One-Eyed Monster

"When I met my mentor, I was just a little child. At that time, I had absolutely no idea how vast this world was, let alone what Adventurers with Class were."

Kuyi Tulan's words interrupted Dastan's thoughts. The word 'mentor' sent a rush of warmth to his heart, and he suddenly became interested in Kuyi Tulan's past.

What interested him was not how Kuyi Tulan became the chief of the Alchemy Workshop, but what it was about Kuyi Tulan that had moved the Great Mentor, compelling the Great Mentor to make an exception and take him back to the Alchemy Hall.

For Alchemists, entering the Alchemy Workshop required passing numerous tests. An apprentice in a blacksmith shop would rarely have the chance to even face these trials.

"At that time, I was only eight years old. I could barely hold a hammer in the blacksmith's shop and could only do miscellaneous chores like fetching water and burning charcoal."

Kuyi Tulan hadn't told this story to many people. It was unclear why he chose to tell it now; it seemed as if he felt everyone in the tavern needed to hear about his upbringing.

"The mentor was a regular customer at the blacksmith's shop. He always had some unusual requests for our master. Some we could fulfill immediately, but others were beyond our capabilities."

Kuyi Tulan's eyes carried a hint of tenderness, as if that period—the time he met the Great Mentor—was an unforgettable memory in his life.

"It was also a winter day, colder than it is now. I was hastily pouring water on the charcoal, and the masters were CLANGING and BANGING away at the ironware."

"So, the Great Mentor met you in winter, Chief?" Hector, currently the youngest of the Golden Seats, had only a vague impression of the Great Mentor. He was a latecomer; by the time he became a Golden Seat, the Great Mentor had already left the Alchemy Workshop.

"Yes, it was on that winter day. The Great Mentor arrived late. He had arranged with the blacksmith master to pick up the ironware he'd ordered early in the morning."

"Did the Great Mentor still need the blacksmith shop to forge ironware for him? Shouldn't he have been able to acquire it directly using an Alchemy Equation?" Youth is youth; Hector, a young Golden Seat, often spoke without thinking.

"Exchange requires a process, and back then, Alchemy wasn't as widespread as it is now. If the Great Mentor were to constantly exchange for common items like ironware, it would have been a needless waste of Spirit Power," Carmello explained to Hector. He had a very vivid impression of the Great Mentor; after all, the Great Mentor was once a hero of the Alchemy Workshop, and had shown fatherly care to everyone.

"Carmello is right. At that time, in the Alchemy Workshop, besides the Great Mentor, everything else was insignificant—like floating clouds. No one paid any mind to other matters." Kuyi Tulan sighed softly. Recalling the history of the Alchemy Workshop was enough to make one weep.

"Why didn't Grand Master Guzan support the Alchemy Workshop more? He's a hero of the Empire!" Hector suddenly sounded like a child, asking such a naive question.

Everyone in the tavern had heard of Guzan's name. He was a legendary figure of the Imperial Alchemy Workshop, and stories about him were connected to every National Defense War.

The Empire had even built a statue in his honor, hoping it would inspire more people to learn from the Great Mentor.

The Empire's objective was quite clear: they hoped the Great Mentor could provide them with more reserve forces.

Kuyi Tulan glanced at his own arm and then continued.

"The mentor wanted an Obsidian Staff back then, but the blacksmith masters simply couldn't refine Obsidian. There were piles upon piles of iron ore, but none met the standards required for Obsidian."

"Although it's called Obsidian, it's actually still a type of iron. But this iron is different from ordinary iron. Obsidian shines with a golden light, yet it isn't very bright because, ultimately, it's iron and cannot change its inherent nature."

"The mentor picked up an iron ore and rubbed it thoughtfully for a long time. I didn't know what he was looking for, but as I watched him examine it, I gradually began to experience certain sensations I shouldn't have."

Kuyi Tulan rubbed his fingers together. It had been a long time since he had experienced that primal state. Recalling the Great Mentor now allowed him to savor it once more.

"The Great Mentor would pick up a piece of ore, shake his head, then pick up another and wave his hand dismissively. I didn't know what he was doing. His presence made all the blacksmith masters stop their work and start searching for suitable stones alongside him."

"Obsidian has rather strict requirements for ore purity. The amount and type of impurities must be precisely controlled; too much or too little is unacceptable. An exchange can only be performed if a specific level is met," Carmello explained, highlighting Obsidian's demanding nature. He could already imagine the difficulty the Great Mentor must have faced back then.

After all, identifying the impurities in an ore required a very meticulous Substance Sensing Skill.

Even for someone like the Great Mentor, the Substance Sensing Skill couldn't instantly determine the proportion of impurities just by holding an ore.

Yet Kuyi Tulan, at that time, with no foundational training and without any guidance, could somehow effortlessly discern the proportion of impurities in the ores.

"Perhaps it was luck, or perhaps, as the mentor said, it was something else. In any case, whenever I picked up those stones, I would feel a strange discomfort. I didn't know back then that it was the Substance Sensing Skill," Kuyi Tulan continued.

To be honest, despite all that had been said, Dastan and Baharo still didn't understand what it was about Kuyi Tulan that the Great Mentor admired so much, or how he could have brought a child from a blacksmith's shop directly into the esteemed Alchemy Hall.

"Talent... it truly is something one is born with." Kuyi Tulan smacked his lips, the memory of this phrase still vivid.

Those were the words Master Guzan had spoken to him—words that had opened a new door for him.

Those words set him on a new journey, transforming him from a mere apprentice doing odd jobs in a blacksmith's shop.

The reason Grand Master Guzan had uttered those words was quite simple: Kuyi Tulan had demonstrated his extraordinary talent right when the Great Mentor happened to be beside him.

At that time, he had merely been idle, emulating the blacksmith masters by picking up ore stones and idly rubbing them.

However, he could effortlessly discern the impurity content. In no time, he had set aside the ores that met the standards for Obsidian.

The Great Mentor was initially skeptical, but after verifying each one with an Alchemy Equation, he discovered that all the child's classifications were correct.

And just like that, the Great Mentor had spoken those words.

Talent. That was what set Kuyi Tulan apart from ordinary people.

"The Mentor... he opened a door in my heart, allowing me to understand what I was born with and what purpose it was meant to serve," Kuyi Tulan reminisced.

"He's more than just *your* mentor!" Dastan suddenly interjected.

"I know. You revere him as the Great Mentor, and that's understandable. He is indeed a respectable man." Kuyi Tulan didn't mock Dastan this time.

"He is everyone's mentor. He allowed us to be ourselves again."

"To you, he was indeed great that night. But for me, that night was a humiliation."

"Humiliation? You have the audacity to use that word? Your very existence is a humiliation!" Dastan blurted out for some reason. He had initially thought arguing was pointless, but this time he simply lost control of himself.