One-Eyed Monster

Sharkmon desperately wanted to burrow into Kadi’s eyes, but it couldn’t. Firstly, Stan Sol wouldn’t allow it, and secondly, it wasn’t confident it could subdue Kadi.

Although Sharkmon was a remarkable creature and had displayed astounding combat prowess in previous battles, without Stan Sol, it was merely a reckless beast. It couldn’t stir up any significant trouble against a monster like Kadi.

Stan Sol knew Sharkmon was suffering greatly at that moment, and Kadi’s strange changes also piqued his interest.

Ignoring Igor and Kadi as they chattered on with their analysis, Stan Sol focused on observing Kadi. To him, the unknown, while a source of fear, was also the driving force behind his progress.

He was a Hunter from an ancient line; his family had once ventured into regions of the continent where no one else dared to tread. The mission to revive his family weighed heavily on his shoulders, making him hesitant and apprehensive. Yet, at his core, he remained a Hunter, filled with curiosity about his prey...

Perhaps it was this family mission that lent him a maturity beyond his years, or perhaps the pressure had previously instilled fear in him. But all that was in the past. From the moment Igor had awakened him, he knew he had to return to his true self. A Hunter needed to embody the spirit of the hunt...

Even if his opponent was formidable, even if the enemy was a master comparable to a Dark Cabinet elder, if he simply retreated without even trying, he would truly betray his family name and his family crest...

Stan Sol placated the agitated Sharkmon. This pet had already done an excellent job helping him track the prey’s trail. Now, it was up to him to play his own part.

It seemed the key to a breakthrough lay in Kadi’s eyes...

Stan Sol ignored Kadi and Igor’s discussion. He felt there was no point in joining their conversation now. Besides, he had always had some difficulty communicating, and getting those two to fully understand his thoughts at this moment would waste a lot of time.

As a Hunter, Stan Sol naturally understood the significance of time; opportunities were fleeting and had to be seized.

So, following his intuition—an instinct common to ancient Hunters—he fixed his gaze on Kadi’s ever-changing eyes.

Those eyes sometimes blazed as red as fire, sometimes turned as black as the abyss, and at other times became as azure as the vault of heaven...

Perhaps this was fate; Stan Sol’s intense gaze completely upended his world from that moment on...

That gaze was the key to an Alternate Dimension. Stan Sol instantly felt as if he had opened a door, and beyond it lay a temporarily boundless expanse of white...

The instant Stan Sol stared, Kadi froze completely. He, too, felt an inexplicable power surge into his eyes. The sensation was complex, yet undeniably real...

”Igor... it seems... my eyes... they’re acting strangely!”

Those were the last words Kadi uttered before an infinite white light erupted from his body.

Fortunately, his final sentence mentioned the most crucial thing: his eyes.

If Kadi hadn’t mentioned the word ”eyes,” our protagonist, Igor, might very well have been mercilessly abandoned by the main group once again...

Kadi’s warning made Igor instinctively look at his eyes...

The first glance sent a shiver through Igor; it was as if he were seeing the Black Hole from the Inner World.

However, before he could get a second look, a vast white mist completely enveloped him.

”What on ear—”

Before Igor could finish his sentence, he felt as if he had entered an Alternate Dimension...

”Well, well, so they all made it in.”

”Indeed. I didn’t expect this, not at all.”

”That’s right. And to think someone actually managed to break through that layer of fear. I assumed once they succumbed to it, they’d never get out.”

”I also didn’t expect this fellow to be the one to open the door. I thought it would be that lively kid.”

”What’s truly bizarre is this Medium. He didn’t show a shred of fear from start to finish.”

...

A babble of voices echoed, their source unknown.

Igor looked left and right, but aside from Kadi and Stan Sol, he saw no one else.

Moreover, at this moment, Kadi had reverted to his original blue skin.

”Where are we?” Igor asked, extremely curious.

”No idea.” Kadi shook his head like a rattle-drum.

”An Alternate Dimension!” Stan Sol suddenly spoke, his words flowing smoothly without any hesitation.

Igor and Kadi were both astonished. Didn’t this guy have communication difficulties? How did he suddenly become so fluent?

”The Inner World?” Igor asked tentatively, though he knew it was unlikely since Kadi was here with them.

”No, it’s an Alternate Dimension. Or, you could say our consciousness has entered this place,” Stan Sol explained.

Igor and Kadi exchanged bewildered glances, still not quite grasping the situation. However, since Stan Sol could express himself so fluently, it clearly indicated that this place was definitely not the real world.

”TSK TSK. Who would’ve thought? This fellow is quite analytical.”

”Indeed. Much smarter than those two lively ones.”

”Still, you should be glad. If it weren’t for those two, we wouldn’t be having this moment.”

”Right, right. Since they’re here, let’s get down to business.”

Those voices spoke up again, prompting Igor and Kadi to look around everywhere, but they couldn’t discern anything in the distant, vast whiteness.

Stan Sol, meanwhile, was carefully sensing his surroundings. All his family’s hunting techniques raced through his mind. Now that he was here, he had no reason not to try, even if it meant failure. This was the tenacity of a Hunter...

”OH! This fellow wants to capture us, does he? I can already see him setting out bait...”

...

Stan Sol felt utterly exasperated. He had just been preparing to make a big move, but before he was even ready, his opponent had already seen through his plan.

”Are you Spirits?” Kadi asked loudly. He had always been curious about the Inner World that Igor and the others had mentioned. Now that he was in a place resembling the Inner World, he was naturally thrilled. But unlike Igor and Stan Sol, Kadi never considered the consequences and always said whatever came to his mind.

”Yes, we are.” To everyone’s surprise, the voices actually answered him.

Igor and Stan Sol were deeply shocked. What was this situation? Weren’t these beings always their opponents? How had they suddenly started acting like old friends? If it’s this simple, then I should also ask about what’s going on here.

Both Igor and Stan Sol had many questions in mind. However, as if by some great tacit understanding, they ended up asking the same question simultaneously.

They asked: ”What’s going on with that fellow’s eyes? Why did just one look at them bring us here?”