Chapter 20: Suspicion
As Kai was lost in his own thoughts, Miya headed straight toward the shop owner's room.
"Cousin, cousin, something big happened. That Human seems to—"
Barging into Alchemist Lyra's room, Miya tried to explain Kai's recent actions.
However, before she could finish her words, an explosion occurred.
Boom!!!
"Miya!!!"
Alchemist Lyra shouted in a horrified tone. Before Miya barged in, she had been at a critical moment in refining a Grade 5 Soul Cleansing Pill.
The sudden opening of the door startled her slightly, disrupting her control over her Soul Power.
This caused the medicinal properties of the herbs to clash violently—resulting in an explosion.
"Cousin, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—"
Before Miya could finish, a fist made of Soul Power landed squarely on her face.
Like a shooting star, Miya was sent flying into the farthest corner of the room.
"Cousin, listen to me! That Human seems to be possessed!"
Holding her swollen face, Miya struggled to speak as Alchemist Lyra slowly approached her.
"Don't try to make excuses. Today, no one can save you."
Ignoring Miya's pleas, Alchemist Lyra summoned her Heavenly Flame and wrapped her Soul Power fist with Heavenly Fire. Today, she was determined to teach her lazy cousin a lesson.
Just as the Soul-infused fist cloaked in Heavenly Fire was about to strike Miya again, a terrifying Soul pressure surged from deep within her.
Miya's eyes suddenly began to glow with intense light. A hand made of Soul Power manifested from her body and caught Alchemist Lyra's flaming fist mid-air.
"Eh, using your past life powers? I didn't think you had it in you."
As Alchemist Lyra spoke, spears made of Soul Power manifested around her.
Alchemist Lyra is considered one of the top geniuses in Fairy Land because this is her first life.
For Fairies who walk the Path of Soul, having a physical body doesn't hold much importance. So, whenever a Fairy is killed in battle or reaches the end of their lifespan, they either choose to possess someone or pass through the Gate of Reincarnation to be reborn.
If a Fairy possesses someone, they only need to adjust to the new body, and they're good to go. They retain all their powers, abilities, and knowledge—and may even gain a slight boost if they devour the host's Soul.
However, passing through the Gate of Reincarnation is a completely different matter.
After passing through, a Fairy is reborn as an infant, without any of their past life's memories, powers, or abilities.
As they grow, they gradually reconnect with the power they once had in a previous life and can grow stronger quickly.
However, they do not awaken any memories or gain unknown abilities—only the raw power they once possessed.
In essence, passing through the Gate of Reincarnation is akin to dying and passing one's powers to the next generation.
"Interesting trick."
As Alchemist Lyra was about to make her move, she realized that the spears made of her Soul Power were frozen in time. Although she could still feel her connection to them, she couldn't control them.
"Cousin, the human named Kai seems to be possessed by someone," Miya spoke with much difficulty, trying her best to stop Alchemist Lyra from attacking.
"What!? Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Hearing that the human in question was Kai, Alchemist Lyra immediately dispelled her Soul Spears and flew out of the room, a somewhat panicked expression on her face.
If this were the outside world, Alchemist Lyra wouldn't be too concerned about someone being possessed.
However, right now they were in the Ancient World, where all participating races walk the Path of Ki.
The only beings with strong enough Souls to possess another body are Fairies.
If what Miya said turns out to be true, and the human named Kai is truly possessed, then the future of the entire Fairy race could be in danger.
After all, His Majesty has taken a firm stance against the geniuses of lower worlds.
Upon arriving, Alchemist Lyra didn't immediately rush up to the human named Kai.
Instead, she observed him from a distance, watching carefully for any signs of Soul possession.
As Alchemist Lyra was trying to sense any changes in the human Kai's Soul aura, Miya's past life powers faded, and she quietly followed behind.
"Why did you think he was possessed in the first place?"
As Miya came down, Alchemist Lyra asked. She hadn't noticed any change in Kai's Soul aura—it was the same as when he first joined the shop.
"The human's behavior over the past few days has been strange," Miya explained.
"When the shipment first arrived and he saw the broken knowledge, he was desperate to get it. But yesterday, he simply completed the task you gave him and left after buying some herbs.
Today, he did the same. He told me he found a Gift that allows him to perform Herb Weaving using Ki. Then, out of nowhere, he returned and asked for a Soul Revival Pill.
His behavior over the last two days has been... odd."
Miya calmly laid out her reasoning for suspecting that Human Kai might be possessed.
"He asked for a Soul Revival Pill?"
Hearing that, Alchemist Lyra fell into deep thought.
Possessing someone with a weaker Soul is usually easy—you either devour or capture their soul.
However, if the attacker's Soul is injured, then the process becomes far more complicated.
You either slowly corrupt the Soul or influence it in some way.
"Make up some excuse and don't let him get anywhere near a Soul Revival Pill or any herbs with Soul-strengthening or recovery effects. Also, monitor his actions. If he doesn't give up on finding the Soul Revival Pill, bring him to me—I'll interrogate him myself."
Saying that, Alchemist Lyra headed back to her room.
As Alchemist Lyra returned, Miya also walked back to the front desk.
"What happened to your face?"
Kai couldn't help but ask when he saw her swollen cheek.
"While looking for your stupid Soul Revival Pill, a pill jar fell on me."
She huffed, then added,
"Also, I checked—there's no Soul Revival Pill available at the moment."
After finishing her sentence, Miya noticed another human standing beside Kai.
"Are you here to buy pills or potions?"