Psychokinetic Eyeball Pulling

Chapter 34: Monsters in the Mist

Astrid didn’t even need to say anything. Lisa's face changed.

“Alright, defensive line up. Get read for area attacks, Lisa, Rachelle.” Daniel ordered as noticed her expression.

Daniel got into a fighting stance, he dipped his shoulders and unsheathed his curved blade. Astrid wasn’t sure if it was an illusion like her skill, but his back was sharp. His body was as still as an unmovable boulder, his hand didn’t have the slightest of tremble.

Brett stood to the side, both daggers in hand. Every second, it looked like his body was about to disappear into the dark shadows around them.

Rachelle clicked her fingers, and a fireball blazed to life in her palm. It began trembling, dancing–it flickered in excitement.

Rob sauntered forward, his shield slammed into the ground. Astrid could feel her spirits being raised–her constitution heightened.

Astrid’s lips curved upward. There was no time left to admire her new team. Like a black streak of lightning, a miniature flying monster pierced toward them. Daniel’s blade flicked upwards like a whip as he split the beast in two.

Level ?? - Blood Bat: They have a keen sense of blood. Once they have a taste, they can track you for miles.

The sky darkened, screeches scratched at Astrid's ears. Despite their speed, there was no sound of flapping wings. They streaked forward like a bloodthirsty cloud.

Lisa and Rachelle began their attacks. Rachelle’s fireball turned into a wall of flames as it engulfed the bats in a never ending fire. Then came Lisa’s attack. With a gust of wind, Lisa fired an arrow forward with incredible momentum. With the wind, it fueled the fire even more–turning it into a raging inferno as the bats crackled and popped. As the arrow pierced the ocean of orange and red, an explosion rattled Astrid’s ears.

I want to join in! Astrid placed her hands forward as she channelled her psychic mana through her mind–and into the Psomiter resting upon her forehead.

She could see everything, despite the wall of flames. Their bead-like hearts lit up like beacons within her vision. She connected to the matter and waved it across the air like a blanket. Clenching her opened hand, a Crash sent the explosion even further. As the matter Crashed, tens of detonations rocked the air. Tree fell, and the oxygen within the air rapidly evaporated.

With her extended mana container, and the mana reduction of [ Stage 2 ] Crash. She could use it without reservation. Soon, they wiped out the bats.

“Alrighty then, let’s head out.” Daniel said. “Don’t enter your system. Anything can jump out here.”

Astrid nodded, even with Psych Domain–she didn’t want to risk it. It differed from the Underbelly where she was mostly protected by the steel walls of the ship. Here though, she peered into the murky swamp waters pooling all around them. The soggy ground made it a perfect place for strange creatures to lunge out at any moment.

She had learned about swamp monsters from the Wayfarer Survival Manual. Crocodiles, man-eating frogs, and leaping spiders were only a few of the creatures that lived down here.

Why is it always spiders? Astrid trembled as she kept her eyes twitching side to side–despite her Psych Domain being active.

They trudged through the moist, muddy grass. Daniel stopped. Either side of them was nothing but a marshy swamp. In the distance loomed multiple buildings–behind them–Astrid could only guess it was the start of the town. She wished. The harsh swamp had caked her boots with mud, and she hoped to hell no bugs had crawled within.

“Stand back from the swamp. I’ll take Brett and scout the surrounding area." Daniel said. "Saves everyone trudging through.”

He walked back from the edge of the swamp as the others followed.

“Set up stakes for defence just in case. We’ll be as quick as we can.” Daniel left with Brett, vanishing into the dark swamp.

Losef, Leena, and Astrid got to chopping off any hard wood they could find from the nearby trees. While Losef shaped them into spears. The others were on watch, making sure nothing could creep up on them. Lisa and Rachelle were ready to kill anything that approached.

“How are you finding it so far?” Astrid looked at Leena as she chopped off a long branch with her knife side-arm.

“It’s different. I’ve heard the tales of being a Wayfarer, as everyone on Rebirth has. But to experience it myself–with you. It’s dangerous… but fun.” Leena continued. “It’s also nice to see that you have made some good friends, my lady.” Leena’s lips curled.

“They are good people.” Astrid bundled a bunch of shafts within her arms.

They finished by jamming the sticks into the soft ground. They had placed them at an angle, providing protection against anything that charged them. She was hesitant at first, but feeling how sturdy the sticks were, she was relieved. Their dense hardwood made them just like iron shafted spears.

Standing within the centre, Psych Domain was always active as she focused on the specks of matter all around her.

“From the swamp!” Lisa shouted without hesitation. She loosed an arrow from her bow at tremendous speed. It shot through the air and thudded against something solid that was hurtling towards them. The metal-tipped arrow caused sparks to fly.

An enormous crocodile rocketed towards them, smashing past the iron-like stakes. It stopped just in front of Rob as its enormous tail whipped at his tower shield. Rob’s shield glowed a faint metallic hue as the tail struck the hard metal. Sparks flew once more. The force of the hit pulled Rob's legs into the swampy soil beneath. A frigid ice overtook his shield as a blue misty light fired into the crocodile, sending it careening backwards.

