Chapter 234:

Chapter 234:

Overload: Anger has ended.

| You cannot use mana for two hours.

All Astrid knew at the minute was pain. It took over her senses entirely. Her vision blurred. A deep ringing scratched at her eardrums. She felt queasy.

Astrid stood rooted to the spot as enormous saw blades skipped over the water, splitting the scrap metal that covered the ocean like a scalpel. The fact that the Great No-Eyed One had arrived along with Kreka didn’t register.

Leena supported her while fending off the deadly glares from the surviving Wayfarers. She had killed one of their own. They had fought side by side. They had almost made it out alive, yet Astrid was the one to kill the man in the end.

Clutching at her head in agony, she gazed at the scrap clothing from the man she had killed. She tried to stop it. She tried... Astrid bit her lip as she tore her vision away from what was left of the man.

With the combined support of her psycho and kobold army, along with reinforcements from Rebirth, they made quick work of the incredibly spawn numbers. But even with their help, they were never ending.

Astrid and the others quickly made their way onto Seabreaker. The moment they had boarded the ship, the engine roared. It spat fumes from the back, turned, then blasted back to their home. The spawn followed.

Astrid leaned against the battered and split walls of Seabreaker. The glares of the Wayfarers never left. Their eyes stuck to her like wrathful glue.

Kreka, flying with a strange metal contraption strapped to his back alongside his kobold army, was busy throwing those strange spiked-bombs from the air as they followed Astrid back to Rebirth. After only five minutes, the spawn turned tail. They returned their path to the bubble. Most likely to help the Leviathan. But it wasn’t a battle Astrid could join.

The Wayfarer... Astrid clenched her toes at the sudden image. His panicked face was branded into her mind. Although she had lost control, she was well aware of what she was doing. Worse yet, is that panic he had shown was toward the spawn. Never could he have imagined that it would be Astrid that would slay him.

Astrid broke free from Leena’s support. She wasn’t a victim. If the others witnessed that she needed the support of her friend, then their looks would only get worse.

Brett sauntered over. His eyes were as cold as ice. His expression too. He leaned against the wall with a bottle of alcohol in his hand. He cocked his head back and slammed the drink down the hatch. The full bottle emptied in a couple seconds. New novel chapters are published on

“Phew,” Brett said, wiping the dripping liquid from his lips. He looked over at the Wayfarers, nudging his head in their direction. “Nothing like a good drink of spirit after balancing our lives on the line, huh?”

“It isn’t over yet,” Astrid said. Her expression was as blank as Bretts. “If the Grand Elders can’t defeat their forces here, then Rebirth is their next target.”

“Aye, true,” Brett continued. “You know, you don’t need to feel bad about your little mishap. Shit happens. Would hardly be the first time someone has accidentally killed one of their team members on a mission. Besides, you saved us there.”

The Wayfarers looked even more angry.

“You say that with such ease.”

“Ah, it’s the drawback of my ability. The more time I spend in the shadows, the more my mind turns cold. It’s helpful for murder. Not so much when I’ve gotta talk.”

“Sounds like a pain in the ass.”

Astrid shook her head. She noticed her mother tending to her wounds at the front decking of the ship. Astrid said to Leena that she was okay, then made her way over to her mother. Seeing the arm missing, a lump formed in Astrid’s throat.

“How is it?” Astrid asked, eyes locked at her mother’s stumpy arm. “Is it painful?”

“No,” Eli said with a gentle smile. With her only arm, she wrapped it around Astrid’s back and pulled her in for a hug. Her grip was weak. She was still recovering from the intense war. “What Brett said was correct. You are worth more than a single Wayfarer. It might be cruel, or insensitive, but it’s the truth. We have the blood of the Firsts within us. Because of our rare Classes, we travel further than anyone else. And you... Well, whatever Class you have is obviously more special than even us.”

“I know,” Astrid said, shaking her head. “But it’s not the warrior I wish to be. If I was stronger. If I had more control over my Skills, I wouldn’t have killed that man. I swear mother, it won’t happen again.”

“You do need more time,” her mother agreed. “It’s been one event after the other, hasn’t it?”

“You can say that again.” Astrid sighed. Honestly, she was utterly exhausted. Ever since she had awakened, she wasn’t given a single day's rest. After defeating the Leviathan. After she has annihilated the Order. Only then would she be able to truly rest for a while.

But now wasn’t that time.

“Do you think Father can defeat them?” Astrid asked.

“Have faith,” her mother said. Her grip tightened. “But it’s the Great Migrators I worry about. I don’t know what their objective is. Or why they have returned after so long.”

Astrid shook her head. She didn’t know either. All she knew was that they were after something.

“What’s the plan for when we return?” Astrid changed the subject.

“If our enemies decide to move their attack to Rebirth, then we need to be certain we aren’t here when they surface,” Eli continued. “Time is of the essence. As soon as we reach Rebirth, we will set a path to a place where even the Order wouldn’t dare travel.”

Astrid tried to think of a location, but her mind turned blank. Where would the Order not dare to travel... She looked at her mother in shock.

“The Dead Seas?” Astrid asked. “The Dead Seas?” She repeated.

Her mother nodded. “The Dead Seas. If they dare chase us, they will be wiped out. If they haven't already.”

Although Astrid was curious as to how they would survive themselves, or even how they would get there in the first place, she just decided to thrust her mother. Obviously she had a plan in mind.

Soon, the enormous image of Rebirth entered Astrid’s view. There was no more smoke from the invasion of the corrupted and the Order. The builders were always quick workers.

There was always an indescribable feeling whenever she returned. It was the sight of home.

But it was to never last. The Leviathan screamed. It was so loud Astrid could see the ripples on the water. They had travelled at least fifty nautical miles. Yet it was as if she was right next to the primordial scream.

Deep down in the bubbled city of Apocrypha, something truly terrible had happened.