Chapter 181: Pressing Matters

Chapter 181: Pressing Matters

“Shocked at your cousin's terrifying might?” Astrid teased, but her face turned serious the next moment. “Why don’t we head on in? There’s a lot I need to know.”

“I want to, but we can’t leave the grounds unguarded.” Freya grit her teeth.

“Unguarded?” Astrid tilted her head with a mischievous smile. “The top levels of Rebirth are already in my command.”

Looking over her shoulder, a mass of green scaled lizardmen were following the leader of a stalwart white kobold. He radiated might with every step. Some corrupted crawled out from the dark crevices of destroyed buildings, but with a glowing blue punch–their bodies were obliterated. Nothing but a bloody purple mist remained.

Behind them, were an army of topless slender men that cheered as they slay their foes. Each attack was filled with an intense savagery that left no opportunity unturned. There was no technique; only raw power.

They stopped in front of the Sinwen walls in the thousands as they all bowed in front of the little girl with golden hair.

“I am at your command, my queen.”

“Disciple, I am at your command.

The Great No-Eyed One, and Kreka both announced at the same time.

Now that Astrid managed to get a closer look at Kreka, she was confused. When she left him, he was naught but a fledgling kobold. Now he was capable of defeating troops that had lived, trained, and fought for many years. Just like her, his rate of improvement was staggering.

As she peered closer into his eyes, her right eye twitched. Black blob? Astrid thought in wonder. Had her kobold warrior managed to get his claws on a Skill blob? It would definitely explain the sharp increase in strength, but was that really enough? As she thought further, it was clear there was something else. Just by looking at his new appearance–it was obvious as to what that was. He had evolved.

Humans could learn magic, could gain access to a myriad of different Classes, and Skills. Whereas monsters and beasts were stuck with what they were born with. Of course, unless they evolved, that was. She had heard the stories of a little kobold transforming into a mighty dragon; was Kreka on the path to becoming an all powerful dragon?

She hoped so. How cool would it be to ride him through the boundless skies? Astrid could only imagine.

With a quick inspection of Kreka, she was surprised to see that his Level had even increased beyond hers. Monsters really are interesting. Astrid noted. However, what appeared next was peculiar.

Level ??? - Kreka, The Blooming AugurFollow current novels on novelb((in).(com)

Normally, she wouldn’t be able to see its class, but maybe because it was a monster that she was able to see it? Or maybe Kreka allowed her to see it? However, judging by the fact Kreka didn’t even flinch when she used her Skill on him, she doubted so.

Nodding in satisfaction at her new army, Astrid commanded her new army. “Clear out the corrupted. If you find anyone that hasn’t completely lost themselves to the corruption, bring them to me–don’t injure them.” Astrid made sure to add that last part. She knew exactly how blood thirsty her army was. Especially the psycho’s. “Once that is done, we will begin clearing out the lower floors.”

Her army nodded without hesitation and instantly bolted off in all directions. It seemed disorderly, but somehow without any orders given from Kreka, the kobolds moved in synchronisation. The normal kobolds had also undergone a rebirth. Not a single one of them was a base evolution.

Maybe Kreka’s class revolves around evolving other kobolds? Astris thought. Well, whatever his Class was, she would just need to ask him later.

Honestly, it felt like releasing an army of wolves into a sheep pen, but needs must, and all that.

The atmosphere turned cold at the words. Or maybe it was because Astrid’s emotions flared. They all looked over to her as her hair raised into the air as if coursing with static electricity. She said, “They can try, but I managed to take a glance to where my father was during the... summoning. He wasn’t in any danger, however, that was as far as I could see.”

“What kind of skills do you have?” Freya couldn’t help but ask. “Just what happened to you during your time away?”

“Many!” Astrid nodded. “This and that, I’ll tell you all about it soon enough, but right now we have more pressing matters to attend to.”

Freya agreed, and took out a map from a ring on her finger. She placed it onto the table as everyone gathered around. It was a map detailing the entirety of the middle district. From the shopping area, to the residential grounds, to everything in between.

Astrid’s attention was diverted to the residential area. It was completely scored out with a red marker. “Is it lost?”

“Yes, the corrupted have consumed the residential area. It isn’t all bad though. Numerous strong warriors have managed to create a foothold within the shopping district and many survivors managed to migrate there. Currently we also have a detachment of Sinwen guards attempting to push the corrupted back, but I lost contact with them a couple days ago.” Freya rapped her knuckles against the hard wooden table in anxiousness.

“Deaths?” Lisa asked.

“Mmmm” Rob nodded, apparently also wanting to know.

“I can’t be accurate, but I estimate it’s close to twenty-percent.” Freya said with a grim expression.

Astrid inhaled a sharp breath as anger welled up within her. If it was a ploy by some noble, she would make it her personal mission to tear them apart one-by-one.

“And the lower district?” Daniel asked.

“Luckily, the lower district hasn't been touched,” Freya said with a relieved sigh. “I, along with the Forscythe family, managed to lock the lifts just in time. But that was days ago. With the lifts to the middle district destroyed, there is no access. Now that we have you here though, we have enough rope to rappel all the way down to the middle.”

“What about the lifts in the service tunnels?” Astrid asked. She remembered using them back when she first awakened. It was her first mission, so it was easy to remember.

“Also destroyed.” Freya shook her head. “The corrupted were thorough on that point.”

“Alright, well that just leaves one thing to do then, doesn’t it?” Astrid stood up, slapping the wooden table.

“You can’t be thinking of facing them yourself?” Freya frowned. “I understand you’re strong, but surely you have a mana limit. There are thousands of corrupted people down below, each of them strong enough to form an army. Not to mention the evolved hidden amongst them.”

“Surely?” Brett mocked.

“Mana?” Astrid asked with a smile. “What’s that? I’m joking, but seriously, unless there’s a monster above Level three-hundred–I should be fine.”

“Three hundred? What are you, a monster?”

“Maybe.” Astrid grinned, the smile on her mask lit up as if to agree with her. While the hovering eyes floated behind her shoulders. The mana within the room swirled at her command.

Her plan was simple. Save those who could be saved, and pull out the eyes of the condemned. This was the world she was living in.