One-Eyed Monster

”The method is right, but the understanding is wrong?” Igor was puzzled.

He had journeyed from vast deserts to majestic mountains, drifted from boundless rivers into infinite whirlpools. The changes were rapid and abrupt. Although this process was grand and spectacular, Igor also faintly felt something was unusual; these scenes transformed too quickly, losing a certain degree of realism.

And realism seemed to be a key aspect of this art.

In Igor’s view, the World Setting Technique is about the transformation between reality and illusion. The ability to make illusory things appear more real signifies the best application of the World Setting Technique. After all, he was a novice in this art, and his level of understanding had not yet reached a certain depth.

”Within the Inner World, Spirit Power has no effect. Spirit Power is merely a prerequisite to entering the Inner World. Once inside, one must rely on their intellect to proceed. The reason I say your method is correct is because you quickly utilized your rich imagination, your strong suit, within this Inner World. You can effortlessly place the Inner World amidst mountains and rivers; that is talent.”

Kuren paused here, as if what he was about to say was quite extraordinary and required some deliberation before he could begin. He remained silent, watching Igor without speaking, seemingly waiting for Igor to ask a question.

After all, this was his World Setting Technique. He was the examiner, and Igor was just a child ready to answer the questions.

But this child, Igor, was clearly restless. He scratched his head, looked left and right, and thought for a good while, but ultimately couldn’t make sense of it. He furrowed his brow, lifted his head, his face a mixture of surprise and confusion, ”What does this have to do with understanding? Isn’t the World Setting Technique an art? And for an art, shouldn’t mastering the method be enough?”

”For an art, yes, one should master its methods. But then, why do you think so many people despise the Dark Arts?” Kuren immediately asked. His own argument seemed not yet fully formed, so he could only address Igor’s confusion bit by bit.

”The Dark Arts are inherently dark. Those things are evil and mislead people down the wrong path. How can such dark things be compared to the World Setting Technique?” Igor felt his explanation was quite reasonable, and Kuren, facing him, should have no legitimate reason to refute it.

However, Igor had miscalculated. Kuren was, after all, an experienced man. Even if he didn’t directly refute Igor’s words, he would find another way to convey a different opinion.

For instance, a rhetorical question could be very powerful.

”Aren’t the Dark Arts also a method?”

The impact of this rhetorical question was self-evident, leaving Igor speechless.

The Dark Arts certainly are a method, but they are ultimately evil and cannot be compared to the World Setting Technique. Igor didn’t understand why Kuren was using the Dark Arts as an analogy, but he had to admit it was a fitting one, leaving him momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

”Well...”

”You see, the Dark Arts are also a method. As long as one masters the methods, that’s sufficient; understanding isn’t necessary, is it?” Kuren was clearly leading Igor into a conceptual trap. This, too, was a form of guidance. For confident children like Igor, indirect prompting often yielded better results than direct instruction.

”Well...” Igor scratched his head again. He had to accept Kuren’s point. At the same time, he recognized the superficiality of his own understanding, which was leagues below Kuren’s.

So, like a child admitting his mistake, he hung his head and slowly, quite embarrassedly, conceded, ”I was wrong. It seems understanding an art is indeed a very important matter; otherwise, one could easily go astray.”

”Correct. Understanding is very important. So, the question now is: in your mind, what kind of art is the World Setting Technique?”

”Err...” Igor was completely unprepared. He hadn’t expected Kuren to ask such a question. Given his current understanding of the World Setting Technique, to be honest, he still hadn’t truly grasped much about it.

”No rush. You can think about it slowly. Answer when you’re ready. Understanding is very important; it’s the key to truly mastering the World Setting Technique.” Kuren stood up and climbed onto a white cloud. The soft cloud enveloped him completely, and he floated, drifting and soaring freely in the azure sky.

Igor propped his chin on his hand and began to ponder, trying to understand the World Setting Technique.

The World Setting Technique is, overall, an art of creating Illusionary Realms, but it fundamentally differs from traditional Illusion Spells. Igor had experienced this distinction before. Illusion Spells merely force people into illusions, whereas the World Setting Technique seems more like actively bringing illusions to people...

”I believe the World Setting Technique is an art that passes the false as genuine. This art can make people mistake illusion for reality, leading to many unexpected things.”

”And what might these unexpected things be?”

”It can train a cowardly child to become strong, or bring hope to someone in despair.”

”Oh, that’s an interesting thought,” Kuren commented. It was the first time he had heard someone describe this function of the World Setting Technique. He looked Igor up and down; this young man’s ideas were remarkably unconventional, truly off the beaten path.

”That’s the function of the World Setting Technique as I see it. Of course, you could also use it to set traps to prevent scoundrels from invading. It can serve as an excellent trap or a formidable defense.”

”Correct. And similarly, this art can also be used as a tool for swindling and deception.”

”This...” Hearing Kuren say this, Igor suddenly had a sense of foreboding.

That’s right. He had only thought of the positive aspects of the World Setting Technique. But everything has two sides. It was also possible that this art could be used by some evil people for other purposes. The swindling and deception Kuren mentioned were entirely possible.

This art inherently brings illusion into reality. It can make people firmly believe in certain things, and likewise, make them believe a falsehood to be true. This is its characteristic: making it incredibly difficult to distinguish between the illusory and the real. Therefore, if an evil person were to use this art to deceive naive people, it would be effective every time; the naive individuals might not even get a chance to retaliate.

”Indeed, this is a problem that deserves serious attention,” Igor said, propping his chin on his hand, his gaze distant.

”That’s why I said understanding is crucial,” Kuren remarked casually. Through these displays, Kuren could see that Igor possessed a purely good and innocent heart. Such purity was rare and precious, truly one in a million.

”So, this Inner World... is it a type of restrictive art?” Igor’s mind worked quickly.

”You’re very clever. The Inner World is indeed a restrictive art, but not entirely.”

”Hmm, so is that only part of it?”

”The Inner World relies on mental power, with imagination playing a significant role. Furthermore, not everyone who has mastered the World Setting Technique can enter the Inner World.”

”Huh?” Igor was puzzled.

”I’ve said before that someone like Kadi would never be able to enter the Inner World. I wonder if you understand why now.”