Xiso furrowed his brow. There were far too many matters requiring his attention lately.

The purpose of the Alchemy Workshop's approach is clear—it's aimed at the Great Mentor. My primary obligation right now is to protect him.

The Great Mentor was currently under Kevin's protection. Although Xiso felt reassured by this, something the Great Mentor had said to him earlier still made him fall into deep contemplation.

The Great Mentor once stated that they had hidden here for so long not only to protect themselves but also to protect Guru Mountain.

I understand what the Great Mentor meant. After all, Guru Mountain is our home. We exhausted all measures to hide away in this mountain—a place not even marked on the Empire's maps—just to avoid people. In our current state, we'd be seized wherever we went in the Empire. Once captured, we'd either be tied to a stake and burned alive or put into an iron cage for curious spectators.

Although it would be easy for us to escape with our powers, what would we do after? As long as we're in people's sight, we'd inevitably incite fear. The ultimate result would be capture, escape, and capture again. Even thinking about such a repetitive cycle is mentally draining.

I loathe revisiting those challenging times, but the experiences are deeply carved into my memory. As soon as I start reminiscing, everything unfolds before me like a scroll, every detail flashing vividly in my mind…

If not for the Great Mentor, we would never have come here, nor hidden for so long.

I also know Guru Mountain has its secrets. The Great Mentor mentioned some of them once, but those secrets aren't our main concern anymore. Guru Mountain provides us sanctuary; we no longer need to flee from place to place, constantly fearing detection.

Guru Mountain is tranquil, without clamor or power struggles. This has soothed our often-distressed hearts.

This place naturally became our home.

Xiso closed his eyes. Memories weighed heavily on his heart. Each one of us, these monsters, had a glorious past. Those glorious days weren't easily forfeited.

The Glorious Seven Knights, the Six Spirit Sages, the Golden Seats, the Empire War God, the Blue Blood League Guard…

These titles flash one by one in my mind. Each surge of memory is like a thousand armies thundering through my head, making it impossible for me to remain calm.

That past glory will never return, just as our lost appearances can never be restored.

Now, we are only monsters. Nothing more.

Only by accepting reality can we survive. Xiso's thoughts, which had been unfolding like a scroll, gradually calmed. Indeed, this isn't the time to be sentimental.

No matter what, I have to protect the Great Mentor. Night had fallen as Xiso walked, yet his steps did not falter. He wasn't sure where he was going; he simply continued onward, guided by his thoughts.

The Great Mentor told me earlier that what's meant to come will come; it's better to confront what one can't avoid.

Something felt off about his words. It was as though the Great Mentor had resolved to settle things with the Alchemy Workshop once and for all.

I will not allow this to happen.

If it weren't for the Great Mentor, I, Xiso, would have been reduced to nothing long ago.

If it weren't for the Great Mentor, I would already be dead.

The Great Mentor gave me a second life—not just physically, but spiritually as well. A rebirth.

At least, I, Xiso, feel like I've regained my true self.

No matter what, I cannot let the people from the Alchemy Workshop take the Great Mentor away!

Xiso tapped his head. I am the brains of this group of monsters; the vital task of protecting Guru Mountain falls to me.

I sent Joseph with Grey Eagle to Dawn Peak, had Simon prepare an encirclement around Grey Eagle Peak, assigned Kevin to protect the Great Mentor, and told Arnold to set traps in Moonflow Stream…

I've assigned every monster to their positions. Everything seems well-organized and orderly.

However, upon careful reflection, I still feel something is amiss. I just can't pinpoint what it is. This is very strange.

Is it because I've been too preoccupied lately? Or because I haven't been resting well?

Or perhaps I'm just overly concerned about the Great Mentor. I'm terrified of losing him, my benefactor, the one who saved my life.

I once pursued power with a frenzy. That madness cost me my sanity, sending me down a demonic path from which there was no return.

That period of lost sanity turned me into what I am now: neither human nor ghost. My body is pale, my skin like parched earth, cracking at the slightest touch…

I don't even dare to look at myself, my appearance is so horrifying.

It wasn't just me. Arnold, Jemma, Dastan, Joseph, and Meslo also changed beyond recognition. They were once the Glorious Seven Knights of the Empire, but now they've become hideous-looking monsters. The title of Glorious Seven Knights vanished instantaneously from the Empire.

To think, these individuals had shed so much sweat for the Empire, some even their blood, and now their titles just vanished in an instant.

I was bewildered as to why the title of Glorious Seven Knights was revoked by the Empire. I tried exhaustively, through various means, to uncover the truth and was ashamed by the answer I eventually found.

The Empire Council Hall deemed that these... creatures... had disgraced the Empire's noble status and were no longer worthy of such titles.

So, their names and the title of Glorious Seven Knights were expunged from the Empire's records, discarded like trash from the palace.

This outcome greatly unsettled me. That discomfort eventually turned into despair, to the point where I prepared to jump from a high building.

Although I wasn't one of the Glorious Seven Knights, I was among the finest of the Empire's guards. I had repeatedly earned merit in wars, only to be abandoned like trash in the end.

Everywhere I went, my appearance invited revulsion. No matter how glorious my past, it was just that—the past. This terrifying face had already turned me into a different kind of monster.

Overcome by despair, I jumped from a high building in the Empire. I had lost the will to live; I had lost far, far too much.

Xiso shook his head. Unconsciously, that moment of despair resurfaced, the memory of jumping from the old city wall still vivid.

"Stay alive, child. There will always be hope."

I remember the Great Mentor saying those words when his Grey Eagle caught me as I fell.

"Stay alive, there will always be hope." Those words later brought me to tears…

Unconsciously, Xiso found himself before the Great Mentor's stone house.

"Xiso, is that you?" the Great Mentor asked, having sensed his presence despite the pitch-black darkness outside.

"Yes, Mentor. I'm still worried," Xiso replied.

"Heh heh. Still worried about Kevin? It's chilly out. Come in. I have something to discuss with you anyway." The Great Mentor gestured Xiso inside. This only strengthened Xiso's resolve.

I am Xiso of Guru Mountain. Regardless of what happens, I will defend Guru Mountain to the death!