One-Eyed Monster

Igor’s words had some merit. They had been stuck there for quite a while, and the people outside must be fretting. Regardless of the true identity of Stan Sol—whether he was a friend or foe—what was certain was that Stan Sol was also frantically trying to establish a connection with them. As for his motivations, they had no idea.

For the moment, none of Igor’s group knew what was going on outside, so the slightest movement set them all aflutter with speculation, especially Kuren and Joseph. However, despite their doubts, they knew they had to continue what they were doing.

Kuren and Joseph exchanged glances, suddenly realizing they had both displayed a rather improper attitude. They shouldn’t be stalled like this. They shouldn’t waste so much time on one issue. Even with their doubts about Stan Sol’s identity, they shouldn’t be endlessly fixated on it, nor should they remain idle here.

At that moment, Kuren and Joseph recognized that no matter who Stan Sol was, they didn’t have many other choices. Igor’s suggestion was also a good one; under the present circumstances, his method seemed the most suitable.

Everything changed quickly. Not everything was within their anticipation, and not every event would wait for them to think things through before proceeding.

For instance, right then, within the cave—what the creatures of Guru Mountain called their safe house—the Two-way Channel Igor had discovered hadn’t stopped operating. Streams of Spirit Power flowed inward again, and once more, Stan Sol’s Spirit Power was among them. Of course, this Spirit Power was carrying a message.

The message was simple, a question still communicated in the language used between the creatures.

Stan Sol’s question was, ”You all know Dastan, right?”

This was an attempt—Stan Sol’s attempt to gain trust in an unfamiliar environment by using something familiar to the other party. Otherwise, everything would feel distant and increasingly strange.

Dastan. This was indeed a common point between them.

Due to the emergence of this name, Kuren and Joseph’s attitudes eased somewhat. However, the cautious habits of the Adventurers with Class made them slightly suspicious of this approach to draw them closer.

”Dastan? What connection does Dastan have with him?” Kadi was very surprised. How could Stan Sol possibly know Dastan?

”Dastan is a member of the Sol Family,” Joseph calmly told Kadi. He was equally surprised; how could Kadi not know Dastan was a member of the Sol Family?

After his astonishment, Joseph furrowed his brows, recognizing something perplexing. This was something only the creatures of Guru Mountain could discover; others wouldn’t typically notice it. The reason was simple: no one else knew Dastan was a member of the Sol Family. Only these creatures, whom Dastan regarded as kin, were privy to this secret.

Kuren and Joseph didn’t know what Dastan had specifically faced at the time. They only knew he had defended Dawn Peak with his life, but his ultimate fate and whereabouts remained unclear to them. So, Stan Sol’s statement was a bit abnormal. Yes, Dastan was a member of the Sol Family, but no one had ever disclosed his identity. This meant that unless Dastan himself admitted it, no one would know he was part of the Sol Family. And no matter how one looked at it, Dastan’s appearance had changed so significantly it would be hard to recognize him at a glance. Even if one attempted Spirit Sensing, the drastic alteration in appearance would sow doubt in the perceiver’s mind. After all their analysis, Kuren and Joseph felt that Stan Sol couldn’t have possibly known beforehand that Dastan was on this mountain. Absolutely not; there shouldn’t even be a chance of that.

Joseph and Kuren speculated that Dastan might have encountered some unique circumstances…

Kuren and the others, of course, didn’t know about the fierce battle at Dawn Peak between the Alchemy Workshop and Dastan, nor could they naturally fathom the wrath Stan Sol had displayed.

Mulling over their suspicions unwittingly ate away at their time, and then the Two-way Channel transmitted Spirit Power again. The Spirit Power had the same color and was transmitted in the same way, still carrying a message.

The frequent attempts at communication, meeting with no response, likely meant Stan Sol was feeling as anxious as Igor and the others inside the cave. The message this time was still straightforward.

”Trust me, I am guarding this mountain in place of my clansman, Dastan. You must believe me!”

His sincerity touched Kuren and Joseph, but it didn’t readily dissolve their doubts. In the end, Igor’s approach seemed worth trying.

So this time, they didn’t hesitate and fully accepted Igor’s plan. They used a probing question to seek an answer: was this Stan Sol an enemy? They should know soon enough. Even if this Stan Sol wasn’t a friend, accurately delivering the message here three times in a row meant he should have pinpointed their location. It wouldn’t take long for him to arrive. At that point, a full-on battle would begin. Before that moment arrived, hopefully this probing question would buy them some time to catch their breath. After all, they had already wasted a lot of time!

Various emotions churned inside Kuren and Joseph. They were prepared for any outcome, ready to accept it fully.

Igor watched as they sent the coded message. Stan Sol had asked him to try and establish a connection, but he still didn’t understand the point of it. Moreover, how to even establish a connection with Stan Sol was still a problem.

Igor was frustrated with his own performance. He hadn’t discovered anything new in his exploration and had made no progress in establishing a connection. Such a weak performance... He was filled with self-reproach.

Though ideas for establishing a connection filled his mind, Igor didn’t dare act recklessly. His respect for Kuren and Joseph was, after all, respect for all of Guru Mountain. Unconsciously, Igor had also become a guardian of Guru Mountain.

The probing message they sent was simple. Kuren and Joseph figured that since the other party used Dastan to try and gain their trust, they would also use Dastan to get information about Stan Sol.

And so, the message they sent to Stan Sol was as follows:

”Dastan, how is the Grey Eagle Peak, which he guarded, doing?”

A stated fact, but with a trap hidden within.

This communication, this connection—it was filled with variables.