One-Eyed Monster

Igor’s explanation left most people silent. They were unsure of what he was talking about!

How could someone expect to capture lightning just by saying so? It seemed like Igor was speaking without thinking, completely making things up.

However, none of them had any better way to refute Igor’s claim. Perhaps Igor *did* have a method to capture lightning. After all, his performance in the Inner World had been extraordinary, so capturing lightning didn’t seem entirely impossible for him.

Everyone exchanged glances, unsure how to respond. They couldn’t deny Igor’s claim just because *they* couldn’t do it. What if Igor could actually pull it off? That would be a direct slap in their faces.

However, not everyone shared these sentiments. Kadi, for instance, was exhilarated. He became even more excited when Igor claimed he could deal with lightning.

Imagine my triumphant moment, standing before Kevin and displaying my unique lightning-capturing skills! Wouldn’t that leave Kevin utterly dumbfounded?

The mere thought brought Kadi such joy that he felt like he was bursting with excitement.

Kadi, already eager, could hardly wait. ”When are we setting off?” he asked, looking at Igor with anticipation.

”Um, deciding when to depart is a collective decision. I’m just making a suggestion,” Igor said, scratching his head awkwardly. He sensed the atmosphere was a bit off but couldn’t quite pinpoint why.

”Ugh, what’s there to discuss? Since you can capture lightning, why are you being so hesitant? Let’s hurry up; time waits for no one!” Kadi continued to chatter, but his words did seem to carry a bit of truth.

”Er...” Igor looked troubled.

”Igor, you said someone among us knows how to control lightning, and that someone *definitely* knows how to capture it. What did you mean by that?” Kuren, still puzzled, took the lead in asking. This was partly because he had spent more time with Igor in the Inner World and understood him relatively well, and partly because he was genuinely curious about Igor’s statement.

”Um, Stan Sol... he might be able to master the power to capture lightning, but only if someone tells him how to identify the shapes of these lightning bolts,” Igor said, continuing to scratch his head. Only then did he realize his disjointed way of speaking had caused a huge misunderstanding.

The truth was, Igor himself had no idea how to capture lightning, but he was convinced Stan Sol could.

Everyone turned their questioning gazes towards Stan Sol, who had been silent all along.

Stan Sol felt incredibly frustrated by suddenly being put on the spot. He had been quietly mulling over how to deal with the monster when Igor suddenly claimed he had the ability to capture the lightning it fired. This caught him completely off guard; he was utterly unprepared.

Besides, he genuinely didn’t know how to capture lightning...

What on earth was Igor playing at!

”Er...” Stan Sol spread his hands and shrugged, a helpless look on his face. He clearly had no idea.

At this, everyone’s gaze snapped back to Igor.

Their stares were like knives and swords, heavy with killing intent.

Igor could no longer remain calm. Things had escalated unexpectedly, and now he had to explain what he’d said in a way everyone could understand.

”It’s not what you’re thinking! The process might be a bit convoluted, but what I said is absolutely true,” Igor said, starting to get flustered. The more anxious he became, the harder it was for him to find the right words to express his thoughts.

The situation could only get worse.

”I had thought this young man was promising material,” Estev sighed, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

”No matter how complicated things are, you can’t just make things up!” Joseph, too, was disappointed.

”What’s going on?” Kadi was completely bewildered. He saw Igor’s nervousness and the looks of regret and disgust on the others’ faces, but he still didn’t understand what had happened.

”No one here can actually capture lightning. Igor wasn’t telling the truth...” Kuren reluctantly explained to Kadi.

Kuren’s explanation wasn’t long, but he laid out the cause and effect, thinking Kadi would then understand what they meant.

”Um, no, that’s not what Igor meant at all,” Kadi said, scratching his head—a gesture he seemed to share with Igor. After hearing Kuren’s explanation, Kadi surprisingly had a different take than the others.

”Hmm?” All eyes turned to Kadi once more. What kind of understanding could this one-eyed fellow have?

Great Mentor Guzan looked at the two young men and couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratification. It truly showed that he was getting old. He could no longer decipher the ins and outs of a matter as easily as he could in his youth. Old age was old age; his reactions were slower, his spirit wasn’t what it used to be, and it was difficult to concentrate.

What use is my vast experience now? My aging body no longer permits me to set foot in this world of strife. This world of conflict ultimately belongs to them, the young. All I can do now is to pass on my experience as best I can, helping these young people avoid a few detours.

Great Mentor Guzan watched Igor and Kadi. Ever since Igor had become the commander here, Guzan had increasingly seen himself as merely an enforcer. Unlike the others, he didn’t feel disappointed in Igor. Instead, he was quite curious about what Igor was trying to convey. Now that Kadi had actually been the first to stand up and say everyone else had misunderstood, Guzan’s interest was instantly piqued.

What exactly made Igor feel he could go straight to Moonflow Stream to join the battle?

”Igor clearly made two separate points, didn’t he? But you all insist on taking it as one single meaning. I give up on you lot. Sigh.” Kadi even mocked them, which left everyone even more bewildered.

What on earth did these two boys mean!

”Igor said that among us, there’s definitely someone who knows how to *recognize the way to capture* lightning. This doesn’t mean someone among us *can actually capture* lightning right now. It’s a very simple concept! And for the second part, he said that among us, there’s absolutely someone who *can master the skill* of capturing lightning. This doesn’t mean someone among us *currently has* that skill!” Kadi exclaimed, his mouth agape, thoroughly believing he was making perfect sense.

Kadi was indeed making a lot of sense. What he said was precisely what Igor had intended to convey. However, Igor’s anxiety had muddled his thoughts, resulting in his incoherent speech.

Igor felt a wave of relief. Kadi was truly his friend; he had understood his meaning perfectly.