One-Eyed Monster

Kuren was utterly engrossed by Igor’s account. He was tremendously stirred, having completely cast aside all his past experiences and fervor. At this moment, he was like a student, absorbing new knowledge in a new world. These new insights clashed with some of his previous understanding, but these clashes excited him so much that, for a moment, he completely forgot he was within an Inner World created by the World Setting Technique.

Moreover, this was an Inner World that he himself primarily controlled.

Igor’s ability to spout nonsense was utterly baffling. He appeared to be talking utter rubbish, yet he did so with a completely serious demeanor. This peculiar phenomenon of him spouting nonsense with such earnestness was truly bizarre.

”You see, Senior,” Igor explained, ”spells are here to serve us. We humans seem quite lazy, always looking for things to replace our thinking and actions. Although I don’t know exactly how this is achieved, I believe the original intention behind the creation of these things couldn’t possibly be evil.”

Although Igor’s string of descriptions sounded rather pointless, upon careful reflection, one could find that they were still intricately connected to the previous question.

Although Igor was rambling, the content of his ramblings always stayed close to the original purpose of spells.

”You should know, your rhetoric would likely be ridiculed in the professional world. Your words are a bombshell. Do you understand the implications?” Kuren frowned, expressing his tactful skepticism about Igor’s argument.

Actually, his skepticism wasn’t that profound. He expressed these doubts merely to prompt Igor to answer. He wanted to hear Igor’s answers; regarding this peculiar situation and this unconventional viewpoint, he was eager to see how the impetuous Igor would challenge things even more aggressively.

Things are already in such disarray; how can one find an orderly pattern amidst this chaos? This was the answer Kuren urgently sought, and he wanted to borrow Igor’s strength.

He had gambled on Igor several times, and each time he had won. Therefore, Kuren still held high expectations for Igor’s impetuous power. This power seemed chaotic and unmethodical, but it had to be said that this power always had an unexpected effect. For instance, when it came to the extension of spells, Igor’s analysis made it seem incomparably reasonable, so natural.

Kuren naturally didn’t know the reason for this, so he could only be full of anticipation, quietly watching Igor’s unrestrained display.

Igor scratched his head; it was his habit. He scratched his head when he felt helpless, when he was out of ideas, and also when he was excited.

This time, he scratched his head not because he was racking his brains in bewilderment, nor because he was uncontrollably excited. This time, he scratched his head because he was reminiscing. This memory made him happy, so he couldn’t help but scratch his head.

This memory was about the Yonder Travel Academy. There, Teacher Hadi had given him much guidance. Kuren’s question naturally brought back various memories of Teacher Hadi. These memories were all wonderful, making him very happy—happy to the point of scratching his head.

Facing Senior Kuren’s question—or, to be more precise, his well-intentioned reminder—Senior Kuren was reminding him that what he said might be ridiculed by a group of stubborn people. Once he voiced his ideas, he would surely be scorned, mocked, and looked down upon.

He could disregard them, but it would be a great pity if these newly discovered things were not recognized. So, Igor naturally recalled one of Teacher Hadi’s teachings.

And this teaching seemed perfectly applicable here.

Igor looked up, an innocent smile on his face. This time, his thoughts were no longer so outlandish, because he was about to use Teacher Hadi’s words to respond to those well-intentioned reminders.

”Teacher Hadi once said, ’New discoveries often face unfair treatment. If one halts their steps of exploration merely because of such difficulties, it’s not because the opposition is too strong, but because oneself is too weak. If you don’t even have the courage to face it, how can you explore new things?’”

Igor’s answer naturally gave Kuren another pleasant surprise. The Path of Exploration has always been a lonely one. Only by enduring solitude and withstanding disdain can one achieve great rewards; this was undeniable. He hadn’t expected Igor to have such a mentor. No wonder Igor sometimes displayed a maturity that completely belied his appearance. The reason, it turned out, was his mentor, Hadi—a famous eccentric in the professional world.

But this was naturally not the time to discuss Hadi. It was time for Igor’s impetuous approach to yield results. They couldn’t relax in the slightest; they needed to press on further and, together with Igor, clearly explain and fully summarize this latest discovery.

Igor’s statement just now was very important, as it solidified Kuren’s determination to delve deeper into the World Setting Technique.

At this moment, Kuren no longer felt mere gratification; gratification was too simple an emotion. What he felt now was excitement. The World Setting Technique had not only been passed down but was also being profoundly explored. This was something that the word ’surprise’ could no longer adequately describe.

”Since you put it that way, I understand your choice. Now, activate your Spirit Power. The Inner World requires your imagination, and together, let’s overturn this original world. It’s time for a new era!” Kuren signaled Igor to regain control of the Inner World. He was now completely calm, no longer swayed by his emotions.

”Alright, Senior,” Igor replied. ”I also feel that this spell is truly like many tools. It not only advances but will also gradually gain Spirit Power, becoming like a Living Entity.”

Igor’s words nearly made Kuren sputter. A spell having life and Spirit Power? What kind of joke was that? It was simply preposterous.

However, Kuren quickly composed himself. Given his impetuous and unmethodical style, it’s natural that his conclusions would be unconventional. Igor’s idea really isn’t that alarming.

”Why do you think that? Your ideas are always so unique.”

”A guess, purely a guess. I’m not completely certain yet. I just drew a parallel with the Spirit Book. That thing is alive, but if you investigate closely, you’ll find that the Spirit Book itself is also just a spell.”

Stating that the Spirit Book is a spell wouldn’t provoke ridicule in the professional world, because it’s a fact. Spirit Books truly do possess life after Scholars cast them.

Kuren looked at Igor. This young man is truly not simple.

”Why would you make that association? They’re completely unrelated, aren’t they?” Kuren voiced his confusion.

”Didn’t I say before that all original intentions are good? That’s what made me think of the Spirit Book. Also, there’s my own experience. My original intention for learning the World Setting Technique back then was vastly different from my current perspective. That’s why I feel spells might also evolve into life.”

What on earth is he talking about?! Kuren was now thoroughly bewildered. He had absolutely no idea what Igor meant by that last statement.