One-Eyed Monster

Kadi’s confidence was perplexing to everyone. They couldn’t understand where this powerful self-assuredness came from. After whispering with Igor for a while, he strode in front of Stan Sol, brimming with self-belief, as though nothing in the world could stand in his way. Everyone was curious to know where such confidence originated.

Of course, Kuyi Tulan and the others weren’t focusing their energy on Kadi. They had to maintain their attention on the Great Mentor’s every move; after all, in such a life-or-death struggle, a critical incident could erupt at any moment. They couldn’t afford the slightest negligence during this period.

The only people curious about Kadi’s every move were those hoping to stop the Great Mentor. They were eager to know what Kadi would try next.

In their view, Kadi didn’t stand a chance against the Great Mentor, nor could he even get close to him. The Great Mentor’s Spirit Defense would surely repel him.

But Kadi’s confidence raised many doubts in their minds, not to mention that he wasn’t alone in this endeavor. Igor and Stan Sol were also involved. Even though they were incapacitated at the moment, they might have some tricks up their sleeves.

Their anticipation was tinged with helplessness. The inability to act or participate, despite being present, engendered a peculiar sorrow most could not comprehend. Only those experiencing it firsthand could truly understand this anguish.

Under everyone’s gaze, Kadi took a deep breath. Despite appearing confident, he was still a child and felt a bit jittery in such critical moments. There wasn’t much change in his appearance, except that Stan Sol’s cape now rested on him.

”This…” Yuga and the others recognized the cape. Stan Sol’s cape appeared ordinary, but it wasn’t. It was an ancient creature known as a Sharkmon.

This ancient breed possessed a natural sensitivity to Spirit Power. They seemed to feed on Spirit Power and could change their forms at will. They could appear as a cape fluttering in the wind or transform into an immensely solid blade. Such variability made Sharkmons unpredictable during battle, providing a significant advantage to their owners.

However, Sharkmons were generally peaceful and wouldn’t attack unless provoked. They usually rested on the water’s surface, blending effortlessly with it, making them impossible for an average person to detect, let alone tame. Only ancient Hunters possessed such skills for Taming.

Once tamed, a Sharkmon would follow its master eternally. Only its master’s Spirit Power could summon it; no one else could. It was truly unexpected when Kadi managed to drape the Sharkmon, in its cape form, over his shoulders.

How Kadi was able to summon the Sharkmon became a new puzzle for everyone, a troubling question that gnawed at them. Unable to find an answer, they ultimately attributed it to Kadi’s inherent uniqueness.

The Sharkmon seemed a bit out of place on Kadi. A blue creature draped in a cape looked rather uncoordinated, and Kadi felt awkward too, occasionally tripping over the Sharkmon cape. This made him wonder if the Sharkmon could change into a form that could wrap him entirely—like a Black Cloth, similar to those worn by the assassins from the Dark Cabinet he’d heard about in old stories.

Perhaps it was Stan Sol’s residual Spirit Power on Kadi, which, following Kadi’s mental cues, slowly conveyed the message to the Sharkmon. As if understanding his thoughts, WITH A SWISH, the Sharkmon changed its form. It became like a form-fitting garment, enveloping Kadi completely, leaving only one of his large eyes visible. Or perhaps, the Sharkmon was simply tired of being stepped on.

One way or another, the Sharkmon had now transformed into a form-fitting Black Cloth, just as Kadi wished. With this new attire, Kadi looked remarkably cool, making even Igor envious.

Kadi was thrilled—almost jumping in excitement. However, he quickly regained his composure, aware that he still had an unfinished task before him. The completion of this task, he knew, would directly determine his status in the eyes of others—whether he was just a good-for-nothing or a truly valuable individual. Thinking of this, Kadi calmed down considerably. He glanced around cautiously before walking towards the Great Mentor.

The Spirit Defense of the Great Mentor took the shape of a semi-circular glowing ring. This ring pulsated and rotated, enclosing the Great Mentor within it. Anyone attempting to approach him would be repelled by the ring, which exerted a repellent force on its periphery, similar to a magnet.

The principle behind this defense was like a magnet. The Great Mentor’s Spirit Power resided within the ring. Any approaching force similar to Spirit Power would be repelled, while a force completely opposite in nature would be drawn into the ring. Currently, no force entirely contrary to Spirit Power was known to exist in the world.

Therefore, the Great Mentor’s Spirit Defense was considered impenetrable by Adventurers with Class. If they employed Spirit Power, they couldn’t get close to the Great Mentor.

The only way to break the Spirit Defense ring was by approaching the Great Mentor as a Non-Adventurer who lacked Spirit Power. But Non-Adventurers also lacked combat abilities, and without them, how could they possibly get close to the Great Mentor?

Now, Kadi was cautiously inching towards the Great Mentor’s Spirit Defense ring, careful not to alert him.

The Great Mentor had noticed Kadi but didn’t seem concerned. After having spent so much time with Kadi, he knew the boy well and understood that Kadi lacked the ability to breach his defense.

While Kadi wasn’t particularly sensitive to Spirit Power, he could still use it, meaning his own Spirit Power was similar in nature to that of the ring. Therefore, if Kadi approached the ring, he would be repelled, potentially even thrown back.

Everyone kept a close eye on Kadi’s every move. Although it would only take Kadi a few brief moments to walk there, in the eyes of the onlookers, those few moments seemed to stretch on for an incredibly long time, almost as if he had been walking for many long minutes.

Kadi finally reached the ring and, extending a hand, touched it. There was no reaction. Kadi then turned, looked back at the crowd, and shrugged triumphantly, as if to say, ”This defense isn’t much to worry about. It can be completely ignored!”