[Pyschokinetic] Eyeball Pulling - Chapter 241 (Patreon)

Gloria sat at the bar alongside Froderick, Mina, Josh, and Nick. Charlotte was busying herself with cleaning the glasses that remained intact, polishing them. She had to, as they were the brewer’s only customers.

Charlotte poured one drink after the other, and placed it on the bar. It was one of her specialties. Golden glitter floated within the crystal clear liquid.

“Thanks,” Gloria said, picking up the small glass, and swallowing the contents. It tasted of nothing, then heat blazed against the walls of her throat as it travelled downward. She breathed out a hot breath and placed the glass back on the bar. “Improved recipe?”

“War doesn’t stop the liquor from improving,” Charlotte said with a sweet smile.

Gloria was tired. Her father was Lord Sinwen, fighting a battle she knew they couldn’t win. Leviathan. She had sworn to defeat the Leviathan one day. She wanted to see it. To meet her future opponent. But her family forced her to remain on Rebirth.

But Astrid got to go. Gloria sighed. “We’re so far behind. Can we ever catch up?”

“Probably not.” Mina leaned arm-to-arm with Gloria. “But that’s just life, isn’t it? There’s always people that you can’t reach.”

Gloria looked at everyone. They had all gone through so much. The evidence was sewn onto their bodies. Scars appeared on their flesh, their eyes had turned darker, more mature. Blood hid behind them. Ever since they had parted from Astrid, they had undergone mission after mission. Levelling, fighting monsters. Killing.

“Don’t say that to me, Mina,” Gloria said with a slight frown. “You all may be resigned, but I’m not. I may not be able to catch up, but my achievements won’t pale in comparison. I’ll show her.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say,” Nick said. He raised his hand and looked at Charlotte. “One more over here.”

“Right away,” Charlotte said. She poured another drink, and placed it in front of him. “But Astrid has really come a long way, hasn’t she? I heard she was talking in the lower district, stopping them from starting a civil war.”

Josh chuckled. “Astrid. Talking. Stopping a civil war. It doesn’t sound like her, does it?”

“If anything, she’d be the one starting it, somehow,” Gloria said, eliciting laughter from the others.

“She survived Apocrypha, as well,” Nick said. “Rumours have it that she was the one that got them out of the closed bubble. To already be at that stage is nothing short of incredible. I mean really, what Classes does she have? Her rate of Levelling is terrifying.”

“She’s a freak, that’s for certain,” Josh said.

“Changing the subject,” Mina said, flashing Charllotte a playful look. “Where is your lover? The birds of Rebirth say that she has finally been promoted to an Elder of the Crafting guild? Is that correct?”

Charlotte's face brightened. She smiled proudly. “It just so happens that the birds are right. She’s been promoted.” Then Charlotte sighed, and said, “But that also means she’s very busy. She’s overseeing Rebirth’s repairs and defensive preparations. I most likely won’t see her for a few days. Especially now that we’re set to head into the Dead Sea.”

“The Dead Sea.” Nick shifted on his bar stool.

Gloria didn’t blame him. When she had heard they were going to enter the Dead Seas, she thought Lady Sinwen had turned mad. From what Gloria understood of the Dead Seas, then they were heading to their deaths. Even her own family members were hard pressed about the situation, clamouring on about abandoning ship.

Traitors. If her father, or sister, had heard of those words, they would have executed them all on the spot.

It was a good thing that Lady Sinwen had arranged a meeting between all of the noble families, and the militant forces tomorrow. The only people that were privy to Lady Sinwen’s plans were the nobles closest to the Sinwen family.

The talk across the other noble families was that Lady Sinwen had turned mad. Gloria didn’t believe it. Not for a second.

“I mean, what are they thinking?” Nick continued. “For hundreds of years. Hundreds of reports of people going missing there and never returning, why would we ever go there?”

“Lady Sinwen obviously has plans,” Gloria said.

“Still,” Mina added. “It’s a bit disconcerting. After all we’ve heard. All of the horror stories we were told as children. To finally set course to the Dead Seas as a final destination… It speaks volumes for the position we are currently in. The situation in the city must be awful. What are the nobles saying about it, Gloria?”

