One-Eyed Monster

"Hum hum hum, hahaha, cough cough cough..." After listening to Kadi’s few words, Bern burst into laughter again, his body shaking violently as if his emotions had been greatly affected.

Kadi always influenced others silently, always delivering unexpected blows unknowingly.

It’s clear that Igor and Popovich detected a trace of anomaly in Bern’s laughter. Previously, Bern’s laughter was evidently more mocking, but now, a tinge of bitterness is clearly present.

This bitterness carries with it a sense of helplessness.

Just as Igor had said, Bern is pitiable. Ultimately, he is merely being used, kept in the dark from start to finish, sacrificing everything for that elusive chance at eternal life.

And the result? Nothing at all, and he instead finds himself on a path to the Eternal Tranquility Realm.

He smiles bitterly; this blue-skinned fellow has pointed out the most helpless aspect of his being.

Indeed, he worships power. He hopes to acquire power to obtain eternal life, but he is not an Adventurer with Class and feels he has no way to acquire the power he desires.

He can only place his hopes on the Grim Reaper, and now he knows that figure was not the Grim Reaper, just a Soul Guardian.

Kadi’s words made Bern feel a sense of helplessness, and this helplessness caused him to smile bitterly again and again.

Power is his craving, but what he truly desires most is eternal life.

"You will never understand my mindset; you are just a group of thieves, always knowing nothing but stealing from others."

Lord Bern begins to lament, as is typical for an eminent figure nearing their exit, reflecting on life before heading to the Eternal Tranquility Realm.

However, Bern’s lamentation displeases Kadi: "Clarify this, who are the thieves? We don’t steal, don’t rob, nor rely on handouts. We’ve achieved everything through our effort. How did we become thieves from your mouth?"

Igor and Lord Popovich exchange glances once more, feeling redundant and sidelined, unable to participate in the dialogue between Bern and Kadi, resigned to silently listening.

In theory, this should be Bern’s final monologue as the energy sustaining this elderly man’s survival continues to deplete, trickling away bit by bit. These fragmented energies had been consumed by the Soul Devourer, and now they are finally relieved, heading to where they belong...

Lord Bern grows increasingly weak. Igor cannot bear for Kadi to disturb this elder’s final narrative, but Kadi clearly doesn’t heed Igor’s words, continuing his final debate with Bern.

Yet Bern is unaffected by Kadi’s words. Perhaps it is because his life’s essence is fading, his senses dulling, not hearing Kadi’s complaints, he continues to expound his regrets unperturbed.

"I was just so close to achieving the power of eternal life. With that power, I could escape this dilapidated body and seize that perfect one!"

Upon hearing this point, Popovich finally comprehends the purpose of that robust body, realizing it was the vessel Bern intended to occupy, to live anew...

"Once I achieve eternal life, I will no longer fear you thieves!"

"Clarify who the thieves are!" Kadi insists relentlessly.

"You Scholars, self-righteous Scholars, always thinking about exposing everyone’s secrets, you are the detestable thieves bound for Hell!"

Lord Bern’s emotions clearly become more agitated, seemingly touching upon his deeply resented grievances.

"Scholars are all decaying. They will never understand some things shouldn’t be exposed to the public. Those secrets are each family’s way of survival, how can they be casually divulged to anyone? I have a deep-seated hatred against these decaying Scholars!"

Bern’s words leave Igor and Popovich puzzled, why this immensely wealthy man holds such hatred towards Scholars, what past entanglements lie between them.

It is evident from Bern’s expression in his final narrative the tremendous hatred he bears against Scholars, his teeth gnashing, body rigid, as if he wishes nothing more than to tear those Scholars he mentions into pieces.

In this moment, Kadi holds his tongue as he senses the words from Bern will give him all the answers!

"This world was never meant to classify people by class, Adventurers and Non-Adventurers alike!" Bern continues with lingering resentment in his expression, "In the past, everything operated on Level Division!"

"The lowly remain lowly their entire lives, never rising to power or suddenly becoming wealthy. The poor serve the rich, that’s the natural order!"

"But since the appearance of Scholars, these old decaying rulers, they have actually begun attempting to change the world’s pattern, it is simply infuriating!"

"Their explorations and descriptions among Adventurers I couldn’t care less about, but they suddenly delved into the realm of Non-Adventurers, even beginning to summarize and generalize the patterns of Non-Adventurers, that’s utterly shameless!"

"I earned money with my secrets, the skills passed down in my family were thus turned into common practice by these decaying old bones, available for anyone to learn!"

"Those were our family’s secrets, a divine gift to me, my painstaking efforts! How can others brazenly take them away!"

"These decaying old bones spread these secrets through paintings across every corner of the world, these thieves are truly loathsome!"

"Of course, some failed to master these secrets, but others learned the mysteries through those decayed paintings, it is a truly unsettling matter!"

"Because, everything these people stole were my wealth, my possessions!"

"Scholars of the world are all thieves, robbers, lowly and vile, none of them are good!"

"I am constantly anxious, fearing after my death, all my wealth would be plundered by these Scholars!"

"So I pursue eternal life! I must protect my wealth! All of it is mine! Mine!"

Lord Bern screams hysterically, this monologue exhausting him considerably, his figure becoming increasingly emaciated, seeming on the verge of collapse.

"My, my wealth, my possessions, can only be protected by me! I want eternal life, I must have eternal life!"