One-Eyed Monster

At the foot of Guru Mountain, early morning.

The Hunchbacked Boss had spent the night chatting with Estev in the tavern, venting his hidden discontent. The night's outpouring had eased his spirits considerably. At this moment, he felt like a young lad.

Estev was still resting in the Hunchbacked Boss's tavern, eyes half-closed, while the Hunchbacked Boss himself, already wide awake, felt no trace of sleepiness. Old age naturally made him an early riser, and furthermore, last night's cathartic conversation had left him in a state of exhilaration. The combination of these factors meant the Hunchbacked Boss felt no fatigue at all. At the same time, the mere thought that, if all went well, he could once again live freely as a Scholar filled his heart with an undeniable sense of contentment.

The only thing he found somewhat hard to part with was this small tavern. For some reason, he held a special fondness for it.

So, to experience his role as a tavern owner once more within the limited time he had, he woke early, tidied the few tables he owned, and opened the tavern's creaky door.

"Quick, quick, go see! It's a rare sight!"

"Word is it started last night. Don't know if it's true or not."

"Who cares if it's true? Let's hurry and take a look! If we're late, we might miss the good show!"

The Hunchbacked Boss had thought opening his tavern this early was quite sufficient, but he hadn't expected others to be up even earlier. These people were hurrying along, as if rushing to see a rare spectacle.

These Treasure Hunters, chattering as they walked, had been pent up for days. Ever since that group of Alchemists had cleared the mountain, these Treasure Hunters had been in a stupor, with nothing to do but drink and boast. An aimless bunch, they wandered between various taverns. However, this state of affairs didn't last long, as their freedom of movement gradually became inexplicably restricted.

First, there was the strangeness around Lubin Tavern; they couldn't get near it. Anyone who approached would be inexplicably attacked, and they couldn't even tell what was attacking them. Then, Non Intoxication Tavern was booked out by someone, and its young waiter, Billy, acting as if possessed, easily drove away any Treasure Hunters who came near. Finally, the local Gaga County County Administrative Office—that sleazy, goateed county magistrate—actually teamed up with the Dark Organization from the foot of Guru Mountain to interrogate every Treasure Hunter. They frequently threatened to drive them all away if they didn't cooperate. Faced with all sorts of warnings and threats, the Treasure Hunters had learned their lesson. They knew that even a mighty dragon couldn't suppress a local snake. Thus, despite their fierce reputations, they still didn't dare offend the Gaga County County Administrative Office. So, they could only swallow their frustration and continue to drown their sorrows in various taverns.

But today, these Treasure Hunters seemed to have discovered a new world, all surging towards one location, each face alight with the expression of someone eager to watch a commotion and not minding if it escalated.

The Hunchbacked Boss looked in the direction everyone was rushing. That location... it should be Non Intoxication Tavern...

"What's happened so early in the morning?" the Hunchbacked Boss managed to ask, stopping a Treasure Hunter.

"Heh, you don't know yet?" This Treasure Hunter was clearly unfamiliar with the Hunchbacked Boss's tavern.

"Word spread last night! Someone was having a drinking contest at Non Intoxication Tavern. No, by now, they should be having a Spirit Duel!"

"Oh!" The Hunchbacked Boss was clearly shocked.

"Hey, no time to talk! How can I miss a show like this? If I don't hurry, it'll be over soon!" With that, the Treasure Hunter broke into a trot and ran towards Non Intoxication Tavern without a backward glance.

"A Spirit Duel?" Estev, who was inside the tavern, had also heard the commotion outside. He had unknowingly walked to the tavern entrance and was now leaning against the creaking door, rubbing his eyes as he asked the Hunchbacked Boss.

"Who knows what's going on? Young people these days are so impetuous, resorting to Spirit Duels at the drop of a hat. In the past, such a thing would have been unimaginable."

"Heh, a Spirit Duel... makes me want to go witness it myself," Estev said softly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It's hard to say. Perhaps the two involved in the Spirit Duel are just some unlucky sod and a reckless fool. In that case, the Spirit Duel wouldn't be much to look at. It's not worth exposing ourselves for such types," the Hunchbacked Boss remarked slowly to Estev.

"Yes, yes, your wisdom is profound, elder. It was my oversight. I should go back and get some more sleep. I won't be able to cope with what's coming next without enough energy."

With that, Estev went back into the tavern to continue resting with his eyes closed. The Hunchbacked Boss, meanwhile, continued to stretch lazily, still savoring his role as a tavern keeper. Not far from them, the Endless Night Tavern was surrounded layer upon layer by Treasure Hunters, packed so tightly that not even water could trickle through. However, neither of them cared, as if what was happening at the Endless Night Tavern had absolutely nothing to do with them. And in truth, it originally had very little to do with them.

On the Yowein Continent, a Spirit Duel was considered the highest form of duel. The two combatants would use their Spirit Power skills to determine a victor, and the winner would, as a matter of course, take the loser's Spirit Power.

In other words, losing a Spirit Duel was tantamount to forfeiting everything. One's Spirit Power would be stripped away. The Spirit Sensing cultivated over many years would vanish in an instant. An Adventurer with Class, one of the Six Major types who had mastered Spirit Sensing, would be reduced to a commoner, with no future chance of ever grasping Spirit Sensing again. The price was clearly enormous. But then again, who forced them to choose such a duel?

Duels on the Yowein Continent were a form of gambling. The Yowein Continent did not particularly advocate for duels to the death. Although life and death held a kind of Transcendence over all else, they couldn't satisfy the peculiar psychology of its people. In most corners of the Yowein Continent, people preferred to watch their enemies suffer; simply letting an enemy die was considered the act of a fool.

It was precisely because of this peculiar mentality that duels on the Yowein Continent were so bizarre and varied, encompassing all sorts of methods.

There were drinking contests in taverns, magic duels at altars, and endurance battles in weather of Intense Chill... Almost anything imaginable had been conceived by these people. The effect of a duel was, naturally, inextricably linked to the chosen format.

A dueling method like a drinking contest, for instance, would generally attract no spectators. Such a simple contest wouldn't stir any excitement. Who would care to watch a duel devoid of ripples?

But a Spirit Duel, on the other hand, drew many interested onlookers.

After all, Spirit Power skills alone were dazzling enough to captivate any audience.

Every duel was a gamble, whether big or small. The winner gained everything; the loser forfeited all.

This was never a fair world to begin with. It was a world where the strong preyed on the weak. As long as your power was sufficient, you could crush anything in your path.

「Inside Non Intoxication Tavern, a duel was underway.」