One-Eyed Monster

The conviction of certain victory stemmed from experience and accumulation, though at this moment, Kuren’s own experience had been utterly shattered.

Yet, he still placed his hopes on Igor. He felt that Igor, with that inherent unpredictability of his, could stir up this matter once again and make the situation unrecognizable.

Yes, unrecognizable. That was precisely the outcome he desired. Normal reasoning had completely collapsed, and conventional thinking could no longer lead them to their goal.

Traditional rules were no longer applicable; a new approach was essential. Kuren didn’t know what this new approach entailed. His intuition, however, told him it hinged on a bit of luck—luck built upon a foundation of chaos.

Chaos—that was what Kuren wanted Igor to create. He needed Igor to charge recklessly through this line of thinking, just as he had before. Igor had to shatter everything orderly; only then could something new emerge from the wreckage.

Therefore, Kuren eagerly awaited Igor’s response, hoping it would once again challenge his established experiences.

If Igor were to give a useless answer like ’I don’t know,’ Kuren would be profoundly disappointed.

Not much time passed between his question and Igor’s impending response—perhaps only a few moments. Yet, to Kuren, it felt like an eternity, long enough for an entire winter to pass.

This perceived length was due to his complex internal turmoil. He was gambling, and his thoughts were undoubtedly convoluted, yet his expectation was singular: that Igor would live up to it.

Event after event had proven that Igor always rose to the occasion. He inevitably carried an aura about him, one he never lost, no matter what transpired. While this aura was often perceived as naivety, it was, in reality, a form of strength. Only someone so powerful that they couldn’t even comprehend their own strength could appear so deceptively simple to others.

Igor hadn’t yet journeyed far with this aura. He remained under the scrutiny of others, though this trial had long since become unrecognizable, losing its original value.

Upon hearing Kuren’s question, Igor didn’t dare to overthink. He especially avoided wondering if Kuren felt remorseful, as Kuren could perceive his thoughts. Igor certainly didn’t want to give this predecessor any further impression of provocation or mockery.

Besides, I don’t even need to speak; he can sense my thoughts, Igor considered. But since he has spoken, remaining silent would be profoundly disrespectful.

Thus, in that brief interval, both Igor and Kuren experienced a tempest of mental activity. Many ideas had been churning in their minds for a long, long time. The only difference was that Igor’s thoughts were relatively simple, while Kuren’s were far more complex.

Both had contemplated a great deal in that short span, yet little actual time had elapsed. Igor, in particular, found his response forming spontaneously. Although many thoughts had crossed his mind, they weren’t directly related to the question itself. His answer to Kuren’s query was uttered without conscious deliberation.

Igor began to speak, his answer seemingly bypassing any complete or effective thought process:

”Well, as for magic, it also needs to evolve, just as Adventurers with Class advance to higher levels. These arts progress and extend; how could they remain unchanged?

”Think about everyone who wants to become an Adventurer with Class. Initially, aren’t their hearts pure, dreaming of becoming someone extraordinary? But in the end, don’t they stray further and further, completely deviating from the path they originally set for themselves?”

Igor rambled on, a veritable chatterbox, citing examples and posing rhetorical questions with an eloquence that rivaled his earlier discourse.

His examples were far removed from the matter at hand, yet he managed to connect these two utterly unrelated subjects—a rather absurd talent. To link disparate topics so seamlessly indeed required a special gift for spouting nonsense. Despite Igor’s honest appearance, his mind was evidently teeming with colorful notions; he wasn’t so simple after all.

This might also be strongly connected to Teacher Hadi’s instruction at the Yonder Travel Academy. That mentor had always been unconventional, imparting his unorthodox knowledge to the seemingly naive Igor. The result was anyone’s guess.

Truthfully, this chaotic answer was precisely what Kuren had hoped for. He wanted Igor to respond in this very way, to run rampant through this seemingly orderly mess. He desired Igor’s disruption to shatter the existing disarray, causing all pretenses to vanish. Once the facades disappeared, true chaos would emerge. Seeking answers amidst such pandemonium might seem incredible, but Kuren considered it the most effective path forward.

Instead of trying to renovate a structure where one couldn’t even begin, it was better to demolish everything and rebuild from scratch. This method, though brutal, made reconstruction a genuinely feasible plan.

Of course, had this happened before, Kuren would have scoffed at such a response. His past experience and accumulated knowledge were like a mountain, solid and immovable. Any attempt to subvert them would have been like an egg striking a stone—shattering on impact.

But things were different now. His accumulated knowledge and experience had begun to tremble as if shaken by an earthquake. The foundations had sustained damage; they were no longer so firm.

Consequently, Igor’s answer didn’t shock him excessively.

Yet, there was an element of surprise. Kuren hadn’t anticipated that Igor’s reply would align so perfectly with his own tentative premonitions and deductions!

The extension of magic? Kuren furrowed his brow, lost in thought. In any case, my established experiences and knowledge are already in ruins. Shattering them a little more wouldn’t hurt.

It seems a storm is about to hit the world of Adventurers with Class.

”Magic, like people, probably wasn’t created for its current purpose,” Igor continued, his words the usual brand of inspired nonsense. ”Its form changes as it evolves—that’s normal—but the original intention, that doesn’t change. The original intention is a dream, something beautiful.

”It only changes due to external forces. These forces can make beautiful things no longer beautiful and pure things no longer pure. It could be the pressure of survival, or perhaps an obsession with something.”

Kuren listened, fascinated, as if entranced.