Chapter 177: CH 177: Obtaining a fire affinity (part 2)
Dave’s fingers tightened around the man’s throat, holding him suspended against the cracked wall like a ragdoll. His voice dropped, deep and glacial, with every syllable carrying a weight that made the air feel heavier.
"You think fire makes you powerful," Dave muttered, his gaze boring into the man’s hidden eyes. "But fire burns both ways, friend. And I’m about to show you what it’s like... to be on the receiving end of your own flame."
The masked man wheezed, writhing in Dave’s grasp, his fingers clawing weakly at the hand choking the air from his lungs. But it was useless. Dave was immovable; like iron, like death itself.
A flicker of light danced above Dave’s vision.
[To absorb the Fire Affinity from target, place your palm against their chest.]
Dave raised his free hand slowly, deliberately, and pressed his palm flat against the attacker’s chest, right over the heart. The masked man’s eyes widened behind the fabric, as if realizing too late that this was no ordinary grip, that something else was happening.
Then it began.
A sudden heat surged through Dave’s palm like molten iron funneling into his veins. It wasn’t the gentle kind of warmth. No, it was blistering. Agonizing. The kind of fire that scalded muscle and seared marrow.
He clenched his teeth as his body convulsed with the burning shock. It tore through his arm, scorching nerve endings, igniting every inch of his bones with white-hot energy. For a moment, he swore he could feel flames crawling beneath his skin, licking up his forearm like living snakes.
But he didn’t let go.
The pain, as intense as it was, began to subside. It cooled gradually, like embers after a storm, turning into something smoother. Almost pleasant. As if his body was learning, adapting, syncing with the fire now flowing into him.
The masked man began to twitch. His resistance faded. His struggles weakened. The glow in his chest dimmed.