Reincarnated with a lucky draw system

Chapter 422: DEVOURING FEAR

"What if I do destroy your entire cluster? That should cause you to show fear." The threat rolled out calmly, but the implications hung heavy, the void seeming to absorb the words and amplify their menace.

His words caused reactions from the general, a flicker of doubt in his eyes, muscles tensing further,.but yet the general refused to show fear, his jaw set in stubborn resolve.

"Fear is way harder than blood," Aaron thought to himself, a quiet realization amid the tension.

"I’m sure the repercussions would have been more if I had given in to fear."

The internal admission grounded him further, the hunger subsiding to a dull throb as he regained full control.

"You should fear me," Aaron repeated softly, but the moment passed.

"Let go of him!!" The soldiers present yelled at Aaron, their voices a chorus of alarm as they rushed onto the platform.

Weapons drawn, powers humming with charged energy, they aimed at Aaron, their faces pale, eyes wide with a mix of fury and dawning terror.

The metallic clank of boots echoed, the air thick with the scent of ozone from primed blasters.

"Hmm. You won’t want to show fear," Aaron muttered to the general, his tone almost regretful.

"But your death, if done right, can act like an investment, providing me with so much fear." The words were cold, calculated, shadows coiling tighter around him as he assessed the growing crowd.

With calmness, he threw the general toward Flameborn, the dragon’s massive form looming like a living eclipse, wings half-unfurled, golden eyes gleaming with predatory intent.

The general hurtled through the air, a cry escaping his lips as he twisted mid-flight.

"Torch him," Aaron informed Flameborn, his voice devoid of emotion, the command simple and final.

Flameborn, understanding the assignment, opened his maw wide.

A hot breath of flames erupted, dark and devouring, surging forward like a solar eclipse in motion.

The inferno engulfed the general in an instant, his scream piercing the void,.a raw, agonized wail that echoed across the base, carrying the weight of finality.

The cry and scream of the general echoed through the void, a haunting dirge that froze the soldiers in place.

Flames danced hungrily, reducing flesh and armor to ash, the acrid scent of charred remains spreading on the windless air.

The soldiers watched the cruel death of their commander, horror etching deep into their faces, eyes widening, breaths catching, weapons trembling in their grips.

And as Aaron had predicted, they felt true fear, a collective wave that washed over them like icy water, hearts pounding in unison, the void seeming to amplify their dread into something palpable, intoxicating.

Aaron stood amid the frozen tableau of terrified soldiers, the thick stench of fear radiating from them like a perfect dessert, rich, intoxicating, and utterly irresistible.

It hung in the void around the military base, a palpable miasma that thickened the air, clinging to his skin like humid fog on a moonless night.

The floodlights overhead flickered faintly, casting erratic shadows that danced across the metallic platforms, amplifying the soldiers’ wide-eyed horror as they stared at the husk of their fallen comrade.

Their breaths came in ragged, synchronized gasps, armored chests heaving, the metallic tang of sweat and ozone mingling with the acrid residue of Flameborn’s flames still lingering in the atmosphere.

He appeared before one of the soldiers saturated with fear, materializing from the shadows like a specter summoned from nightmares.

The man’s uniform was slick with perspiration, his visor fogged from panicked exhales, hands trembling on a weapon he no longer had the will to raise.

Aaron’s presence loomed over him, shadows coiling at his feet like eager serpents, the void seeming to bend toward him, drawn by the dark pull of his bloodline.

With experimentation on his mind, in order to learn balance and control, Aaron grabbed the shoulder of the soldier.

His grip was firm, fingers digging into the padded armor with effortless strength, feeling the rapid pulse thrumming beneath like a cornered animal’s heartbeat.

The soldier froze, a whimper escaping his lips, eyes bulging with raw terror that fed directly into Aaron’s growing hunger.

With purpose, he sucked the fear from the soldier, this time paying proper attention to the process.

