Warlock Apprentice

When the Extreme Resentment Thoughts were excitedly clamoring, Toby stood at the ready with full vigilance. No matter what emerged from behind the vortex, it would annihilate it completely!

As time passed, the tremors emanating from the vortex grew stronger and stronger. Even before the Magical Creature had appeared, faint rustling sounds could already be heard.

When a soft breeze brushed past, the vibrations from the vortex disappeared. However, at the same time, a void emerged at the vortex’s center.

The appearance of the void heralded the imminent arrival of the Magical Creature.

The Extreme Resentment Thoughts grew ever more excited, while Toby’s alertness heightened. And yet... no creature emerged from the void.

They waited for a long while, and even as the vortex began to show signs of fading, no creature appeared.

”What is going on?” Toby was increasingly puzzled. Just as it had braced itself to confront the greatest foe of this Tribulation, the development abruptly ceased?

The Extreme Resentment Thoughts were also taken aback, shifting from initial excitement to confusion. Watching as the vortex began to dissipate, the Extreme Resentment Thoughts once again stirred its negativity, attempting to prevent the vortex’s fading, but to no avail.

Seeing this, the Extreme Resentment Thoughts stomped furiously and raged, ”Why? Why won’t it come out and kill it?!”

There was no reply.

The Extreme Resentment Thoughts seethed with even greater resentment, roaring to the heavens in jealous fury, ”Don’t you know, if I disappear, you’ll be next!”

And yet, still no reply.

”You can’t escape! You can’t escape!” the Extreme Resentment Thoughts howled in rage. As it cursed repeatedly, faint noises finally emerged from the void within the vortex.

A soft chuckle drifted out, devoid of discernable emotion, yet it starkly contrasted the frenzied, stomping Extreme Resentment Thoughts, as though the laughter were mocking its overconfidence.

”How pitifully weak—” An elegant yet bone-chilling voice echoed from the void.

Both Toby and the Extreme Resentment Thoughts were immediately captivated by the voice.

Because this was a tangible, actual voice. Unlike the emotions-based ”wordless thoughts” radiated by the Extreme Resentment Thoughts, this voice from the vortex was deeply anchored in reality, even speaking in the Universal Language.

”With your feebleness, you think you can summon me?” the voice continued, speaking slowly yet with piercing clarity. The disdain embedded within its tone was unmistakable.

”You’re unworthy.” As the vortex gradually evaporated, the voice grew fainter until it dissolved into indistinct murmurs.

——Only the weak envy, only the weak hate. Weakness itself is a sin; weak things have no right to exist in this world.

As those murmurs faded, a sudden burst of white light flashed within the void of the vortex.

Though Toby had been focused on the Magical Creature’s speech, it remained alert. When the flash of white light appeared, it was ready to defend itself. However, the white light wasn’t aimed at Toby—it was directed at the Extreme Resentment Thoughts standing atop the terminal high platform.

The white light shot through the human-shaped figure of the Extreme Resentment Thoughts like an arrow, striking its head. Along with an anguished scream, the body of the Extreme Resentment Thoughts began to waver before slowly disintegrating into shimmering particles of light.

”Why... why...” the Extreme Resentment Thoughts muttered incessantly as the light particles devoured its body down to its waist.

As the Extreme Resentment Thoughts dissolved into light particles, Toby could feel its control over this Mind Space growing stronger and stronger.

Toby knew exactly what this meant.

——It had succeeded in overcoming the tribulation!

Though it should have been a joyous occasion, Toby felt no happiness at all. It turned its gaze back toward the vortex, which was now almost entirely gone, yet the oppressive and stifling aura within it could still be faintly sensed.

What on earth was it? Toby had no clue before, but now it harbored a faint suspicion.

Perhaps, what lay beyond the vortex... was itself.

But not the Toby it was now.

The ordinary seabird was itself, the Berserker Gryphon was itself, and the Jealous Snake Bird it was about to transform into was also itself. And the being behind the vortex might well be another self from the remaining three Tribulations.

Toby didn’t know which specific Tribulation of the Five Flavors it was or its exact form, but what it did know was that the entity was extraordinarily powerful—more powerful than the Extreme Resentment Thoughts.

Faced with a catastrophe it would inevitably encounter again in the future, how could Toby feel happy?

What infuriated Toby the most was that the entity had attacked the Extreme Resentment Thoughts! Toby knew all too well that with its current strength, dealing with the Extreme Resentment Thoughts was a trivial matter. After slaying the Snake Bird, it had already secured its victory in advance.

Originally, it had planned to cross to the endpoint, defeating the Extreme Resentment Thoughts in a ceremonious fashion, ending this tribulation with a triumphant flourish.

But halfway through, a white light emerged and stole its prize.

Even though the ultimate result didn’t change, Toby couldn’t stand it. It felt as though it had walked 99 solitary steps, only to be pushed during the very last one. Even if it still reached the endpoint, the significance of those prior 99 steps of effort seemed undermined.

A surge of anger erupted in Toby’s heart. With the vortex now gone, it could only focus its attention on that white light.

The white light, after piercing through the head of the Extreme Resentment Thoughts, finally came to a halt. Toby could clearly see that the light was, in fact, a feather.

A pristinely white feather, radiating a faint, ethereal glow.

The feather floated in the Void, unmoving and unyielding. In fury, Toby spewed fire at it, but the feather was like an illusion, completely unaffected by the flames.

Toby lunged at the feather, attempting to tear it apart, but as before, it remained untouchable while stubbornly refusing to disappear.

Gazing at the softly glowing feather before it, Toby felt as if it had attained some enlightenment.

The entity behind the vortex’s void had surely used this feather to taunt it.

In fact, even taking the initiative to dispose of the Extreme Resentment Thoughts was likely a deliberate provocation.

Because Toby clearly could have resolved the conflict itself, yet the entity intentionally made it feel uneasy. Even the phantom-like white feather it left behind floated brazenly in the Void, a constant reminder of its presence... a bone stuck in the throat, maddeningly loathsome, yet impossible to eliminate.

With a frustrated roar, Toby suppressed its irritation, turned away from the feather, and approached the endpoint.

By this point, the Extreme Resentment Thoughts had fully disintegrated into light particles. However, this did not signify its true death—only the ”consciousness” had perished. All the anger, jealousy, and other negative emotions still lingered.

Now, though, those emotions were no longer weapons wielded against Toby; instead, they had become its sword!

Once Toby mastered these negative emotions, it would truly triumph over the tribulation and gain a new form—the Jealous Snake Bird!

Having experienced the Rage Tribulation in the past, Toby found these tactics equally applicable to the Extreme Resentment Tribulation.

Toby started to ascend the tower of consciousness, slowly claiming full control of the Mind Space and beginning to devour the surrounding light particles—the core of the Extreme Resentment Thoughts.

As it fully consumed the Extreme Resentment Thoughts, a cocoon-like structure materialized before it. Stepping inside would be its gateway to rebirth—

This was the reward for overcoming the tribulation.

However, Toby did not step into the cocoon right away. Instead, it turned its gaze back toward the distant Void.

The white feather that had vexed it earlier still hung there, drifting in place.

With a cold sneer, Toby willed its thoughts, and the white feather was engulfed by a layer of black mist. As the mist corroded it, the untouchable phantom feather was finally obliterated.

When the feather disappeared, Toby raised its head high with pride and strode confidently into the cocoon...