Translator: SumTLMan
In the void, it felt as though it transformed into a pendulum, swaying back and forth. This “swaying” was actually just a sensation, but Toby could feel that his conscious form was being stretched and compressed amidst these strange spatial fluctuations, struggling to maintain its original shape.
“What is this situation?” As Toby tried hard to maintain his balance, his mind was clouded with confusion.
In his over one hundred experiences within the House of Hearts, he had never encountered such a scenario.
Seeing the other side was not far away, what unexpected event had suddenly occurred, and what exactly had happened?
While Toby was anxious, the Tribulation of Resentment was excited, continuously releasing its negative emotions, stimulating the void to undergo even greater changes.
This terrifying and unknown ordeal lasted for an indefinite period. Just when Toby felt his conscious form was about to be torn apart, the shaking of the void began to gradually stabilize.
As Toby felt a sense of relief from the aftermath of the calamity, the space in front of him started to undergo changes.
Initially, it seemed like the spaces overlapped, but slowly this overlap began to bend and distort. In the end, numerous distorted spatial cracks formed a small vortex.
This small vortex, upon its appearance, began to expand wildly. In a brief moment, it grew to a size comparable to the largest vortex he had seen before.
Toby looked at the vortex in front of him with caution. From the previous largest vortex, a Serpent-Bird had emerged, and Toby’s experiences had somewhat prepared him for that. But now, even though this vortex was comparable in size to the previous one, if any creature were to emerge from it, it might not be something Toby could easily deal with.
Most importantly, this vortex was situated right in front of his destination. This meant that even if Toby tried to go around it, he couldn’t avoid it. If there truly was a creature inside, he would inevitably have to face it head-on.
In the face of real-world tribulations, the waves and tumults are, after all, far more profound than those found within the House of Hearts.
As a result, Toby felt a tinge of unease.
Nevertheless, Toby quickly suppressed this unease. Even though the vortex before him hadn’t manifested in the House of Hearts, its power, unparalleled within the House, was evident.
It had garnered the complete strength of the Griffin form after the hordes of demon creatures. After slaying the Serpent-Bird, he seemed to subtly gain dominion over this Mental Space. Armed with all these advantageous conditions, Toby was confident in surmounting any obstacle in his path!
This confidence Toby harbored stemmed from his strength and unwavering foundation. However, the duration of such confidence was fleeting. Not long after the appearance of the vortex, an unprecedented and terrifying aura began to seep out…
At that time, the outside world was also plunged into commotion.
After Toby had defeated the Serpent-Bird, the essence of Malevolent Thoughts had no recourse. Its despair manifested as the gradually diminishing frequency of the rolling black mists in the external world.
Coupled with Toby’s partial control over the Mental Space, the same was reflected outside——the black mist seemed diluted, growing ever fainter.
The emergence of these two scenarios cast a ray of sunshine into Gloria’s heart, previously veiled in gloom.
“The black mist is growing silent, becoming increasingly thin, does this mean…” Gloria looked towards the horizon, full of hope, “Has Toby succeeded?”
Angel couldn’t provide an answer to Gloria’s question. However, considering the current situation, even if Toby hadn’t succeeded, he was likely not far from it. Because the distant black mist wasn’t just a simple haze; it embodied negative emotions like jealousy and anger, and was the essence of the Serpent-Bird of Resentment.
Should the Malevolent Thoughts triumph, the black mist would become even denser and spread further. Yet now, not only has the mist not expanded, but it has also begun to lighten, indicating Toby’s prevailing upper hand.
“It’s not over yet, but it should be the final battle.” Angel’s eyes glimmered with a mysterious light. “Moreover, Toby is not at a disadvantage right now.”
Gloria exhaled in relief, whispering as if in prayer, “The River of Destiny ultimately flows by Toby’s side.”
“With such a phrase, are you planning to study prophecy?” Angel curiously looked at Gloria. Except for those who specialize in prophecy, other wizards rarely mention the term “River of Destiny.”
Perhaps because Toby was in a favorable situation, Gloria’s expression seemed much more relaxed. She smiled at Angel and said, “A long, long time ago, I did delve into the art of prophecy. The school of thought I chose was the River of Destiny. However, I probably lack innate talent for prophecy. Occasionally, I use ‘Choose the Lucky One’, but that’s about all.”
The branch Gloria chose was the “River of Destiny,” yet “Choose the Lucky One” belongs to the “Clock of Inquiry” school. This wasn’t an unusual scenario. In prophecy, the relatively easier spell to learn is “Choose the Lucky One.” It’s quite similar to detective tricks — based on foundational knowledge, it gathers and analyzes current surroundings, backgrounds, and known information, eventually deducing an optimized answer. This differs slightly from the essence of prophecy.
“Why don’t you try using ‘Choose the Lucky One’ to see if Toby will ultimately succeed?” Angel suggested.
Gloria hesitated for a moment and then shook her head. Before she could utter the word “dare,” an unexpected event abruptly occurred.
In the distance, the dark mist began to churn again, and its range was expanding. If it were simply churning, Gloria could have interpreted it as, “In the final battle, Toby can’t dominate throughout; there’s always give and take.” But the mist wasn’t merely churning; its previously faded hue was returning to its intense shade. And that wasn’t the end of it…
Upon Toby’s initiation into confronting his tribulation, the dark mist that surrounded him began to ceaselessly emit waves of energy. These waves carried various negative emotions stemming from the deep resentment. However, just moments ago, from the waves rippling out of the dark mist, a sensation previously unfelt washed over them.
Beyond the fundamental emotions of jealousy and grudge, there was an even deeper emotion present. This emotion was elusive, difficult to pinpoint at first. Yet, it was as if it were an undercurrent hidden deep within a sea of jealousy — profound and impossible to ignore, imbued with a heaviness and terror that sent chills down the spine.
Gloria’s relaxed expression shifted in an instant, her eyebrows furrowing deeply, “What’s happening now? What in the world is going on?”
…
What indeed was transpiring? This was Toby’s perplexity as well.
He was equally baffled about the current situation. A supremely terrifying aura emanated from the vortex. Although one cannot equate aura directly to power levels, one can momentarily liken the aura to an oppressive force. The oppression brought about by this aura even surpassed that of Toby’s master, Angel.
This implied that the power level of this aura could potentially surpass even that of a formal wizard! This means that the creature behind the vortex, in terms of strength, might even be superior to the previously encountered Serpent-Bird!
Toby was puzzled as to why the Tribulation of Resentment could summon such a powerful creature. But what perplexed him even more was the emotional ripples that the creature emitted. Toby couldn’t sense them from the Tribulation of Resentment.
This was an even deeper, more lingering resentment.
As Toby was lost in his thoughts, the vortex before him began to quiver, as if the creature within was becoming restless, about to emerge.
The Tribulation of Resentment, standing at the endpoint, was growing excited as well. With an almost ecstatic demeanor, it expressed its deep-seated malice over and over:
“Yes! Come forth! Come forth! Slay it, slay this damned foul-smelling seabird!”