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It didn’t take long before Astrid exited the action house with a ring in one hand and a black blade in the other. Thankfully they hadn't been stolen, the ring might not have much use in other people's hand, but in Astrid’s, she was curious as to what the effect would be. A class piece of equipment was highly sought after, not because of the stats, but it was the unique effect they had on their Skills that made one’s mouth water.

It was also why it was a lot cheaper than the other items from the auction. The stat gain wasn’t worth the price, and who would buy something that they couldn’t use? Although Astrid was glad that no collectors had an interest in it.

Astrid used identify on the ring and the information filled her battle crazed heart with a boiling heat.

You have gained an Epic rarity - Pyschokinetic class piece of equipment - Magite ring of the Psychokinetic.

Level 80 - Magite ring of the Psychokinetic: A dense metal ring made with an unknown metal. It is infused with psychic power and crafted to enhance the strength of a Psychokinetic user.

Do you wish to activate the ring? Y/N.

Activate? Go for it. With Astrid’s affirmation, extra words flashed behind her eyes.

Choose a granted enchantment based on your Psychokinetic path.

Blade Expertise: 15% stronger projectiles using Psychokinesis and Psycho Warping.

Build-A-Wall: Build non-damage dealing objects 25% faster.

Crashing Explosion: [ Crash ] deals 10% extra damage and has 15% extra area-of-effect.

Eyeball Pulling: Pulling out eyeballs is 30% easier, and has a high chance to create a miniature [ Crash ] behind the eye socket.

These enchantments are awesome! Astrid jumped around on the spot. The passersby gave her strange looks, but once their eyes landed on her hair and the badge on her chest, they made sure to keep their distance.

Okay, what to pick? Blade Expertise works well with my current Title, but Crash is also my most used Skill so Crashing Explosion is a great choice. Astrid pinched her chin in thought. The only one she was certain on was the Build-A-Wall skill, she was already quite slow when it came to making walls and other objects. 25% faster creation was good, but it would be the worst for her currently.

Next up was Eyeball Pulling, and for some reason, her gaze lingered on it longer than the rest. She still remembered her very first kill with her newfound powers. Although she was guided by the voice inside her head, it was her decision to pull the creature's eyes from its skull. It also had the highest percentage increase and an additional effect along with it.

After a long time of figuring out what would be the best, in the end she decided on Eyeball pulling. She decided to go along with her instinct.

Magite ring of the Psychokinetic -> Eyeball Pulling Ring.

Epic - Level 80 - Eyeball Pulling Ring.
| Eyeball pulling is 30% easier and has a high chance to create a miniature [ Crash ] behind the eye socket.
| 30 added intelligence.

| 30 added wisdom.
| 20 added constitution.

Oh, the name changed? Astrid nodded in satisfaction, it had a nice ring to it now that she had chosen the final enchantment.  She rubbed her hands together. Her next mission was going to be fun!

Astrid headed back to the Sinwen manor. She only had one more thing to do before she left for her mission and that was to give Daniel his gift. As she finished climbing the thousand stairs to her home and walking through the hallways of the old building, she noticed a distinct lack of guards.

Are they over at the fields? Astrid giggled as she thought of the image of a group of unfeeling tin men toiling away at the farm, hoes and seed dippers in hand.

“My lady!” Leena rushed to her side. “The lord is expecting you.”

“Is it serious?” Astrid said.

“I don’t think so?” Leena continued. “I overheard something about a City.”

“Could it be the end of the year mission?” Astrid increased her pace. “Am I to take part?”

“I’m not sure.” Leena shook her head as she effortlessly kept up with her master.

Astrid swung open the door to the Lord’s study room. The familiar smell of ink, paper, and the saltiness from the ocean wafting through the opened window tickled her nostrils. She gazed at her father, even after so much had happened, his looks remained. It was as if he had stopped ageing twenty years ago. His facial features were sharp, and his back as straight as an unbendable spear. His beard had grown longer since the last time she had seen him and was mottled with white spots. But it only seemed to increase his stature, rather than diminish it.

“My lord.” Astrid displayed a common Wayfaring salute. Bent at the hips with her clenched hand placed against her heart.

“No doubt you wish to join the City expedition at the end of the year?” He said. His voice was deep and thrummed with an electrifying power.

“I do,” Astrid said.

“And there’s no point in telling you otherwise, is there?” The lord said.

“Nope,” Astrid shook her head.

A weak sigh left his mouth. “Then, by the end of this year you shall reach level one-hundred and fifty. Or else I will personally lock you within your room.”

One-hundred and fifty by the end of the year… Is that possible? Whatever, I’ll make it happen.

