One-Eyed Monster

”Because this one-eyed fellow is a natural Medium!”

The voices seemed to be in agreement, directly answering Igor and his companions’ questions.

Kadi had previously confirmed the identities of these voices. Although Igor and the others initially felt it was abrupt, they quickly accepted the reality that these voices belonged to the Spirits.

Everything had transpired so abruptly that they had to quickly find ways to adapt. Their doubts were like a boundless ocean, seemingly endless and without borders.

”What is a Medium?” Kadi never hesitated to voice his questions. Although his constant questioning sometimes made him seem ignorant, Kadi was clearly smarter than those who feigned omniscience. This was because he was honest and never hid his lack of knowledge.

This honesty was why Kadi was welcomed among the monsters of Guru Mountain. Everyone knew Kadi was an open book, an honest soul who wouldn’t harm anyone.

Igor saw Kadi the same way. After their fortuitous meeting, they quickly found common ground, as Igor recognized they were kindred spirits who understood each other.

Sometimes, people with a little more knowledge act as if they possess the entire world, unintentionally looking down on one thing or another. Igor himself had made this mistake in the past, so he now deeply understood that true ignorance wasn’t shameful; pretending to know what one didn’t, however, was. Those who feigned knowledge only exposed their actual ignorance, an ignorance that rendered them insignificant. Kadi’s ignorance, in contrast, stemmed from a genuine lack of understanding—a pure simplicity.

”A Medium is a bridge, a connector, a link that allows two parties, who can see each other but not communicate, to interact.” The Little Black Hands, or the Spirits, answered Kadi’s question seriously. They hadn’t been interacting with this world for long, so they didn’t fully understand it yet. They were basing their understanding on previous experiences and recent contact with the Summoners.

Therefore, their current haughty and arrogant demeanor was quite off-putting. They believed Igor and his companions had expended great effort just to communicate with them, which, in their view, demonstrated a lack of ability. Thus, they felt justified in looking down on them. Consequently, they projected an air of haughtiness and arrogance, acting as if they were in command and responsible for all arrangements.

This strange atmosphere had pervaded the place since Stan Sol’s arrival. It was a bad habit of the Little Black Hands: often, those with little knowledge subconsciously believe themselves to be far more capable than they truly are. They dismissed Kadi’s inquiries as ignorance, oblivious to the fact that their own superficial understanding constituted true ignorance.

The lofty Little Black Hands passed judgment on everyone, at times favoring Stan Sol, at others mocking Igor, all while exuding an air of superiority. They had long forgotten their original purpose. The intoxicating feeling of superiority had made them lose sight of why they were communicating in the first place.

Thus, the situation had devolved entirely into a game of questions and answers. The Little Black Hands were the respondents—the supposedly all-knowing, wise sages. Igor and his companions, for their part, were quite cooperative, as they indeed had many questions.

To unravel mysteries, the best method is to ask those who know the answers. Understanding the answer and then contemplating it can elevate one’s state of being. The Little Black Hands were oblivious to this principle; they still perceived themselves as sages who knew everything. Of course, judging by the current situation, they did indeed seem to know everything.

At least, they could answer all the questions posed by Igor and his companions. For now, the questions remained quite rudimentary, posing little challenge to them. For example, Kadi’s question was quite simple, and the Little Black Hands could answer it with ease.

”Where is this place?” Kadi asked directly. What kind of difficulty could such a question pose?

”This is a crossing point. It can’t be considered a space, because it’s a Communication Place formed through a Medium.”

”That’s right, didn’t some of you already know that? It’s quite commendable. For us, this state is just commonplace.”

”You still have a way to go. It’s already quite impressive that you’ve made it this far.”

”Yes, young people should cherish these opportunities.”

A single question elicited numerous replies, each delivered with an air of profound wisdom. It seemed these Little Black Hands had truly let their arrogance swell.

”How many people are you?” Igor’s focus was always different from others. His questions, though they might sound ordinary, were quite distinctive.

”How many people?” Igor’s unique question left the Little Black Hands momentarily stunned. After all, they couldn’t be considered ’people’!

”We are Spirits, unlike you; therefore, your question is absurd.”

”Indeed! One should use their brain before asking. You can’t just ask anything that comes to mind.”

”Thinking before you ask is essential.”

Alright, Igor conceded he might have misspoken. After a moment’s thought, he rephrased, ”Then, what is your number?” Now, the Little Black Hands should have no reason to criticize the ridiculousness of his question.

”There are many of us.”

”But not too many.”

”Regardless, you can perceive our number.”

Igor hadn’t expected such rhythmic, yet openly ambiguous, replies from these entities. They had indeed responded, but their answers were tantamount to no answer at all—utterly evasive.

In truth, the Little Black Hands hadn’t intended to be evasive. They simply weren’t sensitive to the concept of ’quantity,’ much less ’numbers.’ Thus, they couldn’t provide a specific figure, resorting instead to abstract terms like ’many’ or ’numerous.’ Despite not meeting Igor’s expectations, at least they had answered.

Truly, these Little Black Hands were incredibly arrogant. They could deliver such blatant ambiguities with utter conviction, showing absolutely no regard for their questioners. Nevertheless, Igor wasn’t disappointed. On the contrary, he was invigorated. He relished such adversaries; they were exactly his type.

”So, can you tell me how many is ’a lot’?”

Igor’s question stunned both Kadi and Stan Sol. It’s best to interact less with this kind of person in the future, or else one’s mind can’t keep up.