All four of them stood in a tense formation, their gazes locked onto one another as an atmosphere of anticipation and uncertainty enveloped the area around them. The silence felt thick, almost tangible, until it became unbearable for Nico, who felt compelled to shatter the stillness. With a slight smirk, he addressed Tara playfully, “Thieving Maiden, I see we have some extra company today. Will you not introduce us?”

Tara, in a serious demeanor, quickly corrected him. “Mumm, first call me Tara. And this is my friend D. He is a Black Soul user, so do be polite.” Her tone was assertive yet friendly, establishing a boundary while also fostering camaraderie.

Nico raised an eyebrow at her revelation, he opened his mouth but Mia interjected, “Black Soul user. Thiev… I mean Tara, you really think collaborating with a Black Soul user is a wise move? What’s to say he wouldn’t turn on us at the first opportunity?” Her voice laced with genuine concern as she assessed the situation.

Dhruv, taking offence at Mia’s suspicion, swiftly countered her skepticism. “It is you who ought to be wary of betrayal,” he retorted, his gaze shifting towards Nico with an intensity that commanded attention. “Additionally, I am here as Tara’s ally. You would do well to keep your voices down, or I will first deal with you before turning my sights on the Soul Avatar.”

A flicker of crimson vines flashed in Nico’s eyes, a sign of his irritation as he remained locked in an intense stare with Dhruv. “Mr. D, you certainly have a unique sense of humor. Now, let’s focus and get down to business since it seems we’ve established at least a degree of trust, whether we like it or not.”

“Agreed,” Dhruv replied, the air of confrontation easing slightly as they shifted their focus to a more strategic discussion about their plans for the impending assault.

…

Meanwhile, in the Mechanical Fortress above the boundary hole, Pope Abril stealthily approached Lord Darik’s stronghold, flanked by his two most trusted subordinates.

“Your holiness, are you absolutely certain this is the right course of action? If she discovers our betrayal, the consequences could be dire,” one subordinate voiced his unease.

“Relax,” Pope reassured him confidently. “Didn’t you notice? The Lords of the Soul Domain are also on the hunt for Thieving Maiden. They likely want to understand how she managed to infiltrate the small world and patch up the loophole. I doubt they’ll let her clone get away without an explanation.” He spoke with the authority of someone who had seen the bigger picture.

The second subordinate chimed in, reinforcing the Pope’s rationale. “Exactly. Plus, Mia seems to be making significantly faster progress with the Black Souls. It only makes sense for us to take advantage of that.”

As they engaged in this dialogue and arrived near the entrance, Lord Darik raised an eyebrow, detecting an unknown presence nearby. “They have arrived.” The gates of the main hall in the fortress swung open, revealing the trio as they entered, taking their seats before Lord Darik. Pope Abril wore a smile that seemed to unsettle the Lord.

“I don’t like the way you’re smiling, Pope,” Lord Darik said, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

“Well, I believe you will share my enthusiasm once I reveal the proposition I’ve brought for you,” Pope replied, his tone laced with optimism.

Maintaining a serious expression, Lord Darik enquired, “I presume this is related to Thieving Maiden?”

“Indeed,” Pope confirmed, and with measured intent, he elaborated, “It is my belief that we should form an alliance. Your need for pure souls aligns with our requirement for injured individuals to hone our skills.”

“You are referencing the prodigy of the Golden Temple, Mia,” Lord Darik stated, taking a moment to consider the implications.

“Precisely,” Pope responded.

“Hmm, while it is not out of the question to establish a deal, particularly as I have little to lose in this arrangement, I must ask why you sought me out rather than reaching out to your own apprentice?” Lord Darik queried, keen to understand the dynamics at play.

“You know as well as I do, once White Souls leave their body, they become unreachable. However, you possess the Soul Box, which functions as an artificial Receptor, enabling contact. I require your assistance in reaching Mia and Nico,” Pope explained candidly.

“To clarify, we possess the ability to transmit devices to a certain extent; however, you are indeed correct in saying that I can facilitate contact with my son. And as it stands, it’s clear we hold the upper hand at the moment, especially considering you and Thieving Maiden’s clone appear to be at a disadvantage if it comes to direct confrontation,” Lord Darik concluded, weighing the situation carefully.

As the gravity of their conversation settled, one of the White Soul subordinates interrupted. “Your holiness, look—there appears to be an unfamiliar individual accompanying her.”

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All eyes turned towards the boundary hole, focusing intently on Dhruv, whose presence was unexpectedly alarming. Lord Darik’s expression darkened, his brows furrowing as he spoke with unmistakable irritation.

“Are you lot genuinely here to make a deal, or are you contemplating backstabbing me as well?” His anger resonated through the hall, shaking the very walls as he spoke.

“Please, calm down, Lord Darik. We are just as in the dark about who this person is as you,” Pope Abril insisted with a soothing tone, trying to ease the tension in the room.

“Given that their fight is about to erupt anyway, perhaps we should put our agreement on hold until then.”

“Lord Darik is wise.” Pope remarked and everyone looked towards Patna.

…

Four of them were deeply engrossed in their discussion, sharing insights and strategies, when an ominous black cloud began to swirl ominously above their heads, casting a shadow over the group. The atmosphere shifted dramatically, intensifying their conversation and raising an urgent alert within them.

