Warlock Apprentice

It was a man whose hood had already been pulled back. He appeared to be a spirited young man who paid great attention to his appearance—despite having been trampled by Toby multiple times, his waxed slicked-back hairstyle remained perfectly intact.

And yet, despite this image-conscious individual, his face was now etched with despair.

His calves trembled uncontrollably, and his hands shook even though he held an alchemy weapon of unknown function. The weapon provided him with no sense of security, let alone instilled any deterrence against Toby.

He was like a cat frightened to its core, its fur bristling and claws raised in feeble defense. But faced with the ever-escalating momentum of his opponent, he lacked even the courage to strike back, instead retreating again and again in fear.

Toby merely fixed his crimson vertical pupils on him for a brief moment before shifting his gaze away.

It didn’t spare this man out of mercy. Rather, Toby understood—this man was essentially ruined. When fear has taken deep root in someone’s heart, escaping this shadow of dominance is nearly impossible unless one’s internal core undergoes a complete overhaul. Without that, one can never progress an inch in the future and may even struggle to maintain their current abilities.

Dealing with someone who is half-ruined was simply beneath Toby’s effort.

After experimenting with emotional amplification on two individuals, Toby felt an insatiable desire to continue. It now turned its attention to the fleeing crowd.

When Toby’s crimson gaze locked onto the believers of the Profound Alchemy Association, they felt their hearts skip a beat. Memories of the excruciating pain they had suffered resurfaced. Any semblance of emotional stability that had returned began teetering on the brink of collapse once more.

Toby made no immediate moves but instead observed them calmly. As it exerted pressure, it quietly sensed their emotional fluctuations.

Toby’s ability to manipulate emotions was silent and undetectable, leaving no room for defense.

Conversely, Angel and the others seemed to have discerned Toby’s intentions.

”That man is beyond recovery; his gaze is entirely different now.” Sanders glanced at the man whose fear had been amplified earlier. Even though Toby was no longer paying him any attention, he remained frozen in fear, unable to move.

”He’ll make no progress in the future and will forever remain trapped in a nightmare,” Greya said softly. She then turned her focus onto Toby with a scrutinizing look. ”Even if one feels fear, it shouldn’t get embedded in one’s soul so quickly. Is this Toby’s ability?”

”That’s not confirmed yet, but emotions can’t magnify for no reason. Toby must have done something,” Sanders said, his eyes glimmering with a shadowy light. If Toby truly possessed the ability to control emotions and ruin a person, the sheer magnitude of its power was undeniable.

Meanwhile, under the pressure Toby exerted, the Profound Alchemy Association’s group was increasingly stricken with dread.

Hailey noticed this as well. If everyone succumbed to fear, even the discovery of a weakness might not enable an effective attack.

What now? Should they just give up like this? Hailey bit her lip, unwilling to accept defeat.

As Hailey’s thoughts churned, Toby noticed a spark reigniting in the hearts of certain individuals amidst the pressure. Its gaze glinted with intrigue.

When that internal fire rekindled, it could once again manipulate emotions. That was its goal—to quietly drag them into the abyss on a psychological level.

Toby fixed its gaze on an elderly man who was retreating step by step, seemingly on the verge of attempting a solo escape.

The man’s expression turned agitated, and his face twisted with rage as he glared venomously at Hailey, discontented by her refusal to order their retreat.

Toby attempted to manipulate this man’s fury.

However, the outcome was unexpectedly—

It failed.

This was because the man’s anger didn’t stem from Toby but from his discontent toward Hailey.

Toby’s ability to influence emotions was limited to those it personally evoked. It couldn’t control this man’s fury, but it could target his fear—the fear he felt toward Toby.

Yet even the fear within this man hadn’t reached the depth that Toby had managed to achieve in others before.

Perhaps it was because he believed he had an escape route, which diluted his sense of dread?

Whatever the reason, Toby found the emotional control it exerted over this elderly man disappointing. It had hoped to quietly eliminate him, but this outcome implied it wouldn’t be as easy as planned.

As Toby sighed inwardly, Hailey kept her eyes fixed on it. Her gaze flickered subtly as though she’d made a realization.

Moments later, as Toby’s gaze swept across the crowd and Hailey’s internal fire began to burn fiercer, she suddenly felt her mind struck as though by lightning—a revelation surfaced within her thoughts.

—It was the cold vertical pupils of the Snake Bird.

”Its eyes!” Hailey suddenly exclaimed. ”Its weakness is in the eyes!”

Her words drew the attention of everyone present. Hailey wasted no time explaining how she’d deduced its eyes were the weak point. Instead, she quickly shouted, ”Target the eyes first! If we eliminate them, everything else will resolve itself—including the emotions it’s manipulating within us!”

Evidently, not only Angel and the others had noticed; Hailey herself had also realized their emotions were being deliberately controlled.

If Hailey had spoken even a moment later, the group might not have listened, as Toby’s pressure weighed heavily on them. More than just the elderly man, everyone harbored thoughts of escape.

Yet Hailey was the High Priestess, and her conviction—in stating the weak point—rallied their resolve. They decided to make one final attempt.

Under Hailey’s gaze, brimming with confidence, everyone felt inspired, as though partaking in a solemn ceremony. They once again retrieved their circular devices, and some even started consuming alchemical potions.

To hunt down such a formidable magical creature, coordination and equipment were a must. Even if losses were inevitable, they’d recover far more once they succeeded—and the rewards would definitely be multiplied!

Confidence gradually returned. As the group geared up for their renewed attack, Toby hissed ominously, flicking its crimson tongue—

The next second, behind the group, a wretched scream erupted from the elderly man, whose voice fell into terrifying silence.

They turned in bewilderment to see a massive, terrifying form where there had previously been nothing.

A gently swaying snakehead, endlessly flicking its crimson tongue, emitting an overwhelming pressure.

It was the Snake Bird—the very creature they planned to confront!

But why? Why had it suddenly appeared here?

Moments ago, it had been quite far away—even flying at full speed should have generated noticeable movement. How had it materialized out of nowhere?

Impossible for it to be spatial teleportation! In this chaotic Void of energy, while creating a Space Rift to return to Sky Mechanical City might be feasible, instantaneous movement within the Void was near impossible.

That left only one explanation...

Speed!

Unreal, unparalleled speed!

The next moment, Toby vanished again, reappearing behind another person. With a heavy tail whip, another scream pierced the air, followed by silence as another victim descended into the Void.

Because everyone was watching, they saw clearly—it truly was speed!

Speed that rivaled instantaneous movement!

Upon grasping this truth, an infinite despair overwhelmed them instantly.

Unbreachable defense paired with unmatched speed. Even with the discovery of its weakness, could they truly kill it?