One-Eyed Monster

A faint smile finally touched the corners of Wizard Reed’s mouth.

Who would have thought, who would have thought, the being summoned by this Dark Energy was so powerful, so strong that it even stirred waves of fear within him. This was simply beyond his comprehension. Wizard Reed had already identified the sources of the two attacking Spirit Powers: Milo from the Golden Seats of the Kayne Empire’s Alchemy Workshop, and the once renowned Kevin. Kevin, especially, this Blue Blood League Guard whom the previous King of the Kayne Empire had enfeoffed, was notoriously stingy with his blade and would never waste a slash. Yet, just a moment ago, he had wielded his sword numerous times...

This Freak—no, this monster—to think it could drive the Kayne Empire’s two top experts into such a desperate situation, unable to move an inch! Its strength is absolutely unquestionable!

Of course, what shocked him wasn’t the monster’s strength but its form. He only now understood what the true form of this monster was.

Initially, he’d thought this monster was unimpressive, a waste of his Dark Energy. But now he realized how superficial his judgment had been.

He inwardly sighed. I was truly a frog in a well, completely ignorant of what beings summoned by Dark Energy truly were, merely judging based on my own assumptions. As a result, although the monster appeared slow and its attacks had a very long wind-up, it had indeed bought him a moment of peace.

Admittedly, ever since this monster appeared, Wizard Reed had hardly needed to harbor any hidden schemes. He was essentially idle, not even performing a task as crucial as guiding the monster.

Even so, the monster had managed to keep those two experts pinned down. If not for this monster, he, Wizard Reed, wouldn’t be having such an easy time researching how to communicate with it.

At this moment, Wizard Reed realized two errors he had made. First, he should not have doubted Dark Energy, the power to which he had committed himself. Having made his choice, he should have embraced it without regret, not questioned it. Second, he had overestimated his own intellect. He had only just now found a way to communicate with this monster. If not for that persistent thread of thought flickering in his mind, he might have even forgotten he needed to guide the monster. Though, he couldn’t entirely blame himself. In the heat of battle, Boss Willem’s instructions had naturally been forgotten completely...

But now, things were looking up. He had plenty of time to delve into how to communicate more deeply with this monster. As long as he could firmly control it, his future would surely be a smooth ascent. At the very least, he could truly become Lord Willem’s right-hand man.

Now, I must concentrate on my research, he resolved.

Meanwhile, the monster writhed with its clumsy, snake-like body. As a serpentine form, this monster was truly awkward. It resembled a snake that had swallowed an ostrich egg, its middle grotesquely swollen while its ends remained comparatively small...

Before this grotesque image could fully form in the onlookers’ minds, the monster transformed again. Its small head abruptly split open, like a snake unhinging its jaw, while the bulging midsection surged forward, suddenly spewing something forth!

A thick Black Smoke began to spread around the monster. Although the effect of this Black Smoke was unclear, the substance it spewed out put everyone on high alert.

That thing—that thing looks just like Lightning Thunder!

BOOM! It struck directly towards where Kevin and Milo were hiding, only this Lightning Thunder was entirely black!

Not good! Kevin cursed inwardly, then scrambled away in a rather undignified roll. He had intended to leap aside, but the Black Lightning Thunder was too fast. He barely had time to react, instinctively throwing his body sideways and then hastily rolling to get clear of the strike zone.

Milo fared no better, also tumbling and scrambling to evade the Black Lightning Thunder...

The area struck by the Black Lightning was devastated beyond description. It wasn’t just scorched black from the impact; it was also coated in a corrosive, acidic yellow substance, reeking of death and desolation.

Wizard Reed was astonished. They’ve shown themselves! The monster had actually forced out the two experts! He hadn’t been able to find where those two were hiding before!

Kevin glanced at Milo and gave a slight nod. He was giving the Alchemist considerable face; he wouldn’t have spared a glance for most others. But Milo, as the Great Mentor’s eldest disciple, deserved this acknowledgment.

Milo nodded in return. Time was pressing; there was no room for pleasantries. He had always respected the Blue Blood League Guard, but he couldn’t exchange greetings now, not when the monster spat out two more bolts of Lightning Thunder.

WHOOSH, CRACK, BOOM!

Milo and Kevin scrambled to evade the attack again. They exchanged a look, trying to convey information, though any insights they had were of little use. Still, since they were on the same side, they felt the need to share their thoughts.

Their first shared thought was naturally useless, and not even identical: this constant dodging wasn’t a solution. But what countermeasures did they have at this moment?!

Wizard Reed watched this scene with great satisfaction. It’s like I’m an angler, reaping the rewards without lifting a finger, he thought.

He figured this monster could wear these two experts down to their deaths. Who could possibly defend against Lightning? It’s practically invincible! Isn’t the Kayne Empire’s Thunder Army renowned for using Lightning to rout the elite forces of the other two Empires? Even the strongest experts can only be slaughtered when facing such Natural Force, let alone this particularly unique Black Lightning.

Although Wizard Reed still hadn’t managed to fully communicate with the monster, he had now completely grasped its true form.

Just as he’d suspected, while the monster might resemble a Freak, it wasn’t one in essence. This monster was made of myriad fragments. Those fragments were its actual state, and its presented form was merely an assemblage of them. In other words, this monster could change its form at will. If it wanted, it could become a cat, or a tiger... The reason it resembled a Freak when first summoned was that these fragments had strenuously tried to mimic a human form, but the imitation was a clumsy failure, resulting in that Freak-like appearance. When it first appeared, it even specifically tried to imitate human steps; those initial footprints on the ground were naturally the result of these fragments’ attempts...

So that was the true nature of this monster’s form. Realizing this, Wizard Reed was, quite naturally, profoundly astonished.