Free Web NovelChapter 182: Chapter 181 - Uncaged
Point-of-View: Luna Castillo/Astra
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Something isn’t right...there’s no way this is natural, it just can’t be.
"Hey, why are you the way that you are?" I asked Ash curiously.
"What?" He responded blankly.
See what I mean?
"Have you always been like this? Emotionless and stuff?" I inquired with a frown.
"Emotionless? Hm?" He mumbled with a tilt of his head, but this time, there was something slightly different about his demeanor...there was a slight crease in his forehead.
Today’s the 15th of September, and we’d been living in a small, somewhat run-down little apartment here in Egypt. Ash used his Dark Skill on the owner of the building in order to get this place for free. freeweɓnovel.cøm
I wanted something nicer, but I decided it might be suspicious if we suddenly showed up in a fancy building...well, this place is still a lot better than the cells Eden had me locked up in, if nothing else. Not that that’s saying much.
We’ve both dyed our hair black, and I’m wearing black colored contacts to hide my heterochromia, so no one should recognize us.
No regular human, anyway. We have to avoid running into any Meta-Humans though, they can easily spot our Auras using the Appraisal technique.
So we stay indoors as much as possible. Whenever we do have to go out, we use Appraisal the whole time, so that if we spot any Meta-Humans, we can run away before they spot us.
I have to say, this whole ’keeping a low profile’ crap is annoying...I keep having the desire to go out and kill someone, there’s a bunch of homeless people in this area ripe for the plucking, it’s such a tease!
I’m really not sure how much longer I can hold myself back, I’m starting to feel really restless and antsy, more and more with each passing day.
Anyway, getting back to the matter at hand...
"Well? You didn’t answer my question," I remarked, giving his shoulder a shake.
"I’m...emotionless? Strange...it feels like...I’ve been told the opposite before. I can’t...remember," He frowned, looking confused.
Wait, what? I wonder...could it be...?
"Huh? Seriously? Well, then, either you have a really bad memory...or more likely, you were brainwashed or something?" I suggested with a raised eyebrow.
"Hm...no, I don’t think so. If I was, I wouldn’t be able to think about this," He responded with a shake of his head.
"Yeah? What about a Condition, then? Maybe there was someone else besides you who could use that technique?" I replied after mulling it over.
"A Condition? No, impossible, I-...," He began, before trailing off as he placed his hand on his chest, "There is one...a Condition placed on me."
Looks like I hit the nail on the head, way to go, me.
"Then, there really is another Condition user?" I inquired in response.
"No...this feels like one of mine. But...I don’t remember doing this," He frowned in bewilderment.
"Well, what’re you waiting for? Remove it," I urged him in fascination.
"Hm? Yeah, I guess that I should," He nodded, before closing his eyes, a dark mist dissipating from his body.
As it faded, his eyes opened wide, a bemused look on his face, easily the most expressive I’ve ever seen him.
"Uh...you good?" I inquired warily.
"Yeah...in fact, I’m better than good," He muttered, as he stared at his hand, opening and closing his fist a couple of times.
"So, uh, do you remember why there’s a Condition on you and stuff?" I asked him curiously.
"Mhm. I remember everything now. Eden considered me to be...problematic. I disregarded the rules pretty often, I enjoyed mind-controlling random people and have them do whatever I want them to. Ordinarily, I’d have been executed...but I was too valuable thanks to my proficiency with the Dark Skill. It’s a bit fuzzy, but...I think I remember them drugging me.
And while I was in a vulnerable state of mind, another Dark Skill user manipulated me into placing a Condition on myself. One that would suppress my emotions, limit my thoughts and instill undying loyalty towards Eden," He remarked with a grimace, his fists clenched, "Damn it, I wish they were still alive, so that I could fucking kill them myself."
"Wow...you’re like a completely different person now. And you know, what? I’m digging this," I smirked in response.
"Oh, do you, now?" He replied with a slight gleam in his eyes, "I should thank you...if you hadn’t brought it up, I might never have realized and freed myself."
"So, about what you said, the part about mind-controlling people, I mean...what exactly did you make them do?" I inquired with a sense of intrigue.
"Oh, nothing much. Let’s see, one time I made a mother kill her kids and then freed her from the mind control after I made her literally bathe in their blood and entrails. Another time I made some cops gun down a random family. This other time I had a mother and son bang while the father watched, and then freed them from the mind control right at the...climax," He replied with a slight laugh.
