Psychokinetic Eyeball Pulling

Chapter 125: Delving into the Great No-Eyed One's Mind

The hulking man had a mask that was emitting steam at every breath. It only quickened when he gazed at the eyes swirling around Astrid.

He snapped out of his chair as Astrid flinched. She had to get serious, if it was a plot to get her here, then she had to be prepared for a difficult fight. Maybe the the hardest one yet as the aura of the man swept forward

Astrid cranked up her psychic mana as her hair rose along with it. Her eyes shone, one with a neverending void, the other with a deep X branded within.

The man strode forward. His might was almost suffocating, to the point Astrid was wary if she could even defeat him at all.

It was definitely one of the strongest opponents she had faced, the aura was similar to the demonic eye that she faced in the Voidmare dungeon.

She couldn’t let him close, just in case he was in fact an enemy. She sent a [Crash] to his body and simultaneously connected to the matter within herself and jumped back towards the large double doors.

The powerful [Crash] sent his body sliding back, then he bolted forward.

Astrid scowled and created multiple images of herself, she was about to continue her attacks when the man screamed.

“My Queen!” The Great No-Eyed One plopped down onto the ground and slammed his skull against the rock floor. “The long lost Eye Queen has arrived once more!”

Astrid glanced around, making sure it wasn’t some strange ploy, then sighed in relief. If the man had decided to attack, it would be a challenge to get out of this place alive. But, she needed answers.

“What is this Eye Queen?” Astrid asked.

She didn’t know if her Class had something to do with it, or if it was something else entirely. Maybe Pupil joined with someone else long before her and he couldn’t remember? Or maybe Pupil had a family and it was another black blob? It was all so confusing.

He looked up in surprise, then scrutinised her looks for a moment.

“No, you’re not her… but you resemble her. You feel… the same. The same aura.” He mumbled. “Yes, that’s it. You must be her kin… No, that’s not right, I can feel it. A progenitor? A disciple?”

“If I am, then she’s a shitty master,” Astrid spat. “But no, I’m not.”

Astrid connected to the eyes of the guides that had brought her here, and yanked out their eyes. For some reason, when it came to the last person, her left eye stung. The eye with the X marked within. Her Psychokinetic eye. She felt a faint weakness overcoming her eye, which then travelled into her mind.

Is there a limit to how many of them I can empower? Astrid wondered.

As she did so, their strength surged as they cheered and entered a crazed excited stage as they sprinted around the building, crashing into everything in sight. Or well, in blindness.

“No, maybe not. But your power is unmistaken. You have the power, and the aura of the Eye Queen,” He said. “Come with me. You must!--”

“Wait.” Astrid interrupted and the man shut his mouth in haste. “I have friends that joined me here, but I don’t know where they are. Leena, Bellona, Calum, Brett, I need them. Bring them to me, safe, and sound.”

“Of course…” The man screamed and gave orders, then the psycho guided her bolted out of the room, screaming.

The Great No-Eyed One ran in one direction, before sprinting in another, finally he made up his mind and ran behind the throne. “Come on!” He shouted from behind the throne.

Astrid chased him. He pulled a lever on the metal wall, and a large gate opened with a groan. Behind it, someone seemed to have hand carved a wide passageway. Judging by the location of the building, it must travel deep within the walls of the mountain-range.

It was pitch black, but there was one blazing torch on the wall that he lifted from its holster and walked down. His excited gate seemed to slow as his shoulders slumped in servitude. It was the same appearance as when he laid eyes on Astrid.

“What is this place?” Astrid continued. “How do you have no eyes? Was the Queen here recently?”

“Ah, my Queen… Not my Queen, power of the queen,” He mumbled. “Eye Queen Progenitor, it’s a long story–”

“I need to know,” Astrid asked with creased brows.

He bowed his head and slowed his pace even further. “It all began when our ancestor met with the Eye Queen. She told us that we were special, that we were destined for more. She ripped out the eyes of our ancestor and instead of him losing his sight, it enhanced it. But that wasn’t all, it was like something within his–my body changed. Unlocked.”

“How many years ago was this?”

“Oh, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds–” he exhaled a mouthful of steam. “It’s hard to tell the passage of time, Progenitor.”

“Okay, I understand that you have a special constitution,” Astrid continued. “Then, how is it possible that she ripped out your eyes?”

