One-Eyed Monster

Guru Mountain, Dawn Peak.

The smile on Joela's lips remained radiant.

The moment the giant rabbit holding a sickle leaped out, the alchemists from the Alchemy Workshop breathed a long sigh of relief.

The sigh they released carried a wealth of unspoken information. It felt like a taut string suddenly going slack, or a suspended stone finally hitting the ground. This single exhalation brought waves of relief and waves of nostalgia.

"Hello, old friend." Despite the conflict, Joela greeted this humanoid giant rabbit as though they were long-lost friends.

CRASH! The sickle struck against the Diamond, sparks flying.

SWOOSH— The rabbit, still leveraging its strength in its astonishing Bomb Jump, quickly dodged the Berserk Brad, deftly twisting in mid-air.

"It's going into the burrow! Hector, watch out!"

"Understood, Elder Joela!" Hector extended his serpentine arm, beginning to probe for the hidden burrow on the ground.

"Your... opponent... is... me." Before Hector could send out his probing Spirit Power, a long sword blocked his way. The mysterious Hunter had suddenly intervened, catching him off guard.

"Elder!" Hector, knowing he couldn't defeat Stan Sol alone, promptly sought help from Joela.

"Brad, go!" The moment the giant rabbit leaped into the air, Joela quickly released a Spirit Lock. He needed to use this Spirit Lock chain to secure the giant rabbit in the air and couldn't be distracted, so he had Brad assist Hector.

With Stan Sol's intervention, the giant rabbit successfully slipped into the burrow. RUMBLE... Sounds came from underground, indicating the rabbit was busy beneath the earth.

Joela's Spirit Lock hadn't completely secured the giant rabbit, but the chain had indeed latched onto it. Although it failed to trap the rabbit, at least he could now track its movements.

"I trust you've been well, Dastan. I know you're good at hiding," Joela said softly.

RUMBLE... A series of muffled sounds continued from beneath the surface, as if the giant rabbit was looking for a chance to break out of the earth again.

Joela's Spirit Lock held fast to the giant rabbit. Their Spirit Power was connected, and through the Spirit Power Feedback, Joela monitored every movement underground.

Baharo, who had been sidelined by the group, wasn't idle. He had finally recalled his fundamental duty: to protect Young Master Hustace. The young master, still unconscious, had already missed too much of the unfolding drama. Deep in sleep, he was unlikely to offer any commentary on the current events for some time. Baharo slowly crawled to the young master's side. With his dual swords crossed, he stood guard, wary that the giant rabbit might suddenly emerge and attack the unarmed, unconscious young man.

"Get out!" Joela leaped onto an empty patch of ground, slammed his hands onto the earth, and roared.

WHOOSH— With that roar, the giant rabbit shot out from the ground, the sickle in its hand once again aimed at Joela.

CLANG! Another crisp sound, and it seemed a few more Diamonds shattered.

Stan Sol was locked in combat with Hector and Brad, none able to spare any attention. Hector and Brad coordinated seamlessly, giving Stan Sol's Sharkmon no openings.

"Hello, Joela!" The humanoid rabbit and Joela stood facing each other, exchanging greetings. They were old acquaintances, yet here on Guru Mountain, they faced each other as enemies. How many stories lay between them, perhaps only they themselves knew.

"Hello, Dastan. Long time no see."

"Indeed, it's been a long time. To be precise, I never wanted to see any of your faces again," Dastan said, a hint of resentment in his tone.

"We're not enemies, Dastan. I wonder, is the Instructor... doing well?" Joela's words were tinged with genuine concern.

As Joela asked this, Hector and Brad, who were fighting Stan Sol, paused their attacks. They exchanged glances with Stan Sol, but anyone could see that the two Alchemists had no heart for the battle at that moment; they seemed more interested in the answer to Joela's question.

"You're not worthy to even mention the Instructor! Ptooey!" Dastan was quite agitated, spitting out his disdain.

"Dastan, once one of the Glorious Six Knights... I never expected to see you in such a state," Joela said, sighing.

"I have you to thank for this... appearance."

"That was an accident, just an accident! The Chief was also deeply remorseful!" Joela suddenly became agitated, as if Dastan's words had struck a nerve.

"An accident? Then my sickle is an 'accident' for you too." After Dastan finished speaking, he leaped up once again, the sickle once again aiming at Joela.

Joela, protected by his Diamond armor, naturally didn't take this attack seriously.

Back and forth they went. Dastan's sickle couldn't break through Joela's defenses, and Joela's Spirit Lock couldn't restrain Dastan.

This stalemate was only between Joela and Dastan. The other pair, Hector and Brad, held no advantage against the ancient Hunter. If the fight dragged on, Stan Sol could likely drain all their Spirit Power.

After all, the Sharkmon was incredibly ferocious. It didn't even need Stan Sol's prompting, continuously transforming into various weapons and beasts. Then, like a maddened creature, it relentlessly attacked Hector and Brad, who had abundant Spirit Power reserves.

Previously, Stan Sol had worried that the Sharkmon's attack power might be diminished after its large meal. It now seemed his concerns had been entirely unfounded.

"Battle Pet! Out! Hunt!" Following Stan Sol's roar, a twisting flame leaped out and contorted its body as it joined the fight.

With this, Hector and Brad were at an even greater disadvantage.

And Stan Sol now had a moment to observe Joela's battle.

BANG! A few Diamonds on Joela's body cracked with a crisp sound.

"Impressive skills. It seems they haven't dulled. You still possess the flair of the Glorious Six Knights of old."

"Cut the crap! Don't talk to me about the past. I don't want to bring it up again..."

"Dastan, come back with me. The Chief can definitely help you reclaim what you've lost..."

BANG! Sparks of Electricity flashed. Dastan's answer was quite direct.

"You! Don't you dare mention that bastard in front of me again!"

Joela remained silent. His Spirit Lock had already subtly latched onto Dastan. He just needed the right opportunity to completely immobilize the giant rabbit.

A pity. My field mouse needs to assist with the Heaven and Earth Bind; otherwise, this farce could have ended much sooner.

Joela thought to himself. It was only a matter of time; things would fall into place naturally. Trapping Dastan was inevitable...

Suddenly, POP! A sharp sound snapped Joela out of his confident reverie.

He saw several links of the Spirit Lock on Dastan shatter.

"Dastan... you said... this appearance of yours... *they* 'bestowed' it, correct?"

Stan Sol's voice suddenly echoed across the mountain, lingering for a long time.