As the group settled in their inn, they discussed their plans to search for the Soul Artifact. Fein suggested they start by gathering information from the locals.
"We need to find out where the artifact is being held," Fein said.
"Agreed," Sofia chimed in. "We should start by asking around in the marketplace tomorrow."
The group nodded in agreement, and they turned in for the night. The next day, they made their way to the bustling marketplace. They talked to various vendors and merchants, but none of them seemed to know anything about the Soul Artifact.
Frustrated, they decided to take a break and grab some lunch. As they sat down at a nearby restaurant, a shady-looking man approached them.
"Are you looking for the Soul Artifact?" the man asked in a hushed tone.
The group looked at each other, surprised. "Yes, we are," Voli replied cautiously.
The man leaned in closer. "I know where it is, but I can't tell you here. Meet me tonight at the abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town."
With that, the man quickly disappeared into the crowd.
The group exchanged skeptical glances, but ultimately decided to check out the warehouse. As they arrived at the rundown building, they found it to be eerily quiet. Suddenly, they heard a voice from behind them.
"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," the voice said.
They turned to see a figure shrouded in darkness. As he stepped forward, they saw that it was Adrian, the infamous Soul Thief.
"I've been looking for you," Adrian said with a wicked grin. "Hand over your souls, and I'll let you live."
The group quickly drew their weapons, ready to defend themselves.
'Damn, it's the one on the rumors and the one behind the incident of people missing souls.' Fein didn't expect they would come across Adrian, the infamous SS rank degu user and soul thief. The group was caught off guard as Adrian appeared out of nowhere, blocking their path.
"You've made a grave mistake by coming here," Adrian said, a sly smirk forming on his face. "I will have your souls for my collection."
The group stood their ground, determined to protect their souls and prevent Adrian from becoming even more powerful. Sofia and Voli charged at him, but Adrian's power was too strong. He easily dodged their attacks and quickly counterattacked, stealing some of their souls in the process. Fortunately, Fein has a powerful soul that made him quite resistant.
"Damn it, I feel weak." Fein felt his body's strength was drained, but he knew that it was actually because his soul lost a huge amount of energy so suddenly. He was still in good state as Sofia, Voli, and Aoi, who have weaker souls than him, were already kneeling on the ground, powerless.
Luckily, it only weakened their physical abilities, but not their degu energy. Although his swordsmanship was affected because of weakened physical strength, Fein still has confidence as he doesn't need his physical strength if he used his sword domain.
Adrian, the soul thief. He grinned wickedly, revealing sharp teeth as he licked his lips hungrily.
"You are foolish to come here," he hissed. "I will take your souls and add them to my collection."
Fein approached Adrian cautiously, wary of the soul thief's powers. "Adrian, why do you do this?" he asked, hoping to reason with the man.
Adrian sneered, his eyes glowing with a sinister energy. "Why do I do this? Why do you think, chess master?" he spat. "Power. The ability to control and manipulate others. To rule over life and death."
Fein raised an eyebrow. "And what brought you to this path?"
Adrian's expression darkened, and he clenched his fists. "You want to know why I became like this? It was because of the pain, the suffering. I lost everything, Fein. My family, my friends, my entire village. They were all killed in a raid by a rival clan."
Fein's eyes widened in shock. "I'm sorry, Adrian. I had no idea."
Adrian let out a bitter laugh. "Of course you didn't. You and your perfect little life. I caught the news since you just stepped in the gate of the North. Why do I do this? Because I don't want any variables ruining my plans. I investigated your life... You have talent, in fact the youngest S rank in the history. You have friends, and you even won a lottery for making a noble family's heir fall in love with you! But me? I was left with nothing. No purpose, no hope. Until I discovered my power. My ability to steal souls and control them. And then, I had a purpose. Revenge. To make those who had wronged me pay."
'So that's why he knew me so well? How meticulous this guy could be?' Fein sighed heavily. "But this is not the way, Adrian. You are hurting innocent people. You need to stop this."
Fein still wants to solve this peacefully as with his probe, he knew that it wasn't good to corner Adrian who possessed the ability to steal souls. Although Fein has a good soul defense, if he uses sword domain, Adrian would be like a cornered beast. Fein knew how dangerous it was if Adrian became desperate. He might survive the latter's attack, but he was with his friends currently, who were vulnerable to a powerful soul wielder like Adrian. Not to mention, Adrian was one of the SS rank degu users that was hiding behind the scenes and pulling the string.
Yes, they were unlucky to encounter him, but Fein knew it was only a matter of time as Adrian's goal was also the soul artifact. A conflict of interest is bound to happen, so a fight is inevitable.
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "And who are you to tell me what to do, Fein? You, with your perfect life and your perfect family? You have no idea what it's like to suffer, to lose everything. You are nothing but a pawn in this game, chess master. And I will use you and your friends to further my own power."
Fein gritted his teeth, his fists clenching. "I will never be your pawn, Adrian. We will stop you, no matter what it takes."
Adrian laughed cruelly. "We shall see, Fein. We shall see. I won't kill you and your group this time because I want to control your bodies for my own purpose, but if the four of you really dare to stop next time, it will be your end." With a flick of his wrist, he vanished into the shadows, leaving Fein and his friends to face the darkness alone.
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