One-Eyed Monster

The allure of a new story was indeed potent for the Dark Force; he found it hard to control his instinctual reactions. Even as his Puppet minions were being relentlessly pushed back, he chose to ignore it. He chose to ignore it because, at this moment, all he wanted was to know what story Igor was going to tell.

He found this dawdling youth increasingly unbearable. He yearned to Devour him but hesitated. What if this youth’s story was truly special?

He already knew that those he Devoured would never be able to recount their tales as vividly again, even if he released them later. Those he Devoured lost their vitality. They recited their stories word by word like lifeless fish, their narratives becoming disjointed and incomprehensible. Yet, even such monotonous, fractured tales utterly captivated him. Now, faced with the chance of a new story, he truly struggled to control his emotions.

It was peculiar: this entity, which usually harvested others’ emotions, now found its own emotions being manipulated. This hesitation made him antsy; indeed, he found himself longing for the simplicity of the old world, where all he had to do was Devour.

His entire purpose in Devouring was to obtain stories from others. Yet, he had discovered that Devouring someone prevented him from acquiring all their stories. This realization was incredibly frustrating because, he knew, it severely limited his actions! In his current state, for instance, he felt extremely agitated, completely unsure of what to do.

His instincts screamed at him to Devour this irritating youth, who dawdled like an old woman. Yet, fear held him back. He was afraid that Devouring the youth would mean losing many stories, especially the one this youth was currently weaving with such dramatic flair...

This internal conflict had arisen without any warning.

The Dark Force had initially believed he could intimidate the youth, but unexpectedly, he found himself ensnared instead. Indeed, it was an unforeseeable turn of events.

Igor himself hadn’t anticipated this outcome, but he had at least gambled correctly on one point: the Dark Force was somewhat apprehensive about the story he was about to tell. If not for Kadi’s previous experience, Igor couldn’t have made such a confident gamble. This was the advantage of having inside information... Kadi could indeed be full of surprises.

Facing the slightly hesitant Dark Force, Igor didn’t immediately apply pressure. Instead, as was his wont, he used his skill to lure his opponent into the trap he had set. Against anyone else, Igor wasn’t certain he could win at Storytelling. But facing the Dark Force, he was brimming with confidence. No one could fathom Igor’s current state of mind; even he himself found it exceedingly strange.

Although his aim was to save the Dark Force, he wondered why he had chosen such a taunting approach...

It’s simply incomprehensible, he thought. This colorful and complex world—no one can truly understand it.

Seeing the Dark Force’s current state, Igor almost chuckled. But then he wondered: If I were in a similar predicament, could I remain so calm?

That was a question worth pondering, but Igor didn’t intend to dwell on it; more pressing matters demanded his attention.

”What, don’t you have any stories?” Seeing the Dark Force gradually losing focus, Igor had to speak up again. He needed the Dark Force to fall completely into his rhythm.

”How could I lack stories? It’s just that...” the Dark Force began, then trailed off into silence once more.

”Equivalent Exchange cannot be discarded. It’s the fundamental law of this world. Discard it, and you become nothing,” Igor suddenly interjected, his tone almost preachy.

”You’re questioning me!” For some reason, the Dark Force suddenly became extremely irritable. It seemed to him that Igor was looking down on him. He could tolerate other slights, but to be accused of lacking stories—that was an indignity he could not bear.

My stories are plentiful enough to scare you to death! Don’t you dare compare your number of stories with mine...

”Mere shouting is useless. Why not tell a story? Perhaps you’d already be savoring it by now,” Igor continued his provocation.

What’s so difficult about that? Stories are simple for me, the Dark Force fumed internally.

Observing the Dark Force, Kadi knew the Storytelling competition was imminent. They’re about to start trading tales, each trying to outdo the other, he thought. However, Kadi still didn’t understand Igor’s motive. He felt Igor had missed a perfect opportunity to defeat his opponent earlier. Igor had already stunned the Dark Force; all he needed to do was use a binding spell to restrain him. Once bound, wouldn’t it be easy to handle him? He could do whatever he wanted then...

But Igor didn’t do so—not because he couldn’t, but because he felt it wouldn’t be effective. Moreover, at this critical juncture, caution was paramount, lest he provoke the Dark Force. That would truly be a loss outweighing any gain.

Igor had his own plan, one he hadn’t yet revealed. Regardless, his first step was to draw his opponent into an exchange of stories. Only with a sufficient foundation of stories could Igor’s plan be smoothly executed.

”Don’t assume you know how many stories you possess. If you have the nerve, let’s compare,” Igor dangled the bait once more.

Pride. The Dark Force felt his pride had been wounded. Thus, his desire shifted from merely hearing a story to competing in Storytelling.

”Compete then! But we must agree beforehand: if I win, you’ll promptly tell the story you were about to tell earlier,” the Dark Force declared. He suddenly sounded more rational, perhaps influenced by Igor.

”No problem,” Igor replied without hesitation. Everything was proceeding according to his plan.

”Alright, let’s begin. Wait—before we start the contest, I must make it clear: stories about things like talking mice are outside the scope of this competition. I’m not familiar with those, I admit.”

When the Dark Force said this, Kadi felt Igor no longer had an advantage. It’s obvious he’s playing to his strengths and avoiding his weaknesses! Kadi thought.

Yet Igor simply smiled faintly and replied with ease, ”No problem.”

What...? Kadi was baffled.

”Good. Let’s begin,” the Dark Force said. He felt victory was within his grasp, and his mood brightened considerably.

Now, he had to decide whose story to tell first.