[Pyschokinetic] Eyeball Pulling - Chapter 236 (Patreon)

The meeting was cancelled. During that time, Astrid had recovered the use of her mana. Honestly, it was a terrible feeling. Worse than any bodily wound she could receive. Without it, her body was weak, she couldn’t detect matter–which meant she couldn’t detect anything that may endanger her–and she had no access to Psychokinesis.

She flexed the mana within her and felt a penetrating pain in her mind. Her Internal Engine was damaged.

Astrid sighed. Her mother was right; there was so much to do. Her mother was busy working with Freya to think about plans. Plans on how to fix the problem they had right now before they entered the Dead Seas.

But Astrid had to recover. If she used too much mana right now, her Internal Engine would roar to life. And whatever damage had been done inside, would worsen. Or break. Astrid didn’t want that to happen. She didn’t know what would happen if it did break. Would she lose it forever? Could it be repaired?

She had to do more digging. It didn’t help that her teacher wasn’t her, either.

Astrid returned to her room. It was untouched by the battles that had raged across Rebirth. Thankfully. Her teddies still lay against her plush cushions. Each one she had hand made with her mother. Warm memories flickered like a projector in her mind.

When could life return to normality? Astrid shook her head. It wouldn’t. She knew it deep down.

Brett brushed past her and leapt onto the bed. Sending her teddy bears flying off, tumbling to the floor. Astrid rushed over to Crinkle, picked it up, and sent a scowl at Brett. It was the first one she had created. The stitching was coming undone. One ear was missing and so was one of its eyes. But it was a fond memory. She placed him in her Void Storage.

“Astrid,” Lisa placed her hand on Astrid’s shoulder. Her face filled with concern. “What did Daniel say? Why did he not join us? You were the last to see him. I can’t wait any longer. I need to know.”

Astrid sighed. She shook her head, and said, “he didn’t say anything. Well, he did. But he didn’t give me a reason. He just said that he couldn’t fight back the temptation any longer. Then he moved to where my father was. Where the Leviathan was.”

“That blasted idiot!” Rachelle shouted, pacing around the room. Rob frowned. Losef tightened his fist. Lisa bit her lips, and Brett just lay on her bed, deep in his thoughts.

Rachelle continued, “Well if he gets himself killed he only has his own ego to blame!” Despite her words, Rachelle plopped her behind on a char next to the windowsill and hung her head.

The room turned silent. Surprisingly, it was Rob who broke the ice. “Mhm,” he said, grumbling with his inability to talk. But his actions made his extensions obvious. He held out his fist in front of him with a smile and nod.

“Of course he’s going to be okay,” Lisa said. “He has to be.”

“Do you think he has a chance against the Leviathan?” Brett asked. His cold words caused Rachelle to prickle. The heat in the room rose.

“Hey, don’t get all hissy!” Brett said, hiding behind a pillow. As if that would save him from a pyrokinetic blast. He continued, “It’s just that it’s one enormous lizard. Even Lord Sinwen has troubles with it. Daniel is what, Level 170?”

“Daniel knows what he is doing. He isn’t suicidal,” Losef said. Everyone turned their attention to him. “Some of you may not know the exact details of his Skill, but we do. If there is a chance. Even if it’s a minute sliver, he can see it with those eyes of his.”

“You’re saying he can defeat the Leviathan?” Leena asked in surprise.

“I’m saying he has a chance, at the very least,” Losef said.

“We sure are in a pickle, huh?” Brett said, placing the pillow back down onto the bed. He stood up, grabbing a packet of cigarettes. He took one out, placed it in his mouth, then sheepishly placed it back into the pack as Leena’s eyes bore into his skull. He said, “Well guys, how about we head into the Lower District? See what’s going on, maybe give a helping hand? A rebellion sounds fun, doesn’t it?”

Rachelle shook her head. “You’re annoying when you overuse your Skills.”

“You’re annoying even without using your Skills,” Brett said. An orange flame brightened Astrid’s bedroom.

“Woop,” Brett said as he disappeared in a flash, reappearing behind the grand doors. “Come on!” His voice sounded from behind the doors.

Lisa sighed. “We better go with him. If left unattended in his current state, who knows what kind of damage he would do.”

Rachelle clicked her tongue as she clicked away the fireball from her hand. “What’s scarier than a child?”

“A Leviathan?” Astrid asked.

“No,” Rachelle said. “It’s a child with shadow abilities.”

The rest of Astrid’s team left, chasing after Brett. Astrid was left alone with Leena.

“Do you really think Daniel can survive against the Leviathan?” Leena asked.

