One-Eyed Monster

At this point, Igor was stunned, not understanding the connection behind this change. Since they were so resolute back then and have no regrets now, there should be no reason for them to hate Kuyi Tulan, Igor thought. But why do they still hold such a deep-seated hatred for Kuyi Tulan?

”I don’t understand. I cannot comprehend why this can be considered a huge deception when everyone supposedly wanted it,” Igor said.

”Heh, naturally, the reason for this is something you wouldn’t understand, because every individual has their own choices. Kuyi Tulan’s promises to us all were nothing but a deception; he betrayed our trust,” a monster explained.

”Or perhaps he never cared about our trust; all he cared about was whether his sorcery would be successful!” another added.

The monsters took turns explaining to Igor, but their words left him feeling muddled and confused. Ultimately, however, Igor understood one thing: Kuyi Tulan had misused their trust.

Merely changing their forms or even being abandoned by the world wouldn’t have caused such deep resentment. After all, those were their own choices. Kuyi Tulan, however, showed not the slightest hint of apology. Even the apology he made under pressure from Kadi’s people was insincere. It was nothing but an excuse for his own failures. As for true remorse, one could say Kuyi Tulan had none at all...

This was the real reason for the monsters’ hatred towards Kuyi Tulan.

Every monster here had wanted to contribute to the Empire. They all knew the dangers the Empire currently faced were far greater than ever before; if they hadn’t loved this land, why would they have secretly assisted the Guardian Army in repelling the invaders...

Every monster here wanted to grow stronger to protect the things they valued.

The desire for power was a common trait among them. In this respect, the only difference between them and Kuyi Tulan was their understanding of trade-offs.

Some forms of power were simply too great to grasp.

Sometimes, power that was too intense could not be controlled by humans. Upon contact, a severe backlash might occur. When that happens, the person becomes nothing but a Puppet controlled by power.

The Dark Wizard they had previously fought was a prime example of that.

Thus, making such trade-offs was crucial.

Letting go isn’t necessarily a loss; on the contrary, that very act of letting go might lead to new gains.

At this moment, Igor began to understand the monsters’ feelings. Initially, he had only judged things in simple terms of good and bad. Now, however, he felt he had progressed, gaining insight into something deeper.

At this moment, Igor began to think about Xiso’s situation again. He had stayed here initially because of Xiso’s story, and his heart wouldn’t be at peace until he understood it thoroughly.

Xiso must have faced a difficult choice too, he thought. No, judging by the current situation, Xiso probably faced more than two options back then.

Clearly, in making his choices, Xiso had given up something very important.

Could it be, Igor mused, that Xiso hadn’t wanted to give up his relationship with Bigas back then, and to achieve the best of both worlds, he chose silence? He must have silently aspired to become someone the Kangen Family would respect, so he could legitimately be with Bigas. From another angle, he also did it for his own reputation. This excessive concern for outsiders’ opinions must have constrained Xiso.

This thought took root in Igor’s heart and grew, making the entire situation seem to fall into place.

And so, Igor voiced his hypothesis.

”You’re right in your analysis; that’s exactly how the situation was,” Kevin said. ”Xiso valued his reputation greatly, unlike me... I didn’t care if I was part of the Empire’s Blue Blood League Guard...”

”Give it a rest. Saying that now just proves you haven’t forgotten your title deep down,” Kadi interjected inopportunely, cutting Kevin off.

”You brat! Don’t you want to learn my blade techniques anymore? Always chirping and stirring up trouble!” Kevin, stung by the remark, directed his irritation at Kadi, though it was partly in jest.

No one could completely forget their past, whether glorious or despicable. These past events form fragments in memory that constantly resurface. Sometimes, these lingering matters will influence one’s judgment and choices regarding new things.

Igor watched Xiso from a distance. At this moment, Xiso must be facing Bigas in great anguish, he thought.

By participating in Kuyi Tulan’s plan, Xiso had indeed managed to enhance his strength; Kuyi Tulan’s unscrupulous methods were remarkably effective. But in this world of equivalent exchange, Xiso had also paid the due price.

The price Xiso paid was far too great, Igor perceived.

Xiso lost his handsome face. His skin, filled with cracks, resembled parched earth. A pallid color was its dominant tone. Xiso looked like a Devil who had walked straight out of Hell.

Perhaps if any of his past fangirls saw the current Xiso, most would faint—not from excitement, but from fright...

Such a transformation was undoubtedly a huge blow to Xiso. At one point, he had wanted to leave this world. If it weren’t for the Great Mentor, Xiso might truly be in the Eternal Tranquility Realm by now.

Such a visage not only stripped Xiso of his identity but also made him feel he no longer had the face to confront Bigas.

That is to say, Xiso had made another sacrifice in this regard.

From the moment he decided to end his life, he had also decided to leave Bigas.

The Great Mentor had prevented Xiso’s descent and given him a chance at rebirth, though this opportunity was, in truth, an escape from the entire real world.

No, it *was* an escape from the real world.

There were many reasons for this. The world had, more or less, abandoned them. Regardless, they found it difficult to walk among people with their current appearances. The cause of all this, needless to say, was Kuyi Tulan.

However, they had also forgotten something important: they were not the only ones who had been harmed.

They were the direct victims, but others had suffered indirect harm—those who had always cared for them. When they were harmed and disappeared, those who cared for them were left to grieve alone. They rarely witnessed such scenes themselves, but that didn’t mean such situations didn’t exist. Bigas was one such example.

Right now, this very example stood, living and breathing, right before them…