One-Eyed Monster

After some time, a familiar scent of Spirit Power began to emanate from the Two-way Channel.

Stan Sol’s Spirit Power flow grew faint, even weaker than before. Igor didn’t know what to say. He could only silently hope that this returning message would quell Kuren and Joseph’s suspicions.

The stream of Spirit Power was slowly unfurled by Kadi, and with it, a comforting message arrived. Kadi’s jaw dropped. He was clearly stunned by this news, so much so that he felt no urge to relay it.

Kuren and Joseph each received the message-laden Spirit Power flow, then both involuntarily frowned. They hadn’t expected—not in the slightest—that their probing words would elicit such a strong reaction from the other party.

The response was simple, but it was precisely this simplicity that made them somewhat uncomfortable.

That simple statement left Kadi immersed in astonishment, unable to extricate himself. The shock was quite severe, and it took him a while to regain his composure. Igor could discern something from Kadi’s expression, while the gravity on Kuren’s and Joseph’s faces seemed to indicate one thing: Stan Sol had struck a nerve with them this time.

Igor looked at Kadi. I really want to know what this message says, he thought, but felt too awkward to ask directly, given the complicated relationship between Kadi, Kuren, and Joseph.

Kadi clutched his head with both hands, unable to believe what he was seeing. ”Why would this happen?!”

Kuren and Joseph also sighed, then gently patted Kadi’s shoulder. ”Regardless, what’s meant to happen will happen. We should face it, not grieve for what is already gone.”

This comforting remark gave Igor a slight inkling. It seemed the message conveyed what had occurred, and the consequences appeared to be quite severe—so severe that Kadi was on the verge of collapse.

At this moment, Igor dared not make any rash judgments. He could only stand there motionless, letting time pass. Perhaps this is a sorrowful moment, he thought. However, Igor himself didn’t perceive the sorrowful information; he could only see the sorrowful scene and the people nearly overwhelmed by this atmosphere of grief.

”I can’t believe this is true, but I trust Stan Sol,” Kadi said, clenching his fists.

”His reply was concise. Although we cannot judge its authenticity, we can feel the anger and sorrow in his words,” Joseph said. At this moment, his expression was dejected, as if he had encountered something terrible.

”Words can be true or false, but the outpouring of emotion is difficult to fake. An equivalent measure of sorrow brings forth tears of equal value, and a certain amount of anger translates into strength of corresponding worth. This is beyond doubt, unless one is a highly skilled actor capable of such emotional display,” Kuren continued. Equally dejected, he nevertheless did not bow his head, gazing into the distance as if lost in thought.

After listening to their words, Igor once again extended his Spirit Power. He wanted to sense what Kuren and the others had described; he wanted to use his empathic connection to feel the emotions contained within this Spirit Power. What kind of emotion could it be, he wondered, to make Kuren and Joseph, who just moments ago were so doubtful and worried about Stan Sol, undergo such a drastic change in attitude?

Igor slowly extended his senses, perceiving within Stan Sol’s faint Spirit Power flow a deep-seated anger. This anger seemed to be a restrained forbearance, hinting at a desire for revenge. At the same time, there was a profound sorrow, a sorrow that seemed to be a deep longing or concern for certain individuals who had departed on a long journey.

Although he didn’t know exactly what had happened, Igor could feel that the distrust Stan Sol had faced was gradually receding.

Trust and mistrust can change in an instant. Earning trust is difficult, but squandering it is simple. For someone like Stan Sol, who has no foundation, to gain even a sliver of trust is nothing short of a miracle. Things that evoke resonance are the most effective at gaining trust. It seems Stan Sol’s message has indeed resonated with Kadi and the others.

This, in a way, also indicated that the situation outside was likely dire, possibly so severe that even an expert like Stan Sol couldn’t handle it.

At this thought, Igor couldn’t help but shudder. He couldn’t afford to dwell on other matters now; he had to hurry. If he didn’t make haste, it was very likely that by the time he got out, he would find it to be a completely different world. That was something Igor absolutely did not want to see.

So, after perceiving those emotions, Igor blurted out, ”Such intense emotions! What kind of message are they actually conveying?”

Hearing Igor’s question, Kadi sighed again and lowered his head. The mere thought of the message brought an irresistible wave of sadness over him. He had never, ever imagined something like this would happen.

”This Stan Sol obviously knows about Dastan. He wasn’t fooled by our misleading information,” Joseph said coldly. There was a sense of disappointment in his tone, yet also a tiny hint of relief.

”Moreover, he seems to know even more than we do. He told us not to use Dastan to probe him.”

Igor was beginning to understand: Stan Sol was angry that Kuren and Joseph had used Dastan to test him.

”Of course he knows more! He’s been out there, experiencing everything, while we’ve been stuck in here. The amount of information he has access to is completely different from ours,” Kadi suddenly interjected. ”Besides, he and Dastan are from the same people! How could he not know Dastan well? You all worry far too much! Why don’t you trust him? Why don’t you trust me?!”

Though Kadi’s words were harsh, they were reasonable. This isn’t just a small matter of trust or distrust; it’s a case of them being paralyzed by their own indecision.

Kuren and Joseph lowered their heads in shame. They realized that their extensive experience was, at this moment, proving entirely counterproductive. Not only was it useless, but it had also made an already awkward situation even more awkward and complicated.

In other words, aside from stirring up trouble, they had achieved nothing useful.

Igor watched them, again unsure of what to do.

”You can choose not to trust, but please do not use companions who have made sacrifices as bait. My anger is confined to this.” This time, Kadi relayed Stan Sol’s words completely, feeling waves of sorrow wash over him.

So that’s where these emotions stem from, Igor finally understood.

Whether it was Joseph, Kuren, Kadi, or even Stan Sol, they were all grieving in connection to Dastan.

Igor could deduce that Dastan had made some kind of sacrifice. (He, of course, had no idea that Dastan had taken astonishing measures to cover Stan Sol’s escape.)