One-Eyed Monster

Estev sensed his surroundings for a moment, but to no avail. He turned to Stan Sol by his side, and the aged Hunter shook his head in understanding. Stan Sol knew what Estev meant. Their tacit understanding had long been established. Words were no longer necessary for them to grasp each other’s intentions.

”It’s Contagion,” Jemma said, looking at the bewildered Estev and Stan Sol, providing them with the answer directly. As one of the guardians of this mountain, Jemma could tell at a glance, so he felt no aversion to the two men’s confused expressions.

Upon hearing the name of the spell, both Estev and Stan Sol took a deep breath. They were veterans in their profession and quite familiar with such spells. Hearing this name, they instantly understood why those individuals had abandoned Spirit Attacks and resorted to ordinary Physique Technique attacks instead.

Sage Bigas was still discussing the various forms of Wind Elementals with Yuga. She seemed to consider the Dark Wizard before them a minor threat, her demeanor clearly different from Estev’s. Though both were Soul Guardians, Bigas and Estev were fundamentally different. One was focused on defeating the intruders to protect the mountain’s secrets, while the other engaged in lofty discussions, indifferent to their current predicament.

The Soul Guardians knew little about the secrets Guru Mountain held; they only understood superficial details. The Soul Guardians had a strict system, and not everyone knew what they were guarding. Moreover, most Soul Guardians did not know one another. For Estev and Bigas to know each other’s identities was indeed unexpected.

This unexpected connection was a long story, many years in the making. The source of it was Willem, the leader of the Black Crow, who had once belonged to the Soul Guardian Team. For some unknown reason, Willem began to question the entire Soul Guardian Team. He had trained alongside Estev but betrayed him, deceiving Estev to gain his trust before defecting from the Soul Guardian Team, causing it to begin to fall apart.

However, the Soul Guardian Team had a leader who was both bold and meticulous, believing that the best way to hide a leaf was in a forest. Thus, Estev, Bigas, and others whose identities as Soul Guardians had been exposed were assigned to continue guarding Guru Mountain. Although Willem knew their true identities, he could not determine the exact location they guarded. His clever mind assumed the Soul Guardian Team would not let exposed members continue their duties. So, he dispatched his Black Crow to investigate. Sure enough, his probing seemingly confirmed that Estev, Bigas, and the others had indeed left the Soul Guardian Team. Estev had become a member of the Court of Guards, and Bigas had joined the Wizard Alliance. This did not surprise Willem; after all, he too would have removed them from the Soul Guardian Team in such a situation.

And that is how Estev and the others came to know each other’s identities. However, the Soul Guardians had many rules. Those who remained in the Soul Guardian Team had to abide by the Soul Guardian’s Contract. This contract reportedly contained many demanding stipulations, and anyone who betrayed it would face divine punishment.

However, Willem, the Soul Guardian Team’s only traitor to date, had not faced any divine retribution.

This caused an uproar within the Soul Guardian Team. Many began to believe that the legacy of their ancestors was deceptive and that only by continuously enhancing their own abilities could they secure their place in the world. These dissenters quickly gained followers, and the Soul Guardian Team became increasingly unstable. Yet, for some unknown reason, this tumultuous team never produced another traitor. Instead, it fractured into numerous factions. For example, Estev belonged to the ”Old Guard Faction,” while Bigas was part of the ”Progressive Reformist Faction.” Though members of these two factions typically didn’t know each other when operating separately, any encounter between them would invariably lead to a war of words.

Yet, the Soul Guardians of Guru Mountain shared an unusual rapport. For some reason, Bigas and Estev, despite knowing each other’s identities, usually had almost no interaction, as if they were strangers. Now, even when gathered to guard the mountain, they rarely argued.

Perhaps they were both wary of Willem. After all, the leader of the Black Crow was a sharp-minded Scholar, whose uncanny calculations always resulted in unique plans.

Estev didn’t mind Bigas’s indifference. He had lost an arm protecting the mountain, so he felt he truly deserved the title of Soul Guardian. He now felt a sense of relief. Though he didn’t know who these sinister-looking individuals before him were, he could clearly sense they were also guarding the mountain.

”Are you... also Soul Guardians of this place?” Estev asked cautiously in a low voice, looking at the three ”monsters” opposite him.

”We don’t belong to such an ancient profession; we’re just protecting our home,” Simon replied lightly after glancing at Estev. He had already circled behind the Dark Wizard and, with a wave of his hand, delivered a heavy blow.

Wizard Reed’s clone had already been struck multiple times by these Physique Technique experts. A normal person would never have withstood such an onslaught, but this was merely an empty shell, devoid of any signs of life and supported entirely by an evil force. It held firm, no matter how many blows it took.

Simon and his companions hadn’t initially focused on merely destroying the shell. Having no other recourse, they had gambled on overwhelming the Dark Wizard with the power of their Physique Techniques. They hadn’t anticipated, however, that their opponent was just an empty husk. Since it’s only a shell, then let’s shatter it! they thought. But to their dismay, the shell proved incredibly resilient, showing no signs of collapsing.

Estev wanted to help, but his injured arm had long since been destroyed by flames. With only one arm and no Spirit Power to support him, he couldn’t leverage his strengths. Thus, all he could do was worry helplessly.

”I... I found it!” Jemma struggled to his feet with Yuga’s help, activating his Heavenly Eye once more. His Heavenly Eye had previously identified the Contagion, and now, he saw a way to break it.

”Simon!” Jemma immediately called to his companion. Breaking the Contagion required Simon’s spell.

Estev looked at the three ”monsters” approvingly. One was entangled in combat with the Dark Wizard, one assisted another in assessing the surroundings, and the third was responsible for breaking the spell. Each had a distinct role, yet they were tightly coordinated, with no wasted effort or redundancy.

It has to be said, whoever arranged for these three to guard the mountain is truly a sharp-minded individual.

Stan Sol signaled Estev to get down quickly. He had been observing stealthily for some time and realized that these individuals seemed to be planning to break the Contagion using a primitive method.

This method would likely cause a large Shockwave, which could very well hit them.

The only thing that could cause such Shockwaves was an explosion.

These three ”monsters” plan to use an explosion to break the Dark Wizard’s spell!