Elder Incarnate was overjoyed. He excitedly rolled around on his luxury bed at the Tower of the Chosen with a broad smile on his face. His little white dog, Raider, got caught up in his positive mood and started barking and hopping around in circles.

"Hehehe! Yes, Raider! My Stone of Life is finally complete!"

The old man reached into his robe and pulled out a perfectly smooth round red gem. He admired his reflection in it as he turned it over and over, running his fingers along the smooth surface. After a few minutes of admiring the stone, he carefully put it away inside a wooden box.

"And I have enough of those wretched spirits to make twelve more just like it!
"Bark! Bark!"

"I will live forever! I will become the Grand Elder and seal that fool Crown away in the Dark Dimension forever!"
"BARK BARK!"

Raider danced around in front of his master. The strangely energetic Elder Incarnate rubbed the little fluffy dog's head with a smile.
"That's a good boy, Raider!"

Elder Incarnate's room was lined with jars filled with ghostly screaming faces. Their wails of torment brought him immense satisfaction. He cracked one open and drank deeply of its contents, slurping the trapped soul down like soup. He felt powerful, euphoric, full of energy... almost human. The bitter taste of the soul's suffering only added to the sense of forbidden pleasure he experienced. The old man wiped his mouth clean with the sleeve of his robe, pleased that he had as many souls as he wanted waiting for him.

Elder Incarnate had more spirits in his possession than ever before, and it was all thanks to Spiritland, the brainchild of Miss Planner and the product of Maxwell's hard work. Although construction was still in progress, the amusement park had been partially opened to the public. Incarnate's force of Spirit Hunters roamed the grounds like a pack of wolves, mercilessly capturing any spirits foolish enough to get close.

Most of the other Elders thought Spiritland was a joke, merely a base from which to distribute Nuke with a strange child-orientated marketing strategy. They were completely wrong. Elder Incarnate saw the true potential of Miss Planner's idea and fought the executives tooth and nail to make sure the young woman's vision was realized. But even he was surprised by the success of her plan. Spiritland wasn't merely a 'good idea.' It was a stroke of genius that guaranteed Elder Incarnate an endless stream of souls.

"Yes, sweet Raider. We need to reward her somehow. Make sure she gets the proper recognition," said Elder Incarnate.
"Bark!"

The balding old man looked at Raider with love and pride. The little dog licked his lips hungrily.

"What do you think she'd like? A pay raise? A vacation? A Stone of Life?"
Raider's tail started swinging back and forth as he listened to his master. He rolled onto his back, eager to please.

"The girl already has everything she could possibly want, right? What else do we have to offer?"
The old man put his hand on Raider's furry stomach and scratched behind his ear affectionately. The dog yipped happily and wagged his tail furiously.

"Hmhm! I should just ask her! I'll make her the happiest girl in the world!"
"Bark! Bark bark!"
"What a good boy! What a fine dog!"

The old man jumped up and down excitedly, thrilled with his own generosity. His energy made Raider jump around too, barking like mad.

"Hello, this is Miss Planner speaking."
"Miss Planner? Yes, this is Elder Incarnate. Please come to my quarters at once."
"As you command, Elder Incarnate. I'll be there shortly!"

Elder Incarnate couldn't help but happily wave his cane around a bit as he walked across the room back to his precious Stone of Life. His dog followed after him eagerly, wagging its stubby tail and barking excitedly. He sat in a huge leather armchair, gently stroking the red gem with his wrinkled hands.

"Elder Incarnate, it's me."
"Enter!"

Miss Planner opened the door to the Elder's luxurious room. She was greeted by the tiny white Raider jumping onto her leg and the wailing of hundreds of imprisoned souls.

"Good afternoon, Elder Incarnate."
She brushed Raider off her leg with her left foot as she passed. The little dog ran back to Elder Incarnate and jumped on his lap.
"Yes, greetings, Miss Planner. You may have a seat on my bed, if you wish."

Miss Planner wiped her skirt clean of dog hair and followed Elder Incarnate's instruction, taking a seat on the edge of his giant bed.
"How may I serve you today, almighty one?"

"I wish to discuss Spiritland. Very impressive, very impressive indeed! Look at how many souls my Spirit Hunters have been able to gather in a few short weeks!"

"Aaagghh... oooooohhh... free us.... aaaaghh!"

Miss Planner gave Incarnate a smile and clapped heartily.
"Yes, your Spirit Hunters are doing great work, Elder Incarnate!"

"Bah. You're the one who deserves all the credit, my sweet Miss Planner! I can't tell you how happy I am with the way things turned out. Your idea was perfect!"
Miss Planner bowed her head respectfully.
"It is my greatest pleasure to hear such words from the mouth of a man of wisdom and honor."

Elder Incarnate paused for a moment to stroke Raider's head.

"My dear, I wish to grant you a reward for your faithful service."
"Oh, my! A reward? I'm honored that you would think of me..."

The old man grinned devilishly at her.

"Yes, yes. No need to be so humble, child. Now what could you possibly want? Anything you desire, I will give you..."
The old man opened the box on his desk and pulled out the glowing red Stone of Life. He held it up in front of Miss Planner proudly.
"...for you have given me the key to ultimate power! A treasure that cannot be bought with gold or jewels!"

Miss Planner gasped and covered her mouth with her hands in mock surprise. Raider jumped off his master's lap and tried to get onto the bed.
"You've completed it! Congratulations, Elder Incarnate! You have now unlocked the secret to eternal life!"

The old man smiled broadly at Miss Planner.

"Yes! The Stone of Life will make me immortal! And I can make as many as I please! If you wish, Miss Planner, you can have this one for yourself! It's yours if you want it."
"Oooh! Oh, I couldn't possibly accept such a valuable gift! I... I wouldn't dare accept this grand of a reward!"

Elder Incarnate chuckled knowingly and put the stone away.

"This Stone of Life is nothing but a small token of my gratitude... It's not nearly enough to repay you for all your hard work over these past years... you have given the Chosen Ones a new life!"

Miss Planner gave a deep bow of gratitude.
"I-I'm... I'm truly grateful. This is a magnificent present. Thank you, thank you very much, sir!"

"Heheheh! Ahaha! You're too kind, my sweet Miss Planner. You're brilliant, my sweet girl."
The Elder's chuckle made the young woman laugh nervously. She seemed quite taken with the Stone of Life in his hand and stared longingly into it as he placed it on the table.

"Miss Planner, this is only the beginning. This is just the start! With my power, I will create a gate to the Spirit World and capture even stronger spirits... ohhh, my strength will have no limits!"

The old man's wooden cane clattered to the floor. He rose to his feet and patted Miss Planner on her tiny shoulders. He had a crazed grin on his face. His smile was infectious and Miss Planner found herself smiling back. She stared affectionately into the old man's dark, evil eyes.

"And you are the mind behind my greatness, aren't you? You are no mere servant. I know you share my vision, my ideas, and my heart! Together we shall remake the world!"
"Of course! Of course, Elder Incarnate! I will do everything I can to help you, Elder Incarnate!"

The old man's mind was aflame with excitement. He began dancing around his room, laughing hysterically and skipping happily like a child, almost tripping over Raider in the process. Miss Planner laughed and joined him in his little jig as they swayed together.

"Bark! Bark bark!"