One-Eyed Monster

The appearance of the snowmen took many by surprise.

Everyone felt that after such a long time preparing a powerful strike, for this to be the result was quite unexpected.

They had encountered these snowmen once before. Everyone present, except for Kadi, Igor, and Hustace, was familiar with them, hence their resistance when these snowmen reappeared.

This resistance didn’t necessarily stem from loathing or fear. Primarily, it was born of regret.

These people were accustomed to fighting on the front lines. They possessed a fervent passion for battle, and it was instinctive for them to focus on their opponents, ever vigilant of their attacks.

Therefore, they wouldn’t attack carelessly. Weaklings couldn’t withstand their onslaught; only stronger foes truly thrilled them. During lulls in combat, they would conceal their own weaknesses while eagerly anticipating their opponents’ next move, believing that only a more powerful technique could awaken the dormant power within them.

They would much prefer a stronger enemy, rather than something they had already defeated…

But now, they had no choice. The enemy constantly held the initiative, leaving them to passively defend.

However, their high level of combat expertise made them respect every opponent. Therefore, despite the disappointment they felt upon seeing these snowmen, they still adopted a battle stance.

The snowmen formed quite rapidly, and with snow covering the entire landscape, it would be of no avail even if the enemy intended to win through sheer numbers. After all, Milo from the Alchemy Workshop was present; his explosive abilities could decimate a well-trained army, let alone these mere snowmen.

The defensive formation they created covered all angles, yet the snowmen didn’t surge in from every direction. They assembled in a single orientation, slowly taking their positions amidst the blizzard.

”These snowmen have a very limited attack pattern; there’s nothing particularly special about them.”

”Their fatal weakness is their heads. If you can shatter their heads, you can destroy them completely.”

”Once defeated, the snowmen don’t vanish immediately. They can potentially be summoned again, so don’t lower your guard even after successfully striking their heads.”

These soldiers, who had lived life on the edge, were sharing their combat experiences. This was an invaluable asset, and at this moment, they were all willingly contributing this precious resource.

They believed this could save time. Everyone had their own methods for defeating the snowmen, but at this juncture, they had to share them to conserve time.

They couldn’t afford to waste too much time or energy on these snowmen, adversaries they had faced before.

This necessary sharing would consolidate all their collective advantages, allowing them to handle these snowmen with far greater efficiency.

Only by doing so could they hope to encounter the true enemy’s new abilities.

The enemy lurked in the shadows, rendering the seemingly secure defense precarious.

Guru Mountain had so many formidable monsters, each a master in their own right; it was hard to imagine they would end up in such a predicament.

What was even more puzzling was that they knew their opponent was a Dark Wizard and even knew when he had ascended the mountain, yet they simply couldn’t find him…

There is no absolute fairness in this world; Equivalent Exchange had already been pushed to its limits.

Everyone understood this principle, but when the imbalance affected them directly, they found this reality somewhat difficult to accept.

Not everyone could face this imbalance with equanimity.

However, reality would not change according to their desires.

When the snowmen launched their assault, they had already established their defensive lines. Regardless of the enemy, they had to protect this location; otherwise, everything would deteriorate further.

It had to be said, their efficiency after sharing insights was markedly improved. Stan Sol alone had already demolished most of the snowmen. His Battle Pet Fiery Blaze, like a fire dragon, loyally executed its master’s command, exclusively targeting the snowmen’s heads. In no time, three or four snowmen were reduced to mere bodies. Due to the intense flames, these remaining forms even began to slowly melt...

Everyone gazed at this man from the Sol Family, and deep down, a single thought echoed through their minds: Monster!

They were clearly astounded by Stan Sol’s abilities.

Igor and Kadi had considerably less to do at this moment. Though they were within the protected circle, there was truly no need for them to engage the snowmen; they could only stand by and observe.

But Igor was not one who could remain idle in body or mind. He watched as countless snowmen charged forward, wave after wave, only to be swiftly decapitated by Fiery Blaze. The scene was, to say the least, impactful.

However, Igor’s focus was always different from others. At this moment, he wanted to know what method the enemy was using to transform these snowflakes into these animate figures.

”Is this an Exchange Spell?” Igor asked the Golden Seats of the Alchemy Workshop at this moment, never caring whether the time was right.

The people from the Alchemy Workshop were not familiar with Igor, so they didn’t immediately reply, instead casting strange glances his way.

This world was such that, although it generally appeared to operate in balance, imbalances were prevalent most of the time.

For instance, the way the Alchemy Workshop regarded Igor was distinctly different from how the creatures of Guru Mountain viewed him.

The former saw him as a simpleton; the latter, as an adventurous youth.

The formation of these divergent views wasn’t due to an intrinsic difference between the monsters of Guru Mountain and the Golden Seats of the Alchemy Workshop. It was entirely because the Alchemy Workshop had no prior contact with Igor…

It was because the Alchemy Workshop didn’t understand Igor as a person that they judged his current behavior from an ordinary, everyday perspective.

To ask such a vexing question during a collaborative effort against the enemy—if that wasn’t being a simpleton, what was?

And all of this stemmed from information asymmetry.

An unequal understanding of Igor led to these differing perceptions and, consequently, to an imbalanced judgment of him…

Similarly, because of Igor, these people began to consider a more serious problem.

Wasn’t their current passive state also a result of information asymmetry?

This current imbalance existed entirely because they knew nothing about their opponent!