After the tuyul's death, its body vanished into wisps of light—leaving behind a small, glowing blue gemstone.
Gork stepped forward and picked it up, holding it up to the light. It pulsed faintly in his hand.
They continued their hunt. Lala and Gork moved through the forest, slaying a few more tuyuls along the way. Lala soon noticed something unusual—tiny glowing fireflies were following her wherever she went. When she focused on them, she realized she could control their movements with just her thoughts.
However, she still didn't know exactly what they were for.
After about an hour of hunting, both of them returned to Master Toist, who was still seated under the giant tree, his eyes half-closed in meditation.
"Good," he said, sensing their presence. "Now that you've experienced real combat, you're beginning to bond with your khodam. You may still not understand everything about your abilities, but you will—slowly. After all, your khodam is your own body."
"To understand it," he added, "you must stop thinking of your khodam as a separate being. Treat it as an extension of yourself. Your instincts will guide you."
Gork stepped forward, showing the blue gem.
"What's this? And what about that strange energy we felt when we killed the tuyuls?"
Master Toist opened his eyes and gave a slight nod. "Ah, good question."
He raised a finger.
"The energy you absorbed is khodam energy. There are several ways to obtain it," he began explaining:
"First—Absorption from nature. This is the most difficult. It requires both talent and proper cultivation methods."
"Second—Consuming or absorbing spiritual treasures, like the black chicken's blood. These methods range from simple to extremely dangerous, depending on the item."
"Third—By killing jin or other spiritual beings. This is considered the easiest, since khodam energy is automatically absorbed from the defeated enemy."
"And fourth," Toist smirked slightly, "there are many strange, unknown methods—some passed down in secret by clans or discovered by unusual shamans."
He then pointed at the gem in Gork's hand.
"That gem? It's a condensed piece of khodam energy. You can use it to strengthen your khodam—or trade it, depending on where you go."
After their conversation, Master Toist suddenly opened a swirling portal before them. Without hesitation, he stepped through.
"This place looks like a city," Lala whispered as she followed with Gork.
"Remember this," Toist said as they walked, "always use an alias in this place. If someone learns your real name, there might be black shamans who will target you using it."
"That's called santet—a form of long-distance dark magic. It can cross continents. So be careful."
With that warning, both Lala and Gork nodded seriously. They had already grown somewhat used to their fake names, but now they were even more cautious.
As they stepped out of the portal, a massive wooden sign greeted them:
"Welcome to Banjar's Spirit Market."
Though called a city, it resembled more of a bustling marketplace filled with strange and otherworldly sights. The scene widened Lala and Gork's eyes—this spiritual realm was far from simple. It was complex, lively, and full of secrets.
Stalls and shops lined the path, offering things they'd never seen before:
Caged tuyul and other jinn being sold as spiritual slaves.
Vendors selling exotic foods, glowing potions, and mysterious weapons.
Healers offering cures for spiritual wounds.
Even fortune-tellers whispering truths for the right price.
Master Toist led them to a particular stall that sold colored gemstones. The air smelled faintly of incense and dry herbs.
"Try selling that tuyul gem here," Toist said, nodding toward Gork. "Remember, the usual selling price is seventy thousand. Buying price is a hundred thousand."
Lala blinked in confusion. "Wait… does this place use real money?"
"Yes," Toist said with a smirk. "What, you thought shamans don't need cash? Their main bodies still need to eat—and feed their families."
Gork placed the gem on the counter. The merchant, an old man with sharp eyes, examined it carefully and then offered only fifty thousand.
But Gork held firm. "The usual price is seventy," he said confidently.
The merchant hesitated, then reluctantly nodded, handing over the money with a fake smile. He had lost the chance to scam a newbie.
Lala stood beside them, looking glum.
Gork noticed. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"I wish I had known we were coming to a spirit market," Lala replied with a sigh. "If I had known they use rupiah, I would've brought some. My pockets are empty."
She cast a longing glance at a food stall nearby, where glowing dumplings and steaming soups tempted her senses.
"We just hunted four tuyul and got 140 thousand each," Gork said with a grin, handing the money to Lala.
Lala, still staring at the array of mysterious foods with sparkling eyes, turned to Master Toist.
"How much do these foods cost?" she asked hopefully.
"Usually between ten to twenty thousand," Master Toist replied casually.
Without hesitation, Lala and Gork approached a food vendor. They bought several strange delicacies—some glowing faintly like fire, others looking like transparent floating jelly, and some shaped like fruits but breathing softly.
The taste was unlike anything they'd ever experienced. Strange, but delicious—as if touching parts of their taste buds that had never been awakened.
Master Toist simply shook his head, watching his two disciples laugh and eat with delight.
After nearly four hours of fun, Lala and Gork's bodies began to tremble. Their khodam energy had run dry. Their bodies weakened, and a strong force pulled their consciousness back.
In an instant, they woke up in their real bodies.
Rai and Alfin looked at each other—fully back in the human world.
Moments later, the Unicorn and Master Toist slowly returned to the body of Dukun Rosso. The shaman opened his eyes, looking at them with a calm expression.
"How was your experience in the spirit world?" he asked with a slight smile.
"Pretty fun," Rai replied, followed by a nod from Alfin.
"Well, now you both know what the spirit world is like. Alfin, now you understand how hard it is to search for your girlfriend, Diana."
Alfin lowered his head slightly, realizing this journey was far more dangerous and complicated than he thought.
"Rai, you also now see that killing a shaman is not an easy task."
Dukun Rosso's gaze grew more serious.
"Remember this well. There are four main scenarios in a battle between shamans."
1. Khodam vs Khodam
"If the battle is between khodams, fight until the end. A destroyed khodam will automatically revive as long as there's enough khodam energy. So defeat is not the end—unless your energy runs dry."
2. Khodam vs Caster
"This is dangerous for the caster. Khodams can kill a caster, but khodams themselves can revive. So if you're a caster facing a khodam—run. Don't be stupid. Casters usually merge with their khodam to escape."
3. Caster vs Caster – Close Range
"This is a fight to the death. The casters merge with their khodams to battle. The loser dies. No mercy."
4. Caster vs Caster – Long Range
"This usually happens when both know each other's hideout. They send khodams and control them from afar. In these cases, the ability to control more than one body becomes extremely important."
After explaining everything, Dukun Rosso stared at them deeply.
"And if one day, you see a battle you can't understand… run. Hide."
He ended with one powerful sentence:
"Remember this in your heart: we kill without touching."