One-Eyed Monster

Igor and Kuren looked at each other, both filled with disbelief. According to the voice, they were both Awakeners.

”So you’re saying that your creator—I mean, the creator of the spell that awakened you—isn’t an Awakener?” Igor asked weakly.

”He is not. He never had any communication with me,” the voice replied calmly.

”But… why am I an Awakener if the Great Mentor isn’t?” Igor was confused. He believed that being an Awakener should correspond to one’s abilities. Yet here he was, a mere youngster, apparently surpassing the Great Mentor to become an Awakener. It was something he simply couldn’t comprehend.

”Your concern is quite normal because your thinking isn’t bifurcated; you’re mixing everything together,” the voice replied. He had peered into Igor’s mind and continued to address their doubts.

Kuren lapsed into deep thought. He was no longer as young as Igor, and his mind didn’t turn as quickly. He would thoroughly contemplate and observe every matter before speaking. That was Kuren’s style.

”I still don’t understand. Why isn’t the Great Mentor an Awakener? Logically, he should also be able to roam the Inner World. As the creator, shouldn’t he be intimately familiar with you—no, I mean the World Setting Technique? With so many opportunities in the Inner World, how could he have missed the chance to connect with you? I find this unconvincing, so I’m still skeptical. I don’t believe any of this is real.” Igor blurted out all his doubts at once. He wasn’t like Kuren; although he would ponder things himself, he would immediately voice any confusion. This was his habit, and also his weakness.

”Your concerns are indeed logical in your world. However, in our realm, Awakeners are merely a medium. It’s not about superiority in ability, because our place isn’t as complex as yours. We are simply a group of Reincarnators, constantly falling asleep and reawakening. All the excitement is entirely on your side.”

”So, an Awakener is a treasure to you because you need to understand our world through them?” Kuren interjected. He had been thinking a lot and felt it was necessary to seek verification from the voice.

”Mm, you could say that, or you could choose not to. While Awakeners are scarce, they do exist. Through Awakeners, we connect with you, gradually piecing together these two originally separate worlds. This can also be considered a form of Integration.”

”What are you two talking about? This world, that world… aren’t we all in the same world?” The naive Igor couldn’t grasp such profound concepts; he could only judge these matters superficially.

Kuren glanced at Igor. This young man truly has a simple mind, he thought. No wonder his thoughts are so numerous yet not chaotic at all, preventing him from going astray.

”This is what I meant earlier when I said your thinking isn’t bifurcated. That’s why it’s hard for you to understand what we’re discussing now,” the voice said. He had become quite serious since Kuren joined the conversation and rarely joked with Igor anymore.

”You are secrets hidden within this world. The appearance of Adventurers with Class awakened you. The appearance of Awakeners led to your discovery. And you, through communication with Awakeners, are mutually integrating with our side. Is that correct?” Kuren stated.

It had to be said, Kuren’s analysis was very insightful; every sentence he spoke carried deep meaning.

”Correct. Your analysis is very sound. Awakeners influence us. The complexity of your world is causing ripples on our side, and many unknown things are happening with lightning speed, catching us off guard.” The voice was gradually lifting the veil of mystery, step by step.

”According to what you’re saying, it seems Awakeners are of great significance to you,” Kuren continued, seeking to confirm his deductions.

”What you’re talking about is so complicated. But I think I’m starting to get it. When you say ’us’ and ’you,’ you mean places I can’t see, right?” Igor interjected inopportunely, completely disrupting the exchange between Kuren and the voice.

”Igor, this world of ours may look very monotonous, but it is actually complex and diverse. There’s a hidden part to this world that we haven’t discovered, but they are right beside us. For instance, ’they’ are of this type,” Kuren patiently explained to the young man, though he wasn’t sure if Igor could understand.

”Senior Kuren, do you mean that what we see is one world, and besides that, there’s another world around us?”

”You can understand it that way. However, that other world cannot be freely entered. There are interfaces connecting the various worlds, but we cannot come and go as we please.”

”Are so many worlds all on this same land?”

”Correct. That you can think of this point shows you’ve put thought into it. The saying, ’A flower, one world; a tree, one universe,’ is precisely this principle,” the voice added. He was quite satisfied with Igor’s comprehension, and his appreciation for the young man was not misplaced.

”But earlier, you said the Great Mentor created you, and I awakened you. Why do I feel like your current explanation strongly contradicts what you said before?” Igor pressed on, feeling he was still being kept in the dark.

”There was an element of amusement in what I said to you before, but I wasn’t deceiving you. Awakening us is tantamount to creating us. Though I was being a bit playful at the time, with your understanding, you should have quickly grasped this.”

Igor blinked, noncommittal about this explanation. His mind always worked differently from others; his thoughts were always unique.

”But, but you said I’m an Awakener. Why can you also communicate with Senior Kuren then? That’s a bit strange, isn’t it? Surely, after entering our world, you can’t just communicate with anyone you want, can you?”

”We are restricted by Awakeners. Furthermore, after entering this world, we cannot randomly communicate with people. For those who are not Awakeners, we have no way to communicate with them at all.”

”You mean Senior Kuren is also an Awakener?” Igor’s eyes widened again; he couldn’t believe it.

”Yes, he is also an Awakener. Moreover, he is an Awakener affiliated with me. This is also one reason why I am special.”

”The Great Mentor’s spell summoned you. We two, through our exploration in the Inner World, discovered you. Then we both became Awakeners. It’s just that Igor awakened earlier, and I awakened later. Is that correct?” Kuren asked again. His deductions were usually very accurate.

”Yes, you are correct. You both awakened me.” The voice continued, ”I will accompany you for your entire lives. This is a restriction: an Awakener’s life will be an important marker for our Reincarnation. After you go to the Eternal Tranquility Realm, I will fall into slumber once more. But before that, I will use your eyes to experience your world. It is precisely this kind of Integration that is causing our world to undergo turbulent changes.”