Chapter 1702 Venting <TOC> Chapter 1704 Rumor
Translator: SumTLMan
After Toby recounted his first full confrontation with the Tribulation of Resentment, Gloria came to understand why Angel had said, “What Toby went through was even worse than a near-death experience.”
Because Toby’s initial encounter with the Tribulation of Resentment ended in death.
For Toby, the hardest part was that he couldn’t directly face the torrent of resentment unleashed by the Tribulation. When Toby was engulfed by this flood of resentment, he felt like he was sitting in a fragile boat facing a tidal wave.
He couldn’t save himself, nor did he have any strength to resist.
Even though he kept telling himself to hang on and resist the lure of the Tribulation, he still failed. In the end, countless resentments flooded his mind. In the midst of boundless fear, Toby fell into the void.
The terror before death, the overwhelming emotions that felt like they would burst his brain, and the anxiety of impending doom caused Toby to shiver uncontrollably when recalling the experience.
Thankfully, it was just a dream. Toby didn’t actually die, but the feeling of facing death, of confronting the Tribulation of Resentment, was deeply imprinted in his heart.
After listening, Gloria looked at Toby with immense sympathy.
To outsiders, what Toby described might not sound too significant. Yet, the way his eyes flinched and shrank revealed everything. She remembered training Toby. No matter how hard it was, Toby never showed such fearful eyes.
This was just the first time, and Toby was already this terrified. According to Angel’s plan, Toby would go through this hundreds of times!
Gloria couldn’t help but turn to Angel and ask, “Is this… really effective? Can the Tribulation of Resentment simulated in the Dream Realm truly help Toby during the real trial?” If it proves useless in the end, wouldn’t Toby have suffered hundreds of times for nothing?
This was the third time Gloria had expressed doubts. However, Angel did not seem impatient. In Gloria’s assumption, Toby was merely battling resentful spirits generated from simulated lucid dreams. Every wizard knew that no matter if one became a creator god, a demon god from the Abyss, or even ruled the world in these lucid dreams, such feats were illusions and could not manifest in reality.
Hence, Angel wasn’t surprised by Gloria’s skepticism. If their roles were reversed, Angel, standing in Gloria’s shoes, would harbor the same doubts.
“It’s useful,” Angel stated resolutely, further adding for Gloria’s peace of mind, “This is the only method I can think of that could potentially assist Toby during his tribulation.”
The conviction in Angel’s expression reflected in Gloria’s eyes. She fell silent for a moment, took a deep sigh, and finally conceded, “Alright, since there’s no alternative at the moment, we’ll have to resort to your method.”
Gloria turned to Toby, caressing him gently while whispering, “The current hardships are merely a precursor for easier times ahead. Just hang on a bit longer.”
Though the nightmarish experience within the House of Hearts had instilled genuine fear in Toby, he was prepared. The Tribulation of the Five Flavors was a preordained challenge he was destined to face.
Without the assistance of the House of Hearts, facing the malevolence of the embodied resentment, Toby might lose… No, he would definitely lose. His recent death during his encounter was symbolic of his inevitable demise should he face this tribulation now.
There are two paths laid before Toby. One seemed smooth, bathed in sunlight, adorned with flowers and greenery, yet at the end, a sheer cliff leading to a chasm awaits. The other path is devoid of sunlight, enveloped in gloom, with an uneven terrain riddled with pitfalls and thorns. At a first glance, it appears treacherously perilous, with the end of this path too leading to an abyss… However, spanning this abyss is a rickety rope bridge, hinting at a possibility of crossing to the other side.
Without a doubt, Toby would choose the second path. He yearns for the future, and only along this arduous road does the future hold potential.
Even if this path only offers the slimmest chance of survival.
Thus, Toby nodded firmly, responding to Gloria’s rare display of tenderness.
Gloria chuckled and patted Toby on the head, saying, “You seem to see things quite clearly. It’s evident that you gained real insights from that lucid dream.”
At the mention of lucid dreams, Toby feigned ignorance. Gloria couldn’t help but laugh, realizing that Toby and Angel had colluded in their narrative.
Shaking her head, Gloria turned to Angel and inquired, “Aren’t you willing to tell me what you two are concealing?”
With a deadpan expression, Angel replied, “We’ve hidden nothing.”
“A lucid dream isn’t like your crafted Drama Shadow Box, which can be paused at will and resumed right where it left off. Furthermore, can the intense resentments simulated within a lucid dream truly trigger a personal tribulation in Toby?” Gloria calmly pinpointed the flaws in Angel’s so-called plan, pressing, “Are you sure you don’t want to elaborate?”
The issue raised by Gloria was something even Angel couldn’t explain, leaving him to respond only with silence.
Gloria gazed deeply into Angel’s eyes, finally conceding, “Alright, I won’t press further. Everyone has secrets, but yours seem to be far more numerous than I imagined.”
Following her statement, as if nothing had transpired, Gloria continued to question Toby about his experiences with the intense resentments, trying to devise ways to help him cope.
Meanwhile, Angel sat off to the side, lost in thought.
Should he divulge to Gloria about the Wilderness of Dreams?
Sharing this information seemed harmless since they both knew many of each other’s secrets. By all indications, they were on the same side. Moreover, Gloria would stay close to Sanders for the time being until she could reclaim her physical body.
Now in possession of the Power Tree and having complete control over the Wilderness of Dreams, Angel believed that even if he publicized its existence, no one could wrest it away.
However… after pondering for a while, Angel ultimately chose to keep it a secret.
Matters of the Wilderness of Dreams indeed can be promoted to the public.
However, should Gloria step into the Wilderness of Dreams, she would undoubtedly investigate the circumstances surrounding Toby’s experiments. When that happens, the House of Hearts will be exposed. And with that revelation comes the news that the Dream Conch can achieve Infinite Alchemy.
“Infinite Alchemy” is a much bigger deal than broadcasting matters of the Wilderness of Dreams.
Angel knows that as soon as the Wilderness of Dreams is made public, outsiders will come in, and eventually, someone will discover the truth about Infinite Alchemy. Angel has no intention of keeping this a secret forever, but right now, he’s not particularly strong in various ways and isn’t ready to counterbalance the spread of this news.
Although Gloria might not betray them over “Infinite Alchemy,” just to be on the safe side, Angel plans to keep it under wraps a little longer.
As for the matter of Infinite Alchemy, even though it can’t be spoken of now, once Toby’s matter has passed, Angel can give Gloria a hint about the affairs of the Wilderness of Dreams.
…
Gloria gradually came to understand the general situation regarding Toby, as well as the processes and outcomes of Angel’s plans.
Now, the experiment with the Passionate Song of Fate has been successful. Next, Toby needs to constantly confront intense resentful thoughts, accumulate experience, and seek ways to handle them.
Regarding this, Angel couldn’t be of much assistance.
In the end, it was up to Gloria and Shirley to complete the task. Especially Shirley, who has a knack for emotional management. Her methods might prove useful for Toby.
Thus, the following period entered a Cycle of Experience Accumulation.
Toby would visit the House of Hearts to gather experience, and after each visit, he’d report back to Shirley and Gloria. Then, they would discuss how to fend off the onslaught of the intense resentful thoughts.
At first, Angel felt the need to guard and guide Toby, but he later realized that through the “Passionate Song of Fate,” Shirley could entirely calm the surging emotions within Toby, posing no danger. Under these circumstances, there was no need for him to constantly oversee. Hence, after handing over all the Demon Flower Fairy Magical Bloodstones to Shirley, he completely stepped back, allowing Shirley to handle things on her own.