One-Eyed Monster

Dastan held his curved blade, his expression grim. He had anticipated this day would come, but he hadn't expected so many surprises when it did. The feuds and resentments involving the Alchemy Workshop were bound to erupt one day; they were unavoidable and inescapable. When he saw Joela's figure in Kuren's Spirit Painting, he knew his greatest fear had become reality. As the guardian of Dawn Peak, he absolutely could not permit these scoundrels from the Alchemy Workshop to approach the Great Mentor; he had to stop these rogues. But he also hadn't anticipated how well Joela knew him. What he hadn't expected, even more so, was that the formidable opponent he had dueled with several days ago was truly his own Young Family Leader!

The wound on Dastan's body still ached slightly. Perhaps it was this battered state of his that prevented the Young Family Leader from recognizing him at the time...

As a member of the Sol Family, Dastan felt his current appearance shamed his family. He dared not meet the Young Family Leader's gaze, much less have the audacity to confirm his identity. After their fight, he had sensed a familiar touch in the Young Leader's abilities, and the scent of Spirit Power was something he deeply missed.

It was this familiar scent of Spirit Power that prompted him, while hidden underground, to take a risk. But he hadn't realized this one risk would become the turning point of the entire event. The familiar sensation made him recall his early years, and his ultimate purpose. So, regardless of everything, he wanted to see who this familiar sensation belonged to.

But he underestimated the Young Family Leader's strength. While Dastan stirred restlessly in his hiding place, he was discovered by the Young Family Leader, and during their hurried exchange, he was struck by the Young Family Leader's blade. At that time, Dastan still couldn't confirm that the Hunter he was fighting was the Young Family Leader of his own family.

After all, times change and faces age. Stan Sol's experiences over the years had etched the marks of hardship onto his once youthful face; he was no longer the fresh-faced youth of before.

Wounded, Dastan had lost his usual calm and caution. He had smelled that familiar scent, experienced those familiar attacks, yet the stern face before him bred uncertainty—because the faces of the Sol Family do not carry the mark of despair.

Dastan, in a daze, was overwhelmed with emotion, vaguely returning to his youthful years. To restore the Sol Family, he resolutely followed Tobin to a distant land, arriving at the Yowein Continent, the most bustling part of the Kayne Realm, to continue their journey to restore the family crest.

Compared to Tobin, who sought the support of Rostov in order to quietly hone his power, Dastan's choice was considerably more daring. King Kayne's call to arms led to an early separation from Tobin. He decided to join the Empire's Guardian Army to try his luck.

War brought disaster, but as is often the case, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. In this calamity, Dastan showcased his extraordinary combat skills, especially in taking the enemy commander's head amidst the chaos of battle, which caught the Mantai Empire completely by surprise. The Mantai Empire, having lost its think tank, scattered like loose sand. Dastan, too, became famous from this one battle.

That three-month-long National Defense War made Dastan. He and several other soldiers who had made outstanding contributions were dubbed the Seven Knights of Honor by the King of the Kayne Empire. At that time, Dastan felt the heavy responsibility of reviving the Sol Family lighten a little on his shoulders.

However, some things are not as simple as they seem. The world cannot be built on passion alone, even if one's powers are vast and their abilities exceptional. In the face of others' strange gazes, one could easily find themselves at a loss.

Dastan's sudden rise elicited two distinct reactions within the military camp. The lower-ranking soldiers worshipped this war hero, while the upper-ranking officers viewed him coldly. It was a cruel world; veterans, hardened by countless wars, would not shed their ingrained hostility merely because of a newcomer's sudden rise. Furthermore, Dastan was an outsider. For a foreigner to find his footing in the self-important Kayne Realm was extremely difficult.

A month after the war ended, Dastan deeply felt this discriminatory treatment. Similarly, as one of the Seven Knights of Honor, he was required to present his badge of honor to enter the Imperial Capital, while others were not. This small difference, though seemingly insignificant, was in fact very telling. Even the lowly gatekeepers didn't take the war hero seriously, let alone the high-ranking officials and nobles of the Imperial Capital...

As time passed, Dastan gradually realized that strength alone was not enough to revive his family's glory. To rely on the Kayne Empire to counter Wensi of Vero, he needed a powerful backer. At that moment, he couldn't help but admire Young Tobin's foresight, who had endured humiliation and shouldered heavy burdens from early on, unlike himself, who had always sought shortcuts.

Power is indeed an important access permit, but it cannot grant everything. Often, true success relies not on solitary strength, but on resourcefulness and adaptability. Unfortunately, Dastan's straightforward character had cost him dearly. Being ostracized, deliberately targeted, and beaten up gradually became his daily lot.

Accidents inevitably happen. The once-renowned war hero gradually lost his luster, and due to his impulsive nature, he lost a leg. Disabled, Dastan slowly became despondent, his heart like dead ashes. He felt he no longer had the face to meet his kin; a cripple could never restore the family.

It was at this time that the Alchemy Workshop appeared before him. The Alchemy Workshop was recruiting volunteers, with priority given to soldiers serving the Empire. After thoroughly understanding the Alchemy Workshop's plans, hope rekindled in Dastan's heart. He threw himself into the Alchemy Workshop's embrace. Within half a year, he had made many like-minded friends, Joela being one of them.

Most importantly, he met the Great Mentor of the Alchemy Workshop. At that time, he had believed that once the grand task of rejuvenating the Sol Family was accomplished, he would follow the Great Mentor until death.

However, many things did not go as he had envisioned. Half a year later, a dramatic upheaval occurred in the Alchemy Workshop, and these volunteers were turned into mere experimental subjects. Initially, to restore his crippled leg, he had chosen to participate in the Alchemy Workshop's extreme project. This extreme project ultimately transformed him into his current state.

He had become a monster, an utter monster. If not for the Great Mentor, he might have lost even the sliver of consciousness he still possessed.

That was a brutal memory, one Dastan was unwilling to recall. His straightforward self had engraved two names in his heart: one was his great benefactor, the other, his enemy. He had sworn to serve his benefactor for his entire life.

As for that enemy, he would never forget. That enemy had shamed him, made it impossible for him to face his kin, and turned his mission to restore his family into empty talk.

This debt of hatred, he would never forget.

That enemy's name—he recited it every day.

That name was Kuyi Tulan!