One-Eyed Monster

Wizard Reed’s rampant behavior left the Earth Dragon somewhat unsettled. He realized this fellow was also unpredictable, only appearing now and without uttering any of the usual grandstanding lines.

It usually followed a routine: spout some boastful lines, take action, finish the job, and finally, savor the spoils...

Those were the comfortable days. What on earth is this situation now? And should I even bother responding to the words of this strange, rampant Summoner?

While the Earth Dragon was still hesitating, Wizard Reed answered his own rhetorical question.

”Indeed, you are all merely ants.” Wizard Reed’s voice dripped with scorn and disdain as he spoke.

The Earth Dragon was thoroughly bewildered. Damn it, that’s supposed to be my line! Why does this Summoner keep stealing my lines?

The word ”ants” clearly displeased everyone present. Many were influential figures in the Empire. Even if some had withdrawn from the center stage, they still possessed a sliver of their former, once-unrivaled pride.

This pride made it impossible for them to tolerate the slanderous label of ”ants.”

They were, or had once been, respected experts. To suddenly be called ”ants” left a sour taste in their mouths—not just sour, but tinged with bitterness.

Not everyone possessed such forbearance. The word ”ants” had thoroughly enraged those who had been struggling to suppress their emotions.

In an instant, numerous lances and invisible Spirit Arrows flew towards Wizard Reed, who floated in mid-air. Clearly, their anger had clouded their judgment.

Wizard Reed still neither dodged nor evaded. To him, such attacks were useless.

His body was formless, so he had no fear of these physical attacks.

The Earth Dragon, observing from the side, deduced from this attack that the Summoner’s enemies were the large group of people on the ground. Understanding the situation, the Earth Dragon relaxed slightly, his taut nerves easing.

No matter how abnormal a Summoner, they eventually resort to the mundane. Isn’t the purpose of summoning me to fight? Why else go to such lengths to pull me from the Space Eye?

The Earth Dragon felt a little smug. Don’t be fooled by this Summoner’s sharp tongue and aggressive posture now. It won’t be long before he’s begging me to help him fight... I’ve experienced such scenes a few times; I’m quite used to it by now.

However, things were not always so straightforward. Not all routines proceeded as expected, especially since this Wizard Reed had never been one to play by the rules.

Wizard Reed was still laughing. The arrogance, contempt, and disdain in his laughter, combined with his words, were showcased to perfection at this moment.

If you wanted to know what contempt sounded like, you only needed to listen to Wizard Reed’s words now.

At this moment, the myriad facets of human existence were merely subjects for Wizard Reed’s laughter.

Meeting the assault of lances and Spirit Arrows without dodging or evading, Wizard Reed grew even more arrogant. ”Ants. You can only struggle in vain.”

Indeed, ants were weak; a single foot could crush scores of them. The comparison was infuriating. If his abilities had allowed, Igor would have charged forward to thrash this Dark Wizard long ago. However, his actual strength constrained him; he had the desire but lacked the power. At this moment, he even felt a wave of self-deprecation, thinking he truly was just an ant.

”Can thy commands be conveyed? Dost thou require me to teach these ants a lesson?” The Earth Dragon could hold back no longer. He had been summoned for so long, yet his attempts to appear imposing had failed; instead, he was being ignored, left hanging. This was a grave insult to his status, even diminishing the prestige of the Space Eye.

Indeed. In all these years, no Summoner has ever disregarded my existence like this one. This is simply intolerable! He decided he wouldn’t wait any longer. He wanted to get this over with quickly and return to the Space Eye. He was accustomed to solitude; being away from that familiar loneliness was, ironically, what made him uneasy.

However, this was only the beginning of the bizarre things he was to encounter.

After asking his question, the Earth Dragon patiently awaited the Summoner’s reply.

However, the Summoner’s response was far beyond his expectations.

”I don’t know if you have a hearing problem, or if you’re just dense. How could you confuse such a simple fact? When I said ’all of you are ants,’ you were clearly included. I don’t understand where you get the audacity to consider yourself an exception.”

These words struck the Earth Dragon like a bolt from the blue. Never before had a Summoner been so insolent! This was an unprecedented humiliation.

The Earth Dragon roared in fury. He couldn’t attack the Summoner, but he could still attempt to intimidate him.

”Save your breath,” Wizard Reed retorted. ”You insincere beast, you might be even worse than an ant. You keep calling these people ants, yet you’re acting like an idiot. Do ants need to be treated politely?”

These words were, in essence, the Summoner’s command to the Earth Dragon. Though phrased somewhat obscurely, careful consideration would reveal that this fellow was indeed goading him into attacking...

However, the Earth Dragon had never suffered such indignity. Being insulted as worse than an ant at this moment truly set a new record for the humiliation he could endure.

Yet, he still couldn’t attack this Summoner. Such were the inescapable constraints of the summoning pact.

Despite his boiling rage, he remained unable to strike. The Earth Dragon seethed with frustration.

”I truly didn’t expect the legendary Earth Dragon to be such a sentimental creature,” Wizard Reed mused. ”I was originally thinking of keeping you as a Battle Pet, but now, I see no need.”

The frustrated Earth Dragon sensed a shift in the atmosphere. What does he mean by that? Wasn’t I summoned to fight?

”Someone who pities ants is unworthy of being a servant of the Dark Force...” Wizard Reed was certainly talkative. At this point, no one could fathom his intentions.

However, neither the Great Mentor nor Kuyi Tulan could spare the effort to deal with this new threat. After the Earth Dragon’s summoning, the Alchemy Array had become very unstable. The part of the Alchemy Array sealing the Water Folk and the patchwork monsters was teetering on the brink of collapse; it seemed those sealed entities were just moments away from breaking free.

”Because I don’t need you to teach these ants a lesson for me,” Wizard Reed said, as if explaining.

Hearing this, the Earth Dragon was even more bewildered. Damn it! Then why did you expend so much effort to summon me?

”What I want is to obliterate everything. That includes you. And I shall start with you... HEHEHE... HAHAHA...!”

Wizard Reed’s wild laughter began to reverberate once more. Throughout Moonflow Stream, thunder suddenly rumbled and lightning flashed—a bizarre natural phenomenon. Snow fell amidst the rolling thunder, and lightning crackled ceaselessly...

And as Wizard Reed floated in the air, his black cloak suddenly billowed outwards, forming an even larger shadow. This shadow advanced, seeming to open a Gaping Mouth...