One-Eyed Monster

Upon hearing that Igor had found his direction, Kuren’s anxious heart finally relaxed. He knew that while they couldn’t help Igor much with his thoughts at this moment, he could still assist with Spirit Power.

”’To go slowly is to go faster.’ That’s something the Great Mentor always told us. I never would have thought Igor understands this principle as well,” Kuren sighed. Although he was concerned about the situation outside, he was ultimately level-headed. After experiencing the Inner World, he had completely come to terms with it. The world would inevitably be inherited by the younger generations, much like the World Setting Technique, which was subtly passed down, with new discoveries constantly being made.

This realization also led Kuren to place complete trust in Igor. Now, like Kadi, he trusted Igor unconditionally and was prepared to follow his every instruction.

It was Igor’s consistent performance that had earned him this level of trust—a trust that was also an expectation.

Of course, Igor himself didn’t sense this. He was still approaching things with his usual mindset. He felt he had reached a critical juncture, so he didn’t allow himself to be idle.

Joseph also realized his recklessness. He was the slowest to comprehend, yet the most impatient. Luckily, Kuren was there; otherwise, if he had messed things up, Joseph knew he would never be able to forgive his own recklessness and impulsiveness.

”I think we are on the right track,” Igor said, attempting to comfort Kuren and Joseph. He knew progress was slow, and anyone would feel anxious.

After all, outside were Kuren and Senior Joseph’s comrades, who had fought alongside them to protect something they all held dear. Now, that very thing was suddenly under attack. They were naturally anxious, especially since they didn’t know who their comrades were facing out there. Despite their injuries, they knew any newly discovered information had to be transmitted, no matter what; otherwise, the consequences would be dire.

”’Railway’... That term is unfamiliar to us,” Kuren said. He and Joseph now realized their earlier panic and impatience might have affected Igor, who was deep in thought. Such anxiety could easily disrupt someone’s focus, which would be counterproductive.

So, Kuren wanted to use this approach to alleviate Igor’s tension.

Joseph understood Kuren’s intention immediately. Having been comrades who had fought side-by-side for over a decade, they had that much tacit understanding; a glance or a shift in tone was all it took for them to grasp each other’s meaning without explicit cues.

Thus, Joseph also adopted an extremely relaxed tone and asked Igor, ”Is this term ’railway’ related to that steam engine? I’ve heard it’s a new invention that can only travel on the ’railway’ you mentioned.”

Igor didn’t realize the two seniors were intentionally making small talk. He assumed they genuinely didn’t understand, when in fact, they were merely trying to alleviate his stress this way.

This was actually a clever move. Most people might think such a diversion would distract Igor, but Kuren had chosen a topic Igor was familiar with. Igor had used the term ”railway” several times before, leading Kuren to deduce that Igor must be very knowledgeable about it; otherwise, he wouldn’t have used it as a metaphor. Kuren’s choice of topic was, therefore, a well-considered one.

For one, Igor could respond spontaneously without much thought; for another, it could also help steer Igor’s thoughts further in that direction.

Just as Kuren had anticipated, Igor immediately launched into an explanation. He was, after all, extremely familiar with steam engines.

”’A railway is a prerequisite for a steam vehicle to travel. A steam vehicle can only move freely on its tracks. Off the tracks, it can barely move an inch. It’s just like us now: we are on a track, and it’s the right one. I feel I’m about to succeed!’”

What Igor said was exactly as Kuren had predicted. Could it be that Kuren and the others truly didn’t know about steam vehicles? That was clearly impossible. As capable individuals of the Empire, they would have encountered such things long ago. Although Rostov’s Rails Plan had only truly gotten underway in recent years, back when he, as a minor local official, first proposed it, virtually everyone of status in the Imperial Capital had ridiculed the plan. The speed at which jokes spread needs no explanation, and it was precisely because of this particular joke that everyone in the Imperial Capital came to know about steam vehicles.

Later, Rostov proved he was no joke, and steam vehicle tracks were extensively constructed throughout the Kayne Empire. Of course, this was merely an anecdote with little direct relevance to the current situation.

Igor was quite excited; clearly, the more familiar he was with a subject, the easier it was for him to get into the zone.

Now Igor felt like he was progressing down a wide, bright avenue. The further he walked, the brighter and more spacious the path became.

And this was precisely the outcome Kuren and Joseph had hoped to see.

Kuren and Joseph were relieved. The ’pit’ they had inadvertently dug earlier was now finally filled by their own efforts. At last, they could stop blaming themselves excessively.

Excited, and having found his direction, Igor released his Spirit Power. His Spirit Power manifested as little dogs, sniffing the air as if searching for something.

”’Since their Spirit Power can continually pour in here, I believe there must be some kind of common passage or connection point,’ Igor said excitedly.”

”’Yes, it couldn’t be entering for no reason,’ Kuren and Joseph chimed in.”

It was clear to everyone now that Igor was the main actor, and they were merely the supporting cast. At this moment, Igor was performing a one-man show, and they could only offer applause at the appropriate junctures.

Of course, Kuren and Joseph weren’t entirely without a role. They served as catalysts, enabling Igor to perform more effectively, and they were also like reservoirs of raw material, unceasingly supplying him with Spirit Power.

”’I will use my Spirit Power to find these nodes and turn these connecting channels into two-way passages instead of one-way,’ Igor declared, full of confidence. The Spirit Power dogs he had released kept sniffing about. Each one diligently carried out Igor’s commands, searching conscientiously.”

”’Go ahead and search without any worry! Don’t be concerned about Spirit Power; Joseph and I will fully support you!’ Kuren loudly encouraged Igor, urging him not to hesitate or worry about insufficient Spirit Power, as he and Joseph would provide it.”

In truth, Igor wasn’t worried, because he had another backup supply of Spirit Power: Kadi. Kadi was quietly accumulating Spirit Power off to the side, not disturbing their discussion in the slightest.

Igor had indeed instructed Kadi to focus on accumulating Spirit Power. Of course, a part of that instruction was also to keep him from pestering them.

Now, quite a few of the Spirit Power dogs Igor had released were already hurrying back, clearly having made some discovery.

”’Seniors!’ Igor exclaimed. He felt his Spirit Power, like water in a pool, suddenly surge—WHOOSH!—in one direction. ’I think I’ve found the passage!’”

”’Really?’ Kuren and Joseph were also thrilled, continuously channeling Spirit Power to Igor via the Ant Connection Spell.”

”’Yes! I’ve broken through!’”