One-Eyed Monster

The contest for things other than the shells—specifically, the swarm of fish—had reached a fixed stage.

It appeared the vast ocean had been defeated.

More and more figures rose, a dense mass like swarming ants...

This scene was visible to Igor, Stan Sol, and of course, Kadi!

”What on earth is happening? Did we overdo it? Why have these fish transformed into humans!” Kadi, still unfamiliar with the situation, sensed some other information being conveyed. He couldn’t understand what was happening; even his wildest imagination couldn’t connect these fish with people. The scene was simply too bizarre, and he felt something was seriously awry.

Igor couldn’t quite make out the scene either, but he could still clearly sense the strange atmosphere pervading the entire ocean, as if the vast sea was reluctant to witness this spectacle.

”Heavens, what kind of person could confine so many lost souls!” Stan Sol, being well-traveled and knowledgeable, had some inkling about the scene before him.

”What?” Igor heard Stan Sol muttering and immediately wanted to know what was going on.

”These are souls who were confined and couldn’t reach the Eternal Tranquility Realm,” Stan Sol explained. ”Most of them have already vanished from the continent, but something obstructed their journey to the Eternal Tranquility Realm!” He still couldn’t believe what was happening before his eyes; he felt these things should only exist in legends.

”You...” Suddenly, a hollow voice echoed from mid-air. It sounded ethereal and ancient. ”...have freed us...”

”What’s going on?” Kadi also sensed the strange atmosphere but was completely clueless. He, who was initially the commander, now felt like a mere spectator.

Igor was equally baffled and looked to Stan Sol, who seemed to be the only one who understood what was truly happening.

”You... have... freed... us...” The ethereal voice continued to drift through the air.

Stan Sol and Igor dared not respond. Firstly, they feared revealing their location; secondly, they couldn’t entirely trust this ethereal voice.

Igor, relatively new to the world of Adventurers with Class, was still inexperienced with such phenomena. Although Stan Sol was more seasoned, he too lacked confidence when facing these ethereal entities. He wasn’t sure if he could control these seemingly hollow figures.

”What should we do now?” Kadi was the first to ask. Knowing he wasn’t very capable in such matters, he figured it was better to just ask.

”Sol!” Igor had no choice but to turn to Stan Sol for help.

”SHHH!” Stan Sol gestured for Igor to be quiet, as he understood the implications.

These beings who hadn’t reached the Eternal Tranquility Realm carried immense resentment. This resentment, when concentrated, became incredibly powerful. Most people dared not draw upon it, because once tainted by this resentment, a person could change completely. At the very least, their Spirit Power would diminish, and their surroundings would become deathly still, devoid of vitality. Everything they did would feel as if countless Crows were circling overhead.

Only one type of person relished such things: those who studied the Dark Arts. These individuals would treat this resentment as their own power, wielding it without a care for the Crows overhead or the lifelessness around them.

Stan Sol surmised that most of this resentment had formed due to prolonged confinement. Although he didn’t fully understand the workings of the Dark Arts, he knew the rudiments.

The only thing capable of guiding these resentment-filled beings was the Ghostly Flame. This blue flame could only burn in the dead of night!

As luck would have it, Stan Sol was a master of various flames.

Of course, Stan Sol had yet to discern the true nature of these resentful entities—whether they were friend or foe, he still couldn’t tell.

”You... have... freed... us...” The same ethereal voice echoed repeatedly.

”What do we do now? If these guys turn on us, I don’t think we can handle it!” Igor whispered to Stan Sol. He wasn’t sure when Stan Sol had become the commander of the group again.

”The Power of Darkness,” Stan Sol whispered. ”We must be cautious!”

”But we can’t just stand by and watch them press in on us!” Igor was a bit flustered. Stan Sol was the one who had insisted on saving them, and now he was the one advising caution. Igor still didn’t understand what was going on with Stan Sol.

Since Igor had no prior experience with such things, he didn’t understand. Stan Sol, however, was different. He understood the peculiarities of the situation and decided not to act rashly, even though he knew he was capable of commanding these resentful beings.

”You... have... freed... us...” The ethereal voice was still trying to find them. These beings probably want to repay our kindness, Igor thought. I should find an opportunity to make contact with them.

He shared this thought with Kadi, expecting Kadi to agree with him.

”Are you out of your mind!” To Igor’s surprise, Kadi not only didn’t support him but instead started berating him. ”Haven’t you even considered that this might be a scheme by that ocean!”

Igor felt a wave of despair, realizing Kadi had considered things far more deeply.

Why are my thoughts so simplistic at times like this? Igor wondered.

Unexpected things kept happening, which Igor found increasingly intriguing. Although nervous, he still looked forward to the adventure ahead!

Whatever they did next, he knew he had to remain cautious. Even he felt something was off now. These figures had repeated the same sentence so many times; who knew if this was a trap or a scheme set by the vast ocean?

So, he fell silent, quietly waiting for new orders from the two commanders. For him, at this moment, he was purely an information relay and task executor, ready to carry out any command given, without hesitation.

The number of people transformed from fish and shrimp continued to increase. The ethereal voice grew fainter yet heavier, like a massive boulder slowly pressing down.