Wood yelled and Soren used his Mana to cover the room. In a transparent barrier. He made it sound-proof. They were in a public place. Drai’s, or Wood’s, screams were not good for either Seth or Soren.

Seth acted. He aimed at Wood. Several translucent hands emerged from the floor. They pulled the chair. Grabbed her. Forced her to sit. And clasped her with it.

“NO!!! Let me go!!!” She screamed and struggled. Rattled the table and the chair. Banged her feet on the floor.

Shadow Prison!

Soren cast. Shadow chains darted out the ground. They restrained her and bound her to the chair. He made sure the chains only tied her up. They didn’t hurt her. Even though his contract with Drai wouldn’t extend to Wood, he didn’t want to take a risk with his life. They shared a body right now after all.

Both spells secured her on the spot. Wood couldn’t even move her head. Still, even that wasn’t enough to stop her shrieks.

“AAAAHHHH!!!”

…….

She tortured both Seth and Soren by her screeches for the next few minutes. To stay alert of any changes, Soren didn’t block her voice. He could only suffer in silence.

“Why are you doing this to me? What did I ever do to you?” Her throat became raw. She stopped screaming. And asked the two. Her tone was pitiful. But her voice hoarse.

“I didn’t do anything to deserve this. Why are you doing this to me?” She murmured. And broke into tears.

“You’re Zero, right? They did the same thing to you too, right? Then why are you helping them?” She sobbed and looked towards Soren.

Wood called him by his alias—it didn’t surprise him at all. With the earring he’d traded with her visible on his ear, it would’ve been weird if she couldn’t recognize him instead.

“Do you want me to help you?” Soren asked. His voice was gentle and mild. The vibration in his tone was soothing. Her unstable mental condition gave him the chance he needed. To aim for what he wanted.

Wood nodded and showed her consent. Snot and tears covered her face. Her shoulders trembled.

A powerful Initiator who was starting on her journey towards the higher ranks. Dragged down to such a state. Soren was glad he survived through those early days as a weak Initiator who didn’t know anything. Her pathetic figure also strengthened his resolve to never let his guard down. No matter who his opponent was.

“Give me your hand,” he said. In a tender voice. He removed the chains that were restraining her right hand. Seth also acted and removed the effect of his spell from her right hand. Without any prompt. Yet, he didn’t forget to give Soren a meaningful smile.

Her right hand was free to move. Wood reached out, then pulled back. She hesitated. But finally, extended it towards Soren. Her guard was still up, he thought.

Water Bubbles.

To make her relaxed and give in to him, Soren cast the spell he never used in a battle before.

……

The spell took effect. Her shoulders loosened. Her eyelids drooped. Her neck wobbled. Soren didn’t intend to make her fall asleep though. He still needed her to stay in control of her body. For what he wanted to do.

From the moment Wood took over her body, Soren thought about doing this. His aim was the item that had protected and healed her soul.

He held her palm. His touch was soft. He sent his Mana inside her. It followed a familiar path. And reached her soul space. He used it as a foundation and sensed the situation inside. With his <Elemental Sense>. 

Based on his spell, he formed a basic picture of the state that Wood and Drai were in. Their souls joined together. A thin line between them. It acted as a divider. This thin line also divided the pale-green liquid Mana Core in half. One half on Drai’s side, other on Woods’.

Their souls were in the beginning phase of the merge, Soren concluded. If they left things like this, the thin line would soon fade away. And the two souls would merge. It would create a new personality.

“I’m going to help you now. It’ll hurt a little, bear with me. Don’t resist. It’ll make things worse. Just relax and let me take care of everything,” Soren whispered. Her eyes lost focus. Her head hung down.

He focused on Wood’s soul. On the right. And ignored the other chained-up soul on the left. It was Drai’s.

He transformed his mana into tendrils and extended them towards her soul. There was a small green light at the center of it. This was the item that protected and healed her soul. After Drai took over her body and attacked her.

His tendrils drilled inside her soul. Wood clenched her jaw. Her neck tightened. But she didn’t let out any sound. Soren smiled and cast <Water Bubbles> again. His spell acted as a counter to her pain. He increased the force behind his Mana tendrils and penetrated. Up to that small green blob of light. His spell alone wasn’t enough to offset her pain though. The moment his tendrils touched the green light, Wood convulsed.

She was at her limits. Soren tied the green blob of light with his Mana tendrils. And ripped it out her body. He also left a wisp of his Mana in her soul. To act as a marker.

He finished the process with no hiccups.

“AAAAHHH!!!” The moment he took it out, Wood screamed. Her voice was heart-wrenching. But it soon broke and she fainted. Her head tilted back. Drool dripped down the side of her mouth. Her eyes rolled back. Yet, her breasts twitched at times.

“Sleep in peace now.” He got what he wanted from her. Soren let go of her palm and aimed his right hand at her head. He used the wisp of Mana he left in her soul as the target marker. And cast his spell.

Soul Rend!

The intangible blades zipped through her body. And shredded her soul. It ended her existence.

Both Seth and Soren released their spells. They removed the restraints.

.……

Soren coated the green blob of light with his Mana. Kept it in his Storage Pearl. Straightened up. Adjusted on the chair. And looked at Wood. Or Drai.

The pressure from another soul was gone. Drai woke up soon after. He held his head and groaned. Coughed. And wiped the drool off his face.

Though Drai’s soul touched Wood’s soul and had started to merge, he didn’t suffer any damage when Soren killed her. He must be feeling better than ever instead.

And with this, the first deal between Soren and Drai was complete.

Soren already felt one of the chains binding his soul vanish the moment his spell tore her soul apart. By killing her, he fulfilled his end of the deal from the contract. And Drai already gave him the information he asked for. Thus, this Blood Contract terminated.

This was only the first deal he made with him though. The second one remained intact. For which he traded the Rank 1 potion formula and the egg-hatching method with Seth. Drai still hadn’t given him all the information he had on that topic.

But he was in no condition to do so right now. Will his throat still work after all the screaming? Soren thought. Doubts in his mind, he postponed the deal. To the next night.

Both parties agreed. They would gather again tomorrow. Same place, same time. Soren nodded them a farewell. And went out. The crowd thinned outside. Yet, the clamors didn’t let up. They were making up for the decreased numbers with intensified hollers. The place reeked of alcohol. The stench of sweat tried to fight back. A hint of urine mixed in the back.

Knocked out drunks strewn across the hall. Some fucked the female servers in the corner. The old barkeeper cleaned the glasses behind the counter. He bowed when Soren came out the room.

Seth supported Drai and followed after him. The old man bowed again.

“Put it on my tab,” Seth said.

The three broke at the entrance and went their ways.

…….

Soren strolled on the street. Back to his house. His hands in his pocket. He looked at the stars. His mind occupied with the information he gained tonight. But his steps came to a halt. He forgot something.

Shit!

The consequences of it would be bad. He turned and bolted. Towards a nearby restaurant. He didn’t mind the inflated price. And bought Argus’s favorite food. He forgot to feed him before coming out for the meeting.

If I hit him on the head with this, will he forget about it….

He held the slab of wrapped grilled meat and thought.

“He probably won't, Master.”

And then, there was silence.

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