One-Eyed Monster

Guru Mountain, Ghost Wind Valley.

Igor and the Spirit Book continued to face off in a peculiar manner, neither yielding, and the situation seemed to be at a standstill for the time being.

The Spirit Book was still moaning on the bonfire, sounding like it was dying over and over again; if it could roll, it would have tumbled all over the ground by now.

Igor, on the other hand, maintained his cold demeanor, showing no signs of hunger-induced weakness or fatigue.

Kadi remained rooted to the spot. If it weren't for the rope connecting him to Igor, he would have found a place to hide long ago. Firstly, he wasn't used to seeing others tormented. Every time he witnessed such a scene, it reminded him of his experiences being confined in the Slumber Room. Secondly, Kadi felt utterly ashamed. As the master of Guru Mountain, it was a profound disgrace to have an outsider discover a secret at such a critical moment.

At times like this, he really wished he could find a crack to crawl into and never come out, just to save himself the embarrassment. Even though Igor was the only one present, Kadi still felt mortified. Why couldn't he discover as many unusual things as Igor could? For instance, why couldn't he tell when the sun—that Fireball—was diligent and when it was lazy?

However, he had no time for such reminiscences. The once blazing bonfire had started to dim. It was clear that the combustibles gathered in haste weren't enough to sustain the fire for long, especially the dry leaves that turned to ash in minutes, unable to burn for an extended period.

The absence of suitable firewood was another headache. Igor seemed on the verge of losing his only means of threatening it. Once the Spirit Book was freed from the agony of the fire, it would no longer confront Igor and would likely start its incessant babbling again.

"What should we do?" Kadi fretted on the side. He was a layman when it came to summoning fire, and coupled with the urgent situation, he was so flustered he was at a loss for words.

"Don't we still have this rope? It's woven from leaves and straw; it should be more flame-resistant than these fallen leaves," Igor said, starting to untie the rope from his hand.

"Uh, don't do that! That's our last lifeline! If we get separated later, we won't be able to find each other! Think of something else… Hey, you've already untied it!" Before Kadi could finish his plea, Igor had already untied the knot on Kadi's hand as well.

With the addition of new fuel, the bonfire flared up again. The flames soared high, and so did the shriek of the Spirit Book…

By this point, the Spirit Book's screams had lost their novelty. There was no fear or unease in its voice, only exhaustion and disgust.

"The Rufe Brothers once told me a saying, something like 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.' I didn't understand it then, but I think I'm starting to now," Igor said to Kadi.

"What does it mean?" Kadi was evidently unfamiliar with this saying. After all, he was a primitive creature living deep in the mountains. He had only sporadically heard of the extensive and profound culture of the Yowein Continent and had hardly come into contact with its colorful, diverse world.

"The gist is, if you're always hesitant about everything, you'll never get an answer."

"So what do you think we should do?" Kadi always liked to press for a clear answer.

"Stake everything on one throw!" Igor said, his eyes resolute, showing no sign of retreat.

Uh... Kadi didn't understand at all. If this creature were in the human world, he'd be, at most, an innocent child. It was impossible for him to comprehend such human recklessness.

"Well said! 'Stake everything on one throw' indeed!" Suddenly, an aged voice came from the bonfire. The voice was deep and powerful, completely different in rhythm from the Spirit Book's.

This voice startled both Igor and Kadi.

They both clearly recognized that this was not the Spirit Book's voice. The Spirit Book's voice was shrill, like a bird's, while this voice was resonant and strong—clearly that of an old man who had weathered many storms.

They looked in the direction of the sound but found nothing unusual around them—only the strange vegetation of Ghost Wind Valley, not even a ghostly shadow.

"No need to search. I am right before your eyes," the aged voice came again.

Igor and Kadi stared intently, scrutinizing their surroundings, but still found nothing.

"Children these days are so dull-witted, not like they used to be, not like they used to be at all!" the aged voice cut through the air once more.

"Who are you, and where are you?" Kadi asked towards the source of the voice. He had experienced far too many unusual things today; his mind felt overloaded, and he desperately needed someone to explain what was happening.

"I'm right in front of you, my child."

"But I can't see…" Before Kadi could finish, Igor cut in to explain.

"He is in Spirit Form," Igor explained. "We haven't reached that level yet, so it's normal that we can't see him."

"You can see him?" Kadi's eyes widened, feeling as if Igor was already on a different plane than him.

It seemed Igor was superior to him in every way, able to see further and deeper...

"I can't see him," Igor casually scratched his head and replied nonchalantly. His answer made Kadi's taut nerves relax a little.

"Then how do you know…" Kadi still felt he was no match for Igor.

"Well, Hustace told me about this before. I can see a silhouette there by the bonfire, so I guessed," Igor said.

Kadi looked where Igor pointed and indeed saw a human-like silhouette.

If their Spirit Power reserves were a bit higher, they would have been able to see a transparent old man standing by the bonfire, looking this way and that, constantly stroking the thick beard at his lips.

"This child is quite right. Strictly speaking, I can't really be considered a person. I am in Spirit Form…"

"If my guess is correct, you're Soron," Igor said to the silhouette by the fire.

"You guessed right again! How can a child like you be so clever? You're a hundred times smarter than this book!"

"This book is always calling itself 'the great Lord Soron.' It'd be strange if I couldn't guess," Igor replied, his expression still deadpan, paying no mind to the old man's praise.

Kadi's jaw dropped. He was truly astonished. Igor really isn't on the same level as me. He might seem nonchalant usually, but his attention to detail is incredibly sharp!

COUGH, COUGH… Soron, in his Spirit Form, coughed to cover his embarrassment. After all, Igor was the first person in this world to be so dismissive of his praise.

"That's right! I am Soron, the great Wizard, and also a brave Adventurer! Heh heh, you should all kneel at my feet and worship me!"

"You're as long-winded as that Spirit Book," Igor said, shrugging indifferently.

If Soron were still alive, he would surely have coughed up a mouthful of old blood. Unfortunately, he was now just in Spirit Form and could do nothing but try to cover his awkwardness.

For a moment, coughing sounds echoed through Ghost Wind Valley.