One-Eyed Monster

”So, you’re saying your agreement was because you lost a bet with Soron?”

Igor, a guy with no filter, didn’t consider how the Great Mentor might react to such words. All he knew was that if something came to mind, he had to say it, or he’d feel uncomfortable all over.

Fortunately, the Great Mentor wasn’t a petty person. He didn’t mind Igor’s bluntness; in fact, he rather admired it.

”Yes, I lost, and I lost terribly,” admitted Grand Master Guzan.

”Was it because you were too young back then and didn’t consider everything thoroughly?” Igor tried to analyze the cause of Guzan’s failure, sounding quite logical and well-reasoned.

”You could say that. My experience can serve as an excellent warning for all of you.” The Great Mentor raised an eyebrow. If I’d known then what I know now, I wouldn’t have made that bet with Lord Soron.

”What warning is that?” Igor asked, still full of interest, much like a naive child.

”The warning is: never bet with a Wizard,” Master Guzan readily answered Igor’s question.

”You’re not going to ask why, are you?” Kadi turned to Igor. Though he trusted Igor, he was somewhat exasperated by Igor’s habit of questioning everything.

”Yeah, how did you know?” Igor looked at Kadi in surprise, wondering how Kadi could have known what he was going to ask.

Kadi was speechless and could only run a hand over his forehead in exasperation. When Igor decides to be smart, no one can beat him. But when he acts foolish, he’s truly in a league of his own.

”Because Wizards can foresee the future. They have a certain intuition about it that we professionals can’t compete with,” the Great Mentor answered, addressing Igor’s doubt. Unlike Kadi, he wasn’t exasperated. He appreciated Igor’s demeanor, believing that the world would be a much better place with a few more people like him.

”If Wizards can see the future, why couldn’t they foresee where the White Cloud Fruit is?” Igor’s unconventional thinking always led him to points others overlooked.

”Divination is only a form of prediction, much like the deductions made by Scholars. Both require rigorous calculations and reasoning,” the Great Mentor offered Igor a profound explanation.

This profound explanation sent Igor into deep thought. He was clearly going to be mulling over this issue for a while.

Igor’s contemplation didn’t stop the Great Mentor from continuing. ”The secret Lord Soron discovered on Guru Mountain is too complex for ordinary people to understand. Even Lord Soron, one of the most learned individuals on the continent, couldn’t fully grasp its true meaning. If the discovery had been spread immediately, it would have caused widespread turmoil. Yet, if the secret were guarded indefinitely, the entire professional world would seem overly conservative.

”Ultimately, Lord Soron believed that the professional world, primarily led by the six major professions, wasn’t yet mature enough to handle this secret calmly. He decided to leave the matter for future generations to judge, which is why he made that bet with Guzan.

”The essence of this wager was also to have Guzan accept the task of guarding this mountain.

”However, the young Guzan at the time would surely have felt his abilities were insufficient and would have tried to refuse. To convince Guzan to willingly accept this task, Lord Soron painstakingly devised this bet, leaving Guzan no reason to decline.

”Furthermore, by publicizing Guru Mountain, more people would be drawn to this land. Perhaps then, promising members of the younger generation might discover the mountain’s secret.

”Lord Soron’s bet was, in essence, a no-lose situation for him.”

”Looking back, I realize this agreement has been in place for over fifty years now.” The Great Mentor sighed with deep emotion. The years slip by so quickly, it’s hard to tell if we’re moving fast, or if time itself is just racing ahead.

”In these fifty years, has no one discovered this mountain’s secret?” Kadi found it incredible.

”That’s right,” the Great Mentor affirmed. ”For over fifty years, no one has been able to venture deep into Guru Mountain for further exploration. These Treasure Hunters have all stopped at Dawn Peak.”

”But...” Kadi started to say, but the Great Mentor gestured for him to stop.

”I know you want to say these people are stuck at Dawn Peak because of tricks played by ’monsters’ like us. But don’t forget, these Treasure Hunters existed even before we came to this mountain.” The Great Mentor’s explanation directly implied that Guru Mountain itself was extraordinary.

”This mountain... there must be other guardians besides us,” Master Guzan said quietly, as if sharing a secret.

”Have you met any other guardians then?” Igor asked.

”No. And we haven’t seen any trace of anyone else living on this mountain. You know our exploration capabilities,” Master Guzan said softly, looking at Kadi.

Igor furrowed his brow. Things seem complicated. The mountain is complex, and Lord Soron, who discovered its secrets, is even more so.

The thought of the omnipotent Lord Soron made Igor think of the Spirit Book. Logically, since this Spirit Book contains so much of Lord Soron’s effort, it should be able to reveal some of the mountain’s secrets, right?

This idea suddenly energized Igor. He paid no mind to the conversation between Master Guzan and Kadi, grabbed the Spirit Book from the table, and started flipping through it, all while trying every method he could think of to ”torment” the book.

The Spirit Book had fallen into a deep sleep. It had exhausted a great deal of its Spirit Power pulling Igor out of the Time Gap and was now depleted. Without a good rest, it might not even have the strength to speak.

But Igor knew nothing of this. He flipped through the Spirit Book—RUSTLE, RUSTLE—creating quite a commotion in the Stone House.

”What are you doing?” Kadi asked Igor, puzzled.

”I’m trying to wake this Spirit Book! It’s about time he stepped up! He’s the product of Lord Soron’s painstaking effort, so he must bear some of his mark, right?” Igor explained his reasoning.

”But if he could wake up, he would have by now. He doesn’t need you to urge him.” Even Kadi found Igor’s rough handling of the book—which was practically inhumane—a bit hard to watch.

”That’s exactly why I have to wake him up! This guy is usually so chatty, but now that it’s time for action, he’s conked out. Whenever it’s his turn to step up, he’s always fast asleep. He’s not a reliable partner at all!” Igor complained about the Spirit Book, as usual. Who could blame him? The Spirit Book had called him a fool once, and Igor held a grudge.

”Here, let me see. Your rough treatment of such a small book is a bit too cruel,” the Great Mentor said, offering the Spirit Book a helping hand.

”Can you wake him?” As soon as the Great Mentor finished speaking, Igor handed the book over without a second thought, his admiration for the Great Mentor evident.

The Great Mentor stroked the Spirit Book, and his brow smoothed. ”The little fellow is exhausted. He just needs a bit of nourishment.”

After the Great Mentor infused some of his Spirit Power into the Spirit Book, that familiar voice rang out once more.

”Whoa there! This flavor... why is this flavor so familiar?!”