Psychokinetic Eyeball Pulling

Chapter 42: The Last Meal

Astrid peered over to the new arrivals. One team comprised of the people they had run into before. Although, there were two less than before and recent injuries marred their bodies. With a quick check with Identify, it looked like they had lost their healer. Their faces were dejected and battered. Yet they travelled forward.

Astrid shook her head. Greed. It was one of the biggest killers down in the Bubbled Towns and Cities.

“What the hell is this?” One man waltzed forward. He held an enormous axe in one hand, and was covered in beast fur. Not a piece of armour was on his body. Despite that, he was unharmed. The only evidence of battle was the many scars etched onto his powerful body.

“Food?” the man said.

He stopped in front of the table, his large hands grabbed hold of what appeared to be a cooked bird. With a snap, he tore the leg from its body. Placing it to his nose, he took a sniff as his eyes lit up. He opened his mouth and tore into the golden skin. Translucent liquid trickled down his chin as it disappeared into his thick beard.

“Dig in!” He shouted towards his team members as they quickly joined him.

“Daniel, what do we do?” Astrid looked at the leader.

The murals that lined the walls absorbed Daniel's focus. Astrid followed him as he approached them. His fingers trailed across the pictures. Monsters in the millions left darkened doors as they spilled out into the world. They slaughtered people without hesitation and no remorse. They ate to their heart's content. Once they were finished, they simply moved onto the next target. The next destination. Fire engulfed the world, followed by a raging wave that obliterated anything–and everything in its path.

“Holy shit, it resembles the murals back on HMS Rebirth.” Brett said, gazing up at the wall.

“No. History told us that the monsters appeared from the sky. These… came from the dungeons that we’re currently in.” Daniel’s palm ran across one of the many darkened doors that filled the wall.

“Daniel–are you saying that what you thought was right all the time?” Lisa pressed her hands together.

“Maybe.” Daniel said with a trembled voice.

“I don’t see the Leviathan.” Losef said.

At the words, Daniel began looking at the other murals. Monsters of all different sizes and power appeared in the millions. But none that depicted that of a Leviathan. He then stopped at a larger mural that was on either side of the enormous set of doors. The monsters were larger than anything Astrid had ever seen before. Even the Leviathan in the picture books couldn't compare.

At the corner of the mural, out of sight from everything else, something caught her attention. Wandering closer, there was a strange black blob attaching itself to a person’s head. He tried to fight it and attempted to tear it off. But it didn’t budge. Slowly, it seemed to absorb into his body. Astrid’s finger wiped at her eyelid.

“Don’t tell me,” Rachelle paused, “the Leviathan isn’t, or wasn’t, the biggest threat?”

“Surely they’re all extinct, right?” Brett said.

“I’ve never heard of anything bigger, or more powerful, than the Leviathan before.” Lisa said.

“That’s because a lot of history was erased, forgotten and lost.” Astrid shook her head.

“We need to tell Rebirth about this. We should leave, come in with reinforcements.” Lisa turned to Daniel, her hand rested upon his shoulder. “It’s not going anywhere.”

Daniel took a breath and nodded. “Alright guys, let’s head back.”

“Don’t you think all this is weird?” Leena said as they started walking back.

“Of course it is. My brain is fried just thinking about it all.” Brett twirled his blade and caught it in mid-air.

“Doesn’t take a lot for that to happen.” Rachelle joked.

“No, I mean,” Leena said, “why have food all set up on an enormous table? It’s obviously meant for more people than just us. And what’s behind those doors?”

“The last meal.” A robed man said from the other group.

Daniel and the others looked on over.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?” He said. "Giving the warriors their last meal before a great fight."

“You got a name, Wayfarer?” Daniel said.

“I do. Peter, this team's healer.” He said. A short, scraggly beard covered his face. His hair was long, unkempt, and wild. Along with the many blood stains that covered his clothes, it was difficult to imagine him as a healer.

Astrid glanced at everyone in his party. Their armour was definitely a cut above everyone else's.

Level ??? - Mage -

The same went for everyone else in the party. Everyone was above level one-hundred. And judging by their confidence and mana containers, they were stronger than Daniel and the others.

“Well, it’s got nothing to do with us." Daniel spun on his heels. "We’re leaving.”

“That’s a shame. Is that the resolve of a Sinwen?” Peter mocked as he glanced towards Astrid.

“It’s the resolve of someone who doesn’t wish to die.” Astrid shook her head. “Feel free to take the relics, if you survive, that is. Personally, I don’t think your chances are very high.”

The man holding the axe guffawed, food leftovers ejected from his mouth. “I’m disappointed in you, Sinwen princess!”

“Good for you.” Astrid shrugged. “Let’s go.”

