The jungle of Little Garden felt as if it were holding its breath. Mr. 3 stood atop a giant leaf, his candle-shaped hair flickering with a smug, oily light. Beside him, Miss Goldenweek sat calmly on a picnic blanket, her brush hovering over a palette of hypnotic colors.
"A Soul Trader?" Mr. 3 adjusted his glasses, his voice dripping with condescension. "What a ridiculous title. In the face of my artistic genius, even the strongest souls are nothing more than raw material for my wax statues."
With a flick of his fingers, a stream of boiling white wax erupted from his palm, shaping itself into dozens of sharp, hardened bolts. "Candle Lock!"
Kai didn't move. He stood his ground, the golden light in his eyes intensifying as he activated [Merchant's Domain: Thermal Scan]. He could see the molecular instability of the wax – it was strong, yes, but it lacked a 'Soul Anchor'. It was hollow.
"Silas, take Vivi and Karoo behind the giants," Kai commanded, his voice steady. "This man's art is empty. I'll show him what a real masterpiece looks like."
[Skill Activated: Soul Infusion – Violet Flame.]
[Cost: 20 Soul Coins.]
Kai's dagger, already reinforced by the giants' gratitude, began to burn with a cold, violet fire. As the wax bolts flew toward him, Kai spun in a blur of motion, his blade cutting through the air. He didn't just deflect the wax; the violet flames devoured the 'Will' behind the ability, causing the hardened bolts to crumble into harmless white dust before they could even touch his clothes.
"Impossible!" Mr. 3's smug expression shattered. "My wax is as hard as steel! How can a mere dagger turn it to ash?"
"Your wax is just a shell," Kai said, his shadow stretching toward Mr. 3 like a predatory beast. "It has no spirit to hold it together against a flame that burns the soul."
[Ding! Enemy Psychologically Shaken.]
[Soul Value of Target (Mr. 3) increasing due to fear: 85 -> 110 Coins.]
Kai vanished, reappearing mid-air directly above Mr. 3. This wasn't a simple attack; he was using the [Soul Puppet] to anchor himself in the air, creating a terrifying image of a floating reaper.
"Now," Kai whispered, his voice echoing in Mr. 3's mind. "Let's see how much your 'artistic' soul is worth on the open market."