One-Eyed Monster

Kuyi Tulan was firm and resolute, without a shred of hesitation or regret. This was an almost unbelievable transformation from the hysterical person he’d been before.

Igor was somewhat shocked by Kuyi Tulan’s attitude. He couldn’t understand how someone could become so cold and heartless, so capable of discarding their own experiences and emotions. After all, the Great Mentor had shown him such kindness; how could Kuyi Tulan say such things? Igor simply couldn’t comprehend Kuyi Tulan’s behavior or empathize with his mindset.

Everyone was surprised by this outcome. Neither the monsters of Guru Mountain nor the alchemists from the Alchemy Workshop had expected things to escalate to this point.

It seemed the Great Mentor had been pushed to the brink, to the point of directly severing his master-disciple relationship with Kuyi Tulan. Such an act from the Great Mentor was simply inconceivable. In their eyes, the Great Mentor was a kind person, a very amiable elder. Even after Kuyi Tulan had done such foolish things, the Great Mentor had still been willing to believe that his disciple had merely strayed and could eventually be reasoned with. However, the Great Mentor now displayed a completely opposite attitude, one that utterly repudiated Kuyi Tulan. No matter how talented Kuyi Tulan was, it no longer mattered.

The Great Mentor no longer recognized this disciple. He felt he had failed to teach him properly and to fulfill his duties as a mentor. He had been completely remiss in his guidance, allowing Kuyi Tulan to lose his way entirely. It was all his fault. He hadn’t brought a remarkable alchemist into the world; instead, he had unleashed an ambitious man, a demon…

The monsters of Guru Mountain unhesitatingly stood by the Great Mentor. He had made his stance clear, and they too wanted justice for Dastan.

The alchemists from the Alchemy Workshop found themselves in an awkward position. After going to such lengths to find the Great Mentor, who could have anticipated this outcome? Now, should they side with the Chief of the Alchemy Workshop or with the Great Mentor? This awkward predicament was one they had to navigate themselves.

”’A fine sentiment: ’The next time we meet, we’ll be enemies,’’ the Great Mentor sighed. He hadn’t wanted to get further entangled with Kuyi Tulan, but he had to face this reality. A future demon… he couldn’t let him go unchecked.”

”’We are not enemies; we simply have differing philosophies. That is the core of our divergence,’ Kuyi Tulan maintained, still believing this was the crux of his disagreement with the Great Mentor.”

”’Regardless of what you say, it can’t change the reality that you will eventually ruin the entire Alchemy Workshop.’”

”’I won’t. Everything I do is to strengthen the Alchemy Workshop,’ Kuyi Tulan retorted, dissatisfied with the Great Mentor’s statement.”

”’Further talk is useless. Since you are now no more than a stranger to us, you are henceforth an invader of Guru Mountain.’”

”’Out of respect for you having been my mentor, I do not wish to fight you. But if you insist on obstructing my plans, I will show no mercy,’ Kuyi Tulan stated, his expression impassive, his resolve firm.”

”’I suppose your purpose in seeking us out this time was also for your Spirit Core, wasn’t it?’”

”’Yes, that’s part of the reason,’ Kuyi Tulan replied, still strikingly frank. He never lied.”

”’In other words, you intend to refine all of us into Spirit Cores, right here and now?’ asked the Great Mentor, who had suspected Kuyi Tulan’s motives were not so simple this time.”

”’No, Spirit Cores aren’t made that way. If it were that simple, why wouldn’t I refine the Golden Seats and other Adventurers with Class from the Alchemy Workshop? Only those whose fundamental nature prevents them from receiving or passing on a true legacy are refined into Spirit Cores. And Spirit Cores are merely one part of the Purification Plan. I still have a long way to go.’”

”’Your path, that indistinct road?’”

”’To me, it is a clear path.’”

The argument between Kuyi Tulan and the Great Mentor seemed like an endless road.

To Igor, an outsider, it seemed a great battle was imminent at Moonflow Stream. After all, Kuyi Tulan was an invader, and the monsters of Guru Mountain were bound to defend their home. This was the superficial conflict; the deeper, unspoken animosity between Guru Mountain and the Alchemy Workshop was far more complex.

”’Alchemists of the Alchemy Workshop, do you see what kind of person your Chief truly is?’ the Great Mentor began, attempting to persuade the other alchemists, hoping they would return to the right path and escape Kuyi Tulan’s toxic influence.”

”’Mentor!’ Milo, the eldest among the alchemists, stepped forward. ’As the Chief said, we are not enemies, merely different in our opinions.’”

”’Milo…’ The Great Mentor was astonished that another of his disciples had chosen to side with Kuyi Tulan.”

”’Times are changing, Mentor. The nature of conflict has become unfamiliar. If we do not seek to change and adapt, the Empire will lose its protection, and our homes will be threatened.’ Milo, though not eloquent, clearly stated his stance. ’Only by becoming stronger can we resist formidable enemies. In this, we have no alternative.’”

The Great Mentor understood that his departure long ago had had a significant impact on the Alchemy Workshop. He had overestimated the influence of the Workshop’s elders. Each member of the younger generation possessed a proud heart, a heart that drove them to constantly strive for more. Kuyi Tulan was the foremost among them. The blueprints these individuals drafted were always magnificent. They tended to view things detached from current realities, seemingly living for a future they envisioned, striving for that imagined paradise. They would pursue it at any cost, heedless of the dangers, and nothing could shake their determination or their plans…

In other words, they were resolute in their choices, without regret or complaint. No matter how much others might point out the flaws in their decisions, their conviction never wavered.

The Great Mentor gradually came to understand the choices of Milo and the others. Seeing them rallied so tightly around Kuyi Tulan, he decided against further attempts to persuade these young people.

If they chose this path, then opposition was inevitable. Should they meet again, they would be as strangers, perhaps even foes.

The question was whether the Great Mentor would allow them to continue down this path, whether he would grant them the chance for a future meeting. This was the crucial issue now.

The Great Mentor knew that with his strength alone, resisting Kuyi Tulan would be incredibly difficult, especially with the other members of the Alchemy Workshop backing him.

But everyone possessed a hidden strength, a power that could allow them to transcend their limits. The Dark Wizard Reed had such power, one that required self-sacrifice for an explosive burst of strength. The Great Mentor, too, had a similar power… This was his trump card, his final gamble…