One-Eyed Monster

Arnold had disappeared, leaving Igor alone in this Time Gap.

Arnold returned to the present time. He slowly opened his eyes—Xiso was still sitting beside him, guarding him.

”Awake?” Xiso’s pale face was striking even in the darkness.

”How much time has passed?” Arnold asked with concern.

”Not even an hour has passed on my end,” Xiso said, looking up at the moon and answering softly.

”So it only took that little time.” A smile spread across Arnold’s face as he shook his head.

”What happened? Was he no match for you?” Xiso asked with concern. He was very concerned about the successor chosen by the Great Mentor.

”No, he was extraordinary,” Arnold said, taking a breath. Entering the Time Gap always consumed some of his Spirit Power.

”Oh?” Xiso perked up at this remark. ”Did he pass your test?”

”Yes. From Time Leap, to memory bombardment, Physical Technique Attack, and then Space Jump, this young man demonstrated remarkable adaptability to them all.”

”Space? Have you advanced to that level?”

”Yes. Although the final result was a bit contrived, I don’t think there’s any need to escalate the test further. He is worthy of an audience with the Great Mentor.” Arnold, his strength returning, stood up.

”What do you mean by ’a bit contrived’?” Xiso asked, puzzled.

”He had completely failed the Space Jump at first.” Arnold recalled that moment in the Time Gap. It was somewhat heartwarming and also a bit surprising—a peculiar, almost dreamlike feeling.

”Did he narrowly escape?”

”How could he possibly escape my Space Jump? It was purely a coincidence that he stumbled upon my point of contradiction,” Arnold explained.

”Do you mean... your name?” Xiso asked cautiously. He knew how sensitive Arnold was about his titles.

”Yes, Lord. That young man, Igor, used the Power of True Names against me.” Arnold still found it somewhat unbelievable that Igor, while in the Time Gap, had suddenly known his two different titles. Clearly, something significant must have occurred. Yet, as the Time Controller within the Time Gap, he hadn’t detected anything unusual, which surprised him somewhat.

”The Power of True Names?” Xiso frowned. It was an ancient technique, but then again, it shouldn’t pose much of a threat to Arnold.

”Yes, my lord. The Power of True Names. He has grasped quite a few things; it’s a bit strange,” Arnold continued his report.

”So the Power of True Names affected you by a stroke of luck? That is rather coincidental,” Xiso mused.

”Yes, my lord. Performing a Space Jump in the Time Gap requires intense concentration. Due to the Power of True Names, my concentration was disrupted by a fluke.”

”It seems that young Kadi also played a significant part in this,” Xiso said, narrowing his eyes as he stood up.

”Therefore, I believe my test has concluded. If I were to escalate the attacks, it could become a matter of life and death,” Arnold explained his thoughts in detail to Xiso.

”You’re right, Arnold. We have other enemies to face; there’s no need to expend too much Spirit Power on this young man. Besides, he truly hasn’t disappointed the Great Mentor’s expectations. In my opinion, successfully passing your trial already qualifies him.”

”Yes, my lord!” Arnold’s spirits lifted. The young man in the Time Gap had earned Lord Xiso’s approval. Looked at another way, this also signified Lord Xiso’s profound trust in him.

”However, we still need to see if he can escape your Time Gap,” Xiso said, gazing through the moonlight towards the distant spot where the two boys were.

”Alright, Arnold. I must report back to the Great Mentor. I’ll leave Grey Eagle Peak and Moonflow Stream in your care.”

”Rest assured, my lord. We will guard this place diligently and not allow those scoundrels to take a single step inside.”

The moonlight, like flowing water, streamed silently towards the distant horizon.

Igor, however, couldn’t see this brilliant moonlight. He was in the Time Gap, his face a mask of bewilderment.

What am I supposed to do? Jumping around here and there, surrounded by darkness, with only sporadic flickers of light. There’s no surprise at all, he muttered to himself, trying to conceal his loneliness and isolation. Clearly, time passed much more slowly in the Time Gap than in his own reality.

That Dual-faced Monster managed to get out, so why can’t I? There must be an exit somewhere. I just need to find it, Igor thought. He stretched out his arms, groping around, but touched nothing. His surroundings were utterly void, as empty as the blackness itself.

Could it be below? The thought had barely formed when the ground beneath his feet vanished, and he began to plummet.

What in the world is happening?! Igor thought, startled by the sensation of falling. It was just like when he and Kadi had leaped from Dawn Peak on Guru Mountain.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, he felt himself plunge into icy water, the sudden cold shocking his senses.

Isn’t this the exact same feeling as when I fell into the lake below Dawn Peak?

Igor grew increasingly bewildered. Why do I instantly experience whatever I think of?

What on earth is going on?

In the next instant, Igor found himself sitting by a bonfire, pondering everything that had transpired.

Think. Think hard. There has to be a way. No obstacle is insurmountable. As long as I think carefully, I can definitely get through this, Igor told himself, trying to muster his courage.

That Dual-faced Monster kept saying this place is a Time Gap. That means it’s a Time Rift formed by the collision of two timelines.

To get out of this Rift, I need to find its focal point. As soon as he thought this, he suddenly felt himself pressed into a crevice in a wall, which became his temporary shelter.

Huh? Does this mean whatever I think of actually happens? A spark of realization ignited in Igor’s mind; it was as if he’d suddenly had an epiphany.

That Dual-faced Monster kept mentioning a ’controller.’ Is that related to this?

The collision of timelines... So, the formation of this Time Gap must have involved my Timeline or Kadi’s!

One moment Igor was floating, the next he was falling. Sometimes he was submerged deep underwater, other times he felt the wind whip across him on a mountaintop...

Igor experimented with all sorts of scenarios, whether he had experienced them before or not, bringing them all to reality within this Time Gap.

So this is what it feels like to fall from a great height.

And this is the crushing pressure one feels at the bottom of the ocean.

...

Igor immersed himself in these varied sensations, almost forgetting his true objective.

Being alone here, able to do anything I want... it’s actually quite boring, Igor thought. Having tired himself out with these experiments, he began to feel bored, suddenly returning to his initial state of helplessness.

Since I can do whatever I want here, does that make me the controller of this Gap?

This was the ultimate realization Igor reached. All his previous fantastical experiments had been to verify this very point.

If that’s the case, then getting out of this Gap should be easy.

All I need to do is break through this world’s barrier. Since I’m the controller, this barrier should be as fragile as an eggshell!

CRACK—

A crisp cracking sound echoed through the void.

The once-pitch-dark Time Gap was instantly flooded with a brilliant beam of light.

Turns out, getting out was this easy, Igor thought with a smirk. He then spread his arms and began to peel away the giant eggshell, layer by layer...