Warlock Apprentice

Angel knew very well that the House of the Heart alone wouldn’t be enough for Toby to overcome the Extreme Resentment Thoughts.

However, the current primary task was to get Toby to face the Extreme Resentment Thoughts.

Only by confronting the bleak outcome could one find the motivation to change the tragic situation.

In reality, once Toby faced the Extreme Resentment Thoughts, it would be like triggering the Tribulation of Five Flavors, with no one knowing whether the tribulation could be weathered. But in the House of the Heart, facing the Extreme Resentment Thoughts didn’t carry this risk.

This was also a unique aspect of the House of the Heart.

...

When Shalu regained his senses from the silence, Angel and Frode happened to have finished discussing the issue of the demon’s combat power.

According to Angel’s calculation, the experiment had come to an end, and he had learned all he needed to learn. However, Angel didn’t leave immediately, but rather looked towards Shalu, whose gaze still seemed somewhat dazed.

”Until now, you seem not to have given a satisfactory reason,” Angel said.

Previously, Shalu had made a request that he hoped to enter the House of the Heart for another trial in the future. Angel had said that if Shalu could provide a sufficient reason, he wouldn’t mind making an exception.

But so far, Shalu hadn’t given a reason that convinced Angel.

Shalu lowered his head, his voice becoming a bit somber: ”What I talked about before involved what lies behind the third door. Actually, for me, the first and second doors are more important than the third.”

Angel didn’t interrupt Shalu but motioned for him to continue.

”I will tell a not-so-long story next, which might not be very interesting, but it’s my experience and is related to the first two doors,” Shalu paused, then began narrating.

Shalu grew up in a small town named Kudo. He had never seen his father since he was a child and lived solely with his mother and older brother, Lisa. Life in Kudo was the happiest time of his life.

When Shalu talked about life in Kudo, his eyes sparkled. Their mother treated them very well, allowing them to freely pursue their dreams. His brother Lisa’s dream was to become an auditor; Shalu himself wanted to be a righteous Knight.

From the time of his self-awareness, Shalu had been striving for this dream.

Lisa and Shalu had a wonderful childhood until their mother passed away unexpectedly. Their skies instantly changed from sunny and bright to overcast and dismal.

Then, they were taken to live in Saint Sam City by an uncle who came from afar.

At first, it wasn’t too bad; although their aunt often ridiculed them, the uncle took their side. But not long after, the uncle made a mistake, got laid off from his company, and ended up working as a doorman to support the family.

From then on, the uncle indulged in aimless drinking and paid them no more mind. The aunt and her son began their six years of tormenting them.

Shalu didn’t go into details about those six years, but his eyes were filled with anger and despair, with even a hint of fear. It was evident that the torment was well beyond mere ridicule or heated criticism; perhaps there was physical abuse and even humiliation of their personal dignity.

The uncle actually knew quite early about the abuse but pretended to be unaware.

During those six years, Shalu and Lisa went from naive, dream-chasing children to adults who understood the complexities of human relationships and saw the harsh realities of life.

When he was seventeen, Lisa took Shalu and left their uncle’s house, starting a new life in a dilapidated cabin in the forest. Lisa gave up his studies and his dream of becoming an auditor to support them by sheepherding on a manor.

Having escaped the nightmare of their uncle’s house, although they gave up their dreams, they thought they could have a fresh start.

Regrettably, this period only lasted three years.

A flash flood after a torrential rain swept away their cabin and buried their future. When they opened their eyes again, they had been brought to Originheart City by Frode.

Shalu finally reached the main point when he was done speaking.

”The first door is a wooden door, the door to the house where I lived as a child, adorned with two patterns: a little horse and a book. These two patterns were drawn by my brother and me with branches, and our mother even spanked us for it. However, we were still happy because those patterns represented our dreams—the horse for a knight, and the book for an auditor,” Shalu recalled.

As Shalu spoke of the past, it was as if a light flickered in his eyes. However, when he mentioned the second door, his eyes were filled with piled-up hatred and anger.

”The second door is the door to my uncle’s house, which contains the nightmare my brother and I lived for six years.”

Just a single phrase seemed to exhaust all his strength.

After a long while, he took another breath: ”The reason I want to undertake the trial again is because I want to push open the first door and have a look.”

After Shalu finished speaking, he looked at Angel with expectant eyes.

Angel, without showing any emotions, responded in a cold tone, ”And then?”

Clearly, Shalu’s previous speech might have moved himself, but it didn’t touch Angel.

The reasons he provided still seemed insufficient to Angel.

Shalu fell silent for a moment, hesitance in his gaze.

Angel said, ”If that’s all there is, then I cannot make an exception for you.”

Upon hearing Angel’s words, Shalu finally made up his mind; he slowly knelt down on one knee, and with a raised eyebrow from Angel, he lowered his head and extended his crossed hands, resting them over his chest.

Shalu said nothing, but his actions spoke volumes.

This was a Knight’s ritual. It symbolized entrusting everything I am—my life, my future, and my honor.

Angel: ”Rise, you are not a Knight.”

Shalu lifted his head and stated firmly, ”I will become a Knight.”

Angel quietly observed Shalu: ”I don’t need a Knight.”

Shalu’s gaze remained resolute, seemingly unaffected by Angel’s words.

After a long pause, Angel added, ”Though I don’t need a Knight, Originheart City, I suppose, wouldn’t mind having one too many.”

A glint of joy flashed in Shalu’s eyes.

”Of course, that is if you are qualified to be one. At least for now, you are not qualified. Better continue your introspection in the library.”

Without waiting for Shalu to respond, Angel immediately had Frode blindfold Shalu and ordered someone to take him back to the library.

After Shalu’s departure, Frode turned to Angel: ”My lord, you still wish to give Shalu a chance?”

Angel appeared to be decisive but in fact, he did not extinguish Shalu’s hope. Lack of qualifications now does not mean he will not have them in the future.

”The opportunity is not mine to give,” Angel said softly.

At the moment Shalu performed the Knight’s ritual, Angel couldn’t discern what Shalu was thinking, but at least in that moment, his eyes were unwavering.

That look momentarily touched Angel.

However, human hearts change. Everyone has moments of resolute determination to do something, but such resolve usually doesn’t last. It’s either confined by external circumstances or due to a lack of willpower. Hence, Shalu’s current determination does not mean he will be determined in the future.

As such, Angel did not offer an affirmative answer. Yet in his words, he did not snuff out Shalu’s hope either.

But having given hope, whether or not to seize the opportunity is Shalu’s own affair.

”Having heard Shalu’s story, I do understand him to some extent; it’s the circumstances that shaped his wayward character,” Frode remarked, ”Sometimes, people don’t choose to become something they dislike, they are just born in an inopportune time.”

Angel replied, ”Lisa also went through the same environment, but did not choose self-exile.”

Happy people are similar, but each unhappy person has their own misfortune. There are those who are more unfortunate than Shalu, such as the Talented One, Gu Yina, that Hailan brought back. Her limbs were chopped off, and her lips sewn shut; she was effectively reduced to a human stick.

Yet even so, Gu Yina did not succumb to her misfortune. She committed many spiteful deeds, but the resolution in her eyes was something rarely seen by Angel.

For Angel, if Shalu could truly follow through with his conviction, giving him a chance is fine. But if it’s merely lip service, then it doesn’t matter.

Life is in one’s own control after all.

Wanting to live as one wishes isn’t simply an ultimate destination; it’s a process toward reaching the other shore.

Since it’s a process, one won’t give up simply because of changing environments or the passage of time.