One-Eyed Monster

Nonoa watched the flying sword, feeling something was amiss.

The move was powerful, and the energy unleashed was strong, directly cutting through Vajra’s arm. Vajra, seemingly not accustomed to such an attack, clutched its arm and turned away, shouting...

However, how did Igor’s sword end up flying out like that? In Nonoa’s own technique, the sword shouldn’t have flown out!

”What was that!” Nonoa was uncertain. He initially thought Igor was imitating his technique, but now, it seemed Igor had his own style!

”Uh...” Igor seemed a bit embarrassed now, ”I lost control and accidentally threw the sword out. How was that move?”

This answer left Nonoa in shock. What was all that? He had just praised this guy for being impressive, but now realized he was just a reckless fool.

Imitating is fine, but failing to imitate successfully and making such a big mistake in the final step is just laughable.

”Are you saying that your mistake was just pure accident?” Nonoa needed to confirm, as he had never seen anything like this before.

”Uh, yes, that’s exactly it!” Igor, being honest, said what was on his mind without hiding anything.

”Well, you’re truly talented!” Nonoa sincerely praised.

”What’s the name of that move? It looked pretty cool!” Igor quickly changed the topic, not wanting to discuss his mistake further.

”It doesn’t have a name; it’s just drawing the sword and slashing. There’s no point in giving a pretentious name.” Nonoa replied honestly, as the move indeed had no name.

”Let’s call it ’Flame Slash’, sounds pretty fierce, right?” Igor suggested.

”As long as you’re happy.” Nonoa clapped his hands. Earlier, his palms were sweaty in preparation to execute that move, and now he could finally relax.

”Alright, it’s ’Flame Slash’ then. Hey, don’t leave!” Igor, delighted, quickly followed Nonoa. He didn’t want to wander aimlessly on this land, and this time, he was determined to stick with Nonoa.

”Don’t follow me, I can’t help you find anyone!” Nonoa said.

”You can’t just walk off like that! After all, you’re my master!”

”No, I only taught you for my own sake. If you disappeared, it wouldn’t benefit me.”

”Master, don’t be like this. If I don’t follow you, I’d seem very impolite.”

”What’s so impolite about it!”

”I need to repay your kindness! If not for you shouting ’run’, I would have been devoured by the flame already. If not for you teaching me to use energy, I’d probably have been smashed flat by this Stone Monster, if not...”

”Alright, alright, enough! That was Vajra, not some Stone Monster. Now that you’ve injured it, it won’t harm you.”

”What do you mean!” Igor continued to follow Nonoa closely, not letting him out of sight.

”Never mind, let me tell you a few things out of pity.” The truth is, Nonoa no longer rejected Igor. When Igor ran back, he realized the boy had a kind heart. At least, this young man didn’t abandon him in peril but returned to help.

Nonoa was no saint who would help others easily, but neither would he neglect someone who had helped him.

Yet, he still put on a cold front, perhaps a tinge of jealousy about Igor’s performance.

”Okay, Master, I will study hard.”

”First of all, stop calling me master!”

”Okay, Master!” Igor responded cheerfully.

Nonoa’s face nearly turned black, but Igor remained oblivious to what was wrong.

”Forget it, I won’t argue with you. Do you know what this place is now?”

”No idea!” Igor responded crisply, with no hesitation.

”Haven’t I told you it’s the Border Realm!” Nonoa was furious. How could Igor suddenly become so ignorant!

”Besides the name, I know nothing else. What is the Border Realm? Why does this place look so desolate, and why are there walking flames and giant stones...uh, I mean Vajra; I don’t understand any of this. That’s why I can’t say I know what this place is!”

Nonoa conceded Igor had a point, but still couldn’t fathom how someone who didn’t even know what the Border Realm was got here!

”Alright, let’s not talk about that. In the Border Realm, there’s only one rule for survival: become strong. Only the strong won’t be attacked; otherwise, you’ll be perpetually chased by these Alien Species.”

”But I’m just here to find a person!” Igor was puzzled. Why must he become strong when he was merely looking for Sol?

”Do you not understand what survival means? If you can’t survive here, how can you find anyone?”

”Makes sense, but our bodies aren’t here; it’s just our consciousness. If we can’t survive, we can just return!”

”Fool, if you’re devoured here, you won’t be yourself after you return!” Nonoa exclaimed, seemingly shocked by Igor’s thought.

”Ah, is that so? Does that mean there are many consciousnesses here?” Igor asked.

”This is the Border Realm, the place where worlds converge. You might accidentally be replaced by another world’s consciousness. They could use you to return to your world and devour everyone!”

”That’s terrifying!” Igor seemed to grasp something.

”So, you must survive!” Nonoa gave Igor a meaningful look.

”Alright, I will survive. I still need to find the Sol Brothers.”

”With your current strength, you can’t even step foot on that land. Dream on about finding Tobin.” Nonoa said dismissively.

”What’s exactly going on here? You seem familiar with this place.”

Unbeknownst to him, Igor began to slowly understand this world. Initially thought to be an Inner World, it turned out to have so many incredible aspects. All of this was unfamiliar to Igor, and now he had to relearn everything here.

”That’s how the Border Realm is. If you don’t grow stronger, you’ll just get replaced.” Nonoa explained.

”Do you know Tobin? I came here to find him, and you seem familiar with him.”

”I haven’t met him, but I know he’s our fire, igniting hope for us!”

Igor seemed to understand, yet not fully, unsure of Tobin’s true identity here.