One-Eyed Monster

"Power cannot erase everything; some things exist as eternal and will not change because of your power!"

"Hahaha, this is the biggest joke I’ve ever heard!" Clown Quinn sneered at Kruz’s words, believing that only power could solve problems and everything else was meaningless.

Igor quietly listened, feeling that this verbal exchange was as brilliant as Kadi’s flash of thunder earlier.

This is the Craftsman Spirit’s influence!

If not for the Craftsman Spirit, how could Clown Quinn have delayed unleashing his ultimate move!

Earlier, he was still talking about not wasting time, yet now he’s here contending with Kruz. Could this really be due to a few words of disagreement?

Obviously not, as a person obsessed with power would only use their own words to influence others, never listening to anything anyone else says. Igor was absolutely certain of this. He had seen too many people like this, from Kuyi Tulan, the Soul Devourer Master, the Puppet Master, to this Clown Quinn before him. They are all the same type of people, who do not care about others’ words, only wishing to influence others with their words.

Therefore, Clown Quinn’s rebuttal at this moment is not because he values the true meaning of a clown; to him, Kruz is merely a bearer of the Spirit Core, and he could attack Kruz anytime. Yet, he is not attacking now but is instead arguing with Kruz, which is clearly abnormal, indicating that some force is definitely influencing this.

And the only power here that Igor is unfamiliar with is the Craftsman Spirit!

The Craftsman Spirit influences everything, causing Clown Quinn to become entangled in this dispute with Kruz.

Although Igor couldn’t figure out how the Craftsman Spirit was influencing everything that was happening, he felt it was certainly related to Clown Quinn’s past experiences as a clown. The Craftsman Spirit is a unique existence of Spirit Power, only affecting artisans!

This was previously subtly evident in the Puppet Master and the blacksmith Lao.

"You can mock everything, but the Absolute Truth will not vanish because of your mockery, nor will the meaning of a clown change because of it!"

"Absolute Truth? Haha, the Absolute Truth is merely a construct built from power, a lie used to deceive you weaklings! With enough power, I can make black become white and make you no longer be yourself. Power can dominate all!"

"Your power cannot alter the sun’s radiance, nor can it change the darkness of night!"

"Our power can shroud the sun; it can ignite the night!" Clown Quinn remained unyielding, countering every statement Kruz made with powerful rebuttals.

"That is merely your self-delusion!"

"Self-delusion? Your perspective is the real self-deception!" Clown Quinn’s emotions suddenly escalated.

It seemed he was about to tell his story.

This was something many villains loved to do, as every villain has a tragic story behind them that convinces them they are right in their misdeeds.

These stories, no matter their length, always lead villains to believe their choices are justified, and they feel right when committing evil acts.

Indeed, they are self-deceived like that!

"I was a clown for a long time, a very long time—you can’t imagine how long, long enough for my hair to reach the ground!"

"You wouldn’t understand. In your eyes, a clown is meant to bring joy to others, but it’s laughable. Why should their happiness be built upon my suffering!"

"Is it wonderful to paint your face every day, to wear a forced smile daily, to play a fool each time?"

"You speak so lightly of it, but do you have any idea what kind of beings those audiences are? They care nothing for your life or death!"

"No matter how submissive you act, they will never see you as a person; the more unfortunate you are, the happier they become."

"Why should I exchange my sorrow for their laughter, why should my suffering bring them joy, and why do they perpetually mock me? Why?"

Clown Quinn’s tirade made Igor feel drowsy; he had heard similar stories before. The Puppet Master’s experience was not much different from this clown’s; both turned extreme due to their incapacity to handle their performer identity.

Performers require a strong psyche, and it seems, forgetting oneself truly isn’t something you can merely state easily.

Being oneself is naturally simple, but for a performer to be true to themselves, that’s not so easy.

"Tell me, why am I just always that clown in front of these bastards, never myself!"

Kruz remained silent; the identity of a performer is inherently complex and difficult to define. Some performers become so immersed in their roles that they can’t extricate themselves, while others can never enter their roles. Extreme individuals will always exist, and audiences always view performers through prejudicial lenses!

For an actor playing a lewd thief, no matter how upright they are in real life, audiences will still perceive them as lewd, just like a truly lewd person playing a virtuous character will appear as the epitome of righteousness in the eyes of the audience.

In the eyes of the audience, only the performer is wrong, never the audience.

So the situations Clown Quinn encounters are quite normal.

Without a strong heart, engaging in performing arts is best avoided.

"Is forgetting oneself truly a misinterpretation?"

"Hahaha, your silence tells me directly it’s not a misinterpretation. I was reborn after comprehending all of this!"

"If you want to continue being yourself, you must have the power to change everything, otherwise you can only forget that self!"

Clown Quinn continued, talking to himself, allowing no one else the chance to express anything.

Everything he said now was the Absolute Truth because he believed his power was strong enough!

"I don’t need to convince you, for you are just a group of ants, unworthy of being yourselves. Your shells are meant for the strong, and only when you comprehend this principle can you truly be yourself, just like me! Hahahaha!"

Igor scratched his head, feeling a bit confused. Is it about being oneself or not being oneself? Is Quinn himself, or not?

It’s a bit convoluted and hard to digest!

"So are you a clown now, or who exactly are you?" Igor couldn’t help but ask.

"Who I am is insignificant because everything is destined to turn to ashes!" Clown Quinn continued to laugh.

"Then what’s the point of saying all this!" Igor was very disappointed with this answer.

"There’s meaning!" Unknowingly, Kadi suddenly appeared, "He is about to turn to ashes!"