Psychokinetic Eyeball Pulling

Chapter 57: The Threat Against HMS Rebirth

Astrid wanted to watch the fight. Her brother’s back was like a mountain. Despite the high-intensity fight, she couldn’t help but feel a comfort being behind him. It was as if nothing could ever penetrate that stalwart frame as he faced the robed man.

Healers rushed to Astrid’s position. Surprise and horror were on their faces as they witnessed her wounds.

Overload: Anger - Spent.

Her body turned limp, a sudden pain assaulted her like turbulent waves during a storm. It reached every corner of her body. The places where her skin had split open from the chaotic energy sent her mind into a panicked frenzy. She had never experienced pain like it before. It was like millions of flesh-eating bugs were busy stripping away her flesh piece by piece, and then finished by spurting fire from their mandibles.

Then the healing began. Astrid resisted clawing at her skin as an intense itch took over the searing pain. She grit her teeth and seethed. Saliva seeped from her mouth as she resisted the intense pain and itching sensation that pervaded her body. Her eyes were becoming hazy and tired. She tried to move, but her body refused to listen to her commands.

Another explosion rocked her ears. The robed man had blood leaking from his eyes as the red river streamed past the mask. The mask was twisted, like it was crying. Astrid thought it an illusion, but her Illusion Detection told her otherwise. A dark pair of shadowed wings ascended from behind his back and a strange surprise filled his bloodied eyes. He held two sticks that had a small curved blade attached to the top. It was a kama. Astrid had seen them from the farmer classes, but the ones the robed man had were different.

The blade was jagged along the edge, and the blade was longer than usual. She had heard of stories about the angel of death. If it existed, she imagined it would look like the current robed man. He moved like a blur, faster than the eyes could see. The blade of the kama sliced into Tennyson’s gauntlets until they halted against the gilded metal, but a spectral blade continued through the young man’s guard and sliced against his chest.

Blood spilled, and Tennyson roared. The robed man’s body stopped still for a second. A golden sheen covered his body as Tennyson made his move.

He sent a punch to the man’s head. A golden form of a bear stood behind Tennyson, as if helping his attack. Light erupted from his elbow like boosters from a high-powered engine as the punch landed against the robed man’s body. As the punch landed, the light from his elbow exuded a hot steam that billowed behind him. The fist continued unimpeded as sonic booms rattled everyone's eardrums.

A cloud of shadows spiralled from the robed man’s body as the fist landed against it. With a booming thud, the fist smashed against the blanket of shadows. The impact sent the shadows scattering around the halls like a smoke screen. Astrid couldn’t see anything, even with her Psych Domain active. It meant that whatever the shadow or smoke was made of; it had camouflage-like abilities to counter anyone with a scouting ability.

Everyone kept their guard up, not knowing what was through the smoke or what was going to happen next. The Humanity Corps stood in front of Astrid like an iron wall. Their training took over, but they couldn’t hide the fear on their faces. Astrid doubted many of them had even faced real, dangerous combat before. Like most, they were most likely trained down in a secure Bubbled Town and faced with monsters in a controlled environment. It was safe, but excruciatingly slow to level up. It was clear they had never faced an opponent of the robed man's calibre.

The shadowed-smoke cloud slowly dissipated and it revealed an empty hallway. The robed man had vanished. A set of rushed steps appeared from the other side of the hallway, where the entrance to the stage was located.

A beautiful, older woman made her appearance. She had short brown hair and a valiant, graceful air surrounded her. She was covered in blood and she held a spear and rounded shield in either hand.

“Captain, they have escaped,” she said. “Six dead, aim unknown.”

“They were after that lifeform.” Astrid said. Her voice was weak and a wispy tone joined it, evidence of her injured lungs. “I need to speak to father.”

Astrid held her still injured arm as an intense tiredness filled her body. She could no longer hold up her back. Someone supported her weight as she was about to fall. She gazed up at the concerned eyes of her eldest brother as the blood from his open wound spilled to the floor. He didn’t seem to care as he picked up Astrid in his arms.

“I’ll send someone to inform father,” Tennyson said. “He can talk to you while you recover.”

Astrid weakly nodded.

“Thea, take Astrid back to the Sinwen manor.” Tennyson handed Astrid over as the woman’s weapon and shield disappeared. “I'll need to stay here for order and public safety.”

“Right away, captain.” Thea took hold of Astrid and wasted no time as she hurried out of the auction building.

As they left, Astrid’s weary eyes widened. Then they immediately forced shut. A deep burning smoke filled her lungs as they covered many buildings in raging infernos. Injured men and women were wandering around aimlessly as healers rushed around, restoring their wounds.