Tara, ever perceptive, sensed the unsettling changes in the air and immediately voiced her thoughts. “They are clearly eager for a confrontation,” she said, her voice steady but edged with concern. “It seems they want to eliminate some of us from the equation. I suspect they believe they’ve gathered enough souls from this place already.” Her expression was keen, reflecting a mixture of determination and wariness as she assessed the threat looming above.

Nico, feeling an unsettling sensation within himself, was becoming increasingly aware of how the dark energy was seeping into his very being. It felt as if his soul was suffering under the weight of this corrosive force, giving rise to a slight frown that marred his otherwise calm exterior. He wasted no time in addressing the urgency of their situation. “Mia, use your ‘Harmony’ skill,” he instructed, his voice firm despite the unease creeping in.

Mia sprang into action, her focus narrowing as she conjured a radiant white cloud that surged forth to counter the insidious effects of Shambu’s ‘Soul Corrosion’ skill. The contrasting energies clashed.

Meanwhile, Tara, activated her ‘Treasure Identifier’ skill once more. The air around them crackled with energy as Tara and Mia’s skill created a spectacular visual display, a vivid contrast to the gathering darkness as both clouds clashed and a wave of white smoke scanned their surroundings for more intel.

Her brows furrowing in concentration. “They are at the mansion,” Tara announced, her voice clear amidst the tension.

Dhruv, feeling a surge of adrenaline at the confirmation of their enemies’ location, didn’t hesitate for a moment longer. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get moving,” he urged, determination lighting up his eyes. Without waiting for a response, he set his sights on the mansion, charging forward with purpose. The rest followed closely, aware that every second counted as they prepared to confront whatever awaited them.

But how could Black Souls not do anything? Two soul puppets blocked their path and pounced towards Dhruv and Nico, who were on the lead.

“Mr. D, do not hit them or we will be swarmed by the mindless puppets.” Nico quickly instructed.

Dhruv blocked the puppet’s punch ‘bam’ but got hit by the kick in his gut. Another punch came towards his face, but he blocked it. Like this, they exchanged a bunch of blows with each other. But Dhruv and Nico were being beaten.

With a confused look on his face, he quickly moved back towards Tara, who was protecting Mia, who was protecting everyone from Black Cloud, and let out a soft growl.

“You know, I specifically chose a fighter’s body to fight, but guess what I am unable to do.” Dhruv whispered Tara.

“Then use your soul power; what are you waiting for?” Tara urged looking at an urgent situation.

“I don’t think I should yet; I figured something out. If it works, we will be out of this conundrum.” He whispered, then shouted. “Do you know how many puppets like these are there?”

“No, we also only saw those two.” Mia replied.

“Alright then, can you kill him in one shot?” Dhruv asked Nico.

“Yeah... But..”

“Then take care of one.” After saying that, he took out a knife, and while avoiding the puppet’s punch, he got near him and stabbed him in the heart.

Both Nico and the other puppet watch with eyes wide open. Dhruv gave a glance at them and took out his knife, then stabbed the other puppet near Nico, who was in disbelief.

“You idiot, didn’t you hear me?” He scolded Nico, who was observing the surroundings, waiting for the swarm of mindless puppets to appear. But to his surprise, no one came towards them. Shambu also looked confused. “What’s happening?” He murmured.

Meanwhile, Henrik also asked Anbu about this sudden change.

“What do you mean, how did I do it?” He was confused and asked instead. “Ask yourself, why do these puppets need to get physically hit by us to make mindless puppets respond, and more importantly, we are hitting them while defending ourselves, while Mia is already kind of attacking a Black Soul?”

“You mean mindless puppets respond to these conscious puppets and not Black Soul.” Nico said.

Feeling disbelief at his response, he didn’t reply to him instead turned his head towards Tara.

“They need to feel the sense of danger themselves.” Tara responded.

“And since they are not alive now, they can’t control mindless puppets.” Mia added.

Clap Clap Clap!

While clapping, he looked towards Nico, who was dumbfounded by this revelation.

“Damn, I didn’t even think about that.” Nico said while scratching his head and thought, ‘Of course you figured it out easily, as you are also a Black Soul user; you made me look bad in front of my beloved Mia. I will definitely get back for that.’

“I know, right.” He said it in a mocking tone and continued. “I think there are more than these two puppets. So, going forward, we should be careful from now on.”

“Sure, and thanks for getting us out of that passive situation.” While Mia appreciated him, out of reflex, she moved a bit of healing fog from the cloud towards Dhruv to heal him.

Tara shouted and shielded Dhruv with her body as the white fog hit. “Are you out of your mind? What are you doing?”

Mia spoke innocently. “What I’m healing him...” As she said this, she realised something and said while hesitating “Ah! No, I am really sorry. I forgot you were a Black Soul user, and I did it out of reflex.”

Dhruv smiled at this innocent lady and said, “It’s the thought that counts, but be careful next time.”

While he said that, Tara used her healing methods to heal him, making everyone speechless.

“How-How did you do that?” Mia looked with her eyes widened. Nico was also bewildered.

“It’s our trade secret, so please don’t enquire about it.” Tara responded respectfully.

“Mr. D, I see you have many secrets.” Mia responded.

“I guess so.”

“Ahem! We should get moving.” Nico said with jealousy in his eyes.