One-Eyed Monster

”Why would you think that?” The voice was quite even-toned, showing no surprise at all; he simply found Igor’s behavior a little regrettable.

”I...” Igor stopped suddenly, forgetting what he’d intended to say. He grunted, trying again to figure out how to untangle the knot in his hand.

The scene had now completely shifted to Igor alone; the sound of Kuren coughing had vanished. It was just him and a tangle of knotted ropes left.

The knots were messy, seemingly tangled beyond recovery on all sides, offering no clue how to begin. These knots were also unfamiliar to Igor. He had studied various types before and could distinguish between dead knots and slipknots. However, the knot before him now showed no discernible pattern, appearing to be a dead knot formed by repeated, chaotic twisting and mingling. This restrictive uncertainty, where loosening one part might tighten another, was something Igor also needed to consider.

However, Igor didn’t seem to be a meticulous thinker. While untying the knot, his mind was completely focused on analyzing the voice.

Where could that familiar voice have come from? Why do I have an impression of it, yet I can’t recall it at all? Even as he pondered this, his hands weren’t idle; they were constantly examining and working on the knot.

What a peculiar boy, the voice mused. To be able to multitask at a time like this. Anyone else, even if their hands were busy, would likely have their mind wander.

Perhaps, apart from exceptional innate talent, there was no other explanation for this phenomenon.

”You’re quite adept, young man.” The voice spoke up again beside Igor, and this time, Igor could hear the sincere emotion in the praise.

”I have to be. I’ve always researched knots; I have a basic understanding of all types,” Igor accepted the compliment without a trace of modesty, as he had never been a humble person.

”Wouldn’t you be more efficient if you focused completely?” the voice continued to ask, having apparently noticed that Igor was multitasking.

Igor knew this voice was fully aware of his inner activities and thoughts; from the very beginning, it had revealed things unknown to him. The voice had informed him that Kuren’s thoughts were chaotically entangled and needed him to enter from within to guide them. This alone was enough for Igor to realize that the voice understood everything within the Inner World. Thus, he couldn’t hide the fact that his attention was divided.

Igor didn’t attempt to conceal it. He acknowledged it frankly and said in his most sincere tone, ”I can’t control myself. Once there’s an unsolved mystery in my mind, I’ll keep thinking about it. Even if I have important matters at hand, I’ll still occasionally dwell on the question in my heart.”

”That’s counterproductive, young man!” The voice sighed deeply, then began to console Igor.

”No, I can still prioritize. Saving Senior Kuren is naturally the most important thing, but figuring out who you are is also important.”

”This...” The voice was baffled by Igor’s assertion, not knowing what to say.

”Untying knots just requires skill; brainpower isn’t that important. Sometimes, you can even do it with your eyes closed. But those perplexing questions... if you close your eyes, they’re all pitfalls. You wouldn’t understand this feeling...” Igor’s eyes shone. He could accept any failure, but an unanswered mystery was intolerable. For any unknown, he had to explore it to the very end, no matter the cost.

”You do seem to have a point. If I hadn’t seen you already unravel a knot, I would definitely scoff at your claim. But since you’ve said it, I can’t let you be so disappointed. Everything will become clear in due time. For now, you still need to untie the knots,” the voice said calmly, devoid of any emotion.

”It’s thanks to your guidance that I’ve managed so smoothly. I’m constantly puzzled by who you are. You feel so familiar, as if we had a conversation not long ago, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.” Igor furrowed his brows and began to search his memories again.

”You’re a smart boy, and exceptionally talented. You’ve completely transformed someone else’s world of thoughts into your own. This is truly extraordinary.”

”Knots are something I’m familiar with. Senior Kuren’s tangled thoughts are no different from these knots. I can use my own strengths to solve the problem at hand; there’s no difficulty in that. The moment I stepped into Senior Kuren’s thoughts, I was already contemplating what method to use. As I pondered, these thoughts began to form into ropes of varying lengths and thicknesses before me. Seeing these ropes intertwining and tangling around each other was like seeing Senior Kuren’s pain. From that moment on, I was determined to untangle this damned chaotic knot.” As Igor finished speaking, another of the tangled knots in his hands came undone.

”It must be said, over these many years, the ones who have awakened me have all been out of the ordinary. And you, you’re different from those old antiques. You truly possess that air of unpredictability, and that unpredictability is genuinely fascinating.”

The voice spoke faintly. At that moment, Igor unraveled another knot. The complex tangle seemed to be simplifying step by step.

This was all Igor’s doing.

”Now, Senior Kuren should be safe. So, I’ll turn my focus to you,” Igor stated calmly, scanning his surroundings.

”You can exercise your cleverness. I won’t tell you who I am. If I did, it wouldn’t be fun anymore,” the voice teased, becoming playful and deliberately building suspense.

Truthfully, the appearance of this voice was completely unexpected, Igor thought. It was a total surprise; he had absolutely no idea who its owner was.

”You can’t be the Spirit Book, because the Spirit Book has already accepted reality and is no longer as arrogant as before,” Igor stated. This was both a judgment and a test; he understood the Spirit Book well and was certain his words would provoke its disdain.

”TEE HEE HEE. I’m certainly not the Spirit Book.” The voice sounded neither humble nor haughty, but rather a bit silly.

Igor continued, ”Having eliminated one possibility, I started on another. I previously had a brief exchange with the Great Mentor, and the World Setting Technique can be connected via Spirit Power. So, I thought you might be the Great Mentor.”

”Oh? What makes you think I sound like an old man?”

”Because this technique was created by the Great Mentor. His thoughts and ideas could certainly be transmitted—perhaps even intentionally—through this technique. Though in what manner they’re transmitted is unknown. That’s why I thought you were likely the Great Mentor!”

”No, you’re wrong. That old guy did create me, but he failed to awaken me.”

Hearing the voice say this, Igor was stunned, his eyes wide with shock.

This... this was truly beyond anything he could have expected!