One-Eyed Monster

”Turbulent changes?” Kuren was tremendously shocked. He felt that at this moment, he and Igor had stumbled upon an earth-shattering secret within the Inner World. Perhaps even the Great Mentor hasn’t detected this secret.

”Yes, as I previously mentioned, your world is complex; every individual possesses distinct thoughts. The Awakened have tied us, causing us Reincarnators to lose our inherent innocence. We began to evolve—or to put it more precisely, our minds began to evolve. Gradually, some differentiation started to emerge in our world. This differentiation is terrifying and unstoppable, and all of this is due to the differences between you, the Awakened.”

Kuren contemplated these words. He felt as though he had plunged into an insane state, just like when he first started exploring the World Setting Technique.

Igor was still pondering. There was so much information to digest; it would require some time.

Igor lifted his head to gaze at the azure sky. Even though he knew this sky was an illusion, he still looked up at a forty-five-degree angle. It was a habit of his when he was thinking.

”I actually still have many questions. But I feel the most important one to me right now is: who are you really, and who are ’you all’?”

Lost in thought, Igor still felt he should ask a meaningful question—one Kuren had actually posed much earlier.

However, due to the overwhelming shock and surprise, they had all collectively forgotten this crucial question. But now that Igor brought it up again, attention in the small, confined space instantly refocused on this question.

”Yeah, who exactly are you all? Or how should we address you?” Kuren chimed in. His question, unlike Igor’s directness, left some room for the other party, making it less abrupt.

The voice went silent for a moment, seemingly in contemplation. This brief pause filled the confined space with an incredible stillness, a quiet so profound it was almost unbelievable.

”I mentioned before that the awakening of us Reincarnators was entirely dependent on your techniques. These techniques are a means of awakening, gradually stripping away the mystery from ancient things,” the voice replied obscurely, as if hiding something.

”The Reincarnators’ history must be longer than ours; that’s undeniable. Perhaps you came into being with the world itself. However, ’Reincarnator’ should merely describe a state you are in, not be your actual name, correct?” Kuren analyzed, his reasoning sound and well-presented.

”Our previous memories are murky. You could say we were born from your techniques,” the voice responded, taking Kuren’s point.

”So, you came into being at almost the same time as the Adventurers with Class!” Igor abruptly interjected, though his hypothesis wasn’t entirely unfounded.

”You’re not entirely wrong. Our awakening and the emergence of your Adventurers with Class happened almost simultaneously,” the voice replied, a note of appreciation for Igor’s insight in its tone.

”The appearance of Adventurers with Class coincided with the discovery of Spirit Power. Even now, many Scholars believe Spirit Power warrants further investigation. To put it plainly, the world of Adventurers with Class still lacks a complete understanding of Spirit Power and can only rely on speculation. Current conclusions are not very consistent,” Kuren added. His knowledge of such matters was certainly deeper than Igor’s, as he was a man who had lived through many years.

”You’ve touched upon the crucial point: Spirit Power,” the voice commented, sounding pleased with Kuren’s deduction.

”Spirit Power?” Igor asked eagerly, his interest clearly piqued. ”Are you saying you also rely on Spirit Power to manifest your abilities? Do you also need to comprehend Spirit Power?”

”No, it’s not as you imagine. However, we do indeed have a connection with what you call Spirit Power. Your way of generalizing Spirit Power is too simple, too monolithic, and this has limited you. Of course, you are not entirely to blame for this. Given the differences among the Awakened, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t think of this aspect,” the voice said faintly, as if narrating some faraway story.

”You need to understand that the reason techniques can awaken us is because techniques are intimately connected to Spirit Power. And where does the Spirit Power you depend on for survival come from? Can you yourselves explain that clearly?”

”Of course, we can explain it! Spirit Power is the energy substance hidden within Living Entities. This is all clearly stated in the books,” Igor said dismissively, thinking the voice was just trying to be enigmatic.

”Igor,” Kuren interrupted, ”there’s no definitive conclusion about Spirit Power yet. All existing records are just guesses because this energy substance is something we can’t comprehend, only sense.” In that moment, Igor’s ignorance seemed starkly amplified.

”Huh?” Igor’s reaction was plain to see; he found it incredible. So, the entire world of Adventurers with Class only had speculative knowledge about Spirit Power! That meant that in the stories the Great Mentor had told him, there must have been many things he had misunderstood!

Igor felt his mind reeling again. He deeply recognized that the path was long, and there were far too many things awaiting his investigation. He had to keep exploring, ceaselessly.

”Don’t be surprised. It’s impressive that a young man like you has made it this far. As I said before, I admire you, and I still do. I plan to accompany you for a lifetime; seeing you grow is indeed a pleasure for me. Thank you, Igor.”

The words were heartfelt, the sincerity almost palpable, yet they failed to move Igor.

”Who was it just now,” Igor retorted, clearly remembering the voice’s earlier sarcasm, ”that said I was ’purely wasting time’ and that we were being ’overly sentimental’ or something to that effect?”

”This isn’t the time for emotional displays,” Kuren said, his voice tight with agitation. ”We can’t see you, nor can we sense your presence. Apart from hearing your voice, we know nothing. As you yourself said, we need to hurry. So tell us the answer! We’re at our breaking point.” He felt like his mind was about to overload; after such intense thinking, he was completely exhausted.

”It’s difficult for me to explain what I am, or rather, what we are. We haven’t reached a consensus on this with the Awakened either. The only concept that both sides acknowledge, the closest thing to common ground, is ’Spirit Power’.”

”What?” Igor’s jaw dropped. ”Don’t tell me... you *are* Spirit Power?”

Kuren, too, stared blankly at Igor. The boy’s mind worked so quickly; Kuren himself was having trouble keeping pace.

What was even more crucial was that every sentence the boy spoke sounded like utter nonsense, yet it always contained a kind of indescribable logic. Kuren couldn’t put his finger on the reason for this.

”You’re not entirely correct, but you’re not entirely wrong either. In a way, we are what you call Spirit Power, but not completely. For the time being, you can call us ’Spirits.’ This, incidentally, is the collective term that exceptionally insightful Awakened use for us.”