Daniel nodded. They approached the passageway when the wall groaned.

“No, not again, dammit!” Brett shouted.

Astrid immediately connected to one of the table’s heavy chairs and catapulted it towards the passage. The chair clanged against the wall. Astrid tried to sprint, but she wasn’t fast enough, and neither were the others. The wall simply closed too fast. With a crush, the chair simply disintegrated from the high pressure.

The beastly man laughed once more, his hands rested on his stomach.

“Shit.” Astrid spat.

“Nice try though.” Peter said.

“You’re annoying, you know that?” Astrid glared at him.

Peter shrugged. “I’ve been called worse.”

“The food here is damn good!” The beastly man grabbed hold of another piece of mystery meat and inhaled it.

“Leo, you don’t even know where it’s coming from, you damned ape.” Peter said.

“What the hell did you call me? Just cos’ you're the healer doesn't mean I won't split your head like a melon.” Leo snarled.

“Hey now, you can’t be threatening my healer. Or you’ll need to go through me.” A man in full plate armour sauntered forward. Large pauldrons covered his broad shoulders. Long golden hair cascaded down his back.

“I relish the challenge, Henry.” Leo spat out a bone at Henry’s feet. “Want to go then?”

“I think you should keep your strength for what’s coming.” Daniel approached the table as he gazed at the food before shaking his head. “Don’t eat it. We don’t know where the hell it came from.”

“From the Goddess, judging by the taste.” Leo smiled.

“If it ain’t poisoned, that is.” Brett took a sniff of an apple before placing it back onto the golden platter.

“A little poison won’t kill you–” Leo’s face changed. His arms raked across the table as the food scattered onto the floor. He began choking and spluttering. His face bloomed a red tint as veins began popping out from his forehead. Then he began laughing.

“You should have seen your face, Sinwen!” Leo pointed at Astrid in amusement.

“Ass.” Astrid spat.

They waited and waited, but nothing was happening, and they were trapped within this singular room. The smell of food wafting through the air made Astrid’s stomach growl. How many hours had it been already? She gazed at the others. They were all bored. There were only so many things you could do within one room before getting annoyed.

Leo had resorted to arm wrestling the others to relieve his boredom. The only one capable of beating him was Henry, although it was even after the tenth battle. Astrid could only watch for so long before the sound of smacking on the table began grating on her nerves.

“Seriously, what the hell is it waiting for? No matter how hard we try, we can’t open the damned doors.” Astrid scrambled to her feet and sent the door a kick.

“Maybe it wants us to eat our fill?” Peter said.

“What?” Rachelle said.

“Well, think about it. If it’s our last meal, it must want us to eat.” Peter said as he picked up a pastry and chomped down.

“Worth a try?” Astrid looked at Daniel as he nodded.

They began filling their stomachs with the enormous assortment of food. Soon, their stomachs were full, and the door slowly opened. Astrid’s eyes widened as she wiped the side of her mouth with her sleeve.

“Rob.” Daniel motioned towards their tank as he walked forward and planted his shield at the entrance.

The doors opened up into a vast passageway. Astrid thought it could at least house three of those centaurs all standing next to each other. The other teams also sent their tanks forward. It looks like they understood the importance of teamwork.

They’re not some mindless brutes, then. Astrid sighed in relief.

The murals had turned into carvings as they followed the group all the way down the passageway. Judging by the pictures and the story it was telling. It looked like the war had gone on for a very long time. Astrid had her doubts that it was Ruitera, their home planet.

The images of that black blob kept on displaying in her mind. It wouldn’t leave. It resembled the blob that... attacked her on the day the Leviathan arrived.

Does it have something to do with all of this? What has it done to me? Astrid gnawed on her lip. She needed answers.

Finally, the passageway opened up into a grand room. Red carpet led all the way to a towering chair, where an enormous man was perched. He was bald, and scars were carved into his head. His eyes were white as snow. Chains lined the hall in the thousands. They continued like long metal snakes as they coiled around hundreds of skeleton throats.

Once again, with no surprise, the doors behind them shut.

Astrid steeled herself. She removed the thoughts from her lower level and focused on what was in front of her. It looked like that the moment they entered this place; it would not let them leave.

“My new pets.” The man in the seat held an ancient tone in his voice. It was soothing and peaceful. Like the trees swaying in the wind on a gentle autumn day.

But his eyes betrayed that sensation. Astrid felt as if a chain had coiled around her throat. She could see it. It was faint, but the knowledge and sight appeared within her mind. It was an illusion, her Skill told her. She connected to the matter of the illusion and cast [Crash]. She carefully controlled it, and an explosion rattled her throat, destroying the fake chains around her.

She quickly did the same for the others as they broke free from the constriction.

The man’s dead eyes gazed into her soul.