One-Eyed Monster

Kuren, the guardian of Dawn Peak on Guru Mountain, manipulated the bamboo sticks before him. These sticks represented every stone, every large tree, and every cave on Dawn Peak.

Everything on Dawn Peak was laid bare before him; as long as he wished, he could observe happenings in any corner of the peak.

After all these years, he had finally returned to his true self. With the help of the Great Mentor, he had learned the World Setting Technique. This art, neither quite spellcraft nor quite alchemy, fascinated him, leading him to be engrossed in it for years. Years of devoted study had greatly improved his skill, and he could now apply the technique with ease. The Slayer persona within him had become a thing of the past, and he no longer had to worry about the scent of blood.

Kuren rapidly moved the bamboo sticks. Among them, a few scattered stones were placed, each representing a person in the group on Dawn Peak.

This group included Stan Sol, Joela, Qi Liu, the Great Witch Biggs, and, of course, the leaders of the Black Crow.

Kuren planned to trap these people on the mountain, making them lose their way. What lay before them now were illusions conjured by Kuren's World Setting Technique.

These illusions made them wander in circles on the mountain, unable to find the true path.

"Can you trap them?" a man with rabbit ears beside Kuren asked in a low voice.

"They've already lost the correct path." Kuren was confident in his technique; after all, he had studied it for a long time.

"These people are different from the usual sort. Intimidation won't work on them," the rabbit-eared man continued.

"Mm, we can't let our guard down."

"It's been almost two years since the last incident. I wonder if it's the same group of people."

"It's hard to say. Although we made fools of them last time, they weren't easy to deal with. I've always felt they would return."

"We should have dealt with them decisively back then. The Deep Winter Season is the best weapon; we wouldn't even need to lift a finger, and those people would vanish completely," the rabbit-eared man said, his voice full of resentment, clearly dissatisfied with what had happened in the past.

"The Great Mentor's compassionate heart isn't something soldiers like us can comprehend. Take me, for example; I was once addicted to slaughter, yet the Great Mentor never gave up on me. Now my affliction is cured, but I still need to atone for the sins I committed. The Great Mentor's mercy is the example for my atonement."

Kuren went on at length, but the rabbit-eared man beside him showed no interest. Mercy, atonement, and the like—those were all things Kuren imagined, things the rabbit-eared man didn't care about. The rabbit-eared man only cared about what was happening right now. If these treasure-hunting people weren't stopped, they might expose their existence. What kind of disaster that exposure might bring was still unknown.

"Dastan!" Kuren said, his voice tinged with excitement.

The rabbit-eared man named Dastan looked at Kuren, puzzled by his excitement. He still had a wound that needed licking, a memento from yesterday's fight with some uninvited guests on the mountain. One of them had been exceptionally skilled, unlike anyone he had encountered before.

"I think I saw Joela!" Kuren's voice trembled, clearly from overexcitement.

"Joela!" Hearing Kuren, Dastan shuddered as if the wound he needed to lick had split open again. The name 'Joela' clearly had a profound impact on them.

The Alchemy Workshop? Dastan thought.

"Yes, it's Joela, no mistake. His Diamond Armor is too conspicuous; it can be spotted anywhere," Kuren confirmed again.

"No wonder so many Exchange Beasts appeared on the mountain a few days ago, desperately marking it as if to set up an Alchemy Array."

"Now it all makes sense."

"Yes, but I still can't believe it. Does the Alchemy Workshop intend to wipe us out completely?"

"Oh, Dastan, surely you haven't forgotten who turned you into what you are today?"

"Originally, most of us volunteered..."

"Even so, didn't they stray from their original intentions? They didn't treat us as people; they treated us as objects, as tools!"

"If it really is the Alchemy Workshop," Dastan said, "then my earlier exposure must have caught their attention. It seems I've made a huge mistake."

"To cross swords with them..." Kuren mused, "I didn't expect this day to come so soon."

Kuren and Dastan looked at each other, then fell into a period of silence.

No one knew what history they had with the Alchemy Workshop. Now, the mountain where they hid had also been targeted by the Alchemy Workshop. It truly seemed they weren't being given any space to live freely.

"Kuren, you keep them trapped for now. I'll go investigate further," Dastan said.

"What? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Kuren exclaimed.

"No matter what, I don't want them to find this place. If anything happens to me, you must inform the Great Mentor immediately." Ignoring Kuren's shouts, Dastan picked up his pair of curved blades and walked out without a backward glance.

"Dastan! Dastan, wait!" Kuren still wanted to call back the stubborn fellow.

Dastan's wound hasn't fully healed, and yet he's run off recklessly again. It's really beyond understanding. Kuren thought.

There were many things Kuren couldn't comprehend. For instance, Dastan's sudden appearance before those people yesterday was inexplicable.

He had tried to ask for an explanation, but Dastan's answer hadn't fully satisfied him.

Dastan had said that group had abducted Kadi, and he had to rescue Kadi no matter what.

Indeed, Kadi was one of the strange aspects of this mountain. His strength was erratic; sometimes he was frighteningly strong, terrifying everyone, while at other times he was so weak that even sparrows could peck at him.

But regardless, Kuren believed Kadi was fully capable of escaping on his own and didn't need help. Yet, Dastan had jumped out early, surprising everyone.

Could it be that Dastan knew the Alchemy Workshop was coming? Kuren's thoughts grew increasingly wild. Dastan is injured, after all! To doubt a teammate who should be fighting alongside me at such a critical moment—I'm worse than an animal! Whatever Dastan's motives were at the time, he is still the Great Mentor's guard. He couldn't possibly betray the Great Mentor... What I need to do now is to focus all my efforts on perfecting this World Setting Technique before me, so I can trap these uninvited guests.

Kuren once again manipulated the bamboo sticks. These sticks would help him complete his mission.

Trapping them—that was the only thing he could do now.

Kuren didn't realize that many things unfold subtly, and not everything can be deduced by common sense.

Both Dastan and Kadi had involuntarily experienced an abnormal sensory stimulation the moment those uninvited guests appeared. It was of the same nature as the excitement Kuren felt when he recalled the thrill of being the Slayer.

It seemed Dawn Peak was destined for some excitement.

Deep Winter had not yet arrived. If Deep Winter were to creep in quietly, wouldn't this mountain peak become even more tumultuous?