I coughed, trying to regain my breath after the shock of my soul flying back. I immediately reached for Alysia, Pait, and the others, only to find them absent from within my soul world. The implication was clear. King Diorite would allow me to have my soul, but if I had somehow lied or failed him, then they would pay the price. Alysia, in particular, also was a god soul. She could likely be used to ignite his weapon as well. It might not have the same punch, but if you through in Pait and Dav, who was to say.

Twilight’s words and sudden change in demeanor upon me pulling my soul across the void were alarming. “What are you saying?”

“I have to say, I wasn’t confident in you being able to succeed. Even if you just destroyed your soul in the process, it would have kept him from using that weapon, but such an outcome would have made me sad. The real reason I wanted you to bring your soul was for a different matter.”

“You want a god soul.” I guessed.

She chuckled. “So, you do understand a bit. I’m sorry that I had to lie to you, but I’ve needed a god soul, a soul that has merged miasma with the mana of this world. Once I touch your soul and unify with it, we’ll be able to pass Gaia’s barrier, and finally free ourselves from this prison.”

“Gaia’s barrier? Not King Diorite?”

“Did you think a single measly king or a haphazard dungeon could stop me? I was imprisoned within Gaia’s world for untold eons. It was King Diorite who helped me escape from that prison. I began to merge with him, but then halfway through he had second thoughts. I tried to motivate him to finish what we started, but then he turned against me and fled with his people. He chopped his soul in two, abandoning his darkness to cut me off from the light. That is his sin.”

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“Then, what is the point of the barrier?”

“I’ve already begun to break free from Gaia. That can’t be stopped. It might be another thousand years without him, but I will escape in time. The barrier works as a patch to keep that from happening. However, the patch grows weaker every day, and when it’s gone, I will slowly break out and rise to the surface. At least, that was until you arrived.”

“I’ll speed up the process. You wanted me to come…” I predicted.

She gave a nod. “Making sure that message reached you safely was difficult, but after absorbing the soul of that dwarf child and reading her mind, I knew I had to get you down here. The other one was too difficult, but she served her purpose in sending it. I still had to deactivate her to keep her from causing more trouble. Her soul has been… difficult to deal with, but in time I will absorb her like all of the others.”

“Terra… Garnet…” I showed her a deliberate look of shock.

I knew what she was trying to do. She was trying to mentally throw me off. She was going to attack my soul, and it was always better when the person was confused and uncertain, just like how that mad scientist took control of Miki while she was vulnerable.

“When you arrived without your soul, it was truly heartbreaking, but it has all worked for the best. Now that your soul is here, I can unify with you, and escape my prison. I no longer have to be trapped down here. It’s time to begin!”