One-Eyed Monster

”You can?” Rostov was a bit unsure.

Previously, Rostov did not believe that Igor could awaken Tobin. After all, so many predecessors at Yonder Travel Academy were at a loss with this situation, and Igor, just a young brat, appeared too arrogant with his self-assertion.

But now, Lord Governor was a bit hesitant because the negative emotions sprouting within him had gradually influenced him, and as a politician, he was naturally sensitive to these feelings. So when he heard Igor say he was negative, he was quite surprised. Even though his emotions were unintentionally showing now, he prided himself on hiding surface emotions well.

Yet Igor had seen right through him, directly and bluntly...

This made Governor Rostov’s skepticism begin to waver. After all, he wasn’t the type to stick to dogma, and the things this young man displayed seemed somewhat different.

So he felt he should give the youngster a chance to try.

Having this thought, Rostov asked.

”Of course I can. I can help you get rid of these negative emotions right now.” Igor’s confidence naturally spilled out, leaving an indescribable feeling, unsure whether to be excited or cautious...

”Wait, wait, wait...” Perkins suddenly interrupted Igor. Seeing Igor’s eagerness to act, he felt something was off. ”Why do you always say such inexplicable things? Why can’t you say something that everyone can understand?”

”Huh?” Igor also felt baffled. He didn’t understand what was unclear about what he said. Compared to Perkins’s stories, his words were overly simple, just like giving people the answers, with no complexity at all. He couldn’t understand how Perkins interpreted it this way.

”Haha, young minds are always fast. We’re just old bones lagging behind. No wonder this era is discarding us; we really are done for,” Dean Hoffman began to sigh, making Igor feel a foreboding sense of unease. What was going on here?

Igor felt bewildered by these people, while others thought Igor had confused them...

Neither side seemed willing to compromise, each stubbornly adhering to their own viewpoint.

Igor always felt he was clear and complete in his expressions, while Perkins felt Igor was talking nonsense, just causing trouble.

Governor Rostov hesitated then, affected by the negative emotions, while Dean Hoffman felt nostalgic, reminded of his past disputes over a theory in the Scholar Commons... As for Hustace, he was still bewilderedly standing aside. On one side was his father, on the other his admired friend; he didn’t know which side to choose. Making decisions like these was the thing he most feared.

This bizarre atmosphere persisted, with no one breaking the deadlock. Igor and Perkins stared each other down, holding firm to their views...

The awkward atmosphere reached its peak...

At this moment, footsteps ascended from the basement. Clearly, Stan Sol had finished his conversation with Tobin...

”What is this?” Seeing the scene above, Stan Sol was puzzled. What’s going on? The two of them were locked in a tight standoff, looking ready for confrontation.

”Nothing, nothing, just a little disagreement,” Hustace quickly stepped in to smooth things over, being the only one here who understood the whole situation.

”What’s really going on!” Stan Sol clearly didn’t believe Hustace’s words since he knew Igor well enough. Igor wouldn’t stay silent unless he reached a breaking point, and now, Igor seemed deeply troubled over some issue.

”Uh, here’s how it is.” Seeing no way to hide it, Hustace began to recount the scenes that had just unfolded.

Hustace explained clearly, not dragging it out, and soon had recounted the entire story.

”Oh, that’s how it is. Then why not let him try it?” Stan Sol also felt strange; since Igor claimed he could wake Tobin, why not let him try? There’s not much to lose.

”The Dean feels Igor is acting too impulsively, and then Igor went silent. You know what happened after that.”

Stan Sol didn’t care about the specific reasons for Igor and Perkins’s standoff. He found their staring contest amusing, given their differing views, it had come to this—quite a rare spectacle indeed.

”Hey, aren’t you guys going to say something while staring this way?”

”No,” Igor was the first to speak.

”That’s right, no talking. Whoever blinks first loses. We agreed on it,” Perkins added.

Stan Sol turned to look at Hustace; this moment hadn’t been mentioned before, and now the situation suddenly changed.

Hustace shrugged, signaling not to look at him, as he wasn’t the one who started this blinking contest.

Meanwhile, the Lord Governor and Dean Hoffman, completely without clues to interpret this scene, still looked blank-faced, not knowing what to do.

”Alright,” Stan Sol shrugged. ”I guess it’s up to me to find a way. A blinking contest?”

As he spoke, Stan Sol walked up to Perkins and Igor, then extended his hand, placing his palm between the two opponents.

Whoosh—

A burst of flame leaped up from his hand, emitting a strong light that forced both opponents to shield their eyes and, at the same time, close their eyes.

”Alright, you both lost, you blinked.”

”Huh?” Igor felt puzzled.

”Ah?” Perkins couldn’t believe it.

”Don’t be doubtful; if you don’t believe, ask Hustace if you both blinked.”

”Uh, yes, you did.” Hustace quickly took over the conversation.

The flame not only woke up Igor and the others but also awakened Governor and Dean Hoffman, who stood blank-faced nearby.

”Hey, Stan Sol, you’re finally back. How did the conversation go?” The Dean approached immediately to ask.

”Not so well, so I’m thinking of letting Igor try.”

”Huh?” Dean Hoffman found it a bit hard to believe.