One-Eyed Monster

Moonflow Stream had suddenly become lively again. This time, it wasn’t the chaos of battle that stirred the air, but a genuine, heartfelt excitement.

Despite the extreme winter weather, with snow swirling in the air, the cold couldn’t dampen the spirits of everyone in Moonflow Stream.

This was the joy of reunion, the relief of seeing each other safe, the camaraderie between comrades, and the deep bond among friends.

On Guru Mountain, they were always united, treating each other like brothers, and solidarity was the order of the day in the Alchemy Workshop as well.

They inquired after each other, making friendly conversation, completely oblivious to the distinctive tranquility of the moment.

A fierce fire engulfed the monster from the Alternate World. They still hadn’t figured out where this creature originated, and its Power of Darkness was unfamiliar to them. This encounter was certainly an eye-opener.

Luckily, these young men managed to subdue the monster. Now, it was emitting a guttural, unpleasant howl from the center of the raging fire.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

It appeared as though tranquility had returned; the foreign invaders were silenced, utterly outmatched.

Although Kevin did not see Xiso, seeing so many people here made him optimistic.

Moreover, learning from Igor and his team that the Great Mentor was safe made them even more at ease.

This was a rare moment of calm, an opportunity they seized to rest and adjust their Spirit Power State.

They were all seasoned veterans, acutely aware that danger could manifest at any moment, so they knew how to utilize this interlude.

Even the long-standing animosity and conflicts between these people and the Alchemy Workshop were momentarily set aside.

The darkness had not dissipated; it had merely paused its advance. Everyone understood this clearly.

Simultaneously, this situation indirectly highlighted a significant problem: they were perpetually in a reactive position.

They were unable to track the invaders or comprehend their methods; they were in a state of completely passive defense.

In other words, this brief respite was entirely due to the ”grace” of the invaders.

This conclusion was unsettling, but it was the undeniable truth.

Regardless of how capable these individuals were, they simply couldn’t discern Wizard Reed’s whereabouts or his strategies.

The elites on Guru Mountain could only defend passively…

「At this moment, Wizard Reed was rather frustrated.」

Although he was the initiator of this conflict, he found the enemy’s defenses exceedingly robust. Despite trying numerous methods, he still couldn’t breach them.

He had yet to find the true ancient Fossil Key he had been searching for, and now, even that illusion remained inert, which baffled him. More importantly, a third of his collection had been claimed by the enemy. This was the Malice Spirit Entity collection he had painstakingly gathered, and the Dark Force he had laboriously exchanged for them. He had originally intended to tame the summoned monster, making it his exclusive creature. But who could have guessed that, in the end, the enemy would be the one to tame it? Wizard Reed couldn’t understand this. He had painstakingly managed to establish communication with the monster, but before they could exchange more than a few words, the enemy had beaten it to the point of considering retreat. Honestly, he felt that the Dark Exchange Beast he’d summoned using the Dark Alchemy Glyph might be stronger than this monster. At least the Dark Exchange Beast wouldn’t think of fleeing and would completely obey his commands.

So, where exactly did the problem lie? Was his own ability insufficient to control the spell, or was the summoned monster inherently weak?

Wizard Reed sank into deep contemplation. He knew that if he couldn’t pinpoint the reason for this failure, his future attacks would be far from effective. After all, his opponents weren’t weak. Their passivity stemmed entirely from their unfamiliarity with his methods of attack. He now understood. The Dark Arts often defeated traditional Adventurers with Class not entirely because the Dark Arts themselves were overwhelmingly powerful, but because those adventurers were ignorant of such techniques. Their failures were born from this lack of understanding. As for his own failure this time, was it due to negligence? Or his own ignorance?

Regardless, he had to pause for a while. He needed to clarify a few things.

Wizard Reed pondered. He felt this failure wasn’t because the summoned monster was weak. After all, he’d witnessed several of its abilities. Faced with its corrosion and Soundwave Attacks, even he wasn’t confident he could counter them all. Yet, those two opponents had neutralized them with ease, showcasing their formidable strength. The Golden Seats of the Alchemy Workshop and the Blue Blood League Guards of the Kayne Empire... these titles were clearly not mere embellishments passed down through time. Furthermore, the monster’s third technique, the Lightning attack, was almost impossible to counter. He still couldn’t fathom how those individuals who had suddenly appeared managed to break through it. His opponents had even turned that very attack back against the monster. Such a peculiar method was rare even within the Dark Arts. This was truly unbelievable.

Wizard Reed even wondered: if it were him, could he stand his ground and endure two Lightning strikes? The answer was obvious: impossible. He couldn’t stand there and withstand two Lightning attacks; even one was highly unlikely. Yet, that One-Eyed Monster had endured two Lightning attacks—that alone was quite formidable. And considering it further, the monster had actually taken two full strikes of its own power turned back on it... As he thought about it, Wizard Reed felt his heart constrict. What kind of physique and power would it take to withstand two Lightning attacks? It seemed utterly impossible! Even the Golden Seats of the Alchemy Workshop and the Blue Blood League Guards of the Kayne Empire could only dodge such Lightning; how could anyone possibly receive such an attack without flinching?

It seemed this failure wasn’t because the monster he’d summoned was weak after all. He had initially thought this monster’s strength was inferior to his Soul Puppet. Thinking about it now, that was complete nonsense. The Soul Puppet couldn’t possibly match even half this monster’s level... It seemed the problem still lay with him.

So, Wizard Reed began to reflect. He hoped to find the cause of his failure and then carefully consider his remaining Malice Spirit Entities – now less than two-thirds of what he started with. If his next offensive still couldn’t breach their defenses, then he might as well resign himself to spending the rest of his days on Guru Mountain; there would be no point in returning.