Chapter 1687 Final Challenge <TOC> Chapter 1689 Passionate Song of Fate
Translator: SumTLMan
Faced with Gloria’s inquiries, Angel’s gaze seemed evasive, and he was reluctant to answer directly.
Gloria noticed it too, understanding that Angel still had no intention of elaborating.
She sighed, “Fine, setting aside your experimental process that is full of holes for now, what I want to know is, what were the results of the experiment?”
“I’ve already mentioned it, the experiment did encounter minor issues. Toby, even in the dream, stirred the Tribulation of Resentment…”
Gloria interrupted, “So, you’re saying the experiment was completely useless?”
Angel responded, “Looking at the outcome, one might say that. However, the experiment I designed wasn’t an utter failure. As long as we address the issue where Toby stirs up the Tribulation of Resentment in reality, we can allow Toby to repeatedly face the tribulation in his dreams. By then, Toby’s problems can be tackled accordingly.”
Raising an eyebrow, Gloria smirked, “Then do tell, how do you plan on solving this particular issue?”
At present, Angel hadn’t devised a solution and could only offer what he thought might work, “The current method I’m considering is to use some external force to suppress Toby’s emotional surges in reality, preventing it from breaking Lord Frost’s seal. Then, in the dream, I can take the necessary actions.”
Gloria inquired, “And what, precisely, is this ‘external force’ you speak of?”
Angel spread his hands, shrugging, “I haven’t figured that out yet.”
“You haven’t figured it out? Huh…” Gloria remarked, “Then everything you’ve said up till now has been empty words.”
Angel retorted, “Not exactly empty. At least now, we’ve found a potential path forward, haven’t we?”
Due to Toby’s unique circumstances, only he can confront his tribulation; outsiders cannot assist. Even an extraordinary being surpassing the legendary realm, like Frost, lacks a safe method to help Toby face his tribulation. The only way seems to be suppressing the Tribulation of Resentment, thereby delaying Toby’s inevitable confrontation.
Thus, their current sole strategy was, before Toby truly confronts the Tribulation of Resentment, to enhance his chances of successfully facing it. However, despite their prolonged efforts, they hadn’t found a way to boost this success rate, and Gloria could only enhance Toby through hellish training.
That said, even with this hellish training, the improvement to Toby was relatively minimal. While Toby’s physical body might become stronger through the training, during his tribulation, he wouldn’t particularly rely on physical strength, rendering the training somewhat moot.
The main aim of Gloria’s hellish training was to strengthen Toby’s will. Regrettably, the results were meager.
Now, Angel proposed a method: as long as they resolved the surge of Toby’s emotions in reality, they could refine Toby through the trials in dreams, genuinely increasing the success rate of facing the tribulation.
Gloria recognized this as a relatively decent approach, yet…
“Originally, it was only Lord Frost who had the means to suppress Toby’s resentful emotions. Do you think, can we find another powerhouse like Lord Frost?” Gloria paused for a moment, then asked, “Or to put it another way, can you contact Lord Frost?”
Angel shook his head, “No.”
“Then this approach remains unfeasible,” Gloria responded, implying that if that method wouldn’t work, she might as well continue with the hellish training for Toby.
“I’ll look into it; perhaps there’s a way to suppress his emotions?” Angel still wasn’t ready to abandon this avenue.
Gloria responded with a sarcastic smirk, “Then I’m eagerly awaiting your good news.”
Though Gloria said she was “eagerly awaiting,” her tone dripped with irony. She didn’t believe Angel could find someone capable of suppressing Toby’s emotions. After all, the only one who could even detect Toby’s emotions currently was Shirley, let alone someone who could suppress them.
As Gloria’s thoughts drifted to this, she cast a glance at Shirley.
To her surprise, she saw Shirley, one hand supporting her chin in deep thought, and the other hand holding a magic wand… raised high.
“Why are you raising your hand?” Gloria asked, puzzled.
After a moment of hesitation, Shirley said slowly, “My lord, if you’re speaking of suppressing emotions… perhaps I can offer some assistance.”
“You can suppress emotions?” Angel approached, looking at Shirley with a puzzled expression. “Didn’t you say before that you could only sense emotions?”
Gloria also turned her attention to the conversation. If Shirley truly had the ability to suppress emotions, then the path Angel suggested might indeed be feasible.
Shirley explained, “Due to my innate sensitivity to emotions, I have a fondness for collecting objects that harbor intense obsessions, emotions, and bonds.”
Angel was aware of this quirk. After all, Shirley had once stolen Alan’s Beast-Slaying Knife for this very reason.
“I once came across a pigeon’s blood gemstone that was imbued with an overwhelming murderous intent. This intent was so intense that anyone who possessed the stone would face misfortune. Being a novice apprentice at the time, I too was influenced by it. However, I couldn’t bring myself to part with the gem. Thus, I sought a way to quell this murderous aura.” Shirley paused for a moment before continuing, “Perhaps due to my natural talents, I eventually succeeded.”
As she spoke, Shirley retrieved a ruby from her spatial pouch.
This ruby wasn’t raw; it was set into a brooch. The gem was encased in an exquisite silver frame, its curved design radiating elegance. Small shimmering diamonds adorned the silver, making it resemble crimson stars from a distance.
Even Angel, an alchemist, silently acknowledged its craftsmanship. At a glance, it was evident that this ruby brooch, which reached the level of artistry, was the work of a master artisan.
“This is the pigeon’s blood gemstone in which I’ve suppressed the murderous intent,” Shirley said, handing it to Gloria.
Gloria examined it closely, a flicker of recognition crossing her face. “This ruby brooch… why does it look so familiar?”
Gloria, being a witch, occasionally took an interest in certain accessories. The design of this ruby brooch reminded her of a piece of news she had heard a decade ago.
In a low murmur, Gloria wondered, “Could this be the Heart of Crimson from the Creekchart Royal Family?”
“I recall that the Heart of Crimson was stolen during a grand ball hosted by the Creekchart Royal Family by a mysterious thief,” Gloria said, fixing her gaze on Shirley.
Shirley had previously claimed that she “stumbled upon” this pigeon blood ruby. Was it really by chance?
Meeting Gloria’s intense gaze, Shirley calmly responded, “Indeed, it is the Heart of Crimson. While I was touring with my magic performances, I happened to see a lady placing this gem in a drawer. I thought she might not want it anymore, so I took it with me.”
Gloria inquired, “That drawer… it wasn’t locked, was it?”
Shirley, with unabashed confidence, nodded, “Yes, it was. But just because it’s locked doesn’t mean she needs it. Many people lock away their wildest dreams and hopes in their hearts, thinking they’ll revisit them someday. Yet, they probably forget about them until the day they die. Doesn’t that mean such things are essentially discarded?”
Locking something in one’s heart and locking it in a drawer are two different matters! Gloria, somewhat exasperated, rubbed her temples.
This Shirley was the epitome of self-centeredness. Her entire value system gravitated towards herself. Even if something belonged to someone else, she could justify her acquisition with a twisted rationale.
Such individuals were not uncommon in the Wizarding World. Gloria didn’t feel the need to correct her, instead, she decided to closely inspect the gem.
As Shirley had described, there was a faint, almost curse-like malevolence emanating from the gem. However, this malevolent intent didn’t radiate outward. It seemed as though a protective layer enveloped it, ensuring none of it leaked out.
Chapter 1687 Final Challenge <TOC> Chapter 1689 Passionate Song of Fate