“I believe them,” Astrid said with confidence. “I believe in him. Whatever Skill he has isn’t a regular one. I’ve had my doubts before, and everytime I see him activate that skill… His eyes, they’re special. If the others are confident in him, then I’ve got to believe he can do it. He always finds a path, after all.”

Leena nodded, sighing. “I’ll believe in him too, then. He will perform a miracle.”

Astrid smiled, but truthfully, she wasn’t sure. If her father couldn’t kill the Leviathan, how would Daniel have the confidence in doing so? Unless his Skill was really special…

Astrid moved her focus. There were things to do. She sunk her mind into her Internal Engine. What she saw shocked her. All the sigils she had created had lines running through them. They were cracks. Not even one of them remained whole. If Brett hadn’t bashed her head with his blade’s pommel, she would have destroyed it completely.

She touched the sigil. A jolting pain tugged at her shoulders. Astrid stumbled back, resting herself against her bed frame. Sweat beaded from her forehead. The pain was unimaginable.

Spending the next half an hour repairing the damage she had caused within, Astrid finished with time to spare. Her mother had yet to summon her.

Astrid used the time she still had left to operate her Internal Engine. Since she had received it not long ago, it was time to fully understand what the benefits her new energy source had brought her. She channelled mana into it, powering it up. It roared to life, granting her powerful energy.

She didn’t stop there. Astrid continued to surge mana into it, until she reached its limit. It was like trying to pour water into an already full container. But instead of spilling, it just refused her mana completely. Astrid had placed ten percent of her mana into the engine. As a result, the energy it was giving her had increased by double. The energy then turned back into mana, making it stronger, and improving the amount she could use.

That was the benefit of the engine.

Astrid tried to feed more mana into the engine, but it refused. However, Astrid did notice something. The sigils were capable of growth. Her engine was capable of growth. She would have to keep tempering it, feeding coals into the furnace, for it to improve its capacity.

If she was able to use all one-hundred percent of her mana, and turn it into the new energy, how potent would she become? Astrid couldn’t wait to find out. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the time.

There was a knock at the door.

Astrid sighed. Judging by the speed at which she could funnel mana into her engine, it would take years to reach its full capacity. What’s worse is that she had to manually enter mana into the engine by sitting still, uninterrupted.

Leena opened the door. It was Kreka, surprisingly.

“My Lady, Lady Sinwen wishes to see you!” Kreka entered the room without permission. He sniffed everything. Leena frowned. His eyes brimmed with curiosity. “So this is your lair, my Lady.”

“You’ve met my mother, Kreka?” Astrid asked, smiling at the antics of the pure white kobold. He really was a fascinating creature.

“I have!” Kreka said, nodding his head enthusiastically. “She is a powerful human. It’s only natural that she spawned you. You know, when we kobolds lose a limb, we view it as an honour. It means that we were strong enough to survive the battle, even when we should have died.”

“Oh really?” Astrid asked. “That’s a good way to look at it.”

“Oh, Astrid!” Kreka ran in front of Astrid, eyes wide. He even used his hands to peel his eyelids open further. “Rip out my eyeballs!”

“What? No?” Astrid stumbled back. “Why?”

Kreka stomped the floor. “It’s not fair. Those crazed fanatics are parading around at the fact that you took their eyes. Well I want it too!”

“No, Kreka,” Astrid laughed. “They have a special constitution. When I take their eyes, it makes them more powerful. You are a mighty kobold, a future dragon. I can’t do that to you. Dragons need their eyes.”

“Dragons need their eyes,” Kreka mumbled, then nodded. “Okay. I understand, My Lady.”

“Just call me Astrid,” Astrid said.

“Astrid.”

“Better,” Astrid said, heading for the door.

Leena caught up to her and whispered in her ear, “He’s strange. And weird. How has he gotten so strong, so fast?”

Astrid shrugged, thinking nothing of it. “Some monsters have hidden bloodlines and are capable of evolving, even later on in their lives. Maybe that fight that time awakened him in some way? Monsters are weird.”

Leena nodded. “That makes sense.”

Kreka stopped sniffing around the room and caught up to them in an instant. He asked, “what makes sense?”

“The order of the world,” Astrid said.

“The order of the world,” Kreka repeated. Nodding as if he had just heard some profound wisdom.

Astrid approached the Sinwen dining hall. But now everyone was standing outside. Judging by the serious expressions on Freya and her mother’s face, they had decided something. But it was the air around her mother that Astrid immediately recognised.

It was the smell of bloodlust.