Astrid was shocked as she gazed upon the monster's thick scales. It was composed of matter, but unlike anything else she had seen, it was incredibly hard to make out the movement. There was no heart, nor any sign of life.

Level ?? - Reflective Crocodile: An evolved crocodile, it relies on its powerful strength to blast towards unsuspecting prey. Its scales have evolved to hide away from perception based abilities.

So that’s why. Well, let’s see how smart you are, little croc. Astrid flashed a mischievous smile. Tens of arrows began forming above her head. The Crocodile looked up as its scales emitted a metallic lustre.

Astrid commanded the illusions to fire at the crocodile. The monster braced for impact… but nothing happened. The illusions vanished like sand on a fire. A few seconds later, the crocodile scales lost their lustre.

An arrow tore through the air. It sounded like a high-powered drill as it bore into the fleshy eyeball of the monster. The crocodile's powerful limbs lost their strength as its body splashed into the swampy water. Brain matter seeped out of its eye.

“Well, those sticks were useless.” Astrid said.

“Hey, it kept you busy though, didn't it?” Daniel and Brett agilely stuck to the water dry ground there as he bounded over.

Astrid sighed. “Find a way?”

“Indeed, I did. Who do you take me for?” Daniel smiled.

“Then?” Astrid squinted her eyes.

“It’s right here.” Daniel walked in front of them as the muddy swamp quickly devoured his waist.

“You’re unbelievable.” Astrid said. Her feet submerged into the swamp, then up to her thighs and past her waist. The chilly water–if it could be called that–sent a shiver up her spine.

“One of a kind.” Daniel joked.

The water quickly traversed up to her chest. “Ahh! Something bloody touched me. Screw this.” Astrid connected to the matter on her breastplate and pulled up with Psychokinesis. Her entire body levitated out of the water with ease as she floated across the water. She didn't want to at first, thinking something was going to swoop out of the sky and eat her, but better that then having to be subject to the putrid swamp.

“Look at our little witch fly.” Brett joked. "Brings a tear to my weary eyes."

Despite her ability to float, she still stayed within the centre of the formation just in case something was on the shore, waiting for her like a portable snack. They quickly made it to the end. Daniel grabbed hold of the tall grass in front of them and moved it to the side as it revealed the town.

The buildings were all made of wood, and the streets had completely flooded. Someone had erected wooden pathways above the water, connecting to each individual house. It looked like the people that lived here used boats to travel between houses. Although Astrid doubted whether anyone could live in these conditions.

Although the slums within the Lower District aren’t much better. She thought.

Daniel brought them to the first house in front of them. Because of the flood, it was on the second floor they entered. Astrid couldn’t detect anything, but she found out with the crocodile she was simply relying far too much on her Psych Domain.

She used her ears a bit more, trying to make out noises. With her higher wisdom, her senses were higher compared to others. But, without a hearing skill, it wasn’t much use. Especially against agile class monsters. Their high agility made their steps lighter. Still, it was better to be extra careful.

“Alright, this will be our base for now until we find something better.” Daniel threw his backpack into the corner of the room.

The building was run down, and the moisture from years of water exposure had eaten away at the foundations. Astrid delicately placed her foot down on the wooden floor. Rob slipped her to the side as he walked in front, his heavy boot thudded against the floor.

“Mmm.” He placed his thumb in the air.

“Solid, huh?” Astrid smiled and confidently walked in behind Rob.

Astrid wandered into the room in curiosity. Opening the wardrobe, there was nothing but scrap pieces of fabric that had long been eaten away by various bugs. Walking back into the hallway, she opened a set of doors. It was wet inside, and mushrooms had grown. Various tools like fishing rods, nets and a rifle lay against the wall.

They all tirelessly worked hard to provide for their families… I wonder if they even knew that the world was going to end. Astrid sighed as she picked up the rifle from the cupboard. The once hardwood of the handle crumbled in her hand.

“Awesome, a gun.” Rachelle walked over as her eyes lit up. “Hey, can you identify it?”

Astrid tried, but it only told her it was a firearm for hunting small prey. It wasn’t an artefact. She shook her head.

“Damn, there’s got to be something in here.” Rachelle rifled through the cupboard, trying to find anything worthy of identifying. But everything had rotted and decayed from the poor conditions.

Astrid flinched as a groaning roar split the air. Rushing over to the window, she looked out at the town. Just as Astrid thought she saw something, a gigantic cloud of mist tumbled into the town as it obscured any potential line of sight.

Psych Domain was already on. Matter appeared all over, but there was no red, nor blue. The only matter she could see was the blanket of mist. Astrid connected to the mist with Psychokinesis as she moved the mist to the side. High in a building, there was a figure shrouded in darkness. It crouched on the edge of the building–looking right at her. With a loud groaning roar, it leapt from the building into the wall of mist.

Astrid couldn’t see it, but she could hear its dense feet thud against the wooden platforms as it approached.

“There’s a lot of them.” Lisa had her hand on the floor as her face turned serious.

Widening her eyes, Astrid immediately entered her System to gain any advantage she could before the fight started.