One-Eyed Monster

It had been ten years since Milo came to Guru Mountain.

He hadn’t gained anything in these ten years.

Just like everyone else, he had come here from a distant land, harboring dreams of striking it rich.

But after shuttling back and forth on this mountain for a long time, he received nothing that could make him an overnight millionaire.

Originally, he wanted to give up, but the unwillingness in his heart made him stay. He decided to try his luck again.

He was considered a veteran among the Treasure Hunters on Guru Mountain.

Every event that transpired on Guru Mountain over the years was etched into his memory, including his own transformation process, which felt like it had just occurred yesterday.

However, Milo felt the changes on Guru Mountain over the past ten years paled in comparison to this winter’s. The events of this winter couldn’t simply be described as numerous or varied; they had brought earth-shattering changes to Guru Mountain.

Not only had Guru Mountain changed, but the Treasure Hunters as a whole had changed too.

As a veteran, Milo naturally wasn’t willing to be left behind by the main group, so he concentrated on keeping pace with them during this time.

After all, he had been a guide at the foot of Guru Mountain for a long time. He wasn’t just familiar with the mountain trails, which he had learned early on, but also with the people in the settlement below.

The motley crew of Treasure Hunters each had their own territories. Lone Treasure Hunters were often swallowed up or abandoned by these factions. Over the years, the way most people on Guru Mountain made their living hadn’t changed much; it was all about cheating and swindling, with newcomers often being their targets.

And they never failed.

But Milo never expected a clueless newcomer to actually escape being fleeced this time, which greatly surprised him. Although much time had passed since the incident, that failure still shocked him. The failure hadn’t occurred within his own faction’s territory, but the party that had failed was the infamous Black Mountain of Guru Mountain—a dark organization with a meticulous division of labor, far stronger than their own motley crews. For such an organization to fail in catching a ’new fish’ climbing the mountain was simply unbelievable. This wasn’t a joke; it was a very serious problem.

Of course, this incident didn’t mark the beginning of their nightmare; it was merely an appetizer, leading the Treasure Hunters into an extraordinary series of experiences.

The arrival of the Alchemy Workshop shattered the balance at the foot of Guru Mountain. The diverse Treasure Hunters were pushed to the very bottom. The mountain could no longer be climbed freely, and the paths to fortune were all blocked. At first, Milo thought this was just an isolated phenomenon that would pass if they endured it. So, they chose to continue drowning their sorrows in the taverns, waiting to see how things would unfold.

However, they didn’t anticipate how rapidly the situation would develop.

No one expected a Politician from the Empire to inexplicably lose his life here. Nobody could have anticipated an event like a Spirit Duel occurring at the foot of Guru Mountain. And certainly, no one could have imagined encountering a real monster here...

The monster’s appearance was like a stone falling into water; with a sudden SPLASH, it stirred up a thousand waves of reaction.

The Treasure Hunters were reminded of things that had long been on their minds, suddenly awakened by this phenomenon.

Even though the years had stripped some things away, their initial dream of striking it rich was still potent enough to jolt them from their slumber.

Moreover, they were shaken to their core, stirring up all the latent frustration and resentment within them until it seethed.

At that time, Milo felt his emotions surge, and he shouted aloud with the crowd.

But the Alchemy Workshop still suppressed them with its might.

In the face of immense power, Milo felt his insignificance, and they still couldn’t find a way to solve the problem.

The emotional repression made Milo resort to alcohol to numb himself. But day by day, this numbing effect lost its effectiveness. The emotions brewing in Milo’s heart grew stronger, gradually forming a deep resentment. Over time, this resentment consumed him, making his eyes turn red and his body uncontrollable.

The rebellion of the Treasure Hunters started in this slow-burning fashion.

Milo still remembered throwing a wine bottle along with the angry crowd. Then, CRASH! SMASH! The sound of countless shattering bottles seemed to echo their fury. Gradually, the anger in their hearts transformed into action.

The looting and smashing was merely an emotional release for them. The dream in their hearts had been reawakened. Seeing the wealth within their reach yet being unable to obtain it filled them with unbearable frustration, which they could only vent through other means.

The existing order was shattered by this uprising. Guru Mountain, once orderly, descended into chaos. If this continued, the place might soon turn into a living Hell.

Fear rose in Milo’s heart. He couldn’t leave. In this bitter winter, any other path was a death sentence. He could only pin his hopes on staying here, on Guru Mountain. With his experience, there was at least a glimmer of hope for survival.

Milo had originally thought his Guru Mountain journey would end just like this. Once the harsh winter passed, he would pack his bags and leave this heartbreaking place.

But life is unpredictable. To everyone’s surprise, the County Administrative Office, which they had assumed would do nothing, actually responded—something nobody had expected.

Moreover, the actions taken by the County Administrative Office were completely beyond their expectations.

Milo suddenly felt like the world had transformed.

They initially needed to loot and smash to obtain those resources, but now the world had changed.

The strong occupying resources—this was a natural law. But the power structure on Guru Mountain had shattered amidst the chaos, and unity was lost. The numerous Treasure Hunters now fought for themselves, long without anyone to lead them.

The only ones potentially capable of rallying everyone were the people from the County Administrative Office.

But the main forces of the County Administrative Office weren’t stationed at Guru Mountain. Therefore, a lone county head could hardly sway this chaotic crowd.

But perhaps it was the innate ability of Politicians, or the influence of some other power, that led the County Administrative Office to act, even if their actions seemed quite peculiar.

Slogans—this was their usual approach. But Milo could still feel the impact these slogans had. The loudly proclaimed slogans attracted some of the most downtrodden individuals, those who had long lost hope from constant oppression and abuse. And indeed, the slogans spread by the County Administrative Office served precisely to rally these people.

Drawn by these slogans, these people gathered; this scattered group of the weak was finally united.

Then what the County Administrative Office did next was even more unbelievable. They opened up the areas that the Treasure Hunters had never dared to touch!

They opened up access to those precious resources that had always been under the control of powerful factions!

This move dumbfounded everyone. They had no idea what kind of game the County Administrative Office was playing.

The opening up of these resources utterly transformed the gathered downtrodden. It was only then that Milo realized he had made a mistake.