Warlock Apprentice

Wilderness of Dreams.

Cold metallic lines combined with a minimalist design and robed figures shuttling between different rooms.

This place is none other than the Demonic Fiend Laboratory far from Originheart City.

Angel is currently in the Demonic Fiend Laboratory, standing in front of a transparent floor-to-ceiling window as the rosy sunset casts a layer of orange-red light on the floor, accentuating his features amidst the light and shadow.

This is the upper level of the Demonic Fiend Laboratory and the only office with a view of the outside world.

In Angel’s view, outside the window lies an endless wilderness—except to the south, where a dense black fog blankets the area, cutting through the sunset’s red to create a dusky horizon.

That black fog is precisely where the Mist of Sin materializes.

Angel quietly watches the billowing black fog and after a long while, he softly speaks, ”It seems like the range of the Mist of Sin has expanded somewhat?”

”Yes, the boundary markers set by your Excellency have moved forward by about half a meter,” Frode, standing behind Angel, responds respectfully.

”Half a meter, you say? Then for now, it seems the expansion is still within controllable limits.” Angel turns around: ”Continue to control the Scouting Puppet and keep a record of the rate of expansion at all times.”

Frode nods in acknowledgment.

Angel walks back to his desk and takes a report from Frode’s hand.

——House of Heart Experiment Records: Sabel

The text on this report is full and disorganized, and the ink marks are fresh, indicating that Frode just rushed it out.

After reading through the experimental process, Angel closely reviews the conclusions and falls into deep thought.

Angel: ”From the report, it seems that once the Demonic Fiend enters the body, it indeed appears within the House of the Heart.”

Frode nods: ”True, after Sir Sabel entered the House of the Heart, he found himself in the same Observation room where he merged with the Demonic Fiend. Opposite him was the baring and clawing Licorice Akui.”

”Since Licorice Akui appears within the House of the Heart, does it belong to an old friend or an Obsession Demon?” Angel’s eyes narrow slightly; the last time he entered the House of the Heart, he encountered a red-garbed Angel, which was his own old friend. Having an old friend is common and usually not a concern; however, an Obsession Demon is different.

”In my opinion, the Demonic Fiend belongs to neither an old friend nor an Obsession Demon. For Sir Sabel, it is, in fact, an outsider. But if we delve deeper, it would seem more likely an old friend, as the Licorice Akui, while baring teeth and claws, did not actually attack Sir Sabel. It wasn’t until Sir Sabel proactively challenged it that Licorice Akui responded,” Frode explains.

Angel tends to agree with Frode’s view; the Demonic Fiend is not innate to Sabel’s body, so it can’t be an old friend or an Obsession Demon.

”Not innate and leans towards being an old friend; this won’t be of much reference for Toby’s situation.” Angel mutters to himself; the Extreme Resentment Thoughts within Toby are innate and are certainly an Obsession Demon, which makes it different from the case of the Demonic Fiend entering a body, ”Although it’s not useful for Toby, the fact that Demonic Fiend can manifest through the House of the Heart allows future Demon Hunters to face their inner fears in the House of the Heart continuously and ultimately overcome them.”

Frode also nods in agreement: ”Indeed, this way, it will also allow those in the reserve units to understand themselves more clearly.”

Angel: ”Back to Sir Sabel, I see in the experiment report it mentions he saw two doors after arriving at the House of the Heart?”

”Correct, two doors appeared to him as soon as he approached the House of the Heart. One door led to the Observation room, where the Licorice Akui that had merged with him resided. The other door led to his former home, which according to him, contained some old friends and acquaintances.”

”Old friends and acquaintances?” Angel muses to himself, that door must represent his own old friend or Obsession Demon.

”Yes, he was vague about the specifics, but it has been confirmed that the person or thing behind this door should just be Sir Sabel’s lifelong obsession, and has not yet become an Obsession Demon,” Frode said. It was precisely because it was an obsession that he did not go on to ask further.

Everyone has a secret scar, whether deeply etched or lightly sketched.

Frode had his own as well.

Therefore, he had no intention of uncovering the wounds deep in Sir Sabel’s heart. As long as it was not an Obsession Demon, it would be like savoring a drink of the past – consumed and then gone.

”Just an obsession? Sir Sabel’s disposition really is consistent,” Angel commented. Sir Sabel must have gone through much in his life, but his obsession didn’t turn into a demon, showing his nature is indeed pure.

”Yes. Sir Sabel is extremely reliable,” Frode also remarked with emotions.

”Since it’s all about obsession, Sir Sabel’s example might not be so useful for Toby,” Angel pondered for a moment. ”It seems we still need to look for someone with an Obsession Demon in their heart?”

After thinking for a moment, a bright light suddenly flashed in Frode’s eyes: ”I remember someone who might be able to give it a try.”

”Who?”

”Lisa’s brother, Shalu.”

Shalu was the person who had fled Originheart City overnight after spreading rumors about the City Lord of Monroe. It was also he who made Angel aware of the existence of the Mist of Sin.

After all, Shalu had been outside the city, and even though he became a test subject, that could offset some of his actions. Nevertheless, to control the spread of news from outside the city, Shalu had still not been released.

”He is currently detained in the library’s isolation room. He can help other scholars with their work during the day, organizing documentary materials. At night, he rests in the isolation room,” Frode said. ”I’ve heard some scholars mention that Shalu seems more peaceful than before while organizing materials.”

”Do they mean to say that Shalu can be released?” Angel raised an eyebrow.

”Yes. However, these old scholars have good eyes for documents but are blind to the human heart,” Frode shook his head. ”I later asked Mr. Jon, and his answer was – in front of them, Shalu behaves very well.”

In other words, what he was like behind the scenes, no one knew.

Thus, Frode secretly arranged for Shanni to tail him.

To outsiders, Shanni was just a little girl. But unknown to them, in reality, Shanni had frightened countless Talented Ones to tears.

Her core was not as innocent as it appeared.

Shanni only needed one night of surveillance in the library to discover that Shalu had not reflected at all. No matter how well-behaved he seemed during the day, in private, he still harbored unwillingness and resentment.

After learning about Shalu’s true situation, Frode naturally couldn’t let him go and continued to detain him in the library.

”That’s good, I was really afraid he had reformed,” Angel said softly.

...

After returning to Originheart City, Angel and Frode immediately went to the library.

On the way, Frode suddenly remembered something: ”I heard from Lyon that there’s an Apprentice challenging you today?”