One-Eyed Monster

With each battle, Wizard Reed could perceive the myriad wonders of this world.

There were all sorts of people: some impulsive, others calm. However, it could not be denied that all these individuals displayed professional expertise during battles.

They were all seasoned veterans, accustomed to dancing on the razor’s edge, having made ample preparations well in advance, regardless of their adversaries’ strength or weakness. Once a battle commenced, there was little room for choices and no time for contemplation.

Once someone entered a state of battle, they would be wholly engrossed, no longer thinking about their next move. By the time one paused to think, it would be too late. The opponent’s blade would not slow down, nor would their fists pause, to allow for thought.

The only thing one could do at that moment in battle was react instinctively. At that moment, one wouldn’t consider the energy a punch required or the Spirit Power a spell consumed. Everything was based on instinct, as there was no time for contemplation, nor could one afford it.

Battles were tense, leaving no surplus time for contemplation. Time felt as if it were rushing by like flowing water. Yet, a brief respite would feel extraordinarily long, for in that moment, one needed to make a judgment. All fleeting thoughts had to be processed within that brief window.

Wizard Reed was no stranger to battle; thus, he possessed superior combat instincts, his reactions quicker than an ordinary person’s.

Though his opponents were powerful—be it the Ant’s Spirit Explosion or the incoming cleaver from the other side—everything happened quite suddenly, and Wizard Reed was admittedly somewhat caught off guard.

He hadn’t expected his opponents to be so reckless. Yet, on second thought, it seemed normal. During this brief respite, he had understood a great deal. In the blink of an eye, he had to throw himself back into the fight.

Faced with the onslaught, Wizard Reed’s instinct was to evade. A direct confrontation would be ill-advised.

Wizard Reed abandoned some of the Malice Spirit Entities he had collected. Such entities were precious to him, but with formidable opponents advancing relentlessly, he could only evade their spearhead to minimize damage.

His Snowman Clone was completely ineffective against the explosion and the cleaver, shattering into pieces with a loud CRASH. This took Wizard Reed by surprise; he hadn’t expected his opponents to exert such overwhelming force.

Of course, this level of strength was still within his expectations.

Wizard Reed’s opponents were renowned figures in the Empire. It was impossible for them to surrender without a fight. What happened earlier was undoubtedly a trap, designed entirely to mislead his judgment.

There wasn’t much time for Wizard Reed to indulge in idle thoughts. His first reaction was to counter-attack.

After evading an attack, the natural response was to counter.

Wizard Reed murmured an incantation. The Snowman Clone might be shattered, but his avatars didn’t necessarily have to be snowmen.

BOOM! The Ant’s explosion, accompanied by the resounding CRACK of the cleaver, created a bizarre symphony. Though discordant, the sounds possessed a powerful rhythm. If Wizard Reed could just disrupt this rhythm, he would create some leeway for himself.

His incantation was already underway. Gradually, the entire Moonflow Stream began to tremble. Snowflakes seemed to coalesce in mid-air. RUMBLE! Rocks rolled up from beneath the snow, and the pristine, snow-covered landscape was suddenly breached by a newly formed path. Footprints appeared one after another along this path, as if an invisible person were running.

Neither Kevin nor Milo could comprehend these changes. They continued methodically searching for concentrations of their opponent’s Spirit Power to attack. The sudden alteration of the landscape was peculiar, but the Spirit Power Feedback wasn’t intense, so they instinctively chose to observe.

They were currently the attackers and could strike with impunity, but they still had to guard against their opponent’s counter-attack.

The spell Wizard Reed was chanting was a Death Spell, so it wouldn’t manifest much Spirit Power. If all of Wizard Reed’s previous techniques had combined his own Spirit Power with collected Malice Spirit Entities, then what he was now unleashing was his most precious power. He was usually loath to use this power, for it was incredibly hard-won—not something attainable through shortcuts. This power had to be acquired through an exchange, an unimaginable process that had cost him his very physical existence in return for this strength.

This power was the Dark Force, the pride of Dark Wizards and what they valued most. They sometimes also called it the Power of Death.

This Power of Death had to be collected from those on the brink of demise. Individuals about to enter the Eternal Tranquility Realm were their targets, their most prized resources. Dark Wizards would gather the aura of death from these dying individuals. Using contracts, they would then bind their souls, preventing their passage to the Eternal Tranquility Realm and gradually transforming them into Malice Spirit Entities.

Dark Wizards naturally had their own methods, but this wasn’t the time to dwell on such matters.

Wizard Reed chanted relentlessly. The spell had a long casting time, its prelude extensive. Fortunately, the two opposing wizards took no offensive action, seemingly indifferent to the unfolding events.

This was a point of relief for Wizard Reed. His spell was now successfully prepared, and a portion of his Power of Death had been unleashed. This was his hidden ace, a treasure he was reluctant to fully reveal. He had only drawn upon a fraction of it. For one, he wanted to see just how potent this power truly was; for another, he also possessed a certain confidence in it.

For the first time, an aura of death permeated the land of Moonflow Stream. The once cheerful ambient sounds of Moonflow Stream suddenly slowed, growing heavy and oppressive, as if all vitality in the surroundings had been snuffed out.

The rocks and snow didn’t seem to have been moved by an external force; rather, they appeared to have scurried aside in fright.

They seemed to be yielding the stage to whatever was about to appear, though they still couldn’t clearly discern what kind of monster was set to emerge.

A monster against monsters; that seemed fair. This place was originally guarded by a monster, so summoning another monster wasn’t strange at all.

The Alternate World, our world... everything is interconnected. Let those destined to dance together converge once more in the same place.

Wizard Reed’s incantation intensified. The already swaying Moonflow Stream began to rock even more violently. WHOOSH! The cleared patch of land suddenly tore open with a fissure...