object at a subatomic level, using her life energy to create a bridge? But that's insane—it would require her to simultaneously collapse the wave function of every particle in the object.
That kind of processing power would fry a normal brain! Could her magic somehow bypass those limitations by utilizing higher-dimensional mechanics? Like accessing a fourth spatial dimension to manipulate objects in three-dimensional space indirectly?
But if that's true, how does her consciousness navigate the higher-dimensional topology without a dedicated framework for interpretation?"
His heart pounded.
"No... none of this explains how she could use it so effortlessly. Maybe it's not telekinesis in the traditional sense. Maybe she's using ambient energy in the environment to create localized force vectors.
Like a network of invisible threads she weaves from the latent mana in the air, each thread exerting a micro-force that, collectively, allows her to control objects.
But how does she shape and guide the threads? Is it mental? Emotional? Is it instinctive like breathing, or does it require active focus?"
And then, like a cold bucket of water over his thoughts, the realization hit him.
"It doesn't matter. None of it matters... because I can't do it."
'I uses life energy.... Which isn't some very versatile energy like whatever this bitch is using. It just hold down someone's body together at most and can help me alter mine...'
Wait a sec… I got an idea.
Octavian's eyes flickered with renewed determination as he glared at Brianna. She stood there, still as a statue, her gaze locked onto him with that maddening condescension, like he wasn't even worth the energy to crush underfoot.
His own eyes, however, burned with a fierce desire for payback.
Slowly, he began to weave his life energy, unseen threads of dark, swirling force extending outward from his body. The threads slithered like serpents, inching their way toward Brianna.
Octavian's mind buzzed with the reckless brilliance of his plan—to infiltrate her very atomic structure and disrupt it from within. If he couldn't overpower her head-on, he'd dismantle her piece by piece.
He didn't know how he came up with the idea. Maybe it was desperation. Maybe genius. Maybe madness.
Yeah! Yeah! Go on!
He cheered silently as the threads crept closer, each one a silent harbinger of his vengeance. They were just a hair's breadth away from her body now, ready to slip inside and wreak havoc. Victory was so close he could practically taste it.
BREAK.
Eh?!
Octavian's triumphant grin faltered as every single thread snapped the moment they touched Brianna's body.
The feedback shot through him like a lightning bolt, leaving him stunned. His life energy shattered like glass against her presence, scattering uselessly in the air.
His jaw tightened as realization sank in: whatever bound her together—whatever she was—was beyond his comprehension. It wasn't just a failure of strength; it was a failure of understanding.
Fascinating.
The thought bubbled up, unbidden. Instead of despair, a spark of curiosity lit in Octavian's mind. Most people would've been broken by a revelation like this, their worldview cracked under the weight of failure.
But Octavian? No, he was the kind of person who thrived on the unknown. If his understanding of life energy had been shattered, then he'd rebuild it—better, sharper, and more complete.
But that was for later. Right now, there was a far more pressing question.
Shit... What should I do now? Give up on revenge?
For a moment, his mind was a void, as if even his thoughts had run out of steam. Then, like a beacon in the darkness, a single answer emerged.
Nah. I'll take revenge.
His resolve crystallized. Sure, this was humiliating, and sure, he was technically only three minutes old in this existence, but pride—however small and fragile—was pride.
And hers? Hers was unbearable. That smug expression on her face? The way she looked down on him? It was enough to give him a headache. (Not literally, but you get the point.)
Offense came easy to him these days, but maybe that would change. Someday, perhaps after a great revelation or character arc, he'd learn to stop caring.
He'd realize that the opinions of these insignificant creatures didn't matter. After all, did monkeys care about what ants thought of them? No. So why should he lower himself to their level?
But that day wasn't today. Today, his baby pride burned, and he wasn't about to let it go unavenged. Mind you he was less than 3 minutes old right now.
His mind churned, seeking another way, another angle. He might've lost this round, but this battle was far from over.
