One-Eyed Monster

The wind sounded strange.

The moment Wizard Reed fired the Ice Arrow, Joseph felt a strong current rushing toward him.

”Danger!” Joseph shouted instinctively, though he couldn’t discern where the threat was coming from.

His shout instinctively put everyone on alert.

They could feel a powerful current circling above their heads before swiftly descending.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! The Ice Arrows arrived unexpectedly, catching everyone off guard.

If it weren’t for Joseph’s shout, even their quick reactions wouldn’t have been enough to completely dodge these Ice Arrows.

Even so, a few stray arrows found their marks. But because they had managed to evade the brunt of the attack, none of these arrows hit vital areas.

The Ice Arrow attack was brief but shocking.

Even though they were all skilled fighters, they looked rather disheveled after facing such a relentless Ice Arrow attack.

Some were knocked off their feet, others simply stunned. No one had anticipated such an abrupt onslaught of Ice Arrows.

Those struck by the arrows quickly plucked them out and formed a defensive circle.

The previous standoff instantly transformed into a united front against a common enemy.

Just as Kadi had thought, the group could unite when faced with true danger.

Kadi decisively threw himself over Igor at the onset of the Arrow Rain. He knew Igor’s spirit was still trapped in the Inner World, unable to control his body. Without his protection, Igor would have been riddled with arrows.

Kadi’s actions mirrored Kevin’s, who had thrown himself over the Great Mentor without hesitation.

They used their bodies to shield the two men as the Arrow Rain surged toward them.

In that critical moment, Kadi activated the Spirit Defense Kevin had taught him. His body was immediately encased in a firm protective layer, a veritable spiritual shield.

Kadi was now rubbing his shoulder. Although the Arrow Rain couldn’t penetrate his Spirit Defense, the impacts still hurt—quite a lot. It wasn’t just a bit painful; it was intense, a deeply piercing ache. But seeing Igor unharmed made the pain worth it.

After the Arrow Rain, everyone was on high alert.

The creatures of Guru Mountain, the people from the Alchemy Workshop, and Hustace’s group—all of them kept a wary eye on their surroundings.

This sudden Arrow Rain, and the unseen enemy, gave them a familiar, unsettling feeling.

These sudden attacks from invisible enemies... they seemed to have endured this many times before.

Kadi slowly rose, his body aching from the Arrow Rain’s impacts. He wondered if the Spirit Defense Kevin taught him could withstand another barrage of Ice Arrows. Even if it could block them, his body would likely be severely bruised from the force. This method of tanking hits didn’t suit him, Kadi felt. He preferred Simon’s elusive footwork; it wasn’t only stylish but could also evade the Arrow Rain entirely, without a hint of pain.

Kadi looked up at Simon, but his spirits sank at the sight. How could Simon also be injured...?

Simon was covered in blood, a hideous sight in the dim light. His elusive footwork hadn’t allowed him to completely evade the Ice Arrows. One or two had still grazed him, leaving bloody gashes…

Seeing this, Kadi’s admiration for Simon’s ghostly dance steps instantly vanished… And he found himself loathing this invisible enemy even more. Kadi realized all their recent enemies were unseen. These cowards just hid in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to launch a sneak attack. It was revolting. This familiar feeling made Kadi certain: they had encountered this opponent before!

Even Wizard Reed himself was taken aback. He suddenly realized that although he had mastered many techniques, he could only use each one once. This Arrow Rain, for instance, was potent, but he could only summon it a single time. It wasn’t a lack of Spirit Power; he drew upon the Dark Force, which provided an endless supply. The restriction lay in the exchange principle of Natural Force. The formulas governing this exchange were complex, but Wizard Reed had acquired them through shortcuts. Thus, once a spell was used, its power vanished.

Wizard Reed felt a pang of regret. If only he could use the Arrow Rain again, these people would have no chance to fight back. Not only would they lose the chance to fight back, they probably wouldn’t even have time to react. A continuous barrage like that would leave even the strongest experts unable to withstand it for long. Too bad it could only be used once.

However, Wizard Reed wasn’t overly despondent. He had several other techniques at his disposal; he could just switch to another.

Wizard Reed silently observed the group in the darkness.

Old adversaries, he mused. Though their encounters had been brief, their defensive tactics were always so similar.

The instant he saw their circular defensive formation, Wizard Reed knew they still couldn’t pinpoint his location.

He had always hidden in the shadows, attacking them with Summoned Creatures and other Natural Forces. This made it impossible for them to understand his true nature. The more mysterious something is, the more people tend to fear it, even if its essence is simple. This was a common human psychological tendency: most people equate what they don’t understand with mystery. After all, losing to mystery wasn’t shameful; losing to a known power was what people couldn’t accept.

Dark Wizard Reed contemplated his next move. He sensed that planning this attack was taking a bit longer than usual. The length of this pause might seem insignificant to ordinary people, but for these experts, every moment counted. This pause gave them a chance to catch their breath, perhaps even to devise new countermeasures.

Throughout their encounters, Reed felt his old adversaries always maintained a defensive posture. Well, what could he do? He was, after all, the mysterious one. This air of mystery alone was enough to give his old adversaries a considerable headache. Unseen, untouchable, unlocatable – this was his current advantage. He hadn’t expected that such a simple advantage could so thoroughly baffle these skilled fighters. Dark Wizard Reed even began to feel that this advantage was perhaps a bit too overwhelming...