“Look who it is! The famous Alien invader, or should I say God of darkness?” Rajiv teased, his laughter echoing through the air, lightening the mood despite the tense circumstances.

Anbu, Shambu, and Mia stepped down from the ship on the rugged terrain of Plaquso Island, each carrying the weight of their recent choices. Dhruv, the young man was firmly tied up, Shambu’s face hardened as he spoke, “What do you know? After Henrik's livestream, everyone in this world knows of our existence now. We're officially the prime target of everyone out there, and since we made our escape in that military helicopter, things have escalated. Bloody hell, even a news helicopter was following us for a fair distance.”

Rajiv nodded, acknowledging the gravity of the situation. “Yeah, I guessed it. We have to lay low for a while. Other countries will definitely get involved now, and trust me, I don’t want things to get even more complicated than they already are.” His voice carried a sense of urgency, the reality of their new visibility weighing heavily on him.

Shambu, eager to understand their next moves, raised his brow and asked, “Can you explain to us about your plan?”

Rajiv turned his gaze towards Mia, who was still processing the whirlwind of events. “Sure, I can tell you guys, but before that, we need to clarify a few things.”

Both Anbu and Shambu shifted their attention to Mia, who felt as though she was a cornered rabbit facing multiple predators. Internally, she grumbled, 'Huff, whatever, it’s not like I wanted to be here anyway.' But she mustered the courage to respond. “Why not?”

“Good!” Rajiv’s smile returned as he seemed to appreciate her willingness to engage. He pointed at Dhruv, who was still bound and disoriented. “Who is that?”

“Oh! You don’t have to worry about him. He’s an experimental subject. Can you believe that he actually survived Anbu's 'Soul Puppet' skill?” Shambu interjected, his tone shifting from serious to slightly amused.

“Interesting!” He changed his prejudged thought and took charge again, saying, “Toss him into that hut, and we’ll continue our discussion in just a sec.”

With a firm grip, Shambu seized Dhruv’s left hand and dragged him toward the hut. The echoing sound of a kick reverberated through the air as Shambu forcefully opened the door, the action almost theatrical in its urgency. Dhruv was flung inside, and as the door slammed shut behind him, Dhruv's star shaped clone came out of sniper's body and went towards the window.

As Shambu returned to rejoin the group, the atmosphere shifted back to business. They started setting up a few conditions for Mia, laying the groundwork for what was to come next. The weight of their actions hung in the air, but they all knew they needed to focus on their next plan of action.

“After Henrik went through the boundary hole it had shrunken a bit and now we have little over a month left. My asteroid will hit in three weeks, so we have a good chunk of time but remember not to get defeated in the process or it will not be good if we got out of here before the asteroid hits.” Rajiv was quick to remind everyone of the stakes involved

"Wait a second," Shambu interjected, a puzzled look on his face. "If the asteroid is going to hit, it’s supposed to land in the ocean, right? It's far away from the Chennai city. How- I mean what's going on?” Shambu interrupted and enquired.

Anbu jumped in with a guess, "Maybe he can actually change its direction or something." He seemed to think that there was more to the story.

Rajiv nodded, "You hit the nail on the head. The way things are set up on this planet, firing missiles would pose the biggest threat to my asteroid. Because of that, I didn’t specify a target for it to hit as not give any chance to defend against it."

“Oh! It's like that. They will be caught of guard.” Shambu exclaimed.

“Good plan," Anbu confirmed. He shifted the focus of the discussion, "On another note, we’re running really low on Black beads. I’m down to just five, and those are being saved for maintaining my Soul Box. We need to devise a plan that won’t use too many beads."

Mia chimed in, "I’m in pretty good shape, actually. I just need to rest a bit and I’ll be back to full strength." She sounded confident.

“You must have a bunch laying around as you came with a hundred or something and did nothing.” Anbu pointed out to Rajiv.

Rajiv shot back, “What do you mean by that? You know I can only make javelin with my skill and look around you, nobody is alive except us. Plus, I did manage to do some research about this planet.”

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Okay, here’s a thought," Shambu jumped in, seeing the two of them argue. "Why not take advantage of the planet’s natural minerals or something similar to create chaos and gather some souls? Mia could even use her healing abilities if there’s widespread damage."

Rajiv quickly added, “Exactly what I was going to say but instead of minerals we should use toxic chemicals.”

“Shambu was intrigued. "That sounds interesting. Can you elaborate?”

“Yeah, I have only thought of that much. you guys should head back to the city and figure out what we can use that would be effective.” Rajiv admitted.

"That sounds good to me," Anbu said with a grin. “I don't want to look at you for the next whole month.”

Rajiv returned the smile. "Just be careful; you’re quite vulnerable right now, so watch your back."

Mia suddenly interrupted their banter, "Hey, can’t we all just leave this deserted island together?"

Rajiv pondered for a moment before responding, "Well, that’s definitely an option, but right now, it doesn’t seem necessary."

"Alright then, it’s settled. Shambu and I will head to the city for research after I conduct my experiments. Meanwhile, Mia and Rajiv will stay here on this island."

“Mia frowned, "Why do I have to stay here with him?" She pointed at Rajiv, clearly not thrilled about the arrangement.

Rajiv shot back, "What’s your issue with me? Or are you just attached to those guys you came with?"

With a hint of sarcasm, Mia replied, "Well, I suppose I'd rather deal with you than those perverts."

Rajiv raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Perverts? Now that’s interesting. Care to elaborate?"

Shambu quickly defended himself, "Don’t even think about it. That’s a totally unfounded accusation."

