One-Eyed Monster

The effect of Igor’s example was very apparent. After hearing it, Kadi nodded earnestly, as if he’d had an instantaneous epiphany.

Kuren glanced at Igor. This kid is really something, he thought. He’d managed to make obstinate Kadi completely agreeable in the blink of an eye. This took some serious skill.

Kadi’s obstinacy was famous throughout Guru Mountain. Everyone knew he always liked to question ’why,’ bouncing from one topic to another, questioning absolutely everything.

Very few people on Guru Mountain could withstand his constant questioning. Everyone feared Kadi’s relentless inquiries—not because they were difficult, but because they were exasperating to answer.

Sometimes, Kadi asked about common knowledge and would persistently badger on until he got an answer, which could often become unbearable.

Luckily, Igor had arrived, effortlessly dispensing with Kadi’s plethora of questions and saving a lot of time in the process.

Kadi stroked his chin. ”So that’s how it is,” he mused. ”It seems Joseph has been wasting time, leading to this whole situation.”

This blame fell squarely on Joseph. Not only did it deflect Kadi’s pointless query, but it also found a scapegoat to cover everything up, killing two birds with one stone. Kadi might have done this intentionally. However, everyone else thought it was just Kadi acting impulsively. Kadi isn’t sharp enough to plan this, they thought.

Joseph took it in stride. He accepted the blame naturally, regardless if he deserved it. He knew that once he got tangled up with Kadi again, it wouldn’t just be about taking the blame anymore.

”So now that we’ve all figured it out and we’re all on the same page, what are we hesitating for?” Kadi spoke up again. ”We should go right away. Time is of the essence.” He was adamant that they should promptly move forward.

What Kadi did not know was that leaving this safe house was easier said than done.

”Kadi, being impatient won’t help. Do you remember what happened to us in the Ghost Wind Valley? The more you rush, the more counterproductive it will be. And the situation here is far more complex than in the valley.”

Only Igor could manage Kadi; Kuren and Joseph truly wouldn’t have known how to handle him.

”So what should I do now?” Kadi now hung on Igor’s every word. Anyway, Igor wouldn’t lie to me, he thought.

”Do nothing. Just quietly accumulate your own Spirit Power. You must have gleaned some understanding about Spirit Power after everything we’ve been through, right?” Igor kept his tone steady. His way of persuading Kadi was truly unique.

”Of course! I’ve got a rough grasp of Spirit Power. Although I can’t quite articulate what it is, I can already sense it intuitively,” Kadi said with evident pride.

”That’s right. Earlier, inside the Inner World, you really did deliver Spirit Power to us in a timely manner. Without it, Senior Kuren and I would have been stuck inside that Inner World for much longer. You’ve made rapid progress, Kadi. At this moment, your Spirit Power is indispensable for us to get out.” Igor’s persuasion contained both encouragement and praise, making Kadi completely agreeable.

Kuren and Joseph couldn’t help but mentally applaud Igor. To command Kadi so easily was indeed no small feat.

Kadi sat quietly to one side, entrusted by Igor with the ”significant” task. I’m so important! he thought, a wave of pride washing over him. He immediately fell silent and began to stockpile Spirit Power.

”Alright, it’s time for us to contribute now,” Igor said softly, sighing.

Kuren and Joseph shared a smile.

”You should release your World Setting Technique,” Joseph suggested. ”As you told Kadi before, we need to conserve our strength now, saving our Spirit Power reserves.”

”Yes, but how will Senior Kuren…” Igor began.

”Don’t worry. Our Spirit Power is connected, so even outside your World Setting Technique, we can communicate with you freely, just like before,” Joseph said.

”Alright, thank you, Senior Joseph!” Igor then slowly withdrew the Spirit Power he had released. The World Setting Technique consumed a great deal of Spirit Power, and he couldn’t sustain it indefinitely.

”We need to get out of this safe house now, and it won’t be easy. We all know we’re currently inside a World Setting Technique, but this one seems a bit different. If it were a normal spell, given your and Kuren’s expertise, getting out shouldn’t be difficult. So why are we in this situation? We need to speculate,” Joseph began, effectively saving Igor and Kuren much unnecessary explanation.

”We know there’s a key to the safe house and Kevin has it. Could that key be the crucial element?” Kuren asked Igor through Joseph, seeking confirmation.

”The key could be crucial, but I think there’s another issue that demands our attention,” Igor said.

”What issue?” Kuren and Joseph asked, clearly having no idea what Igor had discovered.

”If Spirit Power can connect within this spell, doesn’t that mean everything magical here was transmitted via Spirit Power?” Igor asked. Though confident in his discovery, he still felt it necessary to verify it with the two seniors.

”What you’ve posited is indeed a possibility,” Joseph was the first to respond.

”For example, the healing and recovery in this safe house—that’s very likely Yuga’s technique,” Kuren added.

”If that’s really the case, then I think our top priority should be to link everyone’s Spirit Power within this spell,” Igor said, very excited. His idea was novel and bold.

”Why?” Kuren asked, not understanding.

”You mean to try... the Ant Connection Spell?” Joseph guessed cautiously. This method of Spirit Connection shows promise; we had success with the Ant Connection Spell with Kadi earlier, he thought.

”I want to give it a try. But before that, we must figure out whose Spirit Power might be contained in this World Setting Technique,” Igor continued.

Kuren and Joseph were quick on the uptake. They understood Igor’s intentions and wouldn’t question relentlessly like Kadi, because they knew what Igor wanted to achieve.

Igor intended to establish Spirit Communication through the technique. Though it seemed far-fetched, the possibility existed.

”If my judgment is correct, this spell should contain the Great Mentor’s Spirit Power, and Kevin’s too,” Joseph offered his assessment to Igor.

”That’s right. Yuga, who can summon Wind Elementals, is also part of this. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a Healing Technique appearing for no reason. Yuga... he’s an Awakened being, though he himself probably doesn’t even know it,” Kuren added.

They were doing their utmost to assist Igor. They believed that, at this moment, Igor was positioned to drive the growth of the Adventurers with Class, or perhaps even influence the development of the entire world.

Igor listened attentively as Kuren and Joseph shared their insights.