One-Eyed Monster

Everything happening on Guru Mountain was akin to a puppet show. The poor fools who were entangled in it had no clue, deeply engrossed in their own worlds. They didn't realize that the puppets in this drama were being manipulated by invisible strings.

There are many disappointments in life, and being mixed up in such a puppet show is a bad stroke of luck that words can't describe.

The puppet master pulling the strings is the real player in this game.

「At the bottom of Guru Mountain, Lubin Tavern.」

Milo sensed that his specially marked native Exchange Beast had emerged from the ceramic bottle. From the viewpoint of these ants, Milo learned that Axia had opened the ceramic bottle.

Axia, an Alchemy Servant deployed by the Chief to the mountain, was tasked with assisting related politicians from Luona in searching for the son of the Governor of Luona. Milo had previously instructed Axia to open the ceramic bottle as soon as they found their target. The primary Exchange Beast ant had just landed on the mountain, implying that they had found the Governor of Luona's son.

"Sir," Milo respectfully walked up to Chief Kuyi Tulan. "Governor Rostov's son has been found."

"Really? How is he? Is he injured?" Before Chief Kuyi Tulan could speak, the people at the neighboring table preempted him with their questions.

They were Guard Goding and a few of his lackeys from Luona. With no news about Young Master Hustace for the past few days, these men had been lingering in the tavern like idiots, doing nothing but eating and sleeping. Occasionally, they would ask irrelevant questions about whether anyone had come down from the mountain. As for Rostellum from Gaga County, nobody knew what he was busy with in the village; he hadn't been seen for days. Besides, Rostellum had left Goding and Babasha at the tavern without a word. Mayor Babasha was rather unhappy about this. The atmosphere in the tavern was awkward, and Mayor Babasha and the horse-faced Goding could only spend their time staring blankly at each other.

It wasn't their fault; the self-important Alchemists didn't care about them. Mayor Babasha tried to butter up Chief Kuyi Tulan, but the Chief paid him no heed. Mayor Babasha felt humiliated. His position as Mayor of Liuli City outranked Rostellum's county governorship, yet Rostellum could occasionally exchange a few words with the Chief. This greatly irritated Babasha.

So, when Babasha and Goding heard the news about Young Master Hustace, they both became excited.

Goding and his men were excited because a weight had finally been lifted from their shoulders; they could at last send a message to the Lord Governor by Mail Bird.

Mayor Babasha's excitement, however, stemmed from finding another opportunity to converse with Chief Kuyi Tulan.

But Chief Kuyi Tulan, as usual, paid them no heed. He took a light sip of his cheap fruit wine, then waved his hand, signaling them to be quiet.

After all, Chief Kuyi Tulan was the head of the Imperial Alchemy Workshop. Even when silent, his imposing aura was palpable. Upon seeing his signal, everyone immediately stopped speaking. They swallowed the words they had been about to say. Mayor Babasha, in particular, turned red from the effort of holding himself back.

"Any unusual signs?" Chief Kuyi Tulan asked Milo.

"There were more mad dogs going up the mountain last night. And from the Shared Perspective just now, I noticed all the people who went up the mountain have gathered in one place. It seems they're all heading for... Huh? Wait, I see a familiar figure, Chief!"

"Hmm?" Chief Kuyi Tulan was also intrigued by Milo's sudden interruption.

"Judging by his build and techniques, it must be Dastan! Chief!" Milo exclaimed, excited and momentarily forgetting his surroundings.

"Share your perspective with me!" Chief Kuyi Tulan extended a hand, rolled up his sleeve, and revealed an arm full of patterns.

Milo instantly drew a Hexagram on the table with a water-moistened finger.

"Brad! Clear the tavern!" Chief Kuyi Tulan instructed.

"Chief, there's an anomaly! It looks like someone is forming an array!" Milo said urgently.

Simultaneously, a loud BOOM, like the sound of fireworks, echoed around Guru Mountain.

"Sir, this is..." Milo perceived a shocking image through his native Exchange Beast.

"I sensed it. The traitor is one of us," Chief Kuyi Tulan said softly.

Mayor Babasha, Guard Goding, and the others were reluctantly escorted out of the tavern by one of the Chief's subordinates.

"Why such secrecy? What's the big deal?" Mayor Babasha muttered under his breath, evidently sour grapes.

"Carmello, prepare the Heaven and Earth Bind Array!" Chief Kuyi Tulan instructed again. He seemed completely transformed; his usual laid-back demeanor was gone. Now, he embodied seriousness and determination, like a seasoned elder who had weathered countless hardships, standing on the shoulders of a giant and directing its battle.

The Exchange Beast had reached the designated location and was ready to form the array at any moment.

The array diagram was complete.

The Golden Seats members busily got to work. In moments, the previously quiet tavern became extremely noisy.

While the Golden Seats were preparing the grand alchemy array, a distinctive conversation was unfolding in another establishment, the Non-Intoxication Tavern.

"We always have to deal with everything ourselves. The abilities of these Puppets and walking corpses are pathetic," the barrel-chested fat man in the tavern grumbled.

"Heh, the boss didn't expect them to do much," the muscular man reassured the fat man.

"Gus, get ready. I'll need your help later. My Spirit Power won't last that long; I'll need you to support me." The fat man glanced at the old man opposite him, his expression full of distrust.

"Have they started? I'd like to see the mutations with my own eyes," the old man seemed somewhat excited.

"Yes, they've started. Would you like to have a look?"

"I won't bother researching your Alchemists' stuff. If you guys can complete this task well, I may not have to take action."

"You're here just to deal with those bastards from the Alchemy Workshop. You don't have to worry about what's happening on the mountain."

"Heh heh heh, just let this old man enjoy the sight of these transformations. I wonder if these Puppets and walking corpses will obediently follow your commands?" the old man continued.

"Those potions I painstakingly created are miniature Summoned Beasts. Once they enter a human body, they attack the host, quickly occupying the entire body. At that point, these little Summoned Beasts will only obey one person's commands. No matter the distance, those afflicted by the Summoned Beasts' erosion can only act according to that person's instructions." After finishing his explanation, the fat man took out a bottle containing a white, viscous liquid.

"This thing," he continued, rubbing his hands with a confident look, "is the queen of those Summoned Beasts. It can command them, and I... I can command this queen."