Woah, that’s all seriously fucked up. Me likey.
"Damn...I wish I could have seen that happen. I’d have gotten in on the action myself though, and I’d have killed everyone involved every time," I smirked with a shudder of pleasure, as I imagined it.
"I won’t deny that has its appeal too, but it’s a bit simplistic...what I do is subject my targets to agony worse than death. Ohh, their expressions when I have them come back to their senses, the sheer horror and confusion...it’s beautiful," He sighed contentedly.
"Oh? Well, now, color me intrigued. You know...I’ve never actually been on a date or whatever. But if I had to picture a perfect first date...it would definitely involve shit like this," I remarked seductively.
"Is that so? Well, then...how about I ask you out on such a date, say...tonight?" He suggested with a smolder.
"Mm, I’d love that...let me take you up on that offer," I replied, as I stood up and walked over to him.
Ohh, I am so turned on right now...this is hot as fuck!
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Point-of-View: X
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"Hey, uh...what is that?" Inquired Miraliz nervously, taking a wary step back.
"That...would be a Monster," I replied, as I backed away as well.
"Yeah, thanks for stating the obvious. What kind of Monster is it?" She responded dryly.
"Well, if I’m not mistaken...that’s a Basilisk. If it bites you, its venom will kill you instantly," I informed her.
"Those fangs are as long as daggers...if it bites me, I’m dead either way, venom or no venom," She laughed nervously.
We’d been in the middle of training when this breach suddenly appeared and this thing slithered out...it had already locked its gaze on us, and it could lash out and strike at any given moment.
"We should, uh...we should run," I remarked nervously, before we both turned around and took off, heading back to the campsite at top speed as a ferocious snarl echoed out behind us, the giant snake rapidly slithering after us and catching up at an alarming pace.
"It’s catching up!" Exclaimed Miraliz in alarm.
"I can see that!"
"Ahhh, fuck it!" She snapped, as she abruptly halted and spun around, forming a funnel of water around her right index finger.
She then swung her arm across as she fired out that narrow, piercing beam of water, aiming to decapitate the Monster.
But before she could hit, it suddenly ducked its head down, the beam narrowly whizzing past the top of its head and cutting down the tops of several trees, which came falling down and crashing onto the ground, several birds flying out as puffs of dust burst out upon impact.
"We’re fucked," I relented, as the Basilisk opened its jaws and zipped towards us, too quickly for either of us to evade.
Suddenly, a flash of black shot across in front of us, the Basilisk abruptly halting as a furry hand reach out and grabbed its lower jaw, holding it back.
"Oh, kitty cat Deity, thank goodness," I sighed in relief.
"A Monster dares appear in my vicinity? This cannot be allowed," He remarked icily, before glancing back at me with a frown, "And do not ever call me that again."
He suddenly vanished from sight, and as I blinked, my eyes widened as the Basilisk was suddenly torn to millions of tiny, bloody shreds, and Bastet was standing by where its tail had been.
He then swung his arm across, the blood on his claws splattering the grass, right as a distortion appeared in the air and the bloody remains of the Monster got pulled into it.
"Hey, you guys okay?" Came Inoka’s voice, as several footsteps approached.
"So, this was why my instincts were going off. I didn’t realize you two were in this direction, otherwise I’d have come here right away," Remarked Aurora apologetically.
"Not that I’m not immensely grateful, because I am, but how come Mr Bastet showed up?" Asked Adelmira in response.
"The ’Mr’ is unnecessary," Replied Bastet apprehensively.
"He said something like ’this foul presence is unacceptable’ and then disappeared," Shrugged Zoraiz.
"I don’t get it though...why did a Prime-Tier Monster like a Basilisk show up here, of all places?" I frowned warily.
"Yeah, we haven’t had a single Monster encounter here before. Think it’s just a random outlier? Heh, feels weird using that word in a context that doesn’t refer to us," Said Inoka wryly.
"Maybe...but I don’t know. I can’t explain it, but I’m getting a bad feeling," Replied Aurora grimly.
"Yes, there is an unpleasant feeling in the air," Nodded Bastet in agreement.
"I’ll say, I can feel my skin crawl," Shuddered Fenris with a grimace.
"Must be nice to have that sixth sense or whatever," Sighed Inoka wistfully.
They’re right, though...I can’t exactly feel anything like they can, but something’s wrong. Call it intuition, but I have a feeling that this Basilisk showing up isn’t just going to be a one-off thing...
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