Psychokinetic Eyeball Pulling

Chapter 106: Bellona

Astrid escaped the crutches of the children from the orphanage before Nella could even give her thanks. She didn’t know where Isobelle was, but she didn’t want to stay around and find out.

Astrid wasn’t sure if he did it on purpose, but Losef had finished his responsibilities at the same time and had left with her.

“The others should be done around now.” Losef brushed a dried piece of puke from his shirt.

Astrid tried her hardest not to gag.

She could handle monster and human guts, but something about childrens… She shivered at the thought.

“Not a fan of them?” Losef said.

Astrid thought about the question. It’s not that she didn’t like them, rather she adored them. But she refused to look at their bad habits. Puke, shit, especially when they eat… Astrid jogged on the spot as she erased the thoughts from her memory.

Losef chuckled.

“What about you?” Astrid asked. “Do you have any?”

Astrid watched as his eyes repeatedly changed from one emotion, to the other. It was one of longing. She remembered that look from anywhere.

“You don’t have to talk about it.” Astrid slapped the back of his shoulder.

“Ha, look at you trying to comfort me,” Losef joked. “No, I don’t have any. Not yet.”

Astrid decided not to pry, as the last part of his sentence held a semblance of hope. She had heard a lot of women on Rebirth having difficulties giving birth, maybe it was because of that?

It was the same with her mother, she was meant to have a little sister right now, but life on Ruitera is often cruel and unforgiving.

Astrid’s shoulders deflated at the thought.

Losef smacked her shoulder, she quickly stabilised herself and shot him a glare. “Not long now and you will be able to traverse the oceans with us without worry.”

“Are you sure it’s alright with you?”

“Alright?” Losef said. “More than alright, Astrid. We’ve long grown tired of the restrictions of the Wayfaring division. The only reason we stayed was, well, because of you.”

“Me?”Astrid tilted her head.

“You obviously know that your father had you join us,” Losef continued. “Both for protection, and to help you level to a degree.”

Losef re-rolled up his sleeve that was falling down. “But what you might not know is that we are your personal guard.”

“Guard?”

“Feel betrayed?” Losef displayed a sly smile.

“Of course not, I’m not a child,” Astrid said.

“Oh that’s for certain.” Losef scruffed up her hair. “So don’t feel bad, we were always going to be your main party regardless of what happened. Besides, we are dying to get out there. Life out there is free, you know?”

Astrid agreed. She couldn’t wait.

“So what happens now?”

Losef was about to talk when a person in a robe approached them. Losef’s expression changed as he stepped forward to intercept the robed figure.

The robed person stopped. The robe was made of a scarlet red with golden accents. It didn’t seem like cheap gold either, but rather the high quality gold that was used within the noble district.

Her pinkish-red, braided hair peeked out from underneath the hood. Despite the cloak and hood, she wasn’t very inconspicuous as her bare arms displayed a wide range of various black tattoos that were then tucked underneath a pair of white fists wraps for martial-arts.

Most of them showed an assortment of monsters, maybe ones that she herself had killed, or they were from the stories that everyone had heard about.

Astrid felt a fluctuation of mana from their body and readied her defences.

“I have a message for Astrid Sinwen.”

It was a female voice, one that held a strong heroic nature to it. Or maybe that’s just because it was deep. Regardless, the woman in front of Astrid wasn’t weak.

With a quick check of Identify, her guess was correct.

Her level is in the hundreds, how can she be a mere messenger? Astrid thought.

She extended her arm with a letter in hand.

Losef snatched it from her hand and passed it to Astrid.

Opening the letter, she was surprised at the name the words belonged to.

Cousin, when you are ready, please make your way to the Sinwen Manor. I have a few things to discuss with you regarding your adventures.

Love,

Freya

As Astrid finished reading the letter, the woman had already retreated from the vacant Lower District streets.

“It seems I’m being called upon,” Astrid said.

“Anything serious?” Losef continued. “If it is, just let us know. They don’t call us the Severing Paths for nothing.”

Astrid sharply exhaled as her lips curled. “That’s your team name?”

“What?” Losef asked. “Don’t you think it sounds cool?”

“That’s one word to describe it.”

“Hmm.” Losef pinched his chin. “Then what do you have in mind?”

“How about the Wicked Witches!” Astrid exclaimed.

“How old are you?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, it’s just that I think we’ll stick to Severing Paths.”

“Right,” Astrid fiddled with her braid. “Then, Voracious Eyeball-Pullers!”

“We don’t do any of that.”

“You should try then,” Astrid spat. “It’s fun.”

Losef smiled. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“Ah, you win,” Astrid said. “Severing Paths it is… It does sound badass.”

I wonder if pulling out eyeballs counts as severing, it does, right? Astrid thought.

