One-Eyed Monster

Kuren and Joseph felt rather awkward at this time, unsure of what to do next.

Faced with Kadi’s hysterics, they felt a bit guilty, but it was quite justifiable from their cautious point of view. This was a difficult issue to settle. On one hand, Kuren and his team were dutifully guarding the mountain, not letting any sign of disturbance slip past them. On the other hand, they mistrusted Kadi. But honestly, how could a wet-behind-the-ears kid like Kadi possibly consider all aspects of the situation? The choices made by Kuren and Joseph, no matter who looked at it, seemed completely natural.

The only thing Kuren and his companions felt guilty about was Dastan. They shouldn’t have used Dastan to probe for information, even though they had no idea what had happened to him. It was inappropriate to gather information about an unidentified individual based on assumptions about a comrade.

However, what was done was done, and there was no way to undo their regrets. In exchange, they had obtained some information about Dastan, although it remained uncertain just how reliable this information was.

Igor was waiting, listening for Senior Kuren and the others to give instructions. At this point, the circumstances were such that he had no power to take charge. After all, Igor was merely a guest on Guru Mountain, a guest who could not meddle during a crisis. But Igor genuinely wanted to help.

”Did Dastan really sacrifice himself?” Kadi was still unsure. Although he was a bit out of control and emotional, he still didn’t know if his judgment was correct.

Luckily, one thing Kadi and Igor could verify was that no matter whether Stan Sol was a friend or foe, they would have to face a major battle up ahead. Even though it sounded a little strange, Igor affirmed it deep down. Another thing he was sure of was that they had to establish a connection with Stan Sol as quickly as possible. Only by getting in touch with Stan Sol would they be able to understand the significance of this connection.

”We cannot judge what’s true or false right now, nor do we have the right to pass judgment on Stan Sol. Drastic changes could be happening outside, and we need to be cautious every step of the way,” said Kuren, pointing out the contradictions—everyone understood the logic, but agreement was hard to reach.

”More importantly, we can’t afford to keep wasting time here,” Joseph added.

”Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up and communicate with Stan Sol! You’re not still doubting him, are you?” Kadi didn’t understand. He always felt that Kuren and the others were being unnecessarily cautious.

”Essential caution is necessary,” Kuren stated. ”We intend to always be prepared. Given the current circumstances, our only option is to communicate with this Stan Sol.”

Finally, they had agreed! Igor had already considered many methods to connect with Stan Sol in his mind but had not implemented any of them out of respect for the creatures of Guru Mountain; he wanted to act according to their desires.

In truth, he just didn’t want to cause trouble for his seniors. If he were to get himself into trouble, he would bear it with no complaints. After all, if one made the choice to trust, then they would have to bear the crisis that came as a result. However, if his trust led to others getting caught in an unfavorable situation, that was something he wouldn’t be able to accept. He didn’t want his personal issues to impact others, nor did he want them to suffer due to his actions.

In other words, Kuren and Joseph’s slight doubts did end up influencing Igor. He trusted Stan Sol, but he was still clueless about the events outside. As such, he was also worried that Stan Sol might be under duress or being used by someone.

Even the slightest changes outside could affect the emotions of anyone within their safe house. So, when Stan Sol sent information regarding Dastan, Kuren and Kadi became immensely sorrowful.

Dastan’s self-sacrifice was something the creatures of Guru Mountain couldn’t have predicted. The enemy’s tactics surpassed their imagination, claiming even Dastan, one of the glorious seven knights. The grief of losing a comrade, entwined with the unknown danger, made them hypersensitive and increasingly vulnerable.

Regardless, they were still the guardians. Fragility would only make them weak. What they needed was strength. So, their sorrow turned into power, and their increasing sensitivity disappeared instantly.

Igor saw this sharp transition. Back when he was at Yonder Travel Academy, Teacher Hadi had once told him of such situations. When a person is pushed to the brink of sorrow, they let go of everything and fight with all their might. Their fear would transform into power, and their sensitivity into strength. This reckless, no-holds-barred counterattack was both terribly frightening and highly admirable.

At this moment, such resolve was visible in Kuren and Joseph: a steadfast determination of self-sacrifice.

But just as they were about to bind their communication information for Stan Sol to the flow of Spirit Power again, a weak current of Spirit Power trickled in. It was thin, incomplete, intermittent, and appeared extremely frail.

This current of Spirit Power had come from Stan Sol and still carried information.

Kadi unfolded the information and looked up at Igor.

Igor looked puzzled. He was still figuring out how to establish a connection with Stan Sol.

Kuren and Joseph got hold of the message and were instantly stunned. Like Kadi, they too looked at Igor.

This made Igor even more bewildered. What was going on? Why were they all looking at him? Did the message have anything to do with him? Igor’s heart pounded in uncertainty, unaware of what had happened. Indeed, the message did have something to do with him; it was just that Igor could not understand the language of the monsters, so he had no idea what it meant.

”What’s going on?” Igor couldn’t help but ask. He knew he couldn’t understand the language of the monsters, so he hadn’t bothered to check the message.

”See for yourself,” Kadi pursed his lips.

”Yes, you better see it for yourself. The message is for you,” Kuren added promptly.

Igor was puzzled. He released his own Spirit Power to perceive the message.

He was taken aback. This time, the Spirit Power message from Stan Sol wasn’t coded in a secret language; it was in a language that anyone could understand.

The message from Stan Sol stated: ”Igor, connect with me quickly. If you delay any further, it will be too late!”

At first glance, this made it seem as if Stan Sol and Igor had been in contact for some time, leaving the others completely in the dark. This was probably why Kadi wore such a dissatisfied expression.

After reading the message, Igor instantly understood two things. The first was what he’d been wondering about all this time—the meaning of this connection. The second was that no matter how he explained now, it wouldn’t make any difference; his credibility had already been slightly discounted by Kadi and the others.

With these two issues combined, Igor realized that he needed to let his actions speak for themselves.