One-Eyed Monster

The Little Black Hands realized the implications. At this moment, their leader Kadi demanded they immediately return to the Black Cage.

It was quite strange. They had never felt the place they were returning to was a cage, nor had they realized it was entirely shrouded in darkness. However, after their discussion and recollection, they suddenly understood it indeed was not a normal place. It was just as Kadi had described: an entirely lifeless prison.

But now, things were better. They had found fragments of lost memories and gradually became aware of what they had lost. The timely arrival of Kadi as their Medium had given them direction.

Kadi had brought light to these Little Black Hands, offering them a chance to find where they truly belonged. Regardless of the outcome, they had to try. They had seen through the Black Cage and were now determined to break out, following Kadi’s lead, hopeful that then they would find their place.

For now, all they had to do was cooperate with Kadi in his act.

Of course, they didn’t consider it acting because they genuinely felt that way. And Kadi’s group did feel a sliver of real fear, so it wasn’t entirely an act, even though the Little Black Hands knew the fear Kadi and his companions experienced was minute.

This minute fear seemed inconsistent with the commands issued by the Summoner, but it didn’t matter, as no one had declared this a failure. Even if it were a failure, they would eventually have to return to the Black Cage, wouldn’t they?

”Ah, this is terrifying! How can anything like this exist in the world?” Kadi exclaimed.

Kadi’s performance was becoming increasingly exaggerated. If the Little Black Hands didn’t hurry, their act might be exposed...

Igor knew clearly that since the opponent was using these Little Black Hands to intimidate them, it meant the opponent didn’t want a face-to-face encounter yet. Besides, allowing them to discuss for so long signaled the opponent didn’t care about their counterattacks. However, Igor hadn’t expected this exploration to yield a permanent solution; that was unrealistic. The opponent’s power had fooled so many of their predecessors. What Igor intended to do was simply cause chaos.

They had already caused such chaos once, and it had been successful. Igor had discovered the fun in it, so he decided to continue. Plus, there was an important reason: someone among them was very good at it!

Causing turmoil happened to be Kadi’s forte. At first, Igor hadn’t thought this troublemaking was significant, but after Kadi’s antics, Igor realized it could play a major role. After the disruption, the opponent’s morale would be affected, and their original plan might change due to the sudden chaos. And if the disruption was significant enough, it could thoroughly disgust the opponent. This disgust would disrupt their rhythm. Sometimes, it could even lead them to abandon their entire plan or become infuriated. Either way, their rhythm would be affected. This was exactly what Igor wanted.

He had known all along that rhythm was crucial, and right now, they were caught in the opponent’s tempo. Everything they were doing was merely to disrupt that tempo. They had tried this method before with good results, so Igor believed they had to continue down this path. It seemed Kadi was born for such things, a natural troublemaker who gave others headaches.

Through the Ant Connection Spell, Igor and the others could share the Spirit Vision. Kadi was not only the Medium for those Spirits but also a connecting bridge for Igor’s group. Kadi’s role was truly indescribable; it was a mystery why he naturally possessed such traits.

Now, however, they got busy, as the Little Black Hands acted quickly.

It was unknown how these Little Black Hands communicated with the Summoner; regardless, they had now returned to that lifeless Black Cage.

Igor and the others also returned to reality, but their Spirit Vision, along with those Spirits, entered the Black Cage.

”Sol, we need your help now,” Igor said. He seemed to have been waiting for this moment, as if he had planned this long ago.

Stan Sol, back in reality, still had communication difficulties. However, he realized at this moment that his issues had significantly improved. His reaction time before speaking was a bit faster. This slight improvement should not be underestimated; it was crucial. Sometimes, it could make things twice as efficient. For example, Stan Sol immediately responded to Igor with body language, signaling Igor to proceed with any arrangements.

”Your observation has always been keen,” Igor said. ”I want you to help us see what’s peculiar about this Black Cage.”

Actually, Igor knew the Black Cage was formed by a pact, but he didn’t understand much about the pact itself. He knew of many magical pacts but didn’t quite understand how they were activated.

Stan Sol was preparing to observe meticulously when a sudden loud BANG stunned him.

Igor was also startled by the sudden noise.

What was going on? Such a loud noise the moment they entered! Had the opponent discovered the Little Black Hands’ abnormality?

Through their Spirit Vision, they saw a massive hammer materialize out of nowhere in the Black Cage, and one Little Black Hand swung it around, smashing things randomly...

Before Igor and the others could compose themselves, a familiar voice echoed from within the dark Black Cage.

”Where there is oppression, there is resistance!”

Yes, that was Kadi.

”Don’t bother with the details!” Kadi declared. ”We’re here to resist! This place is dead silent, isn’t it? So let’s make some noise!”

He continued, ”Let’s find out if these surroundings are walls or shackles! Whatever they are, there’s only one solution: smash them hard!”

The Little Black Hands were Spirits; they could transform into many shapes. However, due to the pact’s limitations, they could only manifest in their original forms. But now, having retrieved their shattered memories, these Little Black Hands had also begun to recover their fragmented abilities. It wasn’t a full recovery, but conjuring tools like hammers and axes was well within their capabilities.

”Don’t think this Cage can confine us! We have plenty of strength!” Kadi sounded like a true resistance leader, completely stirring up the emotions of the Little Black Hands. He didn’t even care what his teammates were doing. All he knew was that whenever he arrived somewhere new, he had to explore it thoroughly. But he hadn’t expected the Black Cage to be so cramped, almost suffocating. To Kadi, such a restrictive space was an utter nuisance, so he aimed to smash through these confines... Although he didn’t know if his power was enough to break out, he could certainly still rampage within it.