One-Eyed Monster

”Leave?” Joseph was completely baffled by Kadi’s premonition; he couldn’t understand why Kadi would utter such an enigmatic statement.

”Yes, we need to get out of here.” Kadi answered decisively, without a trace of hesitation on his face.

”Leave? Are you out of your mind?” Joseph expressed his opinion directly. It was clear that he did not agree with Kadi’s premonition.

”I’m not. All signs indicate that we need to leave!” Kadi remained calm. He didn’t know where this confidence came from, but at this moment, an infinite brilliance seemed to emanate from him.

”I don’t understand, Kadi! Why would you say such a thing? Regardless of the current situation, Kuren needs to rest here. This is the safe house, the safe house that the Great Mentor prepared for us!” Joseph’s emotions flared. For one, he couldn’t understand this reasoning, and for another, he couldn’t believe Kadi would so carelessly disregard the Great Mentor’s kindness.

”I know I was brought here for my protection. I understand all that. I know Guru Guru is here to look after me. I could tell as much from Kevin’s expression when he brought me here,” Kadi spoke calmly. He was, of course, aware of the Great Mentor’s concern for him, but he had always wanted to help share the burden of the others on the mountain, even if he didn’t know if he could actually be useful.

”Kadi, you must understand that given our current state, simply leaving will not only fail to aid those outside, but it will also cause them trouble.” Joseph regained his composure. Regardless, Kadi was still a child in his eyes; one should not be too harsh when dealing with a child.

”I understand that too. But look at those two: one is remorseful, and the other is eager to leave. I don’t think this is a side effect of overthinking, especially not at this moment.” Kadi pointed at Igor and Kuren, expressing his concerns to Joseph.

”Well, although I don’t know what they’ve been through, I do know they will be affected to different degrees. These effects could be positive or negative; it’s impossible to tell,” Joseph voiced his concerns.

”I know what you’re worried about...” Kadi began, but a voice interrupted him.

”I understand your concerns, but you must ask Senior Kuren. You can choose not to trust me, or Kadi, but you must consider Senior Kuren’s thoughts.” The owner of this voice was Igor, who made a pertinent suggestion. When opinions differ, asking another involved party is indeed a good choice.

”Now that you mention it, I remember I haven’t asked Kuren what happened yet.” Joseph suddenly felt foolish for his slow reaction.

He tapped into his Spirit Power; this was his special way of communicating with Kuren. Of course, he owed this ability to the World Setting Technique. This technique allowed him to connect with Kuren, enabling them to communicate through Spirit Power.

”What exactly happened in the Inner World?” Joseph asked.

Kuren, who had been lost in thought, was startled by Joseph’s question. Shaking off his contemplations, he began to explain to Joseph, naturally using their unique method of communication.

Seeing Igor starting to recover, Kadi was filled with relief. He knew that although he had managed to coax Joseph into revealing some hidden things earlier, he wasn’t sure if he could convince Joseph to leave this time.

From any perspective, Joseph held the more reasonable position. If they left, Kadi might not be able to help much. The best-case scenario would be not causing them any trouble.

It’s said that a calm person possesses a certain mysterious power—that statement was absolutely true. Having regained his composure, Igor once again exuded his usual demeanor. He seemed to care about everything, yet it also felt as if everything was under his control. Even Igor himself knew he needed to save time now; hysteria would be counterproductive and only waste more precious time.

To better understand the Awakened, Igor immediately reined in his impetuosity and returned to his rational self.

This lightened Kadi’s load considerably. Before, he had been worried about how to convince Joseph alone. Now, it seemed he wouldn’t have to fight this battle by himself anymore—Igor was back at full strength. With Igor there, all Kadi had to do was persevere and stand firmly behind him. That was what he had always done, and he would continue to do so now.

This was the power of trust. Such trust meant Kadi didn’t even need to ask Igor what had actually happened. Kadi had complete faith in Igor; this trust made him feel secure. No matter what had happened in the Inner World, Igor wouldn’t harm anyone. He knew Igor was capable of it—if Igor had wanted to harm someone, he would have done so long ago, not waited until now.

Of course, there was another reason Kadi chose not to ask Igor about the details of what had happened.

This reason was Kadi’s concern for Igor. Kadi could tell from Igor’s voice that he was exhausted, and an exhausted person needed rest more than anything. The Slumber Room was the perfect place for that. Kadi felt it was time to let Igor be—to rest well and think clearly. Simply from the unfamiliar term ’Awakened,’ Kadi could tell that the challenges ahead would be far more daunting than their current predicament.

So Kadi didn’t ask any questions. This trust and tacit understanding had formed strangely; Kadi couldn’t pinpoint exactly when.

Meanwhile, Joseph was deeply communicating with Kuren. Through the Spirit Power connection of the World Setting Technique, Joseph was gradually learning about what had occurred in the Inner World.

Kuren was succinct in his explanation to Joseph, as he, too, was trying to save time above all else.

Time had become the most important thing.

Kuren briefly revealed his experiences. These revelations caused Joseph to sigh deeply, as if he were trying to digest a delicious but heavy meal.

”I think I understand a little now,” Joseph said.

”Let’s not rush into discussing that. What does Senior Kuren say now?” Igor was very interested in Kuren’s opinion.

”He told me to listen to you in all matters. This is quite surprising to me.” Joseph couldn’t keep secrets; once asked, everything would come pouring out.

”Then what are we waiting for? Let’s find a way out of here as soon as possible!” Kadi immediately perked up, urging relentlessly.

”There are some things I have to say.” Joseph paused, seeming a little embarrassed. ”Firstly, Kuren’s opinion is just his own. It doesn’t influence me.”

”Oh!” Kadi and Igor were both taken aback. It looked like they would have to work a little harder to convince Joseph!

”Secondly, this is a safe house. It’s not a place you can just leave whenever you feel like it.”