One-Eyed Monster

The arrogance of Wizard Reed still lingered over the entire mountain peak.

His laughter, his scorn, his overall demeanor enraged his opponents on the mountain wave after wave.

Only by defeating an opponent could their arrogance be turned to ruin. True mockery and arrogance should not be expressed merely in words, but in actions.

The people from the Alchemy Workshop were still struggling. They had never discovered Wizard Reed’s Dark Arts. They couldn’t understand why they were depleting so much Spirit Power, while this Dark Wizard seemed unaffected, continuously unleashing Spirit Power.

Watching the people from the Alchemy Workshop display their skills, the three monsters from Grey Eagle Peak of Guru Mountain made no significant movement. They were observing, waiting for an opportunity, and also learning about the Alchemy Workshop. Naturally, they also felt a bit unsettled; after all, the Dark Wizard’s constant taunts always stirred the impulses in their hearts.

”You will all end up as ruins! In the ruins, you are nothing. Before that, savor the atmosphere around you; this may be your last time experiencing it,” Wizard Reed continued his arrogant tirade, spouting utter nonsense.

Simon glanced around, then looked at Yuga and Jemma beside him, seeking their counsel and offering a suggestion. He thought that they had dragged out the situation long enough. Joseph and his team had probably relayed the message to the Great Mentor by now. No matter how many waves of enemies there were, with Xiso and the others’ intellect and abilities, protecting the Great Mentor and defending their Guru Mountain home shouldn’t be an issue. All they needed to do now was eliminate the Dark Wizard before them and then have a proper discussion with the people from the Alchemy Workshop. Surely, these Alchemists had much to tell them, and they, in turn, had many questions for these wizards.

They had a unique method of communication, one devised by Xiso. They found it strange that Xiso, a Scholar, could invent so many peculiar things; they all believed Scholars like Xiso should be indoors, copying secrets and writing books.

But Xiso wasn’t like that. As a young Scholar who hadn’t yet secured his footing among his peers, he was different from those hidebound old Scholars; he paid more attention to discoveries made through practice.

This secret communication method was created by Xiso during his constant wanderings around Guru Mountain. Xiso disseminated words into various mediums using Spirit Power, conveying their intended messages through these mediums. This clandestine communication method was somewhat like the Mail Bird System, only more advanced.

Yuga and the others naturally knew it wasn’t the time to admire Xiso’s tremendous invention. The two entangled sides were quaking uncontrollably, and it seemed neither could completely defeat or conquer the other.

”It’s about time!” Jemma, brimming with fighting spirit, nodded to Simon and Yuga. This fervor had been ignited in her by their opponents. Ever since discovering they were constantly battling her Spirit Power, this fighting spirit had taken root, and now it was on the verge of overflowing.

”These Alchemists have a decent Spirit Power reserve; they’ve unknowingly resisted for so long,” Yuga commented, his remark clearly heartfelt.

”Strip away his disguise. Let me see what he truly is,” Simon said, a hint of confidence in his voice. After observing for so long, he had gained some understanding, especially regarding the group of Alchemists—he felt he understood most of them.

At this moment, however, these Alchemists were still their allies; they hadn’t yet reached the point of drawing weapons on each other.

The monsters of Guru Mountain now sprang into action.

The Dark Wizard was using a plague, a spell that prevented them from freely using Spirit Power for attacks. The opponent’s magic could continuously absorb their Spirit Power, and the absorbed Spirit Power was then turned against them…

Battling one’s own Spirit Power seemed absurd, but it was a fact, and they had to accept it.

Accepting this fact meant they had to abandon using Spirit Attacks.

Simon had once been a master of Physique Technique. Abandoning Spirit Attacks made little difference to him. He stepped forward and joined the ranks of the Alchemists.

Even though Yuga and Jemma were not highly accomplished in Physique Technique, they joined the fight without hesitation. What they wanted at this moment was simple: to crush this arrogant, mocking Dark Wizard.

Dark Wizard Reed sensed the three new opposing forces. These weren’t unfamiliar forces. They were the Guardians from Guru Mountain he had encountered before.

A smirk crept onto Wizard Reed’s face. He had been waiting for this moment.

”Now, let you arrogant fools taste what it feels like to be crushed.”

Wizard Reed suddenly waved his Magic Staff. Instantly, the Obsidian Staff began to glow, and then, SWOOSH! SWOOSH! a thick Black Smoke spread out.

”Such a strong deathly aura!” This sudden change startled the person on Grey Eagle Peak, who had been ignored until now, prompting her to exclaim.

This ignored person was, naturally, the Great Witch Biggs. She had been dumbfounded for quite some time, and her uncharacteristic outburst was one of necessity.

She saw the Wizard, cloaked in a dark robe, waving his Magic Staff. SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! Wisps of Black Smoke shot towards the people, then, like a flurry of swords, suddenly lunged at those around them.

The Black Smoke transformed into flying swords, attacking them. This was only the beginning; the Dark Wizard continued to wave his Magic Staff, each movement unleashing a powerful assault on those nearby.

None of these attacks were aimed at the Great Witch, which she found puzzling. Moreover, the ferocity of these attacks was evident from the CLANG! CLANG! DING! DING! echoing from the Alchemists’ defenses. Crucially, the Dark Wizard was single-handedly fighting so many opponents—a truly uncommon sight.

As always, the Great Witch Biggs was dumbstruck. She had no idea what to do; apart from standing still, she was clueless.

The intense deathly aura made the Great Witch feel uncomfortable all over. As a newly advanced Gray Robe, she was quite sensitive to these unusual sensory perceptions.

The deathly aura made Great Witch Biggs uneasy. She had an inkling that this deathly aura was the Dark Wizard’s true essence.

Great Witch Biggs’s eyes darted around. We are both Wizards. He studied Dark Arts and gained such immense power, yet I, after so many years of hardship, have only just managed to become a Gray Robe! This realization made the Great Witch feel the world was profoundly unjust.

Could the world of darkness truly be so magical?

The THUD! THUD! THUD! of attacks from Wizard Reed’s Obsidian Staff forced the Alchemists and the Guardians of Guru Mountain into constant evasion, with no effective way to break the Dark Wizard’s offensive...

True arrogance is founded on formidable strength. Every word this Dark Wizard uttered was arrogant, but his Obsidian Staff was indeed giving them a very hard time.

And that deathly aura? How could it materialize into tangible forms? And how did the Dark Wizard control it?

All of it seemed like a mystery.