One-Eyed Monster

There is no such thing as a road that cannot be traveled, only people who are unwilling to keep walking.

Qi Liu, who had been wandering along the downhill path of Guru Mountain's Dawn Peak for a very long time, felt an inexplicable surge within him. He did not know what was happening, as the path that had once seemed so confusing now suddenly cleared.

The downhill journey had become clear, no longer as bewildering as before. The Fighter by his side once again patted his chest, assuring Qi Liu that this path would definitely lead to the tavern at the base of the mountain. However, Qi Liu was not quite convinced, as the Fighter had made similar guarantees previously.

As a born Politician, Qi Liu would occasionally hear certain voices. These voices guided him onto the right path, and they had never been wrong before. But since following this voice up the mountain, it had been a while since he had heard it again. It seemed as though the voice had gone silent after he climbed the mountain. During this period of silence, Qi Liu felt slightly on the verge of a breakdown... However, just moments ago, when Qi Liu was about to give up hope, that voice sounded again. In his most challenging moments, it returned, offering the care he needed, just as it always did.

The voice was gentle and soothing, like an early summer breeze warming one's entire body.

"It is time. The time has come," the voice said.

Qi Liu understood what the voice meant by 'time': it was decision-making time. He had to choose between continuing to wander aimlessly on the mountain or selecting one path and sticking to it. Each person beside me has their own thoughts. When I initially brought them up the mountain, it was for my convenience, not for them to make decisions for me.

He had made a few small mistakes previously when choosing the downhill path, relying too heavily on those around him. Even though he was somewhat of a stranger on Guru Mountain, unfamiliar with the terrain, simply following these guides was not the answer either. It seemed he had lost his usual decisiveness, leading to them wandering endlessly and fruitlessly down the mountain.

The journey down the mountain was much quieter than the climb up. The young Alchemist kept his lips sealed, not speaking a single word on the way down, possibly because he, too, was an outsider unfamiliar with the path.

But, as that voice said, all roads lead somewhere. Once one completes the journey, one will clearly see where that road leads.

So, Qi Liu was no longer hesitant as he had been before. His original intention in climbing the mountain was to find Young Master Hustace. After experiencing a series of various unexpected events, Qi Liu had thought he might encounter Young Master Hustace again on this sole path down the mountain. Thus, they slowed their descent, waiting for the mysterious Hunter to appear with Young Master Hustace. However, on this only way down, he still failed to meet the mysterious Hunter, not even catching a glimpse of their shadow.

They journeyed like this in a daze for the better part of a day, achieving nothing. Their provisions were also nearly depleted. This mountain seemed particularly strange, as they could not find even a single wild fruit. The group could only ration their dry food, making their way down the mountain step by step.

However, the further they traveled downhill, the more unsettling it became; it felt as if they were walking in circles, returning to familiar places. Even the Fighter, who lived at the foot of this mountain, and the Great Witch, who was also a local, were sometimes bewildered by the familiar scenery on the mountain, wavering and unsure whether to continue or stop.

Later, the path unexpectedly forked! They had been so sure this was the only way down the mountain, but now, a fork in the road had appeared.

This fork made Qi Liu hesitate. He failed to make a decisive choice and merely listened to the Great Witch's words, taking a path that looked neat and tidy. As a result, this path led them back to their original starting point; the small trees felled by the wind released by the Great Witch after her advancement appeared before their eyes again.

This turn of events greatly startled Qi Liu and his companions, but they had no choice but to continue downward. This time, Qi Liu chose to trust the Fighter.

The result, naturally, was the same: they had walked in a circle once more.

This constant circling filled Qi Liu with a deep sense of dread. He was just a youth with limited worldly experience; how could he understand advanced Alchemy Arrays like the World Setting Technique? Besides, the Great Witch beside him had only just advanced to a Gray Robe, so she naturally could not know the mysteries within. As for the Fighter and the Alchemist, they would know even less. After all, a Fighter like Musa, who had always considered himself useless, could not possibly have come into contact with such a grand array. And Axia, the Alchemy Servant, knew nothing apart from boasting and making sarcastic remarks.

This feeling of dread plunged Qi Liu into deep thought. Adversity reveals true knowledge. As a born Politician, Qi Liu once again verified the profound meaning of this saying.

This dread made Qi Liu understand that sometimes, decisiveness is the path to hope; hesitation only leads to wandering in circles by the roadside.

His decisiveness allowed him to see the true nature of those paths. Suddenly, the way forward became clear: each path had its own unique Symbols. As long as he grasped these Symbols, he could naturally find the true way down the mountain.

"We have walked for a long time and still have not met the Hunter. Could it be that they have already gone ahead of us?" Biggs, the Great Witch, began to worry again.

Indeed, Qi Liu had worried about this too, but he later dismissed his own doubts. When we first started down the mountain, there was indeed only one path. The fact that we kept walking in circles and returning to the starting point indicates that someone is obstructing our descent. After understanding this point, he had a sudden realization, finally understanding how many things his previous hesitation had delayed.

Qi Liu patted his somewhat stiff neck, looked at the sun overhead, then said decisively to the Great Witch, "Let's go. We are turning back. They are behind us!"

This decision left the others dumbfounded. There might still be those walking corpses behind us. If we are attacked, it could be terrible. How can we go back?

"Stop overthinking. If we continue downhill, we still will not find the path. If we go back, we will definitely meet the Hunter," Qi Liu said to the Fighter, whose face was full of astonishment.

Whether it was Musa or Biggs, the Great Witch, their faces were etched with disbelief. Only Axia, the Alchemist, remained calm, even quietly saying to the other two, "Following the leader is always the right choice."

Axia taking the lead left the other two with nothing more to say. Pinching their noses and steeling themselves, they all followed Qi Liu and Axia back the way they came.

They had not walked far before they heard a great commotion up ahead, sounding as if people were fighting.