"Whoosh!"
Hals rolled over and sat up from his sleep. His right hand reached for the Hook at his waist, and he stared at the door with an impassive expression.
One second, two seconds...
"Knock, knock, knock." Someone rapped on the door.
"Lord Hals, His Holiness the Pope requests your presence."
Hals didn't answer. He remained silent for a long time, until the person outside knocked again, unable to wait any longer. Only then did Hals rasp, "I know."
There was no further sound. The person outside seemed to have left.
Hals rose quietly, pulled on his hood, and opened the door.
It was still dark. A few candles dotted the palace corridors, their flames flickering despite the still air. Their dim light fell on Hals, but could not illuminate the face hidden beneath his hood.
"Hals, you're here."
Hals pushed open the grand, heavy golden doors of the Pope Palace and looked at the man seated on the throne.
"Hals." Qian Xunji looked at him, his expression still gloomy and utterly at odds with the glittering hall. "Bibi Dong reached level 40 yesterday. I'll arrange for her to obtain a Soul Ring today, but no elder will be accompanying her. So I've decided to have you take her. What do you think?"
Qian Xunji narrowed his eyes at the man before him.
"Of course, Your Holiness."
At Hals's affirmative reply, Qian Xunji smiled with satisfaction.
"Excellent. Go and prepare. I have high hopes for you, Hals."
......
Bibi Dong was still a young woman brimming with youthful energy. Though she didn't think much of her teacher, Qian Xunji, the current Pope, she always felt there was some inexplicable desire in the way he looked at her. That made her dislike the strange man her teacher had sent to assist her as well.
Bibi Dong sat in a side room of Spirit Hall, quietly holding a cup of tea and taking small sips. Sunlight streamed through the crystal windows, bathing the young woman in a lovely, warm glow.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Someone tapped lightly on the door.
Bibi Dong opened her eyes, emerging from the dreamlike atmosphere.
"Come in." She looked toward the door, curious about who was there.
"H-hello, Holy Maiden."
To her surprise, the voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of nervousness.
A young man and woman entered. They looked to be about sixteen or seventeen.
When the young man saw Bibi Dong, he grew a little excited. "Lady Bibi Dong, I..."
He was so flustered that he could barely get the words out. Seeing this, the young woman hung back half a step and secretly tugged at his sleeve, then stepped forward.
"My Lady, my name is Xiong Yiyi. My martial soul is Phoenix Vine, and I'm a level 40 control-system Battle Soul Ancestor. His name is Jiabulin. His martial soul is the Mutated Martial Soul Night Flame Gauntlets, and he's a level 40 Power Attack System Battle Soul Ancestor. We've been ordered to accompany you to obtain Soul Rings. Please guide us." She bowed deeply to Bibi Dong. Jiabulin hesitated, then bowed along with her.
Bibi Dong's expression softened slightly. No one could dislike such a gentle, beautiful, and polite girl.
"Mm. I hope we can help each other through what lies ahead," Bibi Dong said gently.
People of the same age always had plenty to talk about. Before long, the three of them were chatting happily.
After a while, Xiong Yiyi suddenly remembered something. Tilting her head slightly, she asked curiously, "Holy Maiden, are we still waiting for someone?"
Seeing the girl's endearing, slightly tilted head, Bibi Dong suddenly found her rather cute. She reached out and gently pinched her cheek.
"Yes. One of my Attendants will be joining us." Bibi Dong paused, as if remembering something. "But he's a little strange, so don't be scared when you see him."
"Huh? Is it Lord Hals?" Jiabulin cut in.
"Yes. How do you know him?" Bibi Dong asked curiously. Could her servant, whom she didn't care for, really be so well-known throughout Spirit Hall?
"Don't you know, Holy Maiden? Plenty of people in the hall know him, and they admire him a lot. After all, he became a Soul King before he was twenty, and he has a distinguished record of service," Xiong Yiyi replied.
"Is that so..." Bibi Dong murmured thoughtfully.
As the three were talking, someone knocked on the door again. The knocks were steady and unhurried, but carried a certain weight.
"Come in."
Recognizing the familiar knock, Bibi Dong knew it was her Attendant, Hals.
"Master, it's time to leave." Hals was still wearing his Dark Green Robe. A faint, luminous green mist constantly emanated from his body.
