While Alicia and Larry encountered the octopus man, the banquet on the other side had already begun.

King Garp arrived in full regalia. His solemn expression made the ministers and their ladies instinctively hush their jokes and bow respectfully.

King Garp was the polar opposite of the late king.

The late king had been gentle and refined—meeting him felt like a warm spring breeze.

But King Garp was a majestic lion, permitting no slight to his dignity. Cross him, and face his thunderous wrath.

Thus, everyone present revered him—a sentiment no recent rumors could shake.

"My loyal ministers," King Garp’s voice boomed, clear and resonant as an ancient bell, stirring hearts. "Welcome. My reign is young. Since ascending the throne, I’ve worked day and night, never daring to slacken, for fear of tarnishing the late king’s legacy and your trust. I thank you for standing by me. Only through your steadfast aid has Danka Kingdom stabilized so swiftly after the king’s sudden passing. I raise my cup to you all!"

Many ministers, moved by his words, lifted their wine cups, clinked them in the air toward him, and drained them in one gulp.

Just as the atmosphere heated up, King Garp spoke again.

"I know recent events have sown doubts about me among you. Tonight, I wish to lay bare the truth."

Silence crashed over the hall. A pin drop would have echoed.

No one here could feign indifference to the infamous treaty rumored to humiliate the nation. Every ear strained for the long-delayed truth.

"That treaty… I signed it myself."

…

"A Soulspirit!" Alicia gasped the moment she saw the octopus man.

The Soulspirit grinned, pleased. "You recognized my race at a glance. Truly exceptional. With you as a breeding vessel, my offspring would be formidable indeed."

"B-Breeding vessel?!"

Alicia’s eyes bulged like lightbulbs. How long had she even *been* transformed? Was she already stumbling into a magical girl’s hentai plot?

Larry doubled over, laughing cruelly. "HAHA! Actual hentai tropes happening to *you*? I’m dying! This is priceless!"

The Soulspirit’s next words cut Larry’s laughter short.

"You’re equally suitable. Two prime breeding vessels in one encounter—unexpected fortune."

"HAH! You’re worse off! You didn’t even *transform* before getting targeted!" Alicia howled with laughter this time.

Larry’s face turned ashen as he glared at the Soulspirit’s twisted tastes. "Open your damn eyes!" he snarled. "I’m a *man*!"

"Only inferior races like yours are shackled by gender," the Soulspirit replied matter-of-factly. "To us, a vessel is a vessel. Gender is irrelevant."

Alicia drew Mitchell, her blade glinting. "No wonder your kind’s on the Adventurers’ Guild blacklist. Is *this* why you’re hunted? Tell me—were you controlling Daisy when she killed her parents?"

Soulspirits topped the Guild’s wanted list. Their reproduction required devouring other beings’ life force and minds. They manipulated emotions freely, then implanted parasitic seeds into hosts. These seeds fed on the host’s spirit, reshaping their body until only a new Soulspirit remained. Crossing such ethical lines made them universal enemies. Their energy crystals fetched hefty bounties at the Guild.

"Truth matters little now. Become my puppets."

The Soulspirit unleashed a mental blast.

But his attack vanished like a pebble sinking into the ocean—Alicia and Larry didn’t flinch. Their icy stares made him realize his grave error: he’d dared to face true monsters.

Regret came too late. Larry blurred forward, appearing beside the Soulspirit. His sheath slammed down, striking true.

The Soulspirit tried to move—but dizziness and weakness flooded him. *How?* Soulspirits prided themselves on mental prowess! Yet here he was, mentally shackled.

Alicia stomped her foot on his head. "Was Daisy controlled when she killed her parents? Answer."

Silence.

Alicia frowned slightly. Larry murmured, "Take him. We’ll interrogate him elsewhere. This place isn’t safe."

"Right."

As Alicia reached down, an immense mental force flooded the room. All light vanished. Darkness became an ocean. Blood-red eyes blinked open within it, locking onto Alicia and Larry. This wasn’t mere sensory distortion—it eroded their very spirits.

"Pathetic tricks. *Reveal yourself!*"

Alicia raised another Yuan Staff. Purifying Yuan Technique erupted—quadrupled in power. The darkness melted like ice under a scorching sun.

Moonlight returned. The Soulspirit beneath Alicia’s foot was gone.

"Trapped," Alicia hissed.

Larry’s jaw tightened. "He only wanted to rescue that Soulspirit from the start."

"Freeze! You’re surrounded!" Soldiers’ shouts echoed outside.

"Go!"

Larry swept Alicia into a bridal carry. He kicked off the ground, bursting through the soldiers’ blockade in the blink of an eye—vanishing from sight.

Meanwhile, King Garp had left the banquet. In his study, a Soulspirit tumbled out of his shadow—the very one Alicia and Larry had subdued.

"What happened?" King Garp asked.

"Interlopers stormed the safehouse. This fool underestimated them and got captured. I had to extract him."

Another Soulspirit emerged from the king’s shadow—taller, radiating far greater power. Majorie, chieftain of the Soulspirit Race.

"He’s no weakling among your kind. Yet they captured him alive?"

Majorie’s voice turned glacial. "Those two… each could challenge me."

King Garp’s eyes narrowed slightly. "That strong? Could they disrupt our plan?"

"I never expected such power in this backwater," Majorie muttered. "Their impact is uncertain. We must accelerate the plan. Understood?"

King Garp nodded calmly. "Understood. Minor setbacks. I’ll hasten the timeline."