She tried to cough, but an intense pain from her internal organs stopped it. The burst of healing she had received from the Humanity Corps had protected her life, but unlike the other times before, she could tell it would take her a while to heal. Even the healers provided by the military couldn’t fully heal her injuries.

She looked up as a smoke cloud billowed into the air. From the direction it was coming from the expansive wheat fields. She didn’t know if the robed men purposefully attacked them, or if the fire had just spread from the buildings. With the robed people destroying their buildings, attacking innocent lives, and destroying their food supply meant one thing. They viewed Rebirth as their enemy, and they wanted war. Astrid fought back tears as the fire reflected within her eyes. Rebirth was all she had known ever since birth. The ties to home were the tightest they could be.

Leviathan in the seas, robed murderers shrouded in darkness. Why is this happening to us? Is it all because of the Leviathan?

It was the morning after and Astrid's mother, Leena, and Freya rushed to her bedside as the family healers used their powerful healing magic to heal her internal wounds. Freya had ash stains blended into the fine fabrics of her dress. Eli’s face remained calm, but Astrid knew those eyes filled with worry from any distance. Leena fought back tears, her face filled with guilt and shame for not being able to protect her lifelong friend.

“I need to speak with father.” Astrid groaned and sat up in her bed.

Eli placed her hand on her daughter’s shoulder and helped her up. Astrid gently smiled, but shook her head. She was mostly healed now. There was only a residual grogginess that filled her body. It felt like she had experienced an awful night’s sleep. Her limbs were weak.

“We have already notified him," Eli said. "Now please rest.”

“Please drink something, Astrid.” Leena held out a glass of water.

Astrid took hold of the glass and took a sip. “Why does your face show guilt?”

“I should have been of more help to you.” Leena dipped her head. "That’s the third time now where I can’t do anything."

“Then we need to grow stronger.” Astrid took hold of Leena’s hand.

Leena’s grip tightened around her hand. “I will keep up, no, I will grow stronger, so I can protect you from anything.”

Astrid watched as a fire was lit within her maid's eyes. She nodded.

It wasn’t long before she heard a set of thudding footsteps make their way down the Sinwen hallways. Then the door opened in haste. The sight of her father sent a thrum around her heart. She wasn’t sure if the reason he was in such a hurry was because he wanted to check on her, or if he was just busy. She couldn’t fault him if the latter was true. With her father’s position and everything going on, she was surprised he would even make the time.

“Father, I need to speak with you.” Astrid said with a grave expression.

"Are you okay?" He walked forward and sat on the bed’s edge.

Astrid bit her lip and nodded.

Astrid told him, and the people closest to her, everything. From the day when she was struck in the face by a mysterious black blob, to how it awakened her System early, and how it only gave her a choice of one class to pick from. She then described everything that she had witnessed, from the dungeon and the dead black lifeforms within the cellar underneath the church.

Finally, she told him the main reason the robed men were attacking the auction and that he had stolen it back from her. She didn’t leave out a single detail.

Everyone’s faces changed within the room from worry to shock and disbelief. All but her father.

“You knew?” Astrid asked.

“No, I didn’t know." Lord Sinwen sighed. "But before, it was just a guess. Now, I know for sure."

“What do we do?” Astrid asked.

Lord Sinwen was about to open his mouth when Astrid cut him off.

“And father, don’t you dare tell me it has nothing to do with me like with the Leviathan.” Astrid glared at her overpowering father with no weakness. If looks could kill, Astrid displayed it.

“You can get stronger." He said. "Far stronger than you currently are, then you have that right.”

The answer was simple, but Astrid understood. If she wanted to take part in the world’s issues, she needed the strength to do so. Otherwise, she wasn’t even capable of being a thorn in the side, let alone a threat to those who wanted her home destroyed.

“So they want more powerful Classes?” Leena frowned.

“That would be the reason, and their aim is clear,” Lord Sinwen continued. “The destruction of Rebirth.”

“But why? Aren’t we just trying to survive?” Astrid asked in confusion and anger. She didn’t know their true aim. Did they really want them all dead? Or was destroying their crop fields just a distraction? She found it hard to understand the true reason for it all.

“There could be many reasons,” Eli said. “Jealousy over the high tiered noble classes and their strength, they could be from the Lower District and want to fight against generations of mistreatment, or they could just be evil. One thing is clear, however, they went after my children. The punishment is death.” Eli scowled as the surrounding air twisted.

“You’re right,” Astrid said through gritted teeth. "It doesn’t matter what their objective is."

I'll rip their eyeballs from their skulls. Astrid seethed.

Obsession has reached 62/100