Hearing that rasping voice, like a demon's whisper, and seeing the bizarre outfit—almost eerie and terrifying—Xiong Yiyi and Jiabulin grew nervous. This was nothing like the Lord Hals they had imagined.
They both jumped to their feet and stiffly bowed to Hals.
Hals glanced at them but said nothing, and the atmosphere turned awkward at once.
Bibi Dong frowned, displeased. She felt Hals was trying to put them in their place. Didn't he know she was the one in charge?
There was no denying that, because of her teacher, Bibi Dong already had a poor impression of Hals. To say the least, she disliked him.
"That's enough, Hals. They're my friends," Bibi Dong scolded.
Hals bowed and rasped, "Yes, my Master." Then he slowly backed away and disappeared into the shadows.
"Let's go." Bibi Dong glanced at the shadow where Hals had vanished and was surprised to find that she couldn't sense his presence at all. Still, she said nothing and left first.
Xiong Yiyi and Jiabulin were surprised by how obedient Hals was to the Holy Maiden, but they didn't comment. They followed Bibi Dong out.
As the most powerful force on the continent, Spirit Hall had a vast forest within the territory of its main headquarters. In addition to the native Soul Beasts, many suitable-age Soul Beasts captured by Spirit Hall experts were kept there, allowing the organization to nurture its younger generation.
Several guards stood at the forest's entrance, chatting and joking leisurely. Given Spirit Hall's strength, no fool would dare trespass, so the job was usually an easy one. But today...
"Who's there?"
A middle-aged man who had been joking with his colleagues suddenly turned toward the shadows beside a small hut. His martial soul had already possessed him. His hands had become claws, thick fur sprouted across his body, and five Soul Rings—white, white, yellow, yellow, and purple—appeared behind him. He was clearly a Beast Martial Soul Battle Soul King.
Without making a sound, a cloud of dark green mist burst from the shadows beside the hut. Two bright green lights glimmered within it as Hals stepped out.
"L-Lord Hals!"
The guard clearly recognized the famous Hals. He hurriedly signaled to his colleagues to stand and bow respectfully.
Hals said nothing. He flicked a token toward the guard.
"By order of the Pope Palace, I've brought the Holy Maiden and two others here to obtain Soul Rings. Her Highness will arrive shortly. Be prepared. If the Holy Maiden sees you being this lazy... Heh. You know what will happen."
The middle-aged guard picked up the token with both hands and glanced at it. His face was slick with cold sweat. He nodded nervously. "Yes, yes. I'll make sure everything is cleaned up before the Holy Maiden arrives. I won't let Her Highness be displeased."
He respectfully handed the token back.
Hals took it and turned, disappearing into the darkness once more.
The middle-aged guard wiped the sweat from his forehead, then turned and shouted at the others, "Get moving! Didn't you hear what Lord Hals just said? Do you want to lose your lives?"
The other guards sprang into action, hastily cleaning up the fruit peels and trash on the ground and the piles of wine bottles.
A younger-looking guard saw the terror on his superior's face and couldn't understand it.
"Boss, why are you so afraid of the Holy Maiden?"
"Bullshit. What do you know, kid? Do you think I'm afraid of the Holy Maiden? I'm afraid of Lord Hals."
"Huh? Aren't you a Soul King too? Why are you afraid of him?"
"Heh. You think my Soul King rank is the same as Lord Hals's? One of him could probably beat dozens of guys like me."
The middle-aged guard glanced around cautiously, then beckoned the young guard over and motioned for him to lean in.
The young guard leaned closer. The middle-aged guard whispered in his ear, "To put it bluntly, Lord Hals is the Holy Maiden's dog. Anyone or anything that upsets Her Highness will be gone by the next day."
The young guard was stunned. "Th-that's terrifying! Just because the Holy Maiden gets upset, someone has to die?"
"Heh. Otherwise, why would people call him the Holy Maiden's dog?" The middle-aged guard looked disdainful. "By the way, there's a story about Lord Hals. They say people call him the Soul Warden because he lives in the dungeon—and because he supposedly has a martial soul that lets him control souls. Think about it: dying is scary enough, but then having your soul tortured afterward? Can you blame me for being afraid?"
The young guard shivered and shook his head. "Got it, boss. I'd better hurry up and clean up my mess. I don't want to lose my life."
"Go on, then."
The middle-aged guard waved him off and went to clean his own area.
Before you continue