Mia retorted, “Okay, I understand. I will stay here and not spill your beans.”

Anbu, walking towards the hut where Dhruv was contained, interjected, "Somehow, I find that hard to believe."

"Do you need any help with healing?" Mia teased, glancing at Anbu as he walked away, but he didn’t respond and simply shut the door behind him.

Mia smirked, "Well, that’s one way to decline."

Shambu warned, "Trust me, you don’t want to be around him right now."

"Oh, now I’m even more intrigued," Mia said playfully.

Shambu, with a hint of sarcasm, asked, "Aren’t you supposed to be some sort of Priestess?"

"Yeah, almost! In a year, I’ll be a full-fledged Priestess. For now, I’m just a trainee," she explained truthfully.

"Right, right," Shambu said, nodding along.

She fired back, "Don’t give me that look—at least I’m not as bad as the Pope. He’s way worse than I am."

Boom!

There was a loud crash, and Anbu burst out of the half-destroyed hut. The unexpected scene left everyone dumbfounded, eyes wide with confusion.

Anbu's voice resonated firmly as he asserted, “Don’t even think about making a mockery of me.” The weight of his words hung in the air, a clear sign that he was in no mood for jest.

Rajiv couldn't hold back his laughter, letting out a series of chuckles that echoed in the air. "Haa-ha-hahaha-hahahaha! Sorry, but I can't contain it. By the way, what happened?" He glanced at Anbu, taking in the sight of him; his clothes were ripped, his skin smeared with dust and debris, and he looked as though he'd just emerged from a chaotic encounter.

With a slight sigh, Anbu recounted his experience. "I thought that guy was somewhat special, but he isn't. At least I now have a conscious puppet at the cost of one black bead." His expression was a mixture of disappointment and acceptance.

In the corner of the shattered hut, obscured from view by a pile of rubble, lay a purple star, which belonged to Dhruv's ‘Mind Clone’. It was a tense moment for him, who thought to himself, ‘Huff! That was close. If he had discovered me, I would have to leave. But staying here has given me a lot of information about these guys. I need to contact my main body.’

As Mind Clone pondered, he examined his own condition and realized he was running low on Will. He was the last clone created in a hurry, and his resources were dwindling. ‘Should I risk going back inside that sniper's body. If I delay any longer, I'll be unable to perform my skills.’

His focus shifted back to the conversation between Anbu and Rajiv. The idea struck him that he could accompany Anbu and Shambu to the city. He mentally resolved, ‘I have to be cautious while flying around in my Star form; it’s best to avoid unnecessary risks for now.’

Inside the depths of the Mind Clone's consciousness, Dhruv made a note of the peculiar connection he shared with his clone. ‘I can hear his thoughts and observe the events surrounding him, but I am unable to intervene in any meaningful way,’ he realized.

Anbu turned his attention back to the body of the sniper lying nearby, instructing, “It will take some time for him to adjust and become a proper conscious puppet. Shambu, could you assist me in getting him onto the ship?”

Shambu eagerly replied, “He will be your strongest puppet on this planet.” With that, he bent down and hefted the sniper's body from the ground, ready to follow Anbu’s lead.

Rajiv, observing the scene, said, “Alright, get going and work discreetly.”

With a self-satisfied grin, Anbu replied, “Oh! You don't have to worry. One of my puppets in Delhi has deeply infiltrated this country's management system. Now is the time to use him.”

The Mind Clone’s starry eyes widened in surprise at this revelation. Seeing that they were preparing to leave, he carefully floated out of the hut, making his way towards the yacht ahead of them.

Shambu sensed something amiss but quickly brushed aside the thought, concluding, ‘It’s likely just the energy fluctuations from Rajiv’s magic circle on this island.’

The group walked towards the shore and two of them entered the docked ship carrying the Sniper's body. The sounds of the sea waves crashing against the hull and the low rumble of the engine filled the air as they set off, leaving Rajiv and Mia on the shore.

Looking out at the vast horizon, Mia turned to Rajiv and asked, “Hey, do you have any food on this isolated island?”

Rajiv shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. “I looted some trade ships during my stay. Come on in.” With that, they turned back toward the largest home on the island, seeking solace from the encroaching night.

Inside the ship, Shambu unceremoniously tossed the sniper's body onto the floor, right next to where the Mind Clone had been hiding. He turned to Anbu and said, “Don’t you think the trip to this planet is becoming a lot more terrifying than we initially anticipated?”

Anbu nodded thoughtfully, “Risk and reward go hand in hand, but I must admit, the stakes are certainly rising. That guy’s soul-absorbing skill is incredibly troublesome. What would we do if he were to absorb any of our souls completely?”

Shambu responded gravely, “We’d likely vanish from existence, turning into another one of his black beads.”

Anbu continued, “It means permanent death. We won’t even have a chance to go back to our main body. He is way more dangerous than Thieving Maiden. At least she doesn’t kill, but I can’t shake the feeling of death from that Black Soul user.”

“Is he from our Eresias Planet, why haven't I heard of him?” Shambu asked, a hint of suspicion creeping into his voice.

Anbu shook his head, “I doubt it. He’s probably from another Top World, which is unlikely, but the current circumstances suggest otherwise.”

Shambu gasped, “Top world! It would have taken him at least a year to travel here, even using a vortex. Plus, the high cost of using a vortex. Huff! Although Thieving Maiden is from our planet, her connections are extensive.”

Anbu concluded the conversation, “Yeah, let’s do our part properly and leave this issue for Lord Darik to handle.”