Lala turned around, stopping in her tracks as her eyes caught sight of a figure inside a glass case.
A man—or more precisely, a humanoid khodam so handsome he seemed too perfect to be artificial.
His face was serene, his jawline sharp, with black hair falling to his shoulders and eyes like polished obsidian. Even in his slumber, his aura was overwhelming, making Lala's heart race uncontrollably.
Without hesitation, she approached the counter.
"Sir, how much is this khodam?" she asked, pointing to the glass case.
The shopkeeper glanced at the khodam and gave a small nod.
"That khodam has no special abilities. His only advantage is his looks. He costs twenty-five million."
Lala's eyes widened. "Huh? No special abilities but twenty-five million?"
The shopkeeper sighed. "Miss, handsome khodams are extremely rare. It's rare to find a good-looking soul—most artificial spirits are rough and ugly."
Lala bit her lower lip. She knew she was weak to appearances... but still?
"Alright, how do I buy it?"
"First, touch the glass case. It will display the compatibility percentage between your soul and the khodam. If it's too low, don't force it. The khodam will be destroyed."
Lala nodded, then slowly placed her palm on the surface of the glass.
The display lit up in red.
2%
Lala stood still. Her smile faded instantly.
"Impossible..." she whispered.
The shopkeeper nodded solemnly. "A terrible match. If you force it, the khodam will break apart. Compatibility is everything for artificial khodams."
Lala lowered her head. Disappointment welled up in her chest.
Lala didn't give up. Even if that one wasn't compatible, she kept trying with other male artificial khodams—though none were as handsome as the first.
But each time she touched the glass, the result was the same.
Below 10% compatibility.
Every single one.
"Why is it so hard to find a compatible khodam...?" she muttered in frustration.
The shopkeeper gave her a sympathetic look.
"Miss, I can understand your unusual hobby—wanting to possess a male khodam. But female souls rarely match with male khodams."
"Female soul?" Lala blinked.
In her heart, she was Rai, a pure-blooded man, firm in his identity.
What do you mean a female soul? My soul is a real man.
"Don't be sad, customer," the shopkeeper said with a sly grin. "We also have macho women."
He pointed at a khodam inside the display—muscular, towering, with arms that looked like they could break bricks.
Lala took a step back in horror.
"No—no thanks. I think I'd rather try… a pretty one."
The shopkeeper chuckled.
"Ah, customer… would you like to see a secret?"
Lala's instincts sharpened.
"A secret?"
The man just smiled and beckoned her to follow. He led her to a red door at the back of the shop.
Inside were three female khodams, all beautiful in different ways. But one of them radiated a strange black aura.
"Shopkeeper… why does that one have a dark aura?"
"These three are our newest premium models," he explained.
"The first one, the tall and sultry lady, has both fire and lightning control. Look at that mature face, that perfect body, those lips—designed to bewitch men. She's powerful, and beautiful."
He moved to the second.
"This innocent-looking girl is actually a brothel model. She was made for pleasure houses. Her skills include strong illusion magic, an incredibly sensitive body, and a naturally arousing scent. She can generate endless 'moisture' for… activities. Buy her now and I'll throw in a bonus—'100 Basic Illusion Spells' manual."
Then he gestured to the last—black aura still gently pulsing.
"This one's a Black Khodam—but don't worry, the aura is fake. She was designed for infiltration missions against black shamans. Sadly, her original buyer died, so I've kept her hidden back here. She even has an on/off switch for the black aura."
"All three cost 30 million each… but if you buy the full set, I'll give it for 75 million."
"Because nobody wants a spy khodam?" Lala asked flatly.
"Please, customer, don't be so blunt," the shopkeeper winced. "Who knows? That one might be just what you need."
Lala fell silent.
Her family had been killed by a black shaman.
Maybe… this khodam really would be useful.
"Fine. I'll take all three," she said. "But I need to test compatibility."
She reached out one by one.
Fire & lightning khodam: 95% compatibility.
Brothel illusion khodam: 98% compatibility.
Spy black khodam: 93% compatibility.
Lala froze.
Those numbers were absurdly high.
Was her soul really a woman?
But in her heart, she was still Rai—a true man.
Maybe it was time to ask Dukun Rosso some serious questions.
After the payment was processed, Lala divided her soul once again—this time into the three new khodams. One by one, the beautiful women opened their eyes, now inhabited by pieces of her.
It was a strange sensation—controlling five bodies at once.Rai's original body remained still. Lala's first khodam, the natural one, she was used to.
Now, with practiced ease, Rai silently guided the three new female khodams—the lightning wielder, the illusionist, and the hidden spy—to enter his original body.
There was no command spoken.
Only willpower.
And they moved, as if it were their own choice.
Because in the end, they were all him.
And he was ready to use every piece of himself—to survive, to fight, and to take revenge.
After leaving the artificial khodam shop, Lala wandered through the market, buying all sorts of strange foods she had never seen before. The spirit realm was full of bizarre cuisine with magical, ever-changing flavors—like floating cakes, soups that tingled like lightning, and bread that whispered compliments with every bite.
The first time she came here, she only had five hours. But now, with more time, she was able to walk deeper into the marketplace. It was far larger than any normal market. Even after eight hours of walking, new, unique shops continued to appear around every corner.
Rai couldn't help but wonder, Are there really that many shamans in this world?
Her curiosity was drawn to a massive structure ahead—like a football stadium, but different. Intrigued, Lala bought a ticket and stepped inside.
Inside, the place reeked of sweat, blood, and magic. It was a stadium, but not for football—it was for khodam battles. Brutal, no-rules, spirit-on-spirit fights. There were stands for betting, and enchanted screens hovering in the air, showing real-time stats of the fighters.
Two khodams walked onto the stage. One had the face of a crocodile, standing upright with a giant axe dripping in dark energy. The other had the head of a bull and wielded a silver spear that pulsed with life.
Both were towering, muscular, and scarred from countless battles.
A masked announcer in a red robe floated to the center of the arena. His voice echoed with magical amplification:
"Welcome to the Arena of Souls! Here, there is only one rule—Kill your opponent's khodam!"
The crowd roared in approval. Lala simply watched, her expression tense.
She knew khodams couldn't truly die—their core spirit would return to their vessel—but that didn't mean the pain and suffering weren't real.
And somehow, watching this... it made her stomach twist.