It flowed into him like a cool, dark river, smooth and invigorating, each tendril of dread uncoiling from the man’s essence and merging with his own.

The soldier’s body stiffened, a low moan escaping as his knees buckled slightly under the invisible drain.

While devouring the soldier’s fear, Aaron actively monitored what was happening to him with his mystic eyes.

The world sharpened in his vision, colors intensifying, the soldier’s aura shifting from vibrant panic to a dull, fading gray.

He watched as the soldier’s soul turned into the color of fear: a swirling vortex of inky black and sickly yellow, pulsing erratically like storm clouds gathering before a tempest.

It writhed within the man’s core, visible only to Aaron’s enhanced sight, the ethereal threads fraying as he pulled them free.

The more he devoured, the weaker the soldier’s soul grew. It dimmed like a candle in the wind, the once-bright essence shrinking, collapsing inward under the relentless pull.

Aaron felt the transfer, a rush of restorative energy flooding his own damaged soul, knitting fractures with threads of stolen terror, the ache in his core easing with each pulse absorbed.

And the interesting thing about it was that the soldier’s soul regenerated slowly despite being devoured.

But of course, it could not keep up with the rate at which the soul was diminishing from its fear being devoured by Aaron, the drain was a torrent, overwhelming the feeble attempts at recovery, leaving the soul hollowed and fragile.

Aaron stopped at a certain threshold when he realized the soul stopped generating after being diminished to a particular level.

The regeneration halted abruptly, the essence flickering like a dying ember, unable to sustain itself beyond that critical point.

He released his grip, stepping back as the soldier slumped forward, gasping weakly, the fear-scent around him now faint and diluted.

"So it has a limit, huh," Aaron thought, studying the soldier a bit longer.

His mystic eyes lingered on the man’s faded aura, committing the details to memory, the exact hue of depletion, the precise moment regeneration ceased.

It was a valuable insight, a piece of the puzzle in mastering this newfound ability, the void around them feeling heavier with the weight of his experimentation.

After solidifying his thoughts, Aaron went on to completely devour the soldier’s soul, draining the fear completely and also the soul itself.

The process accelerated, a final, voracious pull that sucked the last vestiges dry.

The soldier’s eyes rolled back, body convulsing once before going still, the life essence vanishing into Aaron like smoke inhaled into lungs.

With calmness, Aaron released the soldier, his eyes staring at the others.

The body crumpled to the platform with a dull thud, an empty husk devoid of spark, the armor now just a shell echoing with the faint creak of settling metal.

The soldiers around him recoiled, their fear spiking anew, a fresh wave that washed over Aaron, tempting but controlled.

Feeling within him, Aaron realized once more one of his beliefs had been confirmed.

The devoured fear could heal his damaged soul, the mending more pronounced now, fractures sealing with a satisfying warmth that spread through his core like liquid starlight.

"I guess I won’t have to wait for long after all," Aaron said, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

The base’s alarms blared louder now, red lights flashing in rhythmic pulses, the void beyond the platform dotted with approaching reinforcements, distant figures scrambling like ants toward a threat they couldn’t comprehend.

"Why didn’t I do this all these while?" The question lingered in his mind, a mix of exhilaration and curiosity bubbling up amid the growing chaos.

[Because I blocked you from being able to devour the fear of others,]

the system revealed, its tone matter-of-fact but laced with caution, cutting through his thoughts like a blade through fog.

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked, a confused but surprised look crossing his face.

He tilted his head slightly, shadows retreating as he focused inward, the soldiers’ distant shouts fading into background noise.

The revelation hit him like a cold gust, stirring questions amid the lingering euphoria of the feed.

[Devouring fear is more dangerous than you know,]

the system continued, its voice steady, a warning etched in every word.

[It comes with a lot of benefits. Healing your soul is just the tip of the iceberg. But the risks attached to it are more dangerous than you will ever know.]

"What risks are we talking about?" Aaron inquired, his voice low and probing, eyes narrowing as he stared at the approaching soldiers.