I don’t know Astrid, but anything is possible with our powers!

Thank you… But keep resting will you! I’ve not forgotten about my questions. Recharge your battery to full, that’s an order tenant! Astrid shouted within her mind.

Yes, Astrid…

“Told you so.” Losef raised his chin.

“How will I–”

Losef interrupted, “we’ll send word to you once I’ve reconvened with everyone and see what the progress is. Hold tight.”

Astrid nodded. “See you soon.”

Astrid left ahead of Losef and walked towards the noble’s lift. It wasn’t long before she approached the crystal-glass cage and entered with the approval of the guards.

The moment she entered and the doors closed, the clamour and life of the Lower District was sliced into abrupt silence. It was the same feeling as when she entered her Mind Domain. The complete silence was deafening, then she felt a tug at her legs as the motors within the lift pulled her up.

Freya has a level hundred messenger… How is that possible? Astrid wondered.

She knew her cousin was filthy rich from the auction, but how exactly could she gain control of a powerful system user?

Unless the robed-woman was a close friend, or Freya had more money than she had originally thought. Or she helped her family somehow. Astrid noted the way the woman held herself. Haughtiness and pride. Yet it was confusing for such a person to hand messages.

Astrid shook her head, hopefully her cousin would answer her question.

Astrid waited in her bedroom for Freya to arrive. Thankfully she didn’t need to tap her feet against the floor for long as a knock awakened her from the boredom.

She opened the door with Psychokinesis and the happy expression of her cousin greeted her.

Astrid could feel someone else just behind the wall, but if the person came with Freya, then she didn’t mind the person eavesdropping.

Freya waltzed in as if it was her own room and sat down on her bed. With a smile, she patted the fluffy throw that lay over the bed.

“Freya, what’s the letter about?” Astrid sat next to her. “Also, who the hell was that messenger?”

“I just wanted to iron out the little details about your future excursions, so that others won’t know of your whereabouts,” Freya said, then placed her finger on her chin. “Messenger?”

Freya chuckled. “Bellona.”

At her words, the scarlet-gold robed woman walked in. She tore off the robe and slung it on Astrid’s coat hanger. Without a word, she grabbed the seat for the table, spun it around and sat down with her arms resting on the back of the chair.

“How’s it going, princess?” Bellona said in her deep voice.

“Better now that I can see your face,” Astrid said.

Bellona languidly raised her brow. “I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“Of course you didn’t,” Astrid stated. “But these are sensitive times.”

Bellona grinned. “You’ve got that right, but it won’t be long until we catch the rodents by their tails.”

If she thinks I was scared of the robes, then that means she was referring to the masked people, robed people, whatever. Terrorists, that’s a better one. Astrid thought.

Astrid replicated the expression as she saw a torrent of fighting spirit behind Bellona’s eyes. It was the type of eyes that she loved to be around. Leena also held the same eyes whenever she let go of her restraints.

“It’s good now that you’ve met,” Freya added. “Because she will now be in your team.”

“What?” Astrid asked.

Astrid had a hard time figuring out what it could be. If it was for protection, then it wasn’t needed. It wasn’t due to arrogance, but just going by the strength of her aura., she doubted Bellona was stronger than Daniel and the others.

“She has a certain… Skill that will be of benefit in your travels.” Freya smirked.

Astrid turned to Bellona. “What skill?”

“I can cancel any scouting ability by touch,” Bellona stated.

“Really?” Astrid’s eyes widened.

If that was the case, then in her current predicament, it was incredibly powerful.

“How useful can it be though?” Astrid asked. “If they use a scouting technique, then by the time it brushes up against us, even if you cancel it, it will be too late?”

“Judging by the reports of your mission,” Bellona continued. “You have some sort of scouting skill, right?”

“I do.”

“Then try it.” Bellona smirked with confidence.

Without waiting, Astrid activated Psych Domain and instantly surged it forward. If Bellona was to come on the mission, she had to be certain of that ability.

So she didn’t hold back. She cranked her mana container to the maximum, and sent it hurtling forward. Yet as soon as it touched about a metre around her body, Astrid’s skill instantly deactivated without warning.

She wasn’t able to see one spec of matter around Bellona’s body and the area surrounding her.

“What kind of skill is that?” Astrid asked. “A deactivation type?”

Bellona hadn’t moved a millimetre from the comfort of the chair.

“Sorta,” Bellona said. “My class revolved around anti-magic, so in a sense, yeah it cancels skills.”

Bellona stood up and moved the chair to the side. She trotted forward and approached Astrid.

Astrid looked slightly up and into her eyes as the tattooed, hand-wrapped woman placed her hand forward with a grin on her face.

“I’m looking forward to working with you, Astrid.”

Astrid took her hand and shook it.

“Likewise.”