One-Eyed Monster

As Igor drew closer, a short blade suddenly sprang from the Blade Array, leaving a gash on his body with a WHOOSH. Blood streamed from the wound, but Igor could withstand this level of pain and fearlessly continued forward.

Two long blades then shot out from the Blade Array, slashing directly towards Igor. He instinctively dodged; this level of attack wasn’t enough to make him retreat.

Just as Igor thought he had evaded the Blade Array’s second wave, he felt something pierce his knee. Looking down, he saw a small, nimble blade had punctured it. But this was only the beginning; more flying daggers soon darted from the Blade Array, aiming for various parts of his body.

SHINK, SHINK, SHINK! His joints were struck by the flying daggers, instantly impairing his movement. Every part of his body felt restricted by these blades, his actions becoming sluggish. The sight of his own blood, constantly flowing, instilled a persistent fear in his heart.

The blades within the Blade Array roamed ceaselessly—long blades, short blades, cleavers, and throwing knives—all emitting chilling sounds as they relentlessly assailed Igor.

Dodging a single blade was difficult enough, let alone such a mountain of them. In moments, Igor was covered in wounds, his body a canvas of cuts.

Cutting, gouging, stabbing, chopping, poking... The creator of this Blade Array seemed to be a master of blades. These various large and small implements suddenly danced around Igor as if they had grown limbs. The leaping tips of the blades and their rotating forms mesmerized him. If it weren’t for the intense pain wracking his body, Igor might have forgotten the danger he was in.

The pain came from slashing blades, each seemingly trying to slice all the flesh from his body. It also came from chopping blades, as if attempting to hack him into pieces. It arose from stabbing throwing knives, as if trying to pin him to the distant mountain. This pain also stemmed from jabbing and grinding blades, threatening to pulverize his heart, liver, spleen, and lungs.

This agony instilled an instinctive fear in Igor; he couldn’t help but develop a dread for the Blade Array. If it weren’t for this synesthetic assault, Igor wouldn’t have experienced so many sensations. This Blade Array was a Spirit Power Array, akin to the World Setting Technique, designed to make him feel as if he were truly there, thereby provoking an instinctive reaction.

Igor’s approach this time was extremely bold. Anyone else would instinctively recoil upon seeing the Blade Array. He chose such an extreme method to experience its power because his thinking was more comprehensive, more aggressive. Having previously trained in the Inner World through the World Setting Technique, he had developed considerable mental fortitude. Despite this daring attempt, he had only suffered a slight mental blow. He knew the World Setting Technique was still the controlling element here, so whatever appeared before his eyes was likely an Illusion.

However, there was a fundamental difference between those ethereal Illusions and this current one. The ethereal Illusions were like the images Igor had deciphered in the Ghost Wind Valley; they only deceived visually and served no other purpose. The current Illusions were more potent, fabricating traps not only for sight but also for touch, hearing, and other senses.

When Igor withdrew from the Blade Array, he let out a long sigh of relief.

Illusions were just illusions. Even if they felt real, they wouldn’t become reality. However, these illusions could still inflict harm—harm on a mental level, and sometimes even on a Spirit Power level. Such non-physical damage could occasionally be more severe than physical injury.

Although Igor’s mental fortitude had been tempered and was quite robust, the Blade Array still dealt him a minor blow. The blow to his Spirit Power was even greater, as his reserves weren’t particularly abundant. The repeated explorations had already consumed a significant amount of his Spirit Power. Compounded by this latest impact, Igor’s Spirit Power could now only sustain his normal bodily functions. A new round of exploration in the Inner World was impossible. Thus, his deep sigh carried many meanings, with regret weighing heavily among them.

I feel like I’m getting close to the right answer, Igor thought, but I’m worried my Spirit Power will be exhausted before I reach the final step.

But Igor found some consolation in the fact that the creator of this Spirit Power Array apparently hadn’t been merciless. They had incorporated two ”forgetful” stages into the array. These stages caused those attempting to exit to bypass the Blade Array and the associated pain, making them retreat instinctively instead.

So that’s what that initial push was, Igor now understood. And that must be the Spirit Lock the seniors were talking about, he realized.

His predecessors seemed to have noticed nothing unusual about Igor. They were still discussing matters, and though their conversation pertained to the Spirit Lock, Igor didn’t hear a word they said. At this moment, he was completely immersed in his own world, pondering how to break through this invisible Blade Array.

It all looks so unremarkable on the surface, Igor mused, but forcing my way out is impossible. My mind couldn’t withstand such a blow. If I tried to break through by force, the pain alone would be enough to make me pass out.

The mental impact is far worse than any physical injury, Igor finally understood. I can’t act rashly.

Igor wanted to see the Blade Array again, so he began stomping his foot, matching the previous rhythm.

The rhythm of his stomping allowed him to see the Blade Array clearly, and simultaneously, he felt a vibration.

This time, the sensation is different, he noted. This vibration seems connected to the Blade Array.

To verify this discovery, Igor began stomping his foot again. This time, however, he was smarter; he started to vary the rhythm of his stomps.

Changing the rhythm earlier let me see the Blade Array. What will happen if I speed it up? he wondered.

THUMP. THUMP-THUMP. THUMP-THUMP-THUMP…

The rhythm varied—fast then slow, gentle then urgent—like a drumbeat, powerful and resonant.

Igor’s actions finally caught the ”attention” of the seniors.

”Huh, seems like Igor is getting frustrated again,” Estev said.

”Hehe, a youth is still a youth. He’ll understand many things are futile after he experiences them,” Kuren said gravely.

”Let’s just consider it an exercise,” Yuga remarked meaningfully.

”Indeed! Huh? What’s happening? Am I seeing things?” Joseph had been about to comment, but a sudden sight made him instantly alert.

His exclamation immediately drew everyone’s attention. Then, the seniors witnessed a scene that left them utterly speechless!

The Igor they claimed needed ”exercise” had, unbeknownst to them, walked out of the cave entrance guarded by the Spirit Lock!