One-Eyed Monster

Wizard Reed felt a surge of anger, yet simultaneously, a wave of sorrow.

Being sealed isn’t a simple matter. It also means I’ve been completely abandoned by my own kind. This treatment, typically reserved for monsters, has suddenly been bestowed upon me. It’s rather unjustifiable. After all, I’m human. Being abandoned like this is too cruel.

However, this wasn’t the first time Reed had been abandoned. He had been abandoned countless times. It began when he was despised for his lack of aptitude; from that moment, he knew he was destined to be an enemy of this world. When this world abandoned him, it showed not a lick of pity, regardless of whether he was a destitute boy struggling for food or merely trying to survive another day.

Back then, he had no one to rely on. He thought the Wizard Alliance would take in an orphan like him, but the doors of the Wizard Alliance were tightly closed to him. Because he didn’t qualify to become a wizard, he could only serve as an apprentice or an assistant.

In a fit of anger, he left that bustling hall. I can become a wizard... he had believed.

Abandoned by my parents, by the Alliance’s welfare home, by the Wizard Alliance... My whole life has been spent being abandoned... And now, finally, it’s humanity’s turn, the entire world’s turn to abandon me.

This was the source of his sorrow and anger. Wizard Reed never pondered the reasons; he only knew that all of this was caused by the world’s injustice. Therefore, he hadn’t hesitated to join the Dark Arts. He believed one must resist injustice.

Even if it means challenging the entire world, I will stop at nothing.

Now, he was indeed challenging the world, and the organization behind him was also challenging the world. This was his capital, and it was also the source of his current power.

Being abandoned doesn’t feel good. Sealing is something that should only happen to monsters. And now, everyone is preparing to seal me. This spell seems remarkable, but for me, right now, it’s a bit excessive.

Even if this sealing formation gave Wizard Reed a slight shock, it was purely on an intellectual level.

In reality, as Wizard Reed himself would put it: Hmph, overestimating their own strength.

Wizard Reed’s summoning spell was complete. The Earth Dragon would soon emerge, and that would spell doom for this region.

Thinking of this scenario, a hint of a smile surfaced at the corner of Reed’s mouth.

So, let them fuss all they want. Giving them a little hope now will only make their despair hit harder when it arrives, won’t it?

Wizard Reed simply closed his eyes, emptying his mind.

The world below was about to experience Energy Fluctuations. When that moment arrived, the Earth Dragon would reveal itself.

Kuyi Tulan and the others were still working hard to seal Wizard Reed. They were grateful that the trap they had set had not been seen through by Wizard Reed. What delighted them even more was that Wizard Reed had apparently detected nothing. When he entered the eye of the formation, he was completely arrogant, only reacting once he was fully inside.

However, what surprised Kuyi Tulan and the others was that Wizard Reed showed hardly any resistance. They could feel his anger, they could feel his sorrow, but they could not feel any opposition from him. They even had the feeling that Wizard Reed, at the center of the formation, seemed to be smiling...

This is a sealing formation! Yet he’s not resisting at all, he’s even smiling. Has he given up so soon?!

This thought gave Kuyi Tulan a bad feeling, as if some significant change was about to take place.

Just as they were about to finalize the sealing array, the entire Moonflow Stream began to shake violently.

”Is there going to be an avalanche?” someone muttered.

”’Stay alert! Focus on the sealing! Hurry—” Kuyi Tulan didn’t finish his sentence. He felt the Sealing Power in his hands suddenly vanish...

What...?

Everyone stared at each other in dismay. Even the experienced Great Mentor Guzan couldn’t figure out what was happening.

The shaking was violent. The air above grew taut, so heavy it felt as if it could crush a person. Snowflakes hung suspended as if frozen mid-air. Everything unfolded before them in a supernatural display.

I could fly right now, Igor even thought, if it weren’t for this oppressive air.

Then, the rapidly shifting sky seemed to form a dark vortex, one that threatened to suck everything into it.

”Everyone, don’t stare at the vortex!” Master Guzan shouted. He knew what it was—the Space Eye. Once absorbed by it, one could never return to this world.

”’Damn, that’s harsh! He even summoned the Space Eye!’” someone exclaimed. It wasn’t just the Great Mentor; others recognized it too.

”’If this thing has appeared, does it mean that Dark Wizard has summoned Ancient Evil Spirits?’”

”’Dark Arts are always so disgusting.’”

Before they could finish their discussion, the black vortex expanded uncontrollably. Then, a gigantic claw clawed its way out from within.

The scene that followed was difficult to describe in words. The creature that emerged from the black vortex was colossal, with a black body, fiery red eyes, and constantly beating wings. Each flap ignited rows of purple flames around it.

”Who art thou, who summoneth me to this place?”

The black monster could actually speak! And in their own tongue!

”We didn’t summon you,” Kadi, being bold and skillful, replied directly.

”’Hmm?’ The black monster was taken aback. I’ve never encountered such a response, it thought. My next line should be, ’What is thy request?’”

But it had encountered a group that didn’t play by the rules, including the actual summoner, who was hardly normal himself.

Its arrival threw the sealing formation, which Kuyi Tulan and the others had painstakingly prepared, into complete disarray. The Little Golden Snakes on Wizard Reed’s body instantly stopped their assault and grew still.

”’What in the world is that thing?’ Igor asked instinctively.

This unintentional question greatly displeased the monster. It glared angrily, and the surrounding air once again grew heavy with oppressive force.

”’Th-th-this... this must be the legendary Earth Dragon!’” Hustace stammered, trembling. He was doing remarkably well not to have fainted.

The Earth Dragon! Hearing this name, everyone gasped, drawing a sharp, cold breath.