One-Eyed Monster

Igor shrugged. He knew things could get pretty grim. However, he now had to quell everyone’s doubts about this dire situation.

”Time is running out, and I cannot afford to explain.” Igor gestured towards the thin flow of Spirit Power, clearly indicating the uncertain situation outside. ”Since we’re prepared for battle, let’s not waste time.”

”We’re prepared. If you have a way to connect, start now,” Kuren said.

Joseph understood Kuren’s meaning. They had to go with the flow. Often, they had no choice. No matter what happened next, they would have to face it together—be it calamity or fortune, sorrow or joy, all would soon arrive.

”In fact, I don’t have a guaranteed way to connect; I can only try. If anything unexpected happens while I’m in there, I’ll need you seniors to pull me out,” Igor said calmly. He knew that without Kuren and Joseph’s help, he wouldn’t have been able to reach this level.

”Are you going to enter...” Kuren understood Igor’s words. This single statement was more effective than any explanation. Kuren fully grasped Igor’s intention, and his initial wariness towards him vanished instantly.

Igor intended to explore using the Inner World Spell. This was somewhat adventurous. Kuren had no idea how to explore the Inner World; Igor’s method of exploring it was definitely on a higher level.

Igor gave everyone a faint smile, then closed his eyes. He was about to enter the Inner World to establish Spirit Communication with Stan Sol using its techniques.

Although Igor didn’t know why Stan Sol wanted him to connect, he understood at least one thing: Stan Sol was probably not in a good state. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked him to connect. Igor was aware of Stan Sol’s strength. Normally, Stan Sol wouldn’t be so beleaguered. This meant something terrible must have happened outside.

Igor had tried many methods in the Two-way Channel, but apart from obtaining Stan Sol’s message, he hadn’t discovered much else. That was why he had decided to try exploring within the Inner World. The previous Two-way Channel operated in the Outer World. Considering Kuren’s injuries, Igor had chosen to explore there. However, the Outer World had too many restrictions; he couldn’t use his imagination to leave the cave, as the Outer World was intrinsically linked to reality. But the Inner World was different. As long as Igor perceived the existence of Spirit Power within the Inner World, he could unleash his imagination and explore in his own preferred way. He would then become proactive, and by following the direction of the Spirit Power, he could establish contact.

This was a gamble. After all, entering the Inner World wasn’t an easy task, and this was already Igor’s second time entering it, a feat that demanded a significant amount of Spirit Power.

Therefore, Igor’s bold move not only shocked Kuren but also, unexpectedly, regained his trust.

However, Igor had no time to consider such matters now. He had to quickly sense Stan Sol’s Spirit Power. Stan Sol’s Spirit Power was only being transmitted here intermittently; sending it had undoubtedly taken a great toll on him. More importantly, Stan Sol had even learned the coded language of the creatures, which indicated he had already had deep interactions with these beings on Guru Mountain.

All of this, Igor considered. Something significant had happened outside, so much so that even Stan Sol, who usually only cared about his family’s affairs, had been drawn into this turmoil.

Igor followed the familiar trace. The moment he arrived in the Inner World, he felt like a bird chasing the sun, instinctively fluttering its wings towards any glimmer of light.

He felt the vast sky suddenly turn black, leaving him unable to find any direction. Lest he carelessly bump into obstacles, he had no choice but to spread his wings and fly erratically. He needed to find an exit, a way through.

In the pitch-blackness, even the slightest light would be extremely dazzling, and the light Igor sought was Stan Sol’s Spirit Power. He didn’t fully understand why Stan Sol had asked to connect with him. He only knew that Stan Sol was likely very weak at that moment. Perhaps he was seeking help, or perhaps he wanted to understand their situation here. It might even be a trap; Igor couldn’t be sure. But if he didn’t try, Igor would never be content.

He continued to search in this darkness. What was once a vast sky suddenly became a boundless sea. Igor could feel the biting cold of the seawater and also realized that he was not alone in this Inner World. And he could definitively tell that this other presence was not Stan Sol.

Whether it was the sky or the sea, the fundamental blackness of it all never changed. Igor realized he was merely a mayfly in this vastness. His existence could not influence the changes of the entire Inner World. Unlike the previous time with Kuren, where he could freely manipulate time and space within it, this time, he could only transform his own form. And the purpose of transforming his form was merely to adapt to the overarching environment. If he dared to resist, the darkness would devour him entirely. This was because, in the Inner World, if one didn’t conform to its dominant theme, their entire being would become increasingly, dangerously conspicuous. A tall tree in the forest will be toppled by the wind; a mound protruding from the bank will be swept away by the current. Any dazzling Spirit Power that stood out would inevitably be destroyed by this dark, overwhelming flow, for its sole purpose was conquest.

The information gleaned from the Inner World was indeed far richer than that from the Outer World. Although Igor couldn’t confirm the details, he could at least ascertain the overall environment, which reflected the current situation on the mountain. It seemed the invaders’ goal was not merely the secrets of Guru Mountain; their aim was to conquer everything. To yield was to survive; to resist was to perish. Only within the Inner World could Igor perceive this truth so clearly!

Igor searched for Stan Sol. He was acutely aware of how the Spirit Power flows in the Outer World had changed: at first, they were wildly diverse, then they became increasingly uniform. Initially, Igor had thought it was because those outside were too engrossed in their battles to manage the distribution of their Spirit Power. Now, it seemed that wasn’t the true reason.

In this vast Inner World, Igor felt a strong sense of oppression. If one’s own Spirit Power did not submit to this darkness, it would cease to flow. Therefore, anyone outside who resisted would have their Spirit Power sealed within this Inner World. The only currents of Spirit Power that could escape were those that appeared to conform, to be submissive.

It seemed Stan Sol, like Igor, could enter the Inner World. This meant he, too, was an Awakener! Now, all he had to do was find Stan Sol within this boundless darkness, and the truth would be revealed!