Chapter 56: Anger 4/4: Overload
Chapter 56: Anger 4/4: Overload
Astrid tuned out any other sounds as she watched chaos unfold down below. Julian was trying to protect his mother, with his own body, he pushed a piece of falling debris to the side. One robed person with a savage grin displayed on their mask brandished their sword. With a swipe of his sword, it separated a man at the front in two.
Astrid watched as the robed man approached Julian, his mother, and other young children who were cowering behind a group of unarmoured men and women.
The robed man’s sword flashed. Astrid tried to halt it. She screamed, her mind strained, yet it wasn’t enough. The sword sliced through the woman as she shielded her child.
Your Anger has reached 98/100.
Your Anger has reached 99/100.
Your Anger has reached 100/100.
Overload: Anger.
Granting temporary evolution to one of your skills:
Psychokinesis -> Omni-Psychokinesis: From your experience of using the matter within your body for levitation, you are temporarily granted the knowledge to alter your very being. Strength, speed, reactions, and mana is vastly increased.
Warning: Your body cannot handle the pressure from Omni-Psychokinesis, your body will begin to break down the longer you stay within this state.
Increasing intelligence by 200.
Increasing wisdom by 100.
Increasing Physical damage by 150%
Increasing Psychic mana control by 300%
Strengthening body by 250%
Mana capacity exceeded by 500%
Something within Astrid’s mind snapped. She could feel an intense pain ravage her body, but only a boiling rage crawled into every inch of her existence. Her body crackled and popped. Her muscles and bones went through a metamorphosis. From the dense energy swirling around her body, her hair floated upwards. The X branded in her eye was on display, as the robed person raised his hand once more.
Astrid could see Leena was about to move.
“Protect Freya.” Astrid said through gritted teeth, it was difficult to think past the anger and it took all her willpower to do so. Her voice was coarse and wild like a savage beast.
Astrid blasted from the spot. The floor smashed into fragments as her body disappeared from the spot. She hurtled towards the person, for some reason, she didn’t use her range advantage, but instead, she wanted to tear him apart with her own body. She stopped in front of the robed person as her clenched hand smashed into their chest. The man was blasted backward, blood splattering from his mouth.
“Get everyone out of here,” Astrid spat.
Rocks, bricks, debris, and wood from all around the hall levitated from the ground. Astrid wasn’t even controlling it, but the raw psychic energy toiling from her body caused it to rise.
Lisa appeared behind her with her bow in hand.
Lisa held onto her bow as she watched Astrid confront the robed man. She glanced at the others battling on the stage. The fight was becoming intense as high nobles had even joined in. It was only a matter of time before the military divisions arrived. She looked at the complacent posture of the man at the back as he patiently watched the fight unfold, his eyes were glued to the black container.
Can he not fight? Is he a leader class? Lisa racked her mind. If they had the strength, why wouldn't they just brute force whatever item they wanted?
Wait, are they doing it so that we all know they can enter whenever they want? Lisa’s thoughts were filled with possibilities, but she was awakened from them as Astrid moved. It was blindingly fast. Lisa was shocked, she was having difficulties even keeping up with it.
Lisa nocked an arrow, but they were moving too fast, she didn’t want to hit Astrid.
How is she doing this? Lisa frowned, they stopped for a second and she witnessed blood dripping from the girl's nose and ears. Astrid blasted forward once more, her technique was swift, graceful, yet savage. Every move aimed to kill. Lisa had seen it many times from Kaylan during their missions, it was the martial arts of Sinwen. But even compared to the prodigy of Rebirth, Lisa had never seen the moves as perfect as they were currently being displayed by Astrid.
Lisa couldn't put her mind on it, but it was as if something was guiding Astrid. Like it was walking her through the movements in real time. Astrid dodged the person’s sword, her hand latched onto his face like a clawed appendage, then her knee smashed into his chest. With a crack, he was going to be sent flying back, but his body halted in mid-air. She dashed forward and grabbed hold of his arms, and pulled. Blood sprayed like a shower as his arms were instantly removed from his body.
Astrid stood over the robed person.
“We will–”
Astrid raised her foot and stamped down on the person’s chest. With a crack, a gargle of blood left his mouth, then silence remained.
“You will do nothing, but die.” Astrid breathed, a hot mist left her mouth. Her bloodied-blonde hair slowly turned black, and grew as it billowed into the air. Black markings etched their way into her skin as blood seeped out from them.
“A-Astrid.” Lisa mumbled. “Please stop.”
Astrid moved her head and Lisa stood rooted to the spot. A large X was branded into her eye. Her fingernails grew into blackened, sharpened claws.
“I’m fine for now, get them all out of here.” Astrid grinned. “Let me play a bit longer.”
A sense of danger took grip of Lisa as she fired her nocked arrow without a moment’s hesitation. It scraped past the robed attacker’s shoulder, splitting the black robe and revealing a shining armor underneath. Astrid dodged to the side and smacked her palm against his chest, sending him hurtling back. He stabilized himself, with a scream, he bolted toward Astrid like a raging bull.
