Step.
[You've gained 59 points of Fear.]
Step.
[You've gained 78 points of Fear.]
Step.
[You've gained 99 points of Fear.]
My steps rhythmic as I walk towards the enemies. No one moves, only me. The shrieks from above affecting enemies and allies indiscriminately.
Weaker cultivators flee.
Stronger cultivators tremble.
Allies doubt.
I've become the Fear Itself in this very moment. Hundreds of soldiers surrounding me, yet none dares to move.
'I want to release my Fear Qi...'
A thread of dark mist gathers at my fingertips, getting darker and thicker with every step I take.
'Imagine the horror all these soldiers would feel...'
The Fear Qi continues to spread across my arm, all the way to my chest. The dark mist covers anything it touches in pitch-black darkness.
'The screams, the terror, the chaos. All because of me.'
I stop in my tracks. The Fear Qi vanishes into thin air, as if never there.
'Not yet, but soon. I won't stay hidden forever.'
''HAN FAMILY!''
I shout, my voice layered with Qi, reaching every soldier on the battlefield.
''I want you to kill every single soldier from the Xu family.''
I slowly raise my head, a small thread of Qi that's connecting me to the crows vibrates slightly.
''Leave none alive, ATTACK!''
KRRAAAAW!
As my declaration ends, the crows fall from the skies like arrows, aimed directly into the enemy lines. With no regard for themselves, they crash directly into enemies.
The first wave of crows hit mercilessly. But the worst was yet to come.
The soldier barely had enough time to raise his spear before a pitch-black beak flew right through his throat. The crow didn't stop. It forced itself deeper and deeper, tearing itself out on the other side in a spray of blood. With a single gurgle, he collapsed.
[You've gained 126 points of Fear.]
Screams erupted all around.
''AAHHHHH!!! MY EYES!!!!''
One soldier stumbled back, his hands clutching his face as two crows latched onto his sockets. Their wings flopped violently as they forced their beaks inside, ripping flesh and nerves alike.
[You've gained 203 points of Fear.]
Unwilling to watch this terrifying scene any longer, another guard decided to run away. But just as he turned, a crow flew directly into his mouth, dragging itself deeper and deeper into his throat. His stomach bulged, his scream cut short as blood sprayed down his chin.
[You've gained 178 points of Fear.]
Weaker cultivators had it worse. The shrieks twisted their minds and transformed their surroundings into a living nightmare.
One soldier dropped on his knees, his spear falling uselessly as the shrieks transformed into his late mother's voice.
''M-mom?''
Falling backwards, sobbing, tearing at his ears—unable to tell whether it was real or illusion.
[You've gained 247 points of Fear.]
Another screamed in horror as he saw his fallen comrade grabbing his ankle, accusing him of betrayal.
''T-there was n-nothing I could do!''
The horrific cries of fellow soldiers started a chain reaction, creating havoc amongst the ranks.
[You've gained 309 points of Fear.]
Soldiers watched in horror as their comrades died and suffered in the worst ways imaginable. Their bodies shaking, their knees weak, none of them had the will to fight anymore.
''ENOUGH!!!''
The Xu commander shouted, his voice infused with Qi. He picked up a spear and hurled it at a crow nearby.
''KILL THE CROWS FIRST! There's… only… a d-dozen… left…!''
Before he even finished his order, the dead bodies scattered within Xu ranks began to convulse and shake.
CRAW!
From their ruined dantians, new crows erupted. For every crow that fell, two new were born.
[You've gained 361 points of Fear.]
''T-this is impossible…''
A young soldier, no older than twenty, whispered under his breath, his body quivering.
''I've never heard of such t-technique…''
Another choked on his own fear, his weapon slipping from trembling fingers.
[You've gained 422 points of Fear.]
Indeed. The strongest weapon was not the beaks or claws. It was the shrieks. Shrieks imbued with Fear Qi, hammering their minds from every side. An individual crow was nothing. But thirty? Forty? All at once?
Even the commander, a Foundation Expert, was hesitant to confront me head on.
''Using forbidden technique at such a young age…''
The commander scoffed, his Qi shaken to the core.
''The Han family has created a monster…''
[You've gained 489 points of Fear.]
.
.
.
[STATUS]
[Name: Han Ye]
[Age: 18]
[Cultivation: Terror Manifestation Realm - Early Stage ▸ Foundation establishment - Early Stage]
[Fear Points: 3,876]
[Fear Points needed for the next stage: 1500]
[Techniques: Shadowless Step, Thousand Faces Arts (incomplete), Silent Pulse Breathing, Crow Shroud Technique]
Authors note: If you're enjoying the novel so far, please add it to your collections! Every single one goes a long way. Honest review will be Great too!
Powerstones: If we can reach 70 power stones in a week, I will make one more chapter a day for 1 week. Let's do it!