Chapter 25 - Mason Beat Himself Up
The copies insulted him while they fought.
Accurately.
"You quit community college."
Punch.
"You stayed at a job you hated because applying elsewhere scared you."
Kick.
"You tell jokes when you're embarrassed."
Mason blocked that one.
"Okay, that's staying."
The point of the trial was not combat.
Every time Mason denied a true weakness, the copies grew stronger.
So he stopped denying them.
"Yeah. I quit school."
One copy vanished.
"Yeah. I stayed too long."
Another vanished.
"Yeah. I've been scared most of my life."
Half the room disappeared.
The final copy looked exactly like Mason on the night he was fired.
Wet apron.
Head down.
Angry but silent.
"You're still me," the copy said.
Mason nodded.
"I know."
He held out a hand.
The copy took it.
Instead of disappearing, it stepped into him.
Silver qi surged through Mason's body.
[SILVER THREAD — MIDDLE STAGE.]
[TRAIT ACQUIRED: UNASHAMED.]
[ALL MENTAL DEBUFFS FROM PUBLIC HUMILIATION REDUCED 80%.]
The arena returned.
The judge stared at him.
"All three trials passed."
Mason smiled.
"So I'm legal now?"
"No."
"Of course not."
The judge raised Lou's old case file.
"You are now eligible to inherit his criminal charges."
---
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