One-Eyed Monster

Igor, who had drawn the attention of the Dark Force, did not halt his steps. He had an even bolder plan in mind.

Truthfully, the sight of Hustace had sent Igor teetering on the edge of a breakdown. However, Hustace’s appearance now stirred a new wave of turbulence within his heart.

He couldn’t bear to see his friend in this state, and a surge of passion coursed through him.

However, he didn’t let this passion cloud his judgment. On the contrary, Hustace’s predicament helped him calm down.

It was difficult to articulate. Igor himself didn’t understand why, but Hustace always brought him a sense of tranquility. This feeling was akin to listening to stories told by the old woman of the Scale of Faith. Hustace was the son of the Governor of Luona and always had an entourage. Yet, this young master had a peculiar habit of frequenting the same out-of-the-way places Igor did, even the academy’s boiler room…

Initially, Igor hadn’t thought there was anything special about this young master. But as they spent more time together, he discovered that Hustace knew far more than he did. Hustace could even answer questions that Teacher Hadi found challenging, which deeply impressed Igor. Gradually, whenever Igor was with Hustace, he would remain silent, eager for Hustace to speak, because everything Hustace said was new to him.

So, upon seeing Hustace now, a sudden calm settled over Igor. This calm was followed by turbulence, then calm again. This cycle cleared his muddled thoughts, reminding him of Kadi’s proposal.

He not only remembered it but also understood it, and had even executed it quite well, nearly matching Kadi’s standard.

Igor’s daring plan was to sneak Hustace out. Even though the Hustace before him was merely a shell, devoid of emotion, he still had to try.

He felt he absolutely had to bring his friend back.

So Igor began to strategize.

Should I knock Hustace out? he wondered.

That’s a foolish idea, he quickly realized.

After all, Hustace was currently just a shell, lacking any consciousness, only marginally better than the Death Knights. The sole difference was that Hustace still drew breath, a fact Igor could perceive.

But what use would it be to knock out someone who has no consciousness?

Igor had no choice but to abandon that idea and search for another solution.

Meanwhile, the Dark Force was slowly directing other Puppet Soldiers toward Igor. In truth, diverting puppets from other phalanxes had already cost the Dark Force considerable energy.

Igor was overjoyed to see these slow, clumsy Puppet Soldiers closing in on him.

This is such a bizarre situation, Igor thought. Feeling joy in the face of imminent danger? How peculiar!

Igor felt the Puppet Soldiers’ arrival was perfectly timed. He’d been feeling constrained by their initial four-by-four phalanx, and now the Dark Force was kindly delivering a larger gift.

The Dark Force’s plan was to trap the young man temporarily. The larger the array of Puppet Soldiers, the more it would ignite his fighting spirit. Once his spirit was aflame, he would fight for honor, staying put to battle the Puppet Soldiers for hundreds of rounds.

Yes, these puppets were meant to trap them, to exhaust their energy before the Dark Force moved in for the harvest.

It was highly unlikely that these Puppet Soldiers could defeat such experts.

This was merely one part of the Dark Force’s plan.

However, the Dark Force hadn’t anticipated opponents like Igor and Kadi.

Igor had completely grasped Kadi’s intention. At this moment, he couldn’t afford to get entangled with the Puppet Soldiers, nor would he resist. He could only flee.

But even fleeing required skill, especially since Igor intended his escape to cause a commotion. If he didn’t create a significant disturbance, it would be a disservice to Kadi’s idea.

Just now, I was only getting your attention, Igor thought, a grim smile touching his lips. Now, I’m going to draw you in completely!

For the first time, the idea of escape left a positive impression in Igor’s mind.

That’s a rare thing, he mused, especially for someone as set in his ways as I am.

Faced with the approaching Puppet Soldiers, Igor slowed his pace. He couldn’t run too fast. Firstly, there wasn’t much room to sprint freely. Secondly, he worried that if he ran too quickly, the Puppet Soldiers wouldn’t be able to keep up.

If the Puppet Soldiers couldn’t keep up, they would likely abandon him and surround others instead. Igor had seen through it: the Dark Force didn’t intend to annihilate them. It seemed to relish tormenting people more.

Indeed. It would drain people of their energy, then slowly torture them. Finally, it wouldn’t even spare their remaining bodies, using them as its puppets to continue its sickening work.

Who knew how many of these puppets and Death Knights had been depleted of their vitality in such a way?

If they gave up resisting now, they would soon become just like these puppets. Wasn’t Hustace a glaring example?

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Igor’s Scale of Faith tilted even more dramatically. Suddenly, he halted his escape. With a swift backhand motion, he snatched a spear from a Puppet Soldier. His strength, amplified by the tilted Scale of Faith, allowed him to drag the Puppet Soldier along as he resumed running. Instantly, the puppets’ orderly phalanx dissolved into chaos.

Escape, then counterattack when the moment is right. If things look bad, run again. That’s the way to cause chaos! Igor realized.

Igor seemed to have grasped the key, and it was all about rhythm.

Whether it was the Puppet Soldiers or the Death Knights, they all aimed to crush their opponents by forcing them into a rhythm they controlled. Once they dictated the rhythm, they could trap the resisters.

Igor, however, did the exact opposite. He refused to follow their rhythm, deliberately disrupting it from time to time.

The Puppet Soldiers, with their heavy steps, had been methodically trying to encircle him. The initial four-by-four phalanx had been reinforced by several more. These multiple four-by-four squares kept closing in, colliding with each other, then attempting to surround him again, only to collide once more.

Igor moved like an elusive fish, darting here and there, completely unpredictable.

One moment he would flee, giving them no chance. The next, he’d stand still as if exhausted. He moved back and forth, running and stopping, constantly disrupting their movements.

Although the puppets had no emotions, they were undoubtedly worn out by the constant to-and-fro, even if they couldn’t feel fatigue.

Igor’s chaotic rhythm not only threw the phalanxes of the Puppet Soldiers and Death Knights into disarray but also began to unravel the Dark Force’s own established rhythm.