Unholy Player-Chapter 144: Dark empath

"He’s not a psychopath, that much is clear. But I wouldn’t call him harmless either."

Conrad paused, choosing his next words carefully.

"Dark empaths differ from psychopaths in one key way: they have empathy. They feel guilt, understand consequences, and can read emotions with unsettling precision. But what makes them dangerous is their ability to suppress that empathy when it obstructs their goals. In other words, they can become just as cold and calculated as any psychopath... and often far more effective. Because unlike psychopaths, they understand what others feel — and that allows them to manipulate with frightening ease."

He stopped again, his expression thoughtful, before continuing.

"People who fit the dark empath profile are usually born neurologically intact. I see no evidence of genetic damage or abnormal brain development. From what I’ve read in the reports you gave me, his birth and early years seemed uneventful. Other than being found as an infant outside the city and brought to an orphanage, there’s no clear trauma that would have triggered this behavior.

That’s what concerns me. It suggests this isn’t a reaction — it’s a structure. Something he developed intentionally, like armor. A psychological defense mechanism that shaped him long before anyone realized."

Henry listened in silence. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t argue. He respected Conrad’s judgment, and for good reason.

Dr. Conrad Halbertstam wasn’t just any psychiatrist. He was a leading mind in his field, renowned for mapping even the most fractured psyches and producing groundbreaking research, particularly for the STF. When he spoke, it carried weight.

"So tell me plainly, Conrad. Is Adyr a threat... or an asset?"

Conrad let out a brief laugh, not unkind. "Do you know who else fits the dark empath profile, Henry?"

Henry thought for a moment, then shook his head.

"Our ancestors," Conrad said simply. "The first humans to walk this earth."

Henry’s eyes narrowed in curiosity, but he said nothing.

"They were cold. Calculating. Not guided by morals or ethics, but by instinct. They survived brutal environments, hunted without hesitation, and killed to protect or to eat. They didn’t ponder right or wrong — they acted. And in doing so, they laid the foundation for our species."

Henry leaned back slowly in his chair, some of the tension draining from his posture. "So... you’re saying Adyr is like them? Like our primitive ancestors?"

Conrad nodded.

"Look at the world we live in now. Chaos is no longer the exception — it’s the rule. It’s not just the wastelands outside the city. It’s the unknown world we’ve uncovered recently, the rules of this new world that even the most brilliant minds still don’t fully grasp.

I don’t think the question is whether Mr. Adyr is dangerous or safe. I believe the real question is whether he’s the one who can bring order to this chaos. And whether he’ll be willing to do what must be done — without hesitation, without concern for what we would call acceptable."

Dr. Conrad made his stance clear.

From the earliest days of human history, it was people like this who set the rules amid chaos. While others hesitated, they were the first to act — the first to fight for survival.

Where most weighed morality, they moved. Without distinction between right and wrong, they chose action. They focused not on justification, but on results.

And because of them, humanity endured.

Under their protection — their cold logic, their instinct to preserve — the species survived, adapted, and multiplied across generations.

And now, once again, humanity found itself surrounded by chaos, and once again, it needed people like them.

Not the careful thinkers. Not the ones who waited for rules to be written. But those who acted first. Those who could survive in the unknown draw strength from it and carve a path forward where none existed.

In this newly discovered world, still veiled in uncertainty and filled with dangers no one fully understood, there was no room for idealism—they needed sharp instincts, calculated precision, and unwavering control.

They needed someone who could live among monsters without becoming one. Someone who could take the first steps not for glory, but for survival — and drag the rest of humanity forward with him.

Right now, Adyr was the clearest match to that need. And perhaps, the only one left capable of doing it.

At least, that was the profile forming in Dr. Conrad’s mind after meeting him.

"I see," Henry Bates said, exhaling quietly. He agreed with the doctor completely.

Even within the STF, the most effective operatives had always been those with the most fractured minds—fearless, unflinching, and driven by a hunger for blood.

Natural-born predators who didn’t flinch when things got ugly. And what Henry — what the world — needed now wasn’t a hero.

It was someone with the kind of mind that could rewrite the rules from scratch and forge a new path through chaos.

"Thank you, Conrad, for taking the time," he said as he stood and leaned forward to shake his hand.

"It was a pleasure meeting someone like him," Conrad replied sincerely. "If possible, I’d like to speak with him again someday."

He turned to leave but stopped at the door. "Henry, I’d like to take a week off," he said without turning around.

Henry hesitated. Conrad had always been a workaholic — the kind of man who never used his entitled leaves, always just one call away, always ready. A request like this was... unexpected. "Why?"

Dr. Conrad offered a faint smile. "I want to spend one good week with my family."

—

While the deep conversation between Dr. Conrad and Henry Bates came to an end, Adyr had already finished what he needed to do in his room. His expression remained blank and detached, as if none of it mattered, while he made his way toward the playroom.

He wasn’t particularly concerned about the doctor’s evaluation. In fact, he was certain he’d convinced him he wasn’t a psychopath. Even if they still saw him as dangerous, there wasn’t much they could do about it now.

Adyr was progressing fast — faster than he had anticipated, even by his own standards. His development had already begun to outpace the plans he had carefully set in place. And if things continued at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he reached a point where no one’s opinion would matter anymore.

Of course, for now — and for what came next — he still needed the PTF. He even needed Henry, to an extent. Which was why he was playing his cards carefully, keeping everything under control.

"Mr. Adyr."

Nurse Mira jolted upright from her seat, startled by the door opening. As usual, she’d dozed off at her post.

"You’re really working too much," Adyr said, a quiet amusement flickering across his face. Every time he entered or left the room, she was there—almost as if she lived in it.

"Not as much as you, Mr. Adyr," Mira replied with a tired sigh. "If you don’t mind waiting, Dr. Eliot is already on his way."

"Fine by me," Adyr said, allowing her to run through her usual checks.

Over time, he had grown used to casual conversations with Mira and Dr. Eliot during these routine procedures. He quietly appreciated their dedication — both of them consistently worked beyond their expected hours.

In Shelter City 9, and in most other cities, overworking had long become the norm. Official holidays were nonexistent. But even by those standards, Mira and Eliot stood out. That alone left a positive impression on him.

At the very least, for now, they were people he could trust to take care of his body while he was inside the game.

Once all the checks were complete and Dr. Eliot arrived, they exchanged a few words, nothing more than polite greetings and small talk. Then Adyr finally stepped into the gamepod and closed his eyes.

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