[Psychokinetic] Eyeball Pulling - Chapter 218: One Man Army
The man had bald hair on the sides, and long on top, cut roughly into a jagged fringe. He was wearing what seemed to be a military uniform, with golden pauldrons, and golden tassels hanging as adornments.
His eyes displayed a shocking amount of intelligence, practically overflowing. It was a sign that his mana had reached an astonishing level. Perhaps just like Astrid.
But more than that, there was something unique about him. He wasn’t overly tall, nor was he built in an opposing manner. It wasn’t even the vibrant mana within his container.
There was something special about him.
So he’s the Sovereign.
Astrid clenched her fist. So he had finally arrived. What would be the outcome? In reality, she already knew what it would be.
Because of Overload, her total strength was reduced by fifteen percent. It might not seem like much, but when in battle with an equal, that amount was a huge chasm that couldn’t be crossed.
That was assuming the man hovering in the air was even her equal…
A familiar sense of overpowering energy emerged from the depths of the jungle. It was so familiar that a handsome face with well kept facial hair flashed into Astrid’s thoughts.
Astrid didn’t have to wait for very long until the man broke free of the jungle foliage.
Lord Darian had arrived.
And he wasn’t alone. To his side was an elderly man with a crooked back, and the same could be said about the staff that he used to hold himself up.
Of course, he wasn’t human. He had two pointed, furry ears, long bundled hair, and a long bushy tail to match. Despite his old appearance, the raw mana that moved in the surroundings was enough to take Astrid’s breath away.
It was at least double of what she had access to, but unlike her tamed mana, his was wild like the jungle of his homeland.
Even further behind him, was an army of Ixtalians. Astrid clenched her hands into fists. Lord Darian had done it. He wasn’t ruthlessly butchered into a thousand pieces by the pyramid people, nor was he imprisoned.
He had managed to procure the help of the natives.
He had done it!
Astrid couldn’t be happier. If she was left alone with the knight for much longer, it wouldn’t take much more time for them to be overrun by spiders. That was a fate far worse than death. Hell, she’d much rather be tortured than suffer through that dreadful experience.
The man that emerged from the gateway was looking their way. But even after experiencing the mana, and wild energy coming from the elderly animal-man, along with Lord Darian, the young man didn’t seem phased on bit.
Just how powerful was he that he didn’t even see the powerful experts of this world as his enemy?!
Astrid couldn’t help become apprehensive, but then she felt something in her blood boil. The feeling was like a stimulant was ejected straight into her bloodstream. Any feeling of anxiousness was obliterated, swiftly evolving it into a will for battle.
The young man floated about a half a mile away. He never once looked at the men; his gaze was firmly locked onto Astrid. As if she was the only one that existed in this world.
It was because they were both Sovereigns. Or soon to be, anyway. His next words only confirmed it.
“I can’t believe you’ve dragged me into this world,” he said in half anger and half amusement. His words brimmed with utmost confidence. It was as if he had never encountered a setback in his entire life, yet through them, Astrid noticed something else.
It was wrath.
What was worse, was that the young man was barely older than Astrid. Despite that, he was incredibly powerful.
Astrid thought her own progress was frightening, yet now she was in front of someone that had dwarfed her experience. It let her know that the universe was much, much larger than she thought.
“You killed Mellow. For that, the payment is death.” The man said with spite. He turned to the small fluffy cat by his side, and continued, “Mittens, it’s time to kill.”
“Wait, can’t we talk?” Lord Damian shouted over the battlefield. “There is no reason for this!”
“No reason?” The young man asked. “You dogs murdered my companion. If I slaughtered your people, then how would you feel? Would you want to reconcile?”
Astrid was stupefied at his words. It was utterly ridiculous. He was the one to start this whole thing! He was the one to send an army of spiders through the gateway in an attempt to kill her.
How arrogant and conceited could one be?!
“Listen here you little shit!” Astrid spat.
The young man flashed a wicked smile.
“You’re the one that invaded us,” she continued. “If it wasn’t for that, your shitty golden spider would still be alive.”
Scoffing, the young man nodded. “I didn’t think you would be enough to defeat my golden soldier. No matter, you cannot defeat my army.”
“Fight me yourself!” Astrid shouted, flaring her mana until her golden hair rose in the air.
“That would be rather burdensome, no?” The man spread his arms wide, and from the palms of his hands, thousands of baby spiders fell to the floor, only to grow at a rapid pace.
His eyes shone an insidious glow, leaving a trail behind at every slight movement. Then, mana billowed out of his body in a wide area, covering the spiders all around him in a chaotic embrace. From it, the beasts grew taller, their legs became thicker, and their strength grew a few levels above their usual means.
