One-Eyed Monster

Kuyi Tulan fixed his gaze on Dastan, his eyes filled with regret.

”This Golden Cage was prepared for you, Dastan.”

”Humph, I don’t need a cage. You can send me to the Eternal Tranquility Realm now,” Dastan retorted righteously. He had had enough of Kuyi Tulan’s domineering monologue. Just like Baharo, Dastan sought a quick end.

”Why do you always think I want to kill?” Kuyi Tulan was puzzled.

”Because the Eternal Tranquility Realm is much better than your notion of survival,” Dastan didn’t hesitate.

”Oh, Dastan, your vision is too short-sighted. You are so precious, how could I bear to abandon you?” Kuyi Tulan spoke softly.

Time slipped away at Kuyi Tulan’s fingertips. Unbeknownst to them, everything around was changing. The Golden Cage had taken a more defined shape. Hector, who had been revived, had completely opened his eyes. Elder Rostellum had recovered from his initial shock, his mind preoccupied with gold. Dastan and Baharo were firm in their beliefs, no longer wavering.

”For the Empire, for the Alchemy Workshop, I will ensure your survival.” Kuyi Tulan opened the door of the Golden Cage. ”Before that, however, you’ll have to endure some discomfort.”

”I’ve told you that you don’t need to prepare a cage,” Dastan responded calmly, his tone tinged with sarcasm.

”I know you have a thousand ways to kill yourself, Dastan, but it’s not up to you now.” Kuyi Tulan gave a faint smile. He had long anticipated that Dastan wouldn’t cooperate and had prepared countermeasures accordingly.

Dastan discovered he couldn’t muster his Spirit Power; he couldn’t concentrate it, let alone use it. He couldn’t even bite his tongue.

”What in the world is going on?” Baharo also noticed this anomaly. He had intended to end it all and rush toward the Eternal Tranquility Realm, but ultimately found he could do nothing but speak.

”This is the Chief’s Space Swap Spell. Your bodies have been separated from your consciousness, so you can no longer think or act as you wish,” Carmello kindly reminded everyone in the tavern.

”An upgraded World Setting Technique?” Dastan spat out, unwilling to accept it.

”As expected of someone who followed the Great Mentor; you even know about such a hidden Alchemy Array of the Alchemy Workshop.” Kuyi Tulan clapped, expressing his approval of Dastan’s deduction.

”However, the World Setting Technique is ultimately Grand Master Guzan’s technique, one I haven’t mastered. My own techniques are merely some accidental discoveries,” Kuyi Tulan said, sounding quite modest.

”I regret it. I thought that when I saw you this time, I would see your remorse. But I was wrong. You’re still the same bastard, Kuyi Tulan!” Dastan gritted his teeth, but his body wouldn’t obey him. The body that should obey him... who knew what dimension it was in now?

”Oh, yes, I should repent. Thanks for reminding me.” Kuyi Tulan closed the door of the Golden Cage, trapping Dastan and Baharo inside. ”I repent for being too hasty back then, for failing to transform you more thoroughly.

”I also repent that my strength was insufficient, that I couldn’t preserve your phantom-like presence, allowing something so worthy of immortality to vanish from this world for over a decade.

”I also repent that I failed to keep Grand Master Guzan with us. He was my benefactor and teacher, yet I disappointed him.

”And I repent...”

”Pah!” Dastan tried to cut off Kuyi Tulan’s repentance with this rude sound, as he couldn’t bear to listen anymore. But the spittle never left his mouth, for his body was utterly beyond his control.

This scene left Elder Rostellum dumbstruck, yet he couldn’t allow this expression to show on his face. As a Politician, he couldn’t casually reveal his inner thoughts.

During Kuyi Tulan’s confession, Elder Rostellum carefully processed the immense amount of information from the events that had transpired in such a short time.

Firstly, the monster discovered in Guru Mountain was not the one he had been worried about. This monster wasn’t native to Guru Mountain, so he could temporarily set aside the matter of the White Cloud Fruit. Furthermore, the rumors about a monster he had fabricated would no longer risk being exposed.

Secondly, the legend of the Glorious Seven Knights was actually true!

Also, this Chief of the Alchemy Workshop was no Dark Wizard. His power was truly formidable!

Finally, be it the monster, the Glorious Seven Knights, or the Dark Arts, all seemed connected to the Alchemy Workshop. And Guru Mountain appeared to conceal something of great interest to the Alchemy Workshop.

Of course, he couldn’t yet draw any firm conclusions from these observations. The only thing he knew for certain was that these people from the Alchemy Workshop were not to be offended; he had to serve them well.

So, he stood quietly to one side, listening to Kuyi Tulan’s repentance.

”I regret that the Alchemy Workshop didn’t grow rapidly under my leadership,” Kuyi Tulan continued his repentance, completely unmindful of Dastan’s displeasure.

”Enough, Kuyi Tulan! I really don’t understand how a bastard like you can still have the face to say these things.”

”While the essence of this world is Equivalent Exchange, there is one Absolute Truth that has never lost its value: the law of the jungle—the strong prey on the weak. This is an immutable principle, still applicable today,” Kuyi Tulan stated calmly, as if discussing something as mundane as eating or sleeping.

”Besides, I am genuinely repentant, Dastan.”

”I must have been blind to naively believe you had any intention of changing! In the end, it was I who wasn’t firm enough, wavering and thinking too charitably of others,” Dastan continued, seemingly regretting the irreversible path he had chosen.

”I do have a repentant heart, Dastan. And I also feel great regret concerning you. I feel I failed to unearth your true potential, failed to help you reach your ideal state.” Kuyi Tulan closed his eyes, lost in thought about his previous experiments.

”I was truly blind, foolishly believing you might change! Ultimately, it was my own lack of resolve, my wavering, my tendency to see the good in people.”

”So, as I said, I won’t extract that from you. I will only allow what deserves to continue existing to do so.” Kuyi Tulan shook his head; his repentance, it seemed, was not yet over, merely interrupted by Dastan.

”My regrets are sincere. My greatest regret is that I failed to sculpt you to sufficient perfection, allowing you to continue existing in this current state.”

”Humph! You’re just a bastard!” Dastan seemed only capable of this curse; he was utterly helpless against Kuyi Tulan.

”I regret being too merciful and soft-hearted back then, more than a decade ago. I shouldn’t have been.”

”My greatest regret is that I actually let you slip away right before my eyes.”

”This is also my greatest regret!”