Suddenly, a new idea sparked in Octavian's mind. His gaze shifted toward one of the men in the crowd—a rotund figure standing amidst the spectators, who seemed all too entertained by his humiliation.
Even though Octavian tried to move, his body refused to obey. Brianna's mana was like an iron weight, pinning him down effortlessly.
You shall aid me, monkey, Octavian thought with a defiant smirk, his eyes locking onto the fat man he vaguely remembered seeing earlier. With a flicker of determination, he once again extended his threads of life energy.
This time, however, they didn't target Brianna. That approach had been futile. Instead, the threads darted toward the fat man in the crowd, snaking through the air like wisps of shadow, seeking their new target with precise intent.
The threads moved swiftly, but soon...
CRACK.
CRACK.
Faint fractures began appearing along the strands, threatening to shatter them before they could even reach their destination. The delicate threads quivered, on the verge of collapse, as they approached the man. Octavian's heart sank for a moment.
Is this going to fail too?
But then, just as the cracks deepened, the threads finally pierced through. A triumphant grin stretched across Octavian's face as the life energy strands successfully entered the man's body. Relief and exhilaration surged through him like a tide.
FUCK YEAH! he roared in his mind, his internal celebration so intense that he barely noticed the mud seeping into his mouth as his lips grazed the ground.
Eww.
Meanwhile, Brianna stood calmly a few feet away, completely unaware of the subtle manipulation taking place.
She casually wiped her lips, finishing the last piece of her chicken, and licked her fingers with an almost irritating grace. Her gaze returned to Octavian, brimming with serene confidence.
"This should be enough punishment for you," she said, her voice as gentle and warm as a summer breeze. "Just promise me you won't do something like this again, and I'll let you go."
Her angelic smile lit up her face, radiating an almost divine benevolence. To the onlookers, she truly appeared like a saint in human form, a celestial being dispensing both justice and mercy.
But to Octavian, who lay seething in the dirt, that same smile might as well have been a sharpened blade mocking him.
Brianna didn't truly want to hurt Octavian—not enough to scar him or give him lasting trauma. Her goal was simple: to teach him a lesson, one he wouldn't forget anytime soon.
"Say you won't do it again," she demanded, her angelic tone shifting abruptly to something far darker—sharp, cold, and utterly tyrannical. In that instant, she was no longer the benevolent saint. She was a ruler who knew exactly how to extract obedience.
But before she could take another step, the air was split by a blood-curdling scream.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
The shriek came from her left, sharp and jarring, cutting through the crowd like a blade. It was followed by a chorus of panicked screams from others, so loud they seemed to vibrate through the air, causing her ears to throb painfully.
What the hell is—
Brianna turned her head to the left, trying to locate the source of the chaos, but her thoughts were abruptly shattered.
THUNK.
A flying shard of bone, glowing faintly with a dark energy, pierced her left eye with surgical precision. Pain exploded in her skull, blinding her, and she stumbled backward, her balance completely lost.
What the hell just hit me?!
The unexpected attack severed her concentration, and with it, her mana control faltered. The oppressive force holding Octavian down dissipated instantly, leaving him free to act.
And act he did.
Octavian wasted no time. Without uttering a single word, he sprang toward Brianna, who was still mid-fall, clutching her bleeding eye in a desperate attempt to steady herself. His movements were sharp and fueled by sheer resolve.
As he closed the distance, Octavian's right hand clenched so tightly that the skin of his palm split apart, blood spurting in thin streaks. Channeling his life energy with unrelenting focus, he forced his own hand bone to protrude violently through his torn skin, forming a jagged, makeshift weapon.
And then—
STAB!
In one fluid motion, he drove the exposed bone straight into Brianna's stomach, piercing through her robes and flesh with brutal efficiency. The attack sent her crumpling to the ground, gasping for air as pain rippled through her body.
It had taken Octavian just four seconds to turn the tables entirely.
Not too shabby, right?
I mean brianna managed to last 4 seconds against him.
Guess she really is the most frightening genius of this era.
Lol.