“Consider it done,” Astrid clenched her hand once more. “Anything else?”

“H–how are you feeling?” The lord scratched his cheek. “Do you need any more potions?”

“Ah, no, I’ve recovered well,” Astrid stumbled at the caring words.

“Right, well, off you go then.” The lord nodded.

Astrid left the room with haste. As she left, a wry smile crept onto her lips.

***

Lord Sinwen’s study fifteen minutes before Astrid’s arrival.

Christian tapped his finger against the desk.

Talk to her, ask how she’s doing. Has she recovered well? He sighed with exasperation.

He tried his hardest to abide by the family rules and tradition. To treat his daughter as not flesh and blood, but a soldier that was destined to fight and die for humanity. But it was impossible. Every time his gaze swept across her figure, it reminded him of when she was naught but a little girl. She would run around like a crazy devil, tormenting the noble youth. Always asking him to play with her, to go on missions with her and conquer the world. He could never keep the smile of his face watching as she dominated her generation with the sword. It was a great surprise when she chose another class, but it fit her perfectly. She was the embodiment of chaos and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

He would often have to tell her off with a strict gaze, but only pride surged through his iron heart. If only that didn’t happen, she would have had another sister to play with. Christian gazed out at the opened window with painful reminiscence. Thankfully however, Eli brought in Leena and their friendship soared.

He glanced at the paper on the desk, it was filled top to bottom with black calligraphy. It held an account of all her missions and adventures in incredible detail, as if someone had written it there and then. The corners of the paper were wrinkled, like they were under some sort of stress. He held the piece of paper right at the corners. Sometimes his brows would dip, other times they would rise.

The door to his study was flung open with force and only one person dared to barge in while he was working. He watched his not so little girl saunter into the room. Her eyes sparked with intelligence, and mischievousness. He peered closer, something was hidden with her eyes. Blood lust. After many years of experience, he could distinguish that look anywhere. They were the eyes of someone that had tasted death.

“My lord.” Astrid said. Her voice held power and an ingrained arrogance trailed alongside it. It wasn’t high pitched, but more on the lower end.

Many from the noble district were always talking about her. The younger generation viewed her with stars in their eyes, all the girls were desperate to follow in her footsteps.

She was Astrid Sinwen, a powerful psychic, but more importantly, she was his daughter.

***

Astrid retreated back to her room. Surprisingly, mother wasn’t by the lord's side as she usually was.

She must have some duties to tend to. Astrid thought as she began her training session. With only a few days left until her mission, she wanted to be as ready as possible for any situation. She couldn’t train [Crash], so that left her utility skills like Psycho Warping.

Creating a wall out of nothing took quite a bit of time, so for this session reducing the time it took to build it was her aim.

She connected to the matter within the air and without using her minor illusion as a guide, created a solid wall made out of metal. She had learnt her lesson from last time and instead of creating it brick by brick, she built it as a seamless wall. It took a couple minutes until she finished the wall. It separated her room in two. It was then that a thought struck her.

How the hell was she going to move it? It was made of metal, so she couldn’t exactly knock it down. Could she reverse the process? The thought lasted only a moment before her mind kicked into action.

With the knowledge of how to create, she thought about reversing it. She strained her mind and stood in silence for twenty minutes before her brows dipped.

How the hell do I reverse it? She scratched her head. Technically if she could make it, then she could destroy it. But it didn’t seem that way. No matter what she tried, it was of no use. The metal didn’t budge, not even a tremble. After thinking about it more, it started to make sense. If she could reverse the process, wouldn’t that also be possible on anything? Technically, she could erase monsters from existence just by deleting their matter. It was either so far out of her level range that it was no use trying, or she just lacked the knowledge of the how.

Oh, I can get Leena to control it! A light-bulb shone from Astrid’s head. With the wall being metal, it meant that Leena could bend it to her will!

Summoning her maid, she touched the wall and the metal was absorbed into her body.

“How much can you absorb?” Astrid asked.

“I don’t know actually,” Leena said, “I’ve never tested it.”

“Well, you’ll soon find out,” Astrid said. “I plan on making a hell of a lot more.”

With her training plan set out, the duo worked together as metallic walls were built, then absorbed for three days straight. Not once did Astrid complain or give up. Her will was as strong as the solid wall as she thought of nothing but her training.

Comments

Conor McGroarty

Her dad is a tsundere although some of that tendency is due to the weight of the family head and traditions that their position dictates. Astrid almost having a sibling reminds me of an unborn older sibling I only found out about years later. It sucks that such possibilities never happened but that is life…