He pointed at one of them. It twitched and spasmed. Sounds of snapping, and bone breaking resounded throughout the grassy plains, and then it grew even more than its brothers, and sisters.
Savage bone armour grew from its hairy body, and then it thickened multiple degrees until each step it took crushed the land underneath.
The young Sovereign had evolved it directly. Was it a Skill? Astrid could only assume so. But that could only mean one thing to Astrid.
His monsters may be terrifying, but could that same be said about him personally?
Astrid wanted to try. But there was one thing that made her apprehensive of moving. The cat floating by his side.
Although it was cute and fluffy, Astrid wanted nothing more than to snuggle into its white, luxurious, comfy… fur.
Focus, Astrid.
She instinctively knew that the cat was a terrifying monster. It had the same vibe when she was standing in front of the prehistoric Avemoth. Although the cat’s aura was muted, hidden under the snow-white fur, Astrid’s experiences told her to be careful of the little creature.
Was that the source of his confidence? Or did he truly think that his army could defeat them?
Lord Darian stood still, but Astrid witnessed uncomfort. His hands were clenched, and he nibbled at his lips as he gazed up at the accumulating army. It looked like he was struggling to come to a decision, but finally, he made a move.
His face changed. It transformed into an expressionless abyss. Darian’s body relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulder.
From his waist, he unsheathed his longsword as the strange aura in his body exploded outward. Any of the weaker spiders outside the young man’s domain, were crushed to the ground in an instant. They were unable to endure the savage energy.
It seemed the Lord who wanted to escape the life of war, was forced into action.
He blasted off from the spot, and raked his sword across the land like a scythe reaping crops. Where the phantom blade travelled, spiders were split in two.
The terrifying blade tore straight for the young man hovering in the sky, slicing the air apart like a messenger of death.
Despite the attack that would undoubtedly eviscerate Astrid in the blink of an eye, the Sovereign rose his brow in surprise. But that was all. He didn’t make a move in an attempt to dodge. No, it was like he didn’t see the incoming attack as a threat.
He’s crazy!
However, in the next moment Astrid watched in horror as the pretty white cat made a move.
Leaping off the young man’s shoulder, it transformed. Its petite little head split open in four ways, revealing rows of devastating teeth, along with a tongue that was far too long.
Maw open wide, it welcomed the strange blade attack. Then it chomped down, and the attack was vaporised.
What just happened?
To Astrid, the sight of the little cat devouring the attack was unfathomable. An attack that would have sliced her body half was eaten?!
However, Darian hadn’t lost his fighting spirit. Instead, it only seemed to increase. Embers flickering behind his eyes, he dashed through the opening he had created, and blasted for the young man.
Darian hefted his sword, huffed a powerful breath, then slashed through the air once more. But just like before, the cat devoured it.
Reaching the duo in a second, Darian striked the young man’s body, only for him to disappear… and for the cat to take his place.
Astrid was shocked. The ability was so similar to the one Darcy used. Were they connected somehow?
Clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white, Astrid decided to join the fight. And she wasn’t the only one.
The elderly beast-man struck his staff against the floor. The mana in his surrounding area turned wild. After that, his body changed. From his old, withered self, into a four legged, savage beast.
He had transformed into a huge bear with a spiked club for a tail. Roaring he then dashed on all fours to join Darian in combat.
Astrid was just a second behind. Flying forward at high speed, it wasn’t long before she also joined the battle. But where Darian, and the monster-mans target was the cat, hers was the young Sovereign.
There was no communication needed. The wise duo had already calculated who was the problem, and that was the cat. So that left Astrid facing her original target. It was perfect.
The Ixtalian elder blasted from the ground, up into the air to strike the cat, but in an instant, the master traded places with his pet.
A layer of thick smooth armour covered the young man’s arm as he took the elder’s claws directly. In a clash of sparks, the young man was sent tumbling through the air, but the elder was unable to follow up his attack as gravity took hold of his body, dragging him back down to land.
Then Astrid arrived.
Amassing the matter behind the Sovereign, she Crashed it. A massive explosion rocked the air, but the young tamer’s reaction speed was too fast. In an instant, he had already traded places with the cat, and allowed the snow white devil to take the brunt of the strike–which didn’t do much damage at all.
But what awaited the young Sovereign was devastating pain.
Astrid already had practised against that ability, so she knew exactly how to deal with it. It was all about timing, and she had long made the connection to her desired area.
His eyes. One of them, to be exact.
Consuming a large portion of mana, Astrid yanked his right eye as hard as her current Intelligence would allow her. What she didn’t expect however, was how effective it was.
Astrid, with great mental strain, tore the man’s eye from its socket in a shower of blood. A pained howl followed. Not just from the young Sovereign, but the devilish cat as well.
Along with it, was a nice addition to her Eye arsenal…
