Chapter 99: Ghoul In The Old World Pub

Chapter 99: Ghoul In The Old World Pub

Astrid approached the familiar hustle and bustle of the New World Pub. It was as if she was struck with deja vu as an enormous rotund man was flung out from within the public drink house.

She squinted her eyes as the man's stomach was like a reverberating pool of jelly. His momentum brought him backwards until he crashed into the wall opposite the pub. Cracks webbed into the hard surface of the wall and Astrid wasn’t sure if they were here before from the countless other times, or if they were new.

“It sure does have a vibrant atmosphere,” Leena said. “Doesn’t it, my lady?”

Astrid chuckled. “That’s one word to describe it, let’s head in.”

The duo waltzed into the doorway, this time however, she was ready. Astrid picked up a flying object with her Psych Domain, and before it smashed into her body, she diverted it to the side of her. Well, she attempted to.

It was an enormous body, exactly like the other man that had smashed into the wall. The weight bore down on her mind, it was the first time in a while that the body didn’t even budge an inch mid-air.

The sheer heaviness of the person made her nauseous as the body careened through the pub at a tremendous speed.

She instantly connected to the matter within her body and dodged to the side at the last split second. Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Level ??? - Name: ??? - Class: Bulwark Sentinel

Astrid looked at the large woman in amazement as blood dripped from her nose. It was the first Wayfarer... No, she wasn’t wearing a badge. It was the first time she had seen an adventurer forgo the use of a blocking stone.

She felt her own around her wrist, she refused to go anywhere without it, yet there seemed to be others that didn’t care about displaying their true class.

The fact that the woman was such a high level meant that they had either supreme confidence in their survivability, or they had powerful backers that no one dared to touch them.

The rotund man had shaken himself off and walked back through the doors.

Level ??? - Name: ??? - Class: Bulwark Sentinel

What the hell... The exact same? Astrid gawked.

Even by appearances, they were the same. The only details that were different was the fact that they were different genders and had differing hair styles.

The woman had short blonde hair that was spiky at the tips, and the man was competently bald. Despite being warriors, not a scratch was etched into their skin.

They were both wearing tight fitting clothes, but it wasn’t out of place weirdly enough. The clothes seemed to extract and expand as they moved so that all of their movements weren’t constricted.

Just as Astrid and Leena walked through the doorway, a cacophony of screams entered her ears.

“AASTRIID!”

“There’s the lass!”

“Astrid!”

Rachelle rushed forward. She was the loudest within the room and she slung her arms around Astrid’s shoulders. The stench of strong alcohol singed her nose hairs as the woman swayed from side-to-side. The red haired woman would have pulled her to the ground if not for Astrid’s matter strengthened body.

Rob was standing in the middle of the room as he cradled his fists. He displayed a bright smile as his eyes landed on Astrid.

For a second, Astrid noticed once more that there was no tongue within that enormous maw. The man, because he was unwilling to let the others get the blame, took the punishment all to himself.

I’ve never seen him not smiling. Astrid thought, then happily waved towards him while propping Rachelle up from her drunken state.

Astrid broke free from Rachelle’s grip with ease and waltzed over to Daniel and Brett who were sitting at the bar.

Daniel was languidly smoking a cigarette. The smoke joined along all the others and created a bitter plume that lingered in the rafters of the pub.

Astrid took her seat, while Leena stood behind her with her eyes alert.

She signalled the bar man and before Astrid could tell him what she wanted, he had already started pouring her a drink from the tap. It was ready in a second and he placed it in front of her on the sticky counter-top.

Astrid still remembered the bitter taste of the orange-brown drink and although it wasn’t terrible, it couldn’t compare to Charlotte's home brew.

She took a sip and scrunched her brows. At least it was cold.

“So lass, what brings you here?” Daniel said.

“Although, we’ll need to buy a boat,” Daniel said.

“No problem,” Astrid continued. “I’m rich.”

Astrid stuck out her chin as she displayed the pouch with the plastic coloured cards that she had received from Malina.

“Also, I’ll need your help to auction off some other items that I received from the dungeon,” Astrid said. “Although some of the funds are going to the other Wayfarers who gifted me their potions.”

Daniel said, “Alright, we’ll take care of that for you. If you are needing to retain secrecy, I’ll exchange the currency through some... back methods I know of. Then we’ll purchase the boat and take on a mission. You won’t be disappointed with our choice, lassy.”

“I believe in you,” Astrid grinned.

She handed over the money, then checked the surroundings with dark matter sight, before dumping the scythes and pearls onto the floor.

Rachelle was rapid in snatching them up into her grubby mitts as she inspected them closely.

Astrid looked around once more.

“You don’t have to worry about any stray eyes here, Astrid,” Losef said. “It might not look like much, but even the nobles wouldn’t dare approach this place. Even if it was the last place on earth. Take a look around without that inspect skill and tell me what you see.”

Astrid focused on the people around. She hadn’t used the inspect skill before, mainly because of the looks of everyone within the dingy pub. Everyone looked so... normal, that she hadn’t realised the subtle hints around.

Disregarding the enormous meatball warriors that were laughing with each other near the entrance of the pub, her eyes drifted to the people within.

One man was casually drinking while staring into space.

A woman was fiddling with a plate of food that could hardly be called food.

Another elderly man was talking merrily with his friends, with cigarettes in one hand, and a drink of ale in the other.

But, the supreme confidence in everyone of their actions, the wounds marked into their bodies from Goddess only knows what monsters, and the stories held within their eyes. They all told her that the people within this pub were not to be trifled with.

“Who are they?” Astrid asked.

“Some of them, you don’t want to know,” Lisa said. “Some have tempers from countless years of battle, while others managed to find peace in war.”

“Yeah,” Rachelle agreed. “And the latter is by far the scariest.”

Brett added, “yup, one second they are happy and smiling, the next moment they are opening someone's stomach in the blink of an eye.”

“Really?” Astrid’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Mmmm,” Rob nodded as if it was a matter of fact.

“Some say there is an ancient demon that lurks within the pub at night,” Brett whispered. “The demon of the Old World.”

“The Old World?” Astrid asked.

“C’mon now, little girl,” An old man said. “You may be young, but to not know the Old World is an insult to our heritage.”

He was old and decrepit. Astrid had no doubt that the man was clinging to life with his wrinkly, age spotted hand.

Astrid peaked over her shoulders.

“Something wrong?” he asked.

“I was looking for the reaper of death,” Astrid admitted.

“Why the hells would he be here?” his voice trembled.

“No reason,” Astrid said.

Shit, he looks like a damned ghoul freshly crawled out of a crypt. Astrid shrunk her shoulders back.

She hated anything that had the capabilities of coming back to life...