One-Eyed Monster

Kadi looked left and right, waiting for feedback from Igor and Stan Sol. He was very confident in his suggestion, believing Igor and Stan Sol would undoubtedly agree with his idea, so his expectant expression wasn’t entirely unfounded.

Igor and Stan Sol nodded at each other. Since verbal communication was difficult, they could only communicate through body language and eye contact. At this moment, they also agreed with Kadi’s proposal, feeling that Kadi had finally been reliable for once.

”Not bad, the plan sounds pretty good!” It was rare, but someone was actually complimenting Kadi. Although this praise wasn’t exactly what Kadi most hoped to hear, it was enough to make him happy for a good while.

”Alright then, let’s implement this plan quickly. Time waits for no one; we must hurry.”

For some reason, Igor always felt that time was passing too quickly, that there was something slightly abnormal about it. However, he couldn’t pinpoint what was abnormal; he could only instinctively feel the need to hurry...

Igor and his companions were very compatible partners. Although they hadn’t known each other for long, they had long since regarded each other as reliable companions, and the necessary tacit understanding had formed early on. Without discussing it, they stood back-to-back. Although Hustace, immersed in his own world, seemed out of place, this didn’t affect them. They formed a triangle, with Hustace in the center. No matter who this hidden opponent wanted to drag, they would have to break through their triangular defense. After all, everyone’s back was covered by a reliable partner; if the opponent wanted to drag someone from behind, they would have to break through the person in front.

This defensive formation indeed showed some effect. After they formed the triangle, no one again felt any force dragging them from behind. Suddenly, the surroundings became quiet, with no sound other than Hustace muttering his mad words to himself. This inexplicable silence also confirmed Kadi’s judgment: their opponent could indeed only pull them from behind.

Why could the opponent only pull from behind? This was a question that currently troubled them. What kind of thing couldn’t confront people head-on and could only resort to insidious tricks from behind? Igor and the others racked their brains, trying to use their not-so-rich experience to find the answer. At times like these, experience truly demonstrated its inherent importance. Igor and his group were, after all, still young juniors who hadn’t weathered many storms; their store of memories regarding such things was a bit too thin. It was precisely this thinness that meant their brainstorming didn’t take long to conclude. And the result was obvious: they couldn’t find the answer, leaving them looking bewildered.

Stan Sol had a bit more experience, but even he couldn’t find anything similar among the myriad of strange creatures they had encountered. Even after mentally flipping through the thick bestiary in his memory, he couldn’t find a comparable entity. It only attacks from behind... could it be a Shadow Monster? Stan Sol mused. He initially thought it was somewhat similar, but he quickly dismissed the option. Shadow Monsters could only attack from behind, but they required sunlight. There was no sunlight here, so it couldn’t be a Shadow Monster.

The three of them stood back-to-back like this, each pondering the answer in their hearts. But unfortunately, none of them could think of anything close to the answer. This opponent is incredibly patient, Igor thought. To remain hidden for so long is almost unimaginable. If it were me, I’m not sure I’d have such patience... However, the crucial problem remained: they still couldn’t find this opponent behind them.

Initially, they thought Kadi’s proposal was quite insightful. By standing back-to-back, they tactically eliminated any openings for their opponent. If the opponent wanted to drag them again, it would inevitably have to appear in front of one of them. It could be said that although this plan seemed a bit clumsy, it was still very practical. Moreover, this back-to-back method also indirectly forced the opponent to show themselves. To some extent, this clumsy method was indeed somewhat effective.

However, no plan is perfect; there will always be overlooked areas. Because everyone has flaws, it’s impossible to think through every single spot; sometimes, one is bound to forget this or overlook that. What’s more, Kadi had come up with this plan. For it to be reliable was already quite commendable; one couldn’t ask for too much. After all, it was rare for Kadi to use his brain.

Igor understood clearly in his heart that this plan wasn’t perfect, but there was no better alternative at the moment. Kadi had, in a way, made a very good choice for them...

It was regrettable, though, that they hadn’t considered the aspect of patience. None of them had factored in a contest of endurance; it now seemed this hidden opponent was competing with them in a test of patience.

After all, the opponent was in the dark, while they were in the light. They couldn’t see the opponent’s every move, while the opponent likely knew their actions. For example, right now, they appeared to be defending, but they were actually setting a trap to lure the opponent out. Therefore, at this moment, the most important thing was endurance. Whoever could endure to the end would gain the initiative.

This brief interlude gradually made Igor and the others realize what they truly needed to do at this moment. To put it plainly, it was now about outlasting each other. And outlasting meant a contest of time. Although time wasn’t a luxury for Igor and his group, they had no other choice. If they couldn’t win this waiting game, they wouldn’t be able to overcome this ordeal.

Igor’s earlier decision to return here might have seemed like an impulse, but in truth, he had wanted to come to this place alone to investigate the source of the strangeness. When there were many people, it wasn’t easy to notice the details; this was one of the reasons he had previously decided to have those seniors return to the Great Mentor’s side. Unfortunately, before he could uncover the peculiarities, he encountered a troublesome opponent.

Igor actually really wanted to use Spirit Communication with Stan Sol, but he currently lacked the surplus Spirit Power to do so. Stan Sol was the same; he also didn’t have much Spirit Power left to support Spirit Communication. The repeated use of Spirit Power had also pushed them into a state of depletion, which was why time was so crucial for them. If they didn’t seize the time, it was hard to say how long they could hold on. Therefore, this silent confrontation was also extremely important to them.