“When the Eye Queen vanished, she left our tribe something to remember her by. Only the chosen chief may accept her blessing at any given time. That is how we have managed to remain in this jungle despite its threats.”

Astrid pinched her chin as she was stuck in thought. But she was hopeful. Astrid could feel it in her bones, she was close to the answers she seeked.

“You know, you seem… normal. Compared to the others, anyway.”

“Normal?” He snickered. “The Eye Queen once said that we are an incomplete life-from. Only her powers can set us free from the madness within our minds.”

“Do you know where she came from?” Astrid asked. She clenched her hands.

The Great No-Eyed One thought for a second before shaking his head. “It’s impossible to answer. The original accounts were that the Eye Queen just appeared one day, without a sign, or reason. She just appeared. Some of the previous chiefs believe her to have descended from the sky to save our souls.”

Wait, does that mean that she could have arrived from a dungeon invitation then? Astrid thought. “What do you believe?”

“Where did you come from?” He asked in reply.

“Another world.” Astrid smirked. “Judging by your answer, you don’t know what dungeons are, do you?”

“Dungeons?” He shook his head.

It seems like he doesn’t have any other information. Well, it had been too long. Astrid sighed. She just hoped the place they were heading had more answers.

It didn’t take long before they reached the opening of a wide cave. It was roughly carved out, but it didn’t seem like something that hand tools were capable of. Rather, it was from a Skill. It was as if an advanced machine had extracted the rock, and carved a perfect rectangle within.

Within the rectangle, were steps on all sides that lead down into the centre where a pillar stood.

A shock spread itself all the way from her mind, down her spine, and ended at her toes. It was the same formation that she had seen in the Voidmare dungeon. An exact copy. From the black tiles, to the steps, to the pillar.

The only difference was that instead of a black, void-like box, lay a book that had a layer of dust gathered on its surface.

Astrid checked the pit with Psych Domain, as she swept her psychic mana forward, she could feel a strange psychic energy. It was as if it was dormant, but ancient. It was hard to put her finger on it.

Is it the remnant psychic energy of the Eye Queen? Astrid thought for a moment and after making sure it was safe, wandered down into the pit.

The Great No-Eyed One had already knelt on the floor the moment they entered the cave, he was mumbling the same words over and over again. The Great Eye Queen.

Ignoring him, she walked in front of the book and blew the layer of dust off that covered it entirely. An unfathomable eye met her gaze. It was engraved into the middle of the book, but other than that, it was as ordinary as any other book that she had back home in the study hall. It was the usual brown leather cover, over plain white paper.

Opening the book, she was amazed… to see nothing. Flicking over to the next page, it was all the same. Blank page after blank page. The only thing that was strange to her was that the paper had a perfect smoothness to it that the Rebirth paper lacked.

Could I make paper like that? It would make sense if the Eye Queen had created it herself. If she had the same powers Astrid had, then she could create a more perfect form by ignoring the graininess and shaping it to her will.

If we had the same powers–then. Astrid used Psych Domain once more, but nothing happened. Then she used Mind Domain and the same again, it didn’t work. She needed a live subject.

“Great No-Eyed One, She shouted. “Come here, I need you.”

“R–right away, Progenitor.” The man rushed to her side as he gazed at the book in worship. His eye sockets seemed to flash a dull light.

“Don’t resist, let my Skill enter your mind.”

The Great No-Eyed One accepted as her mind sunk into his own. He looked around the blank white world in wonder.

She wanted to use her Mind Domain Skill to check if it would create the words on the page, but first, she wanted to know how exactly the Eye Queen ripped out his eyes without being here. Instead of listening to his words, she wanted to see it directly.

“Think of the time when the Eye Queen took your eyes. Let the image flow through your mind.”

He bobbed his head up and down as steam streamed from his mask. Just where the hell was all the steam coming from, anyway? She shook her head to focus.

The further the Great No-Eyed One descended into his memories, the more focus was required on her part. Especially because his mind was so strong and resilient, even with him allowing her within. She doubted that without his permission, entering his mind would be an impossibility.

Straining her mind, the flickering memories finally settled on one. It was through the eyes of the Great No-Eyed One as he stood in front of the book.

The eyes shone, then his sight was gone.