One-Eyed Monster

Stan Sol immediately noticed Igor’s confusion, so he patted Igor’s shoulder and said, ”A lot has happened, and I will tell you slowly, but since time is short, we can’t share all the information with you.”

”Hmm, I understand. But what do you mean by saying we almost failed again?” Igor also understood that many things had happened during his training days at Guru Mountain, so he certainly couldn’t understand everything in such a short time. What he could do was focus on the main points.

”There has been a force acting frequently during this time, and their goals are very unified. We have clashed with these people many times, with victories and losses on both sides,” Stan Sol said calmly.

Igor fell silent. Although Stan Sol’s words were few, they contained a lot of information. Igor knew that during this period, the hidden enemy was not just targeting Master Lao alone. This unseen enemy had also deployed other people; some had achieved their goals, and some, like the Puppet Monster, had failed. No wonder the enemy who came to retrieve the Spirit Core from the Puppet Monster was not at all sorry for its failure, as it was just one among many.

Igor looked at Master Lao, feeling a bit relieved now. It seemed that this was purely a coincidence and not a disaster he brought upon Master Lao. The thought that his arrival exposed Master Lao’s Craftsman Spirit made him uneasy. After all, before he came, Master Lao hadn’t crafted any weapons in Gaga County, so that special Spirit Power wouldn’t have been revealed. Even if the Puppet Monster caused a commotion there, it would have been hard to discover the hidden Craftsman Spirit. Igor’s arrival made Master Lao so happy that he crafted weapons, thus exposing the Craftsman Spirit, leading those Puppet Monster guys to find their prey. Although Igor now knows that his relationship with Master Lao was purely coincidental, the fact that his presence exposed Master Lao’s Craftsman Spirit made him feel a bit guilty.

In fact, in a certain sense, Master Lao should also thank Igor. If Igor hadn’t awakened the Craftsman Spirit within him in advance, his Craftsman Spirit might have been inexplicably extracted by the Puppet Monster, and he might never have realized he had this power until the end...

”Igor?” Stan Sol waved his hand several times in front of Igor, but Igor still didn’t respond, leading Stan Sol to think Igor had once again entered his Inner World.

”What’s he doing?” Stan Sol looked at Kadi, hoping Kadi could provide an answer.

”Spacing out, probably.” Kadi shrugged and gave Igor a heavy pat on the shoulder without a second thought.

”Sorry, I spaced out.” Igor apologized with embarrassment after being snapped out of it by Kadi.

”What were you thinking about that got you so absorbed? I thought you entered your Inner World!” Stan Sol said.

”I just feel the situation is a bit tricky. We have so few people; we’re really outmatched!” Igor clearly thought about the future; he was considering some follow-up matters, which was also due to his feeling that Master Lao couldn’t be well-arranged at the moment.

Igor felt that given the current situation, with Master Lao already exposed, it would only be a matter of time before he became the enemy’s prey!

Someone must protect Master Lao, but who could provide such protection? Even Sol and the others failed several times, so who could ensure Master Lao’s safety?

”Haha, you’re really overthinking things!” Stan Sol laughed, ”If everyone were as cautious as you, we wouldn’t need to confront those enemies.”

”Hmm?” Igor didn’t quite understand Stan Sol’s words.

”Oh, Igor, everything you’re thinking is written all over your face. No one needs to ask you why!” Kadi held his forehead helplessly, indeed, Igor’s worries were too obvious, to the point where even Master Lao felt somewhat guilty.

”Igor, you don’t need to worry about me; actually, I’m not that kind of...”

”Master, you don’t know what kind of people the enemies are. You haven’t experienced it. I’ve encountered them before, so I know their terrifying nature. They are not something pure artisans like you can handle.” Igor interrupted the Master because he believed he had considered everything thoroughly.

”Can’t you let the Master finish his words!” Stan Sol laughed, feeling that Igor was being overly cautious now.

Igor felt that since he exposed Master Lao, he needed to provide him with assurance. It was his responsibility, and he must do so.

”I really want to stay by the Master’s side all the time so that I can ensure his safety. But you know I have to be on the road. Thinking about how I can’t always take the Master with me makes me feel very saddened.”

”Igor, I don’t need you to stay by my side all the time!” Master Lao said.

”But, your situation is very dangerous now!”

”Many people are in dangerous situations, but they haven’t retreated. Why should I? I’m just a blacksmith, and in my remaining years, crafting a few more weapons is worth it for my life, so you don’t need to constantly protect me!”

”But if your Craftsman Spirit is taken away...”

”If it really gets taken, it only shows I’m just a blacksmith, after all. I don’t care much about this Craftsman Spirit or not. I just feel it’s good to be able to craft weapons.”

”Err...” Igor was somewhat speechless at Master Lao’s statement.

”Haha, Igor, I tell you, you should trust your friends. You need to change this habit of taking everything on yourself.” Stan Sol said with a smile.

Igor turned his head towards Stan Sol, not understanding what his words meant.

”There is still some new information that hasn’t been conveyed to you yet, so don’t rush to think about how to protect this Master. Wait until you hear all the messages before you make a judgment.”

Only at this moment did Igor finally come to his senses. He never expected to become so sluggish, always stuck on one issue, when he could think of several other directions, yet he stubbornly drilled into this singular point.

”Alright, I’ve let my emotions get the better of me. It might be that this clash with the enemy made me feel so small, which turned me into what I am now.” Igor reflected.