Warlock Apprentice

”Sea, Priestess Hailey, what should we do now?” A figure in a black robe stammered as he spoke, trembling under Toby’s terrifying gaze.

Hailey’s face was grim as she looked at Toby, who stood unharmed before her. Clenching her fist, she said, ”This creature has thick skin and tough flesh; direct attacks won’t work. It must have a weakness. As long as we find its weak spot, there will be a way to kill it...”

As Hailey spoke, she began to quietly channel the dwindling remnants of the Power of Faith within her, seeking to use the spiritual strength of the Profound Lord to pinpoint Toby’s vulnerability.

However, Toby wasn’t about to stand idle and let himself be observed. After being inexplicably ambushed and pummeled, his fury had reached its peak.

Previously, Toby had refrained from taking action because the assailants were associated with Sky Mechanical City and he had to consider his master’s concerns. But just now, after surveying his surroundings, he realized Angel and Greya were absent; whether they were truly scarce or intentionally concealed, it all pointed to one fact—he could deal with this group now without interference.

Having arrived at this conclusion, Toby’s gaze grew even darker.

His pent-up frustration and indignation demanded release, and this group had willingly delivered themselves as prey.

Toby hissed, revealing a ghostly red forked tongue, as his massive body began to move. His first action was to sweep his tail, extinguishing the majority of the surrounding candle-lit discs.

Unsure of the discs’ purpose, Toby attributed his previous immobility to these objects.

After destroying the discs, Toby unhesitatingly charged toward the now-dispersing ranks of black-robed figures.

Toby’s imposing body, formidable defenses, and bloodthirsty, cold eyes exerted tremendous pressure on the crowd. Now, as Toby glided toward them, the weight was palpable, and hearts that had been steady began to crumble under the mounting tension.

Though Toby wasn’t deliberately manipulating their emotions, his sensitivity to feelings had reached its zenith. These individuals’ turmoil—fire-stoked hearts consumed by pressure—was a force Toby could clearly discern, isolating those who could still endure from those teetering on the brink.

This newfound ability to sense collective emotions momentarily left Toby unclear about its exact use, but he didn’t dwell on it. His sole focus was venting his inner rage.

Toby refrained from unleashing his transcendent powers, opting instead to ruthlessly massacre them with his raw physical strength.

The visceral collision of flesh-on-flesh somehow carried an intoxicating satisfaction. Compared to other forms of power, this primal execution brought Toby greater joy.

A mere tail swipe, or a slight twist of his body, would summon the sound of crushing impacts accompanied by a chorus of screams.

This fulfilled Toby’s desire to vent completely.

The unrestrained indulgence even led Toby to show leniency to the ones attempting to flee; he did not immediately pursue them.

—Those who managed to escape believed they had truly survived, oblivious to the reality of Toby’s unmatched speed, his undeniable advantage.

While Toby’s defense might remain unproven against Leviathan Hall, Angel wouldn’t need to test it to assert that Toby’s speed was undoubtedly superior. The Snake Bird’s natural velocity already surpassed that of a Gryphon, and with the enhancement from the Gravity Meridian, even a True Knowledge Wizard would likely lose in a chase.

Despite not chasing those who escaped, the fugitives dared not breach planar seams to flee entirely. Instead, they gathered around Hailey, futilely awaiting her next directive, their courage frayed to the limit.

Yet Hailey offered no instructions, only fixed her deathly gaze on Toby. Her emerald eyes shimmered faintly, and within the glow, one could discern a Solar Eclipse-like Pattern...

Toby, meanwhile, continued to crush the stragglers who didn’t escape in time using his superior physique. However, having largely emptied his destructive urges, Toby’s movements now carried intent—he’d uncovered an inkling of how emotional manipulation worked.

Among these people, those most influenced by their emotions demonstrated drastically reduced reaction times and diminished capacity to handle complex environments.

Toby simply swung his serpentine tail, not even utilizing his full speed, yet two individuals already on the brink of psychological collapse failed to dodge his attack.

Conversely, those whose emotions retained some semblance of control managed to flee quickly.

Eyeing the two individuals, their pupils contracted and their legs trembling in fear, Toby seemed to grasp something.

He did not strike further but instead fixed his crimson, icy eyes on them and began experimenting with the Snake Bird’s innate special ability—manipulating negative emotions.

It wasn’t a mastery of all negative emotions, but rather those linked to himself, particularly focused energies like jealousy, resentment, and anger—a restricted scope of emotional control.

Though new to wielding this ability, Toby found it straightforward, capable of manipulating these emotions effortlessly.

The vivid tapestry of fear, dread, rage... each emotional state imprinted transparently in Toby’s vision.

Toby could amplify, diminish, or even erase certain emotions. However, reducing or removing feelings was out of the question; it would only aid his foes unnecessarily. Hence, Toby opted to experiment on amplifying emotions.

He amplified one individual’s anger and intensified the other’s fear.

Under his manipulation, the first person felt their fury growing uncontrollably, their mind clouded and overwhelmed with rage commandeering their thoughts.

Faced with Toby, their wizardly caution vanished without a trace; all they wanted now was to destroy him by any means possible!

Yet, someone consumed by blind rage stood no chance against Toby.

With a tail sweep, immense force struck their waist, a sickening crack resonating as their bones shattered, and they were launched like a cannonball, eventually vanishing into the Void’s depths.

”Damn it, that was Laiyi...” Those huddled around Hailey stared at Laiyi disappearing into the Void, horror flashing in their eyes. None dared to imagine Laiyi’s fate—it seemed inevitable they might soon share it.

The group turned to Hailey hesitantly: ”Priestess, how about we retreat for now?”

Hailey remained silent, acting as though she hadn’t heard their pleas, her gaze stubbornly locked onto Toby. The black-robed figures exchanged uneasy glances; as one of Hailey’s Profound Alchemy Association’s high priests, she held absolute authority. Until she gave permission, not one could flee.

Meanwhile, Toby’s attention had shifted to the individual now gripping their chest in paralyzing terror, an emotion thoroughly amplified...