One-Eyed Monster

Kadi’s not particularly stirring speech finally pulled Stan Sol and the others back from their musings.

Whether it was Stan Sol or Kuren, they were now pondering what they should do next.

Unable to confront the Dark Force directly or find any trace of it, they were left in a purely defensive position.

Being purely on the defensive wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; seizing an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow was still possible. However, they remained clueless about one thing: the actual state of the Dark Force.

They had no idea what form this Dark Force took. So far, it had only employed telepathic attacks against them, which had already left them reeling.

Once again, they realized how important it was that Kadi had united them. If left to fend for themselves, they might still be in some desolate wilderness, anxiously awaiting the enemy’s inexplicable attacks.

What Kadi brought them was not just insight, but also the will to fight.

The primary intent of the enemy’s telepathic attack was to occupy their entire mental space and then control their bodies, thereby achieving complete dominion over them—this was also known as Devouring.

Their ability to maintain their individual consciousness so far suggested the enemy was wary of something about them. After some deduction, they concluded it was their identity as the Awakened.

The fact that they could still communicate here was because the enemy was encountering strong resistance. This resistance was making the enemy somewhat unsettled, perhaps because it had never encountered such resistance before...

From Kadi’s account, they could deduce that the enemy’s telepathic attack was highly aggressive. Even Igor, despite his vivid imagination, was severely weakened by it; one could only imagine the state of the others.

Indeed, they saw everyone resisting stubbornly, but they didn’t truly know the state of each person’s consciousness. In the eyes of some, even if only one percent of their self-awareness remained, they would fight back with all their might.

This was something that ran in their blood. Even down to their last breath, their fierce desire for their own selfhood would not change.

Everything felt so unnatural; all was under the enemy’s control. Aside from passive resistance, they truly couldn’t find a good way to fight back.

The flame Kadi had ignited burned at just the right moment. Igor was the one who lit this flame, and it was they—the others—who could make it burn even more fiercely.

Although Kadi had stumbled onto this path by chance, he at least knew how to proceed.

Following the network he himself had created, down to the final strand, he still had no idea who this last one was.

He hadn’t proceeded carelessly. He memorized each node, keeping a tally of whom he had passed and who remained. It was all perfectly clear to him.

That’s why, when the final connection of the network lay before him, he hesitated.

He didn’t know where this connection would lead...

The unknown always inspires fear, and this was true for Kadi as well. He didn’t know who this endpoint led to, which was why his expression was so grave.

If this endpoint leads to the Dark Force, how should I face it? This was the question preoccupying him.

Kadi conveyed his thoughts to the others.

”How do you know this last one isn’t Igor?” Stan Sol asked. He had also been keeping count; so many network connections had been individually matched, yet Igor’s was the only one missing.

”It can’t be Igor,” Kadi declared with certainty.

”You’re connected to Igor too, so why isn’t he part of this network?” Kuren also asked, puzzled by this phenomenon.

”Because I just know,” Kadi replied tersely. To him, it was all perfectly natural. He was too familiar with what he had created; this network simply didn’t include Igor.

As for why, he couldn’t explain.

”So, what’s the logic behind that?” Yuga asked, clearly bewildered.

”Hmm, perhaps it’s because Igor is exceptionally talented,” Kadi offered, as he couldn’t think of any other reason.

The term ’exceptionally talented’ was perhaps a catch-all, able to explain any peculiar situation.

Whenever someone achieved a miracle, people would discuss how they did it. They would analyze it endlessly, proposing numerous reasons. Eventually, some would feel these reasons were too simplistic to be the true cause of the miracle, and that’s when the term ’exceptionally talented’ would be invoked.

And once this term was brought out, the doubters would fall silent, convinced.

Talent itself is inherently rare, and being ’exceptionally talented’ was even more extraordinary.

So, when Kadi used this reason, everyone else fell silent.

Indeed, what could possibly refute such a reason?

Now, it seemed everything was under control, yet simultaneously straying from their plan. This final network connection threw all their thoughts into disarray.

Ultimately, where this connection led and to whom it belonged remained a mystery.

Moreover, traversing this connection was proving different. The process was taking longer than any before, as if the master of this endpoint was also exceptionally talented.

”No matter where it leads, we’ll stand by your side. Don’t be afraid,” Kuren comforted Kadi.

There weren’t many things that could frighten Kadi, but he truly couldn’t feel optimistic in the current atmosphere.

He was facing something he didn’t understand at all.

Kadi’s fear stemmed from the question of how he would face this unknown entity if it turned out to be the Dark Force; he had no certainty of victory.

He wasn’t afraid of failure itself. Even if an opponent were stronger, he could charge forward fearlessly. But the current situation was different.

He carried Igor’s promise, and he was also bringing Kuren and the others with him.

His own failure was one thing, but if he caused the others’ plans to fail, he would feel deeply guilty. While he wouldn’t feel remorse for everything, he would feel extremely guilty for leading others to despair.

Kadi didn’t realize that this was, in fact, a manifestation of his sense of responsibility.

Thinking too much was useless now. He could only brace himself and continue forward. Fortunately, Kuren and the others would stand with him, ready to share most of his distress.

Without a resolute heart, there could be no hope.

Holding this conviction, Kadi squared his shoulders, because aside from meeting the challenge head-on, they had no other choice.

He had to go on. Just like that, he would continue.

Even if they ultimately faced the great demon lord, they had no other choice.

The end was near; the outcome would soon be revealed. The answer to what that result would be would soon be known.