Astrid was going to dodge again, she stood to the side, but his speed suddenly increased. Astrid couldn't dodge in time as the hammer blasted against her arm. She braced for the impact and her fingered claws swiped forward. The man moved his head back, but her claws suddenly snapped off, and pierced into the brittle flesh of eyeball before the savage impact sent her body back like a cannonball being fired from a barrel. She smashed into the stage as it sent wooden fragments all around the place.
It was dark beneath the stage, the sound of intense fighting, and the thudding of footsteps above her made Astrid scramble to her feet. Items were scattered around, despite her rage induced state, she could still think. The chain she wanted was right next to her so she quickly pocketed it. The warrior that sent her down with the hammer blow was quickly approaching.
Her body and mind were cracking under the pressure from the power surging with her body. It was like a chisel was slowly chipping away at her internal organs. She was being eaten alive from the inside, and out. Her skin was cracking, blood spilled. Gritting her teeth, she looked up. Astrid knew she had little time left, and with her fight against the two robed men, she was coming close to her limit. She didn’t want to die.
She didn’t know what they wanted, but this all started when that black blob appeared. If it was something to do with her Class, then she needed it. She would take it for herself.
The memory of the black blob filled her mind. A crystal container formed in her palm, then she strained her mind as she created a black squirming alien life form within the glass vase. She watched as it squirmed within the container, it was as lifelike as the one on stage. A deep sense of familiarity caressed her mind as she gazed at it.
An explosion sent the stage trembling, it blasted multiple holes into the surface. Astrid had to be quick. The power of her illusions surged, a deep mist tumbled through the hall. She wasn’t sure if her powered abilities would be enough, but she could only hope. She leapt up and onto the stage, her mind [Crashed] against the bodies of the robed people.
Her hand moved like a blur and snatched up the container before an enormous force impacted against her small body, sending her back down into the depths of the stage. Astrid instantly washed away the dizziness from her head, and scrambled away.
In her arms lay the real black blob. She looked down as she sprinted through the halls. The blob stuck itself away from her, it recoiled as if it was scared.
Astrid sprinted down the hallways. Every step was threatening to split her apart. The pain was unbearable as she gnashed her teeth together. Unlike with the other emotion, she had the option to stop it if she wanted, but Astrid could tell that someone was rapidly approaching from behind.
She could see the exit, the emblem of Wayfarers, and the Humanity Corps. Astrid glanced back. The visage of a bloodthirsty demon stood right behind her. Jolting her body, she sent a [Crash] directly to his face. The demon shrugged it off and his hand was about to latch onto Astrid. She looked at the eyes behind the mask. Tiny tendrils of red branched out of his iris. She could feel the dense killing instinct from the man as it latched onto her heart. It was like being pursued by an apex predator. He was so close that she could smell his odour. It was something she could never get rid of. It was the stench of Spawn.
Astrid pivoted her foot. Strength surged into her body as she sent a punch with all of her might to his face. Blood splashed from the cracks within her arm, but she persisted. The grin on the horned mask became deeper, as if it was mocking her.
He caught her hand, and twisted. Astrid screamed at the pain. Instead of pulling back, she used her head like a weapon as it struck the man’s mask. Cracks appeared around its surface. Astrid spat at his face. Blood had mixed with her saliva and splattered the mask.
The man’s eyes turned savage as a curved knife appeared in his hand, he lunged it toward Astrid's chest. She wanted to move, but his hand had remained latched onto her arm. Astrid watched as the dagger inched closer and closer, it felt like time had stopped. As the blade’s tip sunk into her flesh, it was abruptly stopped, a rampaging might slammed into the masked man.
His hand clawed at Astrid's arm, snatching the container from her embrace. The force sent him crashing back. Despite the intense impact, he remained unfazed.
“You fucking dare lay your hand on my baby sister.” A voice growled within the halls, it sounded like the embodiment of a primordial beast. A man stood in front of Astrid. He had wild, long golden hair. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, instead he proudly displayed the countless wounds marred into his powerful body. A huge pair of golden gauntlets covered his fists. The air swirling around the man took Astrid’s breath away, as even the bricks of the auction walls groaned in protest.
He was Astrid’s eldest brother, Tennyson Sinwen. The rampaging hound of the World’s Seas, and now his full wrath, lay on the robed man that was surrounded in black shadows.
“Sinwens, I thought you were all a bunch of cold hearted warriors that thought of nothing but fighting and war.” The robed man said. His voice was strained, like he was putting on an act.
Astrid looked at her arms. The black blob was gone.
Tennyson ignored his words as his hand rested upon Astrid’s head. His eyes filled with an undying love.
“Get out of here, little devil,” He said, then turned to the robed man. “Cold? You know nothing of the Sinwen bloodline. While noble families have come and gone, we remain the stalwart defenders for over an eternity. Family is everything, something that you obviously can't understand.”
Tennyson moved, and the surrounding area fractured and exploded under his might.