One-Eyed Monster

”Do you know which way to go?”

Igor’s question instantly extinguished the excitement kindling within Kadi. It felt like reaching the peak of a mountain, only to slip and tumble all the way back to the bottom.

Kadi honestly had no idea which direction to run.

Kadi had relentlessly searched for Moonflow Stream in the past. He dreamed of finding Guru Guru’s Stone House to discuss life on Guru Mountain with Guru, the king of monsters. But his quest had always been futile; he could never even find the edge of Moonflow Stream.

Kadi had experienced that feeling far too many times. Each time was like drinking a bowl of ice water on the coldest day of winter. His still somewhat warm body would turn freezing cold, the fervent anticipation in his heart instantly congealing into a block of ice. With just a little more pressure, his heart would shatter into a million pieces with a CRACK.

What baffled Kadi most was that he could clearly hear the singing and even see the silhouette of Moonflow Stream from a distance, yet he could never, ever find the path leading to it.

The song of Moonflow Stream seems like a clue, but I can’t figure out its mystery. Kadi never liked using his brain; this kind of thinking wasn’t for him.

Kadi pinned all his hopes on Igor. He felt that someone as clever as Igor, who had escaped Ghost Wind Valley and knew so many magical things, could surely help him realize one of his dreams.

But unexpectedly, a problem arose the moment Igor took his first step. This problem was like a heavy club slamming down on Kadi’s head.

This also seems to be saying, why don’t you use your brain for a change? What will you do in the future if you rely on others for everything? Can others stay with you for a lifetime?

The tone of this lesson was a bit like Kevin’s, and the style of this blow was also Kevin’s way of doing things.

Strangely, Kadi always thought of Kevin whenever he felt a little helpless... Whether it was a good impression or a bad one, Kevin was like a ghost, popping up from time to time.

”If Kevin were here, he’d drag me to Grey Eagle Peak again,” Kadi muttered to himself, lost in his own thoughts, not noticing Igor’s every move.

Igor had long since retracted his outstretched foot. He was holding a branch, drawing circles and lines on the ground, though Kadi didn’t know what he was doing.

The branch skittered across the ground, making a RUSTLING sound. This RUSTLING also seemed like a song, just not as beautiful as Moonflow Stream’s. This song sounded rather monotonous, lacking the cadence and modulation of Moonflow Stream’s.

Kadi followed the RUSTLING sound with his eyes and saw Igor standing there, waving his arm, like a scholar calculating some law. This scene elevated Igor’s image in Kadi’s mind yet again. For Igor, Kadi’s previous admiration had now risen to worship.

This is a great master!

As for Igor, he was actually just writing on the ground the songs he heard last night. He wanted to compare the two segments to find similarities or common points, and from those common points, find a breakthrough.

Igor recalled the songs he heard last night. Although the stream sang continuously, if one listened carefully, one would find it just sang those two segments over and over, repeating them endlessly.

The first song seemed to be recruiting you to join them, to join them in capturing the tranquility of the night.

This first song was beautiful and full of temptation. After hearing it, one felt an urge to rush over and join them.

The second segment, however, didn’t sound as passionate as the first. It was more like a sneaky thief, chuckling secretly after a successful theft. At times, it made you feel that the other side was full of danger; at other times, it made you feel that the other side was full of insidious and cunning people.

Water splashes, stones, stars, moonlight... Igor carefully looked at the things mentioned in the two songs. It seemed these were the road signs; if he understood them, they could easily walk through this Moonflow Stream.

Kadi’s heart was still more excited than not. After all, he had already found Moonflow Stream. Compared to before, he had already taken a huge step forward. As for how to cross this Moonflow Stream, he felt it was just a matter of time; Igor would surely find the answer.

His expectations for Igor returned to full capacity. The previous question of not knowing where to go was once again tossed to the back of his mind.

Igor is already thinking about it, so I, Kadi, don’t need to waste any more brainpower. Anything I think of, Igor has already thought of. All I need to do now is wait quietly. I absolutely, absolutely must not disturb Igor.

Although Kadi didn’t want to disturb Igor, Igor was thinking of asking for Kadi’s help. He had thought for a long time but still hadn’t found anything special. The two songs were stylistically very different, and their meanings also varied greatly. The only thing he could see was that the songs seemed to be advising you to stay away from Moonflow Stream; getting too close might lead to being captured by the people behind it and taken prisoner.

I wonder if Guru Mountain has any legends or stories, or if there’s anything special about it that’s different from other places. Maybe understanding this could help find what’s special about these two songs.

And the one who would know about Guru Mountain’s situation is naturally Kadi.

”Are there any legendary tales about Guru Mountain?”

”Nope.”

”Then does Guru Mountain have anything that sets it apart?”

”Umm, I’ve always been on Guru Mountain, so I don’t know what other places are like.”

”Then, when you’ve listened to this Moonflow Stream singing before, did you notice anything special?”

”Nah. I just felt like it was always stones, water splashes, and stuff fighting. They all look down on each other.”

Igor and Kadi went back and forth. Kadi didn’t hear what he wanted to hear, and Igor didn’t get what he wanted either.

It seems breaking through via the songs is also a dead end...

I have to find another way.

But time passed, GLUG by GLUG, and noon quickly turned into afternoon.

”Why does it all look the same in every direction? Where on earth should we go?” Igor muttered to himself.

”Uh, when you’ve run into this kind of situation before, what did you usually do?” Kadi asked weakly.

”Before? I used to toss a branch. Whichever way the leafy end pointed, that’s where I’d go. Speaking of which, my coming to Guru Mountain was also thanks to that branch.”

”Then, why don’t you try tossing a branch this time? Maybe luck is still on our side.”

”What you said isn’t a bad idea.”

”Then do it quickly,” Kadi urged.

”But, if luck isn’t on our side, and we go the wrong way, won’t we be unable to find Guru Guru?” Igor started to hesitate.

”Then are we just going to wait here, wait until you think of the answer?”

”Er...” Igor glanced at the sun. Time seemed to be racing by. He wasn’t one of the Time-Leaper People, after all; he couldn’t go back to the past or jump to the future to see the outcome before deciding.

”When it gets dark, we’ll be able to hear that song again. But do we really want to waste the whole day here?” Kadi tilted his head and asked Igor.

”Er, let’s do this for now. Let’s just walk straight ahead.”