One-Eyed Monster

Igor’s uniqueness once again stood out. The creativity within his Inner World was indeed jaw-dropping.

No one could have anticipated a creature like the Cloud Beast. Most importantly, this beast only exists in legends!

Even the widely experienced Yuga was astonished by this creature.

In legends, the Cloud Beast aided King Kayne II in defeating the Tree Spirit Army from the Wensi Empire.

The Cloud Beast is merely a creature of legend; many Scholars have confirmed that it’s entirely fictitious.

That Igor could manifest even fictitious creatures—did this boy truly not abide by the world’s laws?

Yuga didn’t understand it, and Kuren didn’t either. No one present could comprehend it.

But Igor was convinced. In his mind, the Cloud Beast had appeared countless times, mostly in his dreams.

In Igor’s mind, everything was structured. He already understood the habits of the Cloud Beast. Every book he read and every story he heard was ingrained in his memory. Even the questions raised in discussions with Hustace were clear as day.

The appearance of the Cloud Beast was the result of Igor’s years of accumulation. His research and deductions regarding this Divine Beast had allowed him to naturally master a certain skill, which proved crucial within his Inner World. A complete framework—this was what Igor had gained from studying the legendary Cloud Beast.

All of this seemed unrelated, but it would prove effective at critical moments.

Ordinary people, like Kadi, became engrossed in the spectacle. As soon as Igor displayed his marvelous talent, Kadi quickly fell back into admiration. As for those adept at contemplation, like Kuren and Yuga, they marveled at how the young boy could act so audaciously. However, nonconformists saw unique aspects, such as opportunities and inspiration…

Kuyi Tulan was undoubtedly such a nonconformist. His observations were drastically different from everyone else’s. Of course, he also lamented Igor’s apparent denseness at times, but watching this miraculous scene, his mind primarily raced with new ideas. He felt that Igor, like himself, was an outlier, steadfastly fixated on every matter.

What Kuyi Tulan perceived was also different. Like Great Mentor Guzan, he first believed Igor to be a malleable talent, especially in Alchemy.

Why so? Because everyone knew Igor had manifested the Cloud Beast, a Divine Beast from legends. An ordinary person could never achieve such a manifestation, as it wasn’t mere imagination; it required a sufficient foundation in reality.

The Cloud Beast, a fictional, fantastical creature, couldn’t possibly be manifested without a real-world basis. Conjuring a lion or a tiger would be the expected outcome.

Yet Igor had managed it. This suggested that within the boy’s heart, a world existed where the Cloud Beast could survive. In this world, it wouldn’t need to worry about food or adapting to its environment, nor be concerned with ordinary matters of life and death. This was because Igor had already formed a complete ecosystem. In his world, there was no real difference between the Cloud Beast and a lion or a tiger.

Why did Kuyi Tulan believe Igor would excel in Alchemy? The Cloud Beast Igor had manifested gave him a profound insight.

If Igor were provided with suitable conditions, materials, and sufficient Spirit Power, could he then use an exchange technique to summon a real Cloud Beast?

The idea was audacious, but not impossible!

Weren’t Exchange Beasts in Alchemy Techniques created through such methods?

Deep familiarity with beasts allowed for the creation of these Exchange Beasts. In other words, it was highly probable that the Cloud Beast could also be created.

Kuyi Tulan’s idea was extremely bold. He even wished the current awkward situation would end quickly so he could properly plan the future development of the Alchemy Workshop.

Igor had no idea the Cloud Beast he’d conjured had caused such a stir. He was still silently controlling the Cloud Beast’s parameters—the framework he had meticulously deduced from countless calculations to create its ideal operational environment…

Igor now thought back on those times when people laughed at him, and couldn’t help but feel proud.

All his efforts were worthwhile, and all his commitments reaped rewards.

For many years, Igor had always been an outsider.

At home, he was an irresponsible elder brother. Not only did he fail to help his father ease his burdens, but he also frequently caused trouble. Fortunately, his father, a woodchopper, always supported his attending classes at Yonder Travel Academy; otherwise, he truly would have been ostracized by everyone.

At Yonder Travel Academy, he was even more of an oddity. He would listen with relish to lectures others ignored and invariably make a name for himself in projects others wouldn’t touch…

No one understood how his mind worked; he was always doing such bewildering things.

He was an outsider to the entire group, even though many mentors at Yonder Travel Academy favored him.

The Scholars at Yonder Travel Academy thought Igor could become a fine Scholar, given his remarkable dedication to research. It was just a shame the boy seldom applied this studious tenacity to practical matters…

The Fighter mentors, however, believed Igor possessed great combat talent and, with time, could become an exceptional soldier. Unfortunately, the boy was too wild; he would have to be thrust into the Guardian Army and have some discipline beaten into him before he could achieve anything.

The Hunter mentors had a different view. They felt Igor was a natural-born Hunter, capable of losing himself completely in his own world—a quality perfect for training in Concealment Spells.

The Alchemists just chuckled. Igor was clearly destined for Alchemy; such creativity would be wasted anywhere else…

Nevertheless, Igor himself said he wanted to become an Adventurer.

This answer once again set him apart from everyone’s expectations; it was truly baffling.

Logically, a woodchopper’s son like him, with no status or resources, should have been overjoyed to be noticed by so many mentors.

However, he didn’t feel the slightest bit honored; on the contrary, he felt these mentors were all mistaken.

Most of the time, Igor still preferred to goof around with Teacher Hadi at the Academy…

Truthfully, if Hustace hadn’t befriended him, Igor might very well have become the laughingstock of all students at Yonder Travel Academy.

Even now, many still secretly sneered at him, only refraining from open mockery out of deference to the Governor of Luona’s son.

However, Igor cared little for any of this. He knew only that he wanted to become an Adventurer; nothing else mattered.