The Fat God System

Chapter 53: Heat

Aric woke up to a dark place devoid of any light. He tried to move his hands, but some shackles prevented him from escaping.

He was standing, and his shackles prevented him from falling. Aric tried to break out as he burst out physical power in his arms.

The sounds of metal clinking reverberated throughout the dark empty room. He knew that it would be useless to try and escape, but he hated being tied down like this.

He summoned his Desire, and the reddish flame enveloped his whole body. He concentrated all of his fire onto a single point in his wrist as he tried to burn the shackles.

His fire sizzled, but it did not do anything to the black shackles. It was no ordinary shackle as it seemed that it could withstand Aric's Desire.

He struggled in place even though he knew that he would not be able to get out. After a few minutes, he heard the sounds of footsteps coming his way.

*step* *step* *step*

The sounds were clear and definite, which gave Aric fear in his heart. He recognized this sound as his father's footsteps, domineering and overbearing.

His assumptions were proven to be correct as he felt the pressure around him start to increase. He recognized this pressure, and he knew he could not do anything about it.

Aric's head was forced down, and he could only look at the ground. He saw Maverick's black shoes come towards him with a clam swagger.

Aric's hair got pulled up as Maverick raised Aric's head to meet his eyes. Aric could see the same red cold glint in his father's eyes. His fire was hot, but all he could feel was coldness as he stared into Maverick's eyes.

"You are as weak as ever. I do not remember raising a fragile son!"

Without any warming, Aric was punched in the face. His head was thrown aside, and his body wanted to follow, but the shackles prevented him.

Aric could feel his brain shake as he felt whiplash from Maverick's punch. He remembered the pain his father had inflicted on him when he was a kid, and it did not make it any easier.

Maverick did not give Aric any time to recover as he punched Aric in the gut. Aric's breathe was taken away from him as he was forced to spit it out.

Maverick continued to beat up every single part of Aric's body. It gave Aric bruises and cuts all over, and blood started to pool underneath him.

Aric did not know how much time had passed, but he remembered every punch and kick his father had done to him. He was forced to feel every crevice of pain Maverick had inflicted on him, or else he would be beaten up more.

Aric was like a punching bag as he stood there taking punches from his father. After a while, Maverick seemed to be finally done, but Aric knew he was just getting started.

"Heal him."

Maverick spoke in a cold voice towards the door opposite Aric. Out from the darkness, a man in glasses and a white coat appeared in his eyes.

Aric recognized him to be the family's physician. His name was Josef, and his job was to ensure the family's safety and heal them if necessary.

When he was a kid, Aric would always get a visit from Josef after Maverick's teaching session. He would feel relief and comfort from Josef's healing, but it would turn sour once it ended because he knew that Maverick would once again beat him up.

Josef stepped forwards and took out a large syringe from his pocket. It seemed to have appeared out of nowhere because the syringe was too big for his pockets.

Josef pricked Aric's skin with the syringe and injected him with a violet liquid. As soon as the liquid entered his bloodstream, Aric felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

Aric closed his eyes and savored the ecstasy he felt from the drug, but it disappeared soon after Josef finished his treatment.

He looked down and saw that his wounds healed at a fast rate, and after a minute, he was as good as new. He could feel vitality flowing in his body, but this made him more miserable.

As soon as he felt his body's good health, he heard Maverick's footsteps ringing inside the room. His heart stopped, and anxiety filled his mind. Maverick's torture would only ramp up from here.

Aric panted as he looked up at Maverick. He could see a hideous smile on his face as he spoke.

"Bring it in."

This time, a man in a suit came in and hauled in a big tub covered in a protective layer of steel. Aric did not know what was inside the tub, but he could feel that it would inflict pain on him.

As the tub got closer and closer to Aric, he could feel the heat coming off from the tub. It was dangerously hot, and he was starting to sweat.

Even with his reddish fire, Aric never felt this kind of heat before. He had resistance to fire since his Desire had fire properties, but it felt like he could not endure the heat coming off the tub.

Maverick's hideous smile continued until he opened up the tub for Aric to see. Immediately, yellow light escaped from the tub and illuminated the room.

Steam came out of the tub, and it rose to the ceiling. The heat that Aric felt before multiplied in intensity. From the tub, he could feel it bubbling on the surface.

The yellow light hit Maverick's face from underneath and gave him an even more horrifying smile as he spoke.

"Come and immerse yourself into this lava pool."

The lava in the tub was bubbling under the surface, and as it popped, some drops spilled onto the ground. The lava burned the floor and corroded the pavement.

There was no way that Aric could endure the heat of the lava pool. Aric struggled even harder as he tried to escape from the tub that was coming near him.

Maverick came near Aric and gripped one of the shackles that were restraining Aric's hands. With one tug, the bonds were destroyed and pulled out from the wall, leaving Aric free with one hand.

Maverick held Aric's wrist and gave him a deathly grip. Aric could feel his wrist bones being crushed, but that was the least of his concerns.

Maverick pulled Aric's arm closer to the tub until it was directly on top of it. Aric could feel the steam burning his hands, which made him fear it even more.

Aric's hands started to have first-degree burns as he got closer and closer to the lava. He tried his hardest to pull it back, but Maverick's strength was immovable.

*TSSSS*

Aric's finger submerged into the lava and burned his skin, then his flesh, then his bones, until there was nothing left. Aric could feel an immense amount of pain and could only shout it out.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

Aric continued to scream in pain until he felt a grip on his neck, preventing his vocal cords from working. Maverick gripped Aric's neck and squeezed it, almost suffocating him.

"We do not scream! That is a weakness that losers show in front of the strong!"

Maverick continued to push Aric's hand into the lava until his fingers were nothing more than evaporated liquid. He did hesitate as he pushed Aric's limits until he was strong enough.

"Feel that heat? That should be the intensity of your fire, not that puny red ember!"

Aric's hands were now submerged into the lave until his palms. The pain that he was feeling now cannot be expressed, and he could not even scream in pain.

"Remember this lava and make it your own! Do it, or else you will always be weak!!"

Aric's fist was now gone. It was only a mere stump as Maverick pulled it out from the lava. The smell of burning flesh did not seem to be bother Maverick.

Aric passed out from the pain long before Maverick pulled his hand out. His stump was burned away, so there was no blood flowing out.

"Heal him."

Josef came back into the room and gave another injection to Aric's unconscious body. The stump healed at a fast rate and regenerated Aric's arm in under an hour.

If Aric were at the first advancement, it would have taken longer. Since his body was still unadvanced, Josef could regenerate any part of his body.

After a few hours, Aric woke up in the same dark dungeon. His arms were still shackled, and he could not do anything except look at Maverick standing in front of him.

After a moment, Maverick spoke again to the door.

"Bring him in."

A man in ragged clothing came from the door with evident fear in his eyes. His legs buckled, and he tumbled on the floor.

Maverick looked at Aric's eyes and pointed in the ragged man's direction.

"That is a man without any Desire. He is weak, and has no use of society. Bring me his head."