Derrick jerked to a stop. He growled, "What are you talking about?"
Severin tapped his chin in total calmness. "Let me see. We are both in the low, as you said, and I am in the lowest, but that was before. From tonight, I will start climbing to the..."
Derrick sneered. "Shut up. You've played with shit so much that it's starting to get to your head. You? Climb your way to the top? Of all the things that can happen, that is something that will never happen."
"Oh, you think because you can now raise your head and look me in the eyes that things have changed? No... I don't even know your name. No, random, things won't change. You will always be on the ground, and those more powerful than you will always step over you."
"That's true." Severin turned and began to climb the stairs. "But that's only for one that decided to remain on the ground. You're used to it anyway. Enjoy getting smacked just like earlier."
Derrick was angry. Not just because of the words that Severin spoke, but the way he did it. The expression and those blue eyes of his that were so calm and steady, as if he was looking down at a maggot.
"You...!" His anger boiled over, and he ran at Severin at full speed, his muscles tensing and coiling at the violence he was about to inflict. His legs pounded up the creaking stairs without restraint.
What made him even angrier was the fact that Severin didn't run away, simply stayed at the edge of the stairs and leaned against it.
Derrick was five steps from pouncing on Severin when he finally made his move.
Severin kicked out, his leg striking at the corner where a nail was struck. The nail jerked free, followed by the metal bands that held the corner stable.
This caused a chain of reactions down the stairs, and with a snap and cracking sound, the stairs collapsed with Derrick on them.
Derrick was too shocked to get back up in time. With his eyes up, he saw Severin staring down at him with that expression. His face was smooth and calm, only his eyes were cold.
"You know, it's far easier to jump down from here than to get up here without the stairs. Maybe if one of us had the C, or even the D and above Talent Ability, then we'd do just fine and you'd just jump here."
"What?" Derrick asked as he climbed to his feet. The shock of falling seemed to have knocked the anger out of his head.
The trap was what Severin had set when he was in the abandoned building earlier. He had used rusted metals he found nearby to nearly destroy the run-down stairs, leaving only a little for a total breakdown when triggered.
He needed to talk with Derrick, but he was a person that would punch first before asking questions. So Severin had set up the best convenient way for him.
"Why are you telling me all this?" Derrick growled. The shock was wearing off, and his anger was mounting again.
"I'm telling you the difference between us and them. The gap between the Talent Ability Ranks can't be easily grasped unless you have a rich family. But it seems you're just from a useless family like your Talent Ability." Severin offered a small smile at that.
Derrick didn't get angry. He seemed to be in shock. It was as if the ground he had been stepping on every day suddenly grew spikes. He was the strong one, while the one talking to him that way was the weak one.
Derrick didn't understand. "What is going on here?"
"A deal, Derrick. Let me tell you the statistics of the Zenith Hero Academy. By year two, most of Class Five will have been totally cleared out. Either they are killed or expelled, and in most cases, simply too crippled to continue.
"But if you are good at ass-licking, then you might be able to gain approval from some Academy House and then become their messenger boy or cleaner. Maybe you'll help polish their armour.
"That way, you'll manage to graduate and continue your life as an ass-licker until you die early because you didn't reach the Advancement Stage where immortality begins."
Severin flashed another smile. "Seems familiar? It's your life, after all. You should be used to it."
Derrick was frozen. The ground wasn't just growing spikes anymore; a monster was directly growing from the ground. He took an unconscious step back because what Severin described soaked into his blood and bones as truth.
Severin hummed. "Let's create another. Because of your hot temper and your desire to grow stronger, you piss off some bully that's even more cruel than you. Like you did today, but instead of just beating you to the ground, they grip your jaw and then proceed to rip it..."
"Stop! Stop it, you bastard!" Derrick was breathing hard.
Severin didn't say anything for a long time and merely stared down at him. He let the silence linger until Derrick became uncomfortable.
"What do you know? You think I want to be in this situation and be swimming in shit with you lots? I want to be a powerful Hero! A well-known Etherion user. A powerful person.
"Even though my talent is strength, I can't even beat some of the high-rank Talent Abilities, even though their talent is in no way related to strength!"
Derrick's eyes were wide. He was angry, but it wasn't directed at Severin. More like self-hatred for not being where he wanted, no matter how he tried.
His tone was bitter and miserable. Just like how Severin wanted it. Everything, every word he spoke, was calculated to unhinge Derrick, because only when one was in their most miserable state would they cling tightly to a thread of dangling hope.
Severin went for the killing blow. "Fortunately for you, this is how your life is going to be until your death. You can only even live longer if you keep your head down and tail between your legs. If you be a good dog."