The more alert among the soul masters quickly realized that there was something off about the black fog released by the black-robed man. They immediately activated their soul power in an attempt to resist it.
But the fog seemed to seep through everything. Even the more powerful soul masters who had formed protective barriers with their soul power found it infiltrating their defenses.
In a flash, the black fog surged toward the group, spreading like wildfire in an instant.
Within a minute, every soul master who had come for the bounty—without exception—collapsed to the ground like dominoes. Aether was among them.
Helpless to do anything else, Aether feigned unconsciousness just like the others, pretending the black fog had affected him too.
However, before that, he had already hidden Paimon inside the Serenitea Pot. Even if anyone noticed something, they would likely assume he had simply recalled his spirit.
"Darling, is there anything I can still do to help you?"
As the soul masters she had brought lay unconscious, only the butler and the woman remained standing. The woman seemed unfazed, as if she'd witnessed scenes like this before. Her expression calm, she asked with concern.
The black-robed man glanced at them with clear irritation.
"Get lost. Or I'll absorb you both as well."
"M-Miss, we should go…"
The butler, clearly frightened, tugged on the woman's arm.
"Darling, no matter what you become, I will wait for you…"
The woman stumbled, sobbing, and was dragged away by the butler in the direction they had come.
"A dog should know how to act like a dog…"
The black-robed man muttered coldly, paying the pair no further attention. He walked over to one of the unconscious soul masters, spat, then picked him up. With his other hand, he grabbed another body and disappeared into the mist.
Aether, still feigning unconsciousness, was also taken. Once he sensed the black-robed man had left, he opened his eyes.
He was in a cave, surrounded by a heap of unconscious people. The air reeked with a foul stench.
If Paimon were here, she'd probably be retching…
Waving his hand to try and dispel the thick air, Aether found it useless and simply held his breath as he began searching the pile for the boy.
Just then, a faint rustle came from the heap. A hand emerged, shoving aside some bodies to reveal a cautious face.
The head scanned the surroundings—and locked eyes with Aether.
"…"
"…"
"You're okay?" the head asked. It was the boy Aether had been looking for.
"Uh, for now, yeah," Aether replied, briefly stunned.
"While he's gone, run. As fast and far as you can!" the boy urged, his voice filled with urgency and conflict.
"…What about you?" Aether asked, puzzled.
From his elemental vision, he had estimated that the black-robed man possessed soul power equivalent to around Rank 50 or 60—not overwhelming, but more than enough to crush a group of soul masters in the 30s and 40s.
"I'm looking for my sister," the boy replied, scanning the cave as he clambered out from the mound.
His sister?
Was that what this whole commission was about?
As someone who had handled countless requests, Aether had long honed the ability to analyze clients' true needs.
From those few words, Aether picked up on the key point and asked, "So you came here to find your sister?"
"Yeah."
The boy's response was curt but firm.
With that confirmation, Aether nodded and offered, "Want me to help you look for her?"
The boy turned to him. He had already taken note of this man before they set out.
How could he not? A humanoid spirit, four unusual spirit rings—it would be harder to forget him than to remember.
This guy's talent and spirit were far beyond his own…
Xu Lai wondered why someone so extraordinary would be here in the first place. Surely he had to be a prodigy from some powerful sect.
Was he here for the same reason?
Shaking his head, Xu Lai tried to clear his still-foggy mind. That soul skill from the black-robed man was disturbingly strange, and his head was still swimming.
"No. You should worry about yourself first," Xu Lai declined.
In his view, the black-robed man's temporary absence was the perfect chance to search for his sister. If he missed this window and had to face the man head-on later, it'd be suicide.
"…"
Aether was slightly stunned that this blue-glowing boy had actually turned him down. That was a first.
Left with no choice, he summoned Paimon from the Serenitea Pot.
"Uwah! Traveler, can you not shove me in so roughly next time? That hurt!"
The moment she popped out, Paimon began whining.
"…Ahem~"
Paimon… do you even hear yourself right now?
Aether twitched his lips, at a loss for words, and gave a light cough to ease the awkwardness.
"Huh? Where are we? Weren't we in the forest?"
Paimon looked around, confused, and asked immediately.
"This seems to be the black-robed man's hideout. He brought us here."
Aether explained.
"…Are we gonna get eaten?"
The moment she heard "black-robed man", Paimon's face turned pale.
That guy ate people! And now they were in his lair? Wasn't that just one step away from the cooking pot?
She panicked, tugging at Aether's sleeve.
"Traveler, you're not gonna let him eat us, right?"
"Relax."
Aether patted her head with a calm expression to reassure her.
"Phew… that's good…"
Paimon sighed in relief, only to suddenly notice the other person standing beside them.
Wasn't this the client Aether had mentioned?
Her large eyes sparkled as she raised her hand and greeted him cheerfully:
"Hi there! Do you need any help?"
"!!!"
Xu Lai wasn't surprised that Aether could summon his spirit.
But the fact that this spirit could talk—and even greeted him?
That sent shivers down his spine.
What kind of god-tier spirit is this? It has its own consciousness?!
"Eh? Don't be scared, we're good people! If you're in trouble, feel free to tell us~"
Seeing his stunned look, Paimon piped up again, trying to put him at ease.
_
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