One-Eyed Monster

Master Lao noticed the gaze of that Puppet Monster. So he met it directly, countering with his own resolute eyes.

Igor and Kadi naturally noticed this scene too. In their view, the Puppet Monster had nowhere to vent its emotions and thus sought out the Master to release them.

”You’re looking at me because you think I’m the one who caused your failure.” Master Lao said directly, without considering what the monster actually wanted to do.

”I’m just curious, if I devour you, what will I become,” the Puppet Monster spoke the truth, but its demeanor was extremely arrogant.

Igor could feel the Energy left in this monster was scarce, so he restrained Kadi’s urge to teach it a lesson. For this, Kadi glared at him resentfully, thinking he shouldn’t have stopped him.

”I have nothing worth your coveting. I’m just a blacksmith. Even if you devour me, nothing will change.” Master Lao said; he wasn’t too sure about the Craftsman Spirit in himself either.

”Heh, hahaha...” The Puppet Monster couldn’t help but laugh loudly, ”Who’d have thought, who’d have thought, such a delicate and intricate Spirit Core would reside in the body of a fool...”

”If you think yourself so clever, then why do you end up abandoning even yourself?” Master Lao said, neither humble nor arrogant.

”What, what, I don’t quite understand what you mean.” The Puppet Monster was quite puzzled, thinking this fool was talking nonsense about abandoning himself.

”Who are you, what did you do, do you remember?” Master Lao continued to ask.

Master Lao’s question intrigued Igor greatly. He didn’t understand the Master’s perspective or what the Master saw, but his intuition told him that everything the Master said was related to the Craftsman Spirit within him.

The Puppet Monster just wanted to answer Lao’s question, but the words got stuck on the tip of its tongue.

”I am... I am...” The Puppet Monster had forgotten even its own name, let alone what it used to do.

”I am, I am Evelyn, no, I’m not Evelyn, I’m Alaina, no, I’m not Alaina either...” The Puppet Monster’s entire mind was now filled with shadows of his daughter and the girls whose consciousnesses he had devoured.

”See, you’ve forgotten who you are, and even what you used to do...” Master Lao continued to speak, with some regret in his tone.

”So what, I have power, I can do whatever I want!” The Puppet Monster suddenly lost interest in the Master’s words. The power had once muddled its mind and now it was controlling everything about him.

”Do you possess the power, or does the power possess you?” Master Lao continued to question. His questions were always from different angles, surprising both Igor and Kadi.

”I possess power... I possess...” The Puppet Monster suddenly realized that the power within it was never truly its own; this power had always controlled him, dictated his actions, compelling him to continuously devour and forget his former self.

”I’m just a blacksmith; I still have the strength to swing a hammer. I can forge weapons; what I can control is my true power.” The Master sighed, feeling sympathy for the Puppet Monster before him.

The Puppet Monster stared at Master Lao, and amidst the confusion, a sense of fear gradually emerged. This blacksmith not only had a Craftsman Spirit but also a pair of eyes that saw through everything. The Puppet Monster felt completely transparent...

”Because we are all artisans, I can see that you were once a Puppet Master. Every artisan has a sense of familiarity with their peers, and I can discern your identity because of this familiarity.”

Upon hearing this, Igor and Kadi finally understood. The reason Master Lao could incisively question these Puppet Monsters was because they were all artisans. The Master himself might not fully understand, but what he spoke of as familiarity was actually the Craftsman Spirit.

Igor now comprehended why this Puppet Monster was so excited upon seeing the Master. It was all due to the Craftsman Spirit. In other words, this Puppet Monster was once an artisan, or had the potential to become one.

”You could have become an outstanding Puppet Master, but you forgot yourself. The tragic experiences left only hatred in you, and that’s understandable. But your ultimate choice made you completely lose yourself,” Master Lao said meaningfully.

”Heh heh, hahaha, I only remember my hatred. Apart from that, I’ve forgotten everything, including who I am. But what does it matter? I’ve completed my revenge! It’s easy for you to say, but if such things happened to you, you’d make the same choice I did!”

”I wouldn’t choose your way of revenge,” Master Lao replied.

”Heh heh, hahaha...” The Puppet Monster didn’t comment; it thought Master Lao was joking. ”You’ll never take revenge because you don’t have the power to do so; you can’t even reach those bastards.”

”No, you’re wrong. I have my own power that I can wield, and one day I’ll fulfill my wish in my way. Not every revenge involves violent methods.”

The Master’s words were somewhat profound, leaving Kadi and Igor scratching their heads.

”If power can’t be controlled by oneself, we won’t be avenging ourselves. We’re just puppets manipulated by power. You’ve taken revenge, but do you really think you’ve avenged yourself? Most of the time you’re still under the shadow of this power.”

”Hmph...” The Puppet Monster had forgotten many things, but the strength of its power made it unconcerned about them.

”Everything I forge carries my mark; the power I can wield is displayed in these marks. I don’t need to avenge myself in the way you do.”

”Heh hah, ahahaha, you have no other way...” The Puppet Monster laughed heartily, yet it couldn’t rebut the Master’s words.

Master Lao’s Craftsman Spirit was truly unique, different from other Spirits. Igor now felt the importance of Master Lao.

In any case, he must now guard this place; it’s a precious thing, not to be taken lightly.