Warlock Apprentice

It can be foreseen that the ability of the snake’s pupils to manipulate human hearts will be extremely powerful.

However, for Greya, what she is more concerned about now is Toby’s condition, not its abilities.

The icy coldness and alienation in the snake’s pupils made Greya somewhat uneasy. Did Toby truly survive the tribulation? Is it Toby who is controlling this snake bird now, or the Extreme Resentment Thoughts?

As Greya kept speculating, its vertical pupils suddenly underwent a transformation.

It seemed disoriented when its eyes reopened. But as its vision focused and it saw Greya and Angel, the emotions in its pupils began to shift, softening somewhat.

The originally bright red hue of its eyes turned into a deep crimson that Greya was familiar with—this was the color of Toby’s eyes. Its gaze also transitioned from indifference to intimacy, layered with excitement to express something...and a hint of grievance.

When Greya saw this gaze, she let out a long sigh of relief. All the days of worry vanished in an instant.

Without a doubt, this was Toby! That gaze did not belong to the Extreme Resentment Thoughts!

Toby had truly survived the tribulation!

Though Greya tried her best to suppress her overwhelming joy, the upturned curve at the corners of her eyes still revealed her true feelings.

But despite her joy, Greya remained somewhat puzzled. Moments ago, in Toby’s eyes, she had detected a trace of grievance. What was that about?

Greya voiced her confusion to Angel. After pondering for a moment, Angel replied, ”Sometimes, the external appearance of grievance might not be an effective signal from the other party. It could simply be a form of playfulness. Of course, it’s also possible that it truly feels wronged.”

Greya narrowed her eyes. ”It seems you’ve encountered many young girls feeling wronged before.”

Angel: ”Instead of teasing me, why don’t you go check on Toby’s situation? Perhaps it really is feeling wronged. After all, the Extreme Resentment Thoughts aren’t easy to handle.”

With that, Angel flew in Toby’s direction. Naturally, Greya wasn’t willing to lag behind and followed suit. However, just as the two of them were about to approach Toby, they both came to an abrupt halt.

”Did you feel that?” Greya’s expression suddenly turned serious as she looked at Angel.

Angel nodded. ”The energy is rippling. This is...the precursor to an anomaly.”

As Angel’s voice fell, waves of ripples began appearing around Toby, as if the space surrounding it had turned into water, disturbed by an invisible breeze.

The chaotic energies in the void began converging around Toby, whipping up a wild wind out of nowhere.

Initially, they could still see Toby’s figure, but now, due to the energy fluctuations, their vision had blurred. Even their spirit tentacles were forced to retract, unable to extend into the turbulent void.

Greya and Angel exchanged glances. Without any discussion, they retreated simultaneously. Only after they were far from the range of the energy ripples did they come to a stop.

”Such energy fluctuations might lead to a spatial tempest,” Greya said.

A spatial tempest is a catastrophe, the worst fear of those journeying the void. A slight mistake could result in death.

Though the spatial tempest was terrifying, Greya spoke of it with an unmistakable glimmer of delight in her eyes. After all, the tempest wouldn’t form instantly. The chain of events leading to its birth was lengthy; its arrival would take several days at least.

What thrilled Greya was something else entirely. The energy ripples capable of triggering a spatial tempest indicated just how powerful the anomaly was. Such a potent anomaly could only mean one thing—

Advancement!

Come to think of it, it made sense. Toby had gained a new snake bird form, essentially unlocking all the bloodline information related to the snake bird. Even if it couldn’t fully comprehend this information yet, it was enough to elevate its strength to a whole new level.

This wasn’t just a quantitative change but a qualitative one!

Previously, when Toby transformed into a gryphon, it could barely reach the pseudo-wizard rank. But now that it had unlocked the snake bird bloodline, its strength would undoubtedly surpass that of an Official Wizard!

Thus, an advancement was to be expected.

Angel had come to the same conclusion, which was why he had retreated immediately. The anomaly triggered by advancement was similar to an Alchemy Omen; drawing too close could risk collateral damage.

After retreating from the anomaly’s range, Angel carefully observed the distance. Although he couldn’t see much as the anomaly began taking shape—the energy ripples had fully obscured the interior—he was still meticulously following the energy’s trajectory.

After all, it was his first time witnessing the advancement of a non-human being.

Even though there was nothing much to see, Angel was still mesmerized. The flow and leap of energy, the division and convergence of space—it was like witnessing the ultimate truths of the universe, an intoxicating spectacle.

Greya also watched closely. The transformation brought about by this leap in life was worth studying. Moreover, as someone deeply skilled in creation, observing such fundamental changes in life’s essence was profoundly beneficial to her craft.

Eventually, as the energy fluctuations grew increasingly violent and stopped offering any insights, they ceased their observation.

Time trickled by. Roughly half an hour later, Greya looked at the terrifyingly energy-charged region in the distance. ”The energy is still accumulating...”

The earlier spatial ripples and energy waves were just precursors—not the true anomaly.

Only when the energy reached its peak would the anomaly descend.

”I remember when you advanced to become an Official Wizard, the prelude to your anomaly took several days of energy buildup,” Angel remarked offhandedly.

Greya: ”That’s different. Wizards advancing challenge higher planes, needing constant accumulation of energy to seek the possibility of qualitative change. The process has a high failure rate, so extensive preparation time is required. But Toby already has a Wizard-Level physique. Its advancement is practically a foregone conclusion, needing no such prolonged preparation. Unless...”

”Unless what?” Angel asked.

Greya gave Angel a deep look. ”Unless, like you, its advancement involves a leap-transition, jumping three power tiers at once.”

Though Angel had just recently advanced, his power level was already nearing the middle stage of a Level 1 Wizard—a level others might take decades or even centuries to reach.

Moreover, Angel had glimpsed the door to True Knowledge. With a little more time to settle, he could step through at any moment.

In Greya’s eyes, Angel was the most extraordinary talent she had ever encountered.

And now, it seemed Toby might exhibit similar potential.

However, in comparison, Angel was still the more fearsome. After all, Toby had a foundation—it was born of the organs of a legendary magical creature. But Angel? He began as an ordinary human.