As he approached the counter on the empty, dimly lit inn’s ground floor, Aiden revealed a growing frown the more he looked at the chubby middle-aged man. 

The wide smile, the perspiring forehead was beyond telling, he would have been quite cautious and suspicious even if he wouldn’t now be marked with a slightly orangish-looking dot instead of the previous neutral, then somewhat green from before.

Something had changed, the man had done something that made the system no longer consider him a friendly signal, but instead leaning towards the hostility. Yet, despite being marked as unfriendly, the old man had a sweet smile adorning his floppy visage as he looked at the approaching hooded elder, Aiden.

“[Reptilian] Ah you are back, good sir!” He greeted enthusiastically as Aiden reached the other side of the counter. He looked at the little girl hanging from his neck. Raising his hand, he slowly reached out, wanting to caress the top of the little girl’s head.

“[Reptilian] And how is this little angel do- Aaaargh!” 

Yet, before he could make contact, suddenly his wrist was grabbed, and twisted with an unexpectedly immense force, as it was twisted to an unhealthy angle and pulled aside.

The old innkeeper was by far not a fighter, his attributes were that of a normal [Draconic Skink] reptilian, leaning towards agility in turn of having poorer might and health compared to the humans, bareskins. 

He could not put up any meaningful resistance in front of the sudden blazing speed and vice-like grip of the hooded man, he cried in anguish.

“Aw aw aw aw… P-please… D-don’t hurt me…” He begged, looking pathetic instantly. Still, behind the pitiful appearance, there was a glint of resentment and hatred steadily growing, cultivating.

Noticing that spark, Aiden was now almost certain that something was amiss. He twisted the grabbed arm more eliciting even greater cries and sobs as he asked in a deep, growling undertone, his [Draconic Heritage]’s powerful true tone of voice.

“[Reptilian] What have you done, worm? Speak before I end your miserable, pathetic excuse of an existence.” He commanded. 

Meanwhile, little Tolliah kept silent, refusing to turn away from the warmth of her Papa’s chest. To feel the growing, increasing beating of his heart as he grew more and more heated and emotional felt better and more comforting than anything. She was not afraid of anything. As long as she could feel his embrace, his care, she knew she was safe and that nothing could hurt her.

The innkeeper was now sweating profusely from the nervousness and the fear that soon engulfed his entire being and overwhelmed his rationale. The seedling of regret slowly appeared at the depths of his heart. Perhaps his actions were too hasty, and the enticing of a few silver coins shouldn’t have made him do what he had done.

“[Reptilian] I… I…” He stammered, still hesitating to reveal what was already quite obvious at this point to both parties.

Growing annoyed by the man’s actions, Aiden released the mental shackles holding his aura and powers at bay. Suddenly, his powers exploded, his ancient draconic lineage instantly engulfed the entire interior of the structure, pulling it under his domain. 

The old man’s knees could no longer withstand the pressure, they buckled forcing the old man to fall on the ground, kneeling in front of the man and behind the counter. He could feel that the temperature in the room instantly shifted, declining rapidly as a cold, eerie force filled the space around him. As if a heavy, invisible weight was placed upon his shoulders, he felt the gradually increasing pressure, that forced him closer and closer to the ground by each passing instant. 

He could only grit his teeth, and try his best to keep up. Keep himself from failing not once but twice in his heart. 

However, having absolutely no experience, or training at all, his resistance was meaningless, he soon buckled under the pressure once again. Almost forced to lie on the ground after just about ten seconds, he finally couldn’t stand it anymore and cried out with worry and exasperation filling his heart.

“[Reptilian] A-a-alright… Stop it please… oh great lord… Please don’t hurt me… I will talk…” He sobbed, now looking truly honest, miserable, and pitiful. Yet, Aiden’s heart remained cold as he kept on the pressure but did not increase it further, forcing the hopeless man plastered on the ground floor.

“[Reptilian] Speak. What have you done? Be honest and I might… just might, END your suffering.” Aiden coldly spoke, his thunderous voice reverberating in the closed-off space, almost looking as if it was powerful enough to shake this meager building’s foundation and make it crumble with a single, more powerful shout of his.

“[Reptilian] I… I…” The middle-aged skink man stammered again, though this time not because of being hesitant, but because the pressure he was experiencing was way too great for him to even properly breathe, much less speak. He gasped for air after each word, feeling challenged even as to just stay conscious at this point.

Looking at the miserable state of this spineless creature, Aiden scowled with annoyance. Focusing his breathing he reigned in his wildly raging aura, pulling some of its power back and toning it down a few degrees. 

Instantly, the old man could feel the change in pressure as a result. The heavy force has begun to ease up and recede. Though it was not completely lifted, he could now slowly push himself up and look at the hooded figure with a newfound light.

He no longer felt disdainful and contemptuous as he looked at this refugee leader. No, now he feared this man’s wrath. The terror of this mysterious, unnatural force he exerted with such ease, the cold air, his killing intent… made him feel absolutely horrified and even somewhat reverent, respectful deep down.

The previously felt hatred and resentment have begun to gradually transform and evolve, enriching the seeds of regret and cultivating it to rapidly grow inside his heart. He realized that what he had done had most likely sealed his fate. 

Though he could still not see Aiden’s expression and true face due to the hooded robe he had, the middle-aged innkeeper could still feel his cold, emotionless gaze as it almost bore a hole through him.

He gulped, gathering all his willpower to resist the terror and quell the chaos raging in him as his lips parted and he slowly began to speak, with great effort.

“[Reptilian] I… I have made a mistake, oh great lord… Please… spare me…” He begged for his life.”

“[Reptilian] I asked you a question before, yet you still refuse to answer? What have you done, worm?!” Aiden roared again with even more anger in his voice. 

However, before the man could answer, Aiden suddenly felt several hostile presences approaching in a disciplined group…

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>>>Check out my latest novel: The Strongest Demon Lord in the Modern World<<

It’s an urban modern-day styled story, with a reverse transmigrated (‘Banished’) immortal entity from the fantastical world of Nova!

Planned Tags and Genre:  # CULTIVATION  # R18  # BETRAYAL  # TRANSMIGRATION  # URBAN  # ACTION  # ANTIHERO  # OVERPOWERED (romance maybe at some later point)

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