Re: Evolution Online

Liam became silent. He knew that this woman could still be bullshitting him for all he knew but he wanted to try if there was another way out.

"I am sorry but that's just not possible. I don't want to disclose to you why I need these souls but I really do need them. Ask me for something else instead."

The woman shook her head, she as well remaining firm in her resolve. "Unfortunately, that is not possible. In my current state, only powerful ancient souls can restore my strength and vitality. Everything else is pointless."

"Oh?"

"The few souls you possess alone have the power to give me my life back and so much more. It is because of this that I earnestly request you. Please return those souls to me. I am truly desperate." The woman mouthed, hanging her head low.

Liam was startled for a second. He did not expect the powerful being to literally beg him but here she was doing just that.

"Is it true that you really have a solution to my deteriorating body?"

The woman's eyes immediately lit up. Was this guy finally going to agree to her conditions and return the souls?

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I do not lie about this one. I definitely know what to do for someone with your affinity. We draconians belong to an ancient bloodline. We have lived for an eternity almost. How could I not know about something so simple?"

Liam rolled his eyes. If she was really that capable, then why did she end up here in the first place? "Ok, then I will believe you. Tell me what can I do for you? Maybe I can bring you the souls of powerful elite beasts?"

"Huh?" The woman blinked. "No, no. Just the dragon souls and the wyvern souls would do."

And then to the woman's dismay, unexpectedly, Liam shook his head again. "I am sorry, but that's not possible."

"You! What the hell?!" The woman trembled visibly. She clutched her head as if she wanted to tear her hair out. After talking so much, this hateful person was once again back to square one? Did he not hear anything that she said?

"ARE YOU DEAF OR JUST AN IDIOT? Did you not hear me? I need powerful ancient beast souls! Otherwise, I cannot recover."

"Hmmm… No, is there anything else that I can do for you?" Liam looked very serious as he repeated the same thing again.

The woman was now totally livid. In all her life, with all the creatures put together, this had to be the most hateful person she had ever come across. "BASTARD! Give me back those draconian souls. They are my kin. They belong to me. Give them back to me!"

"No."

"Who do you think you are? You are a weak human being who hasn't even awakened yet? What do you even know about draconian souls? Even a million souls of your pathetic kith and kin wouldn't come close to these few souls."

"No."

"You ask what I want? Either return back my draconian souls or bring me a million of your useless human souls? Can you do that?" She bellowed in rage. 

She did not want to talk to this hateful person any longer. He was truly a vile person without an inkling of kindness and it was clear to her that he was not going to return the draconian souls.

But unexpectedly, Liam finally nodded his head in a different direction. With a small grin, he said. "Yes. That last thing could be arranged."

"What?" The woman was shocked.

"I can give you a million of my fellow humans."

As he repeated his words again, the woman now had a truly horrid expression on her face. "You are going to betray your entire race for a small benefit?"

"Yup." Liam already had a plan when he learned without a doubt the amount of soul strength this woman needed to recover.

The woman stared at him for a moment in puzzlement and then shook her head. "You might be willing to sell out your entire race but unfortunately that is not an option. There are forces here that are beyond your comprehension."

Liam's smile widened. "You mean the people who imprisoned you will realize that you are trying to escape?"

"What did you say?" The woman now stared at him in utter disbelief as her jaw dropped to the ground. "How? How did you know that?"

Bingo! Liam knew that he had guessed it correctly. This was why the PVP tower master Crawford had not killed him and went in that roundabout way to make him submit.

All these small hints he had collected, from the tower master Crawford, the grandmaster blacksmith Acalan and lastly that old elf, today was clicking together. 

There was one thing common among all of them. It was that they were afraid of someone or something in this game.

And it was as if they talked about this being or entity, then they would be found out!

So if he extrapolated this logically, this prisoner was also probably trying to keep a low profile with this same entity. Who was this someone who had such power over these terrifying beings? 

He who must not be named? A god? Perhaps the person who was running this whole tutorial or perhaps even responsible for the entire apocalypse that befell the planet?

There were so many questions running through Liam's mind but he knew that he couldn't get the answers he wanted from this person. Just like all the others she also wouldn't talk anything about his particular being.

So instead, he told her his plan. "You will only get caught if you completely erased the soul of someone. If you take just a little bit, you will not get caught. Am I correct?"

The woman silently stared as she pondered the words she had just heard, but no matter how she thought about it, she couldn't find any flaws in that. 

After a few seconds, she nodded. "That is indeed the case. You are correct. I can either use the few powerful draconian souls or I can use small fragments of millions of human souls."

This time she didn't say this out of anger. This was an actual possibility. Just a little bit won't hurt at all. The only problem was…

"How are you going to bring me a million human souls?"

Liam fished out a dungeon crystal from his inventory. "Using this maybe?" He then told her the plan he had in mind. It was just an idea but the woman was more cooperative this time around and the two discussed to finally arrive at a solution.

***

Bonus chapter~~

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