“You don’t want to know,” Gloria said, dismissing her friend.

“Right, it’s always complicated with them,” Mina said. “I wonder how Froderick is doing? After his father was ousted as a traitor, and killed, he must be having a rough time of it.”

“I heard he vowed to restore his family’s honour,” Gloria said.

“We should pay him a visit before we enter the Dead Sea,” Nick said.

“If we enter,” Josh added. “Hopefully the seas don’t swallow us whole before we get there.”

“That’s a morbid thought.”

Everyone turned to the familiar voice. The door to the pub was broken, and it was the same for the windows, and the walls surrounding the street front. The battle of the corrupted had turned the luxurious pub into a smattering of rubble. Yet it still stood.

From the entrance, a woman with flowing gold hair stood. She wore long tattered black robes. Gold shone from underneath. She wore a jagged crown. The air surrounding her was wicked and powerful and grand.

Gloria sucked in a sharp breath at the mana she felt coursing around Astrid’s figure. It was quickly approaching that of a top noble. Maybe only a grand elder was her enemy now, but it was difficult to tell with her standing there.

But it was her eyes that Gloria couldn’t break free from. They were like two boundless universes. So deep and profound. She remembered her unique iris’. Even with them hidden, Gloria could still feel them. The mysterious entities stared back at her, as if they had minds of their own.

It creeped her out.

“Astrid!” Everyone shouted. Mina was the first to rush up, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

Astrid smiled and reciprocated her embrace. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

***

Astrid stayed for a while, talking about their adventures for the past few months. For the most part, they had all stuck together. Taking on missions as a Wayfarer, they travelled the vast waters, scouring towns, and villages on the bottom of the ocean for wealth and power.

However, with the events from the Order, and the Leviathan’s awakening, it was more dangerous than normal.

They had lost friends and team members. But they had also gained a lot. Like equipment, and levels. Using the danger breathing down their necks, they fought on, growing stronger each day and night that passed.

Then Astrid told them of her travels, and how crazy they were. From the psychos, to the strange mind creature that she had yet to face, to Avemoth, Zephyrion, and all the others after them. Four hours had passed as they reminisced about the Wayfarer exam, and their first descent into a town.

But it had to come to an end eventually. There was so much work to accomplish.

“So what are you doing now?” Gloria asked.

“I’ll be helping with the repairs of Rebirth, making sure that it’s in peak condition for the Dead Seas,” Astrid said.

Charlotte placed another glass down in front of her. Astrid smiled with glee. She snatched it up, and swallowed it whole. The burning from the spirit felt so nice.

“You may meet Maggie, then,” Charlotte said. “If you meet her, please tell her to come see me before we reach the Dead Sea. But if her job is too important, then I understand–”

“I’ll tell her.” Astrid smiled. “Don’t worry. I should be able to make her job a lot easier. I’ll have the work finished, and she’ll be back here before you know it.”

“Thank you, Astrid,” Charlotte said. “You know, you really have changed. I mean, not just strength wise. You have matured.”

“Really?” Astrid asked. “I don’t feel any different.” She patted her own arms, then said. “Nope, no difference. Anyway, I better go. It was nice to catch up with you guys. Hopefully we can do it again before we head into the Dead Seas. This time with everyone.”

“That would be great,” Mina said.

Astrid headed for the door, but words stopped her.

“I’ll catch up to you,” Gloria said.

Astrid glanced over her shoulder and grinned. “No you won’t.” She waved, leaving the bar.

I miss those guys, Astrid thought as she headed back up to the upper district. Freya had told her that they were starting repairs on the hull. If that was the case, the engineers would be on port side.

Returning to the surface, it wasn’t long before she spotted a team of individuals all wearing combat gear, and with it, anti-pressure mouthpieces.

Amongst them was a tall and buff woman in her twenties. She had short brown hair, and her voice was loud and powerful as she addressed the team around her. It was the famous triple class production user; Maggie.

Let’s get to work.