One-Eyed Monster

This sudden change left Igor greatly shocked. The vampire bats were scattered chaotically, many tumbling from the sky; they had all lost the arrogant air they initially possessed. Without the attacks from these dark creatures, Igor and his team finally had a chance to catch their breath. The Sharkmon had endured an unprecedented assault, its movements now completely sluggish. It lazily floated back to Stan Sol’s side, looking like a wounded hunting dog incessantly licking its wounds. Stan Sol also relaxed slightly. The vampire bats had indeed given him a terrible headache, but the current situation left him even more puzzled. Who could have repelled these creatures? Stan Sol looked at Igor, but Igor turned to look back at him. The expressions on both their faces clearly indicated they weren’t responsible.

Kadi was panting heavily. He still hadn’t figured out what was going on, but the sudden peril had certainly put him on alert. The bats might have retreated for now, but who could guarantee they wouldn’t return in force? Kadi was deeply thankful for Stan Sol’s cloak. Wrapped within it, he had fully felt the ferocity of the bats. Even through the heavy fabric, Kadi could sense the strength of their bites, a force so savage it felt as if they intended to devour him whole. Just who had repelled those bats? he wondered.

Just as they were still mystified, the swarm of vampire bats flew back. They returned with even greater fury, their advance more terrifying than before. This plunged Igor and the others into an even deeper panic.

However, at that very moment, a crisp sound echoed through the air once again.

ZZZZT! ZZZZT! ULA! ULA!

The sound seemed to carry a subtle, low-frequency pressure that buffeted Igor and his team’s ears. Then, the incoming swarm of vampire bats suddenly faltered, as if they’d forgotten how to fly, and began tumbling to the ground.

”What is this…?” Igor couldn’t help but exclaim. He truly couldn’t fathom who had launched this Soundwave Attack.

Kadi asked, a thrill in his voice, as if he had discovered an astonishing secret, ”Was it you?”

”Yes,” a voice replied. ”We said we’d be happy to help.”

Another voice added, ”Our reactions are a bit slow right now, but don’t worry, these creatures are no match for us.”

Clearly, these were the voices of the Little Black Hands. Now that they were gradually regaining their former selves, it was clear they were responsible for the Soundwave Attack.

With the mystery solved, Igor finally understood that these Spirits had helped them repel the monsters. He could sense the immense power of the Spirits, but he also perceived that their hidden opponent was equally formidable. This disparity in power made Igor feel somewhat helpless. At this moment, all we can do is try to protect ourselves… he thought. The past two confrontations had been an eye-opening experience for Igor.

”But where are you? Why can’t I see you?” Kadi, ever curious about the unusual, asked.

”My form is sound; sound cannot be seen,” one Spirit replied.

”My form is fire; you’ve already witnessed it,” said another.

”And as for the rest of us,” a third voice chimed in, ”we haven’t fully recovered our former selves yet…”

The Little Black Hands chattered away, completely oblivious to the shadowy figure floating in the not-too-distant sky.

That shadow was, naturally, Wizard Reed. Appearing in such a state was not his desire. This form signified that he could no longer advance; his entire career as a Dark Wizard was finished. This extreme magic could grant him boundless power, but it also came with considerable risks. If everything proceeded smoothly, he might yet survive in the world, albeit as a mere shell of his former self.

Sighs wouldn’t change anything. Wizard Reed floated in the sky, his face contorted into a hideous grimace. However, the surrounding darkness concealed his features, and the pain his expression might have inflicted upon observers was mercilessly devoured by the gloom. Wizard Reed’s two failed attacks were within his expectations. Had they been completely successful, he would have felt a sense of loss, as it would have contradicted his predictions. A misjudgment on his part, forcing him into such a desperate gamble, would have led to profound regret.

Indeed, everything was proceeding as he had anticipated; these two attacks were purely exploratory.

”You will all be my sacrificial offerings!” Wizard Reed rarely spoke, but when he did, his words dripped with sheer arrogance.

Igor was still dazed. Kadi’s casual chat with the Little Black Hands at a time like this was somewhat bewildering. But now, the hidden enemy, silent until this moment, had spoken, flabbergasting him even more. But how can one relax during a battle? Before Igor could react, his chest felt as if it had been struck by a fierce blow. The impact was powerful, sending Igor stumbling backward.

He endured the pain and looked up, only to see Stan Sol also knocked off his feet. It was only then that Igor realized Stan Sol’s Flame Armor had transferred to someone else. That person was none other than Igor’s friend, Hustace.

Hustace had been the first to succumb to the terror induced by the Little Black Hands. He still hadn’t recovered and remained in a state of shock, clearly scared witless, his senses muddled. Even now, enveloped in Stan Sol’s Flame Armor, Hustace kept muttering, ”Don’t look back. Don’t look back.” Thanks to the Flame Armor, Hustace was spared the invisible blow. But in his dazed state, he was a complete sitting duck.

Igor endured the searing pain, his heart aching with regret. I didn’t even notice Hustace until now, didn’t even think to protect him! How could I call myself his friend? This is inexcusable! Stan Sol is the reliable one, Igor thought. Even though he’s powerless to fight back, at least he considered everyone’s safety. First, he saved Kadi, and now he protected Hustace. He really thinks of everything…

What Igor didn’t know was that Stan Sol protected Hustace because he would later need Hustace’s help with a crucial matter: finding Stan Sol’s older brother.

The monster Wizard Reed had summoned this time attacked silently. Its sudden assault caught Igor and the others completely off guard. They were struck several times, yet still couldn’t discern even a shadow of their invisible assailant.

”This... agh! Can’t you find it?” Kadi cried out in distress, having also been hit. He desperately hoped the Little Black Hands could locate this invisible enemy.

”For now, the two of us—Fire and Sound—are powerless against this invisible foe,” one of the Little Black Hands confessed honestly.

This admission once again brought Hustace to Igor’s mind. If Hustace were lucid right now, he’d definitely know who this enemy is. He knows everything… It’s only at this critical juncture that I’m truly thinking of his abilities. How awkward.