Warlock Apprentice
Chapter 1737: Section 1738: True Appearance

With the terrifying magnitude of this whirlpool, no one could predict what changes might arise. Regardless of whether he could handle the aftermath of the whirlpool, Toby believed that staying as far away as possible was the best choice for now.

With the Gryphon’s speed, Toby was confident he could break through the defenses, shake off the current Magical Creatures, and reach his target.

Once he reclaimed the territory seized by the Extreme Resentment Thoughts, then the Magical Creatures lurking in the Void and these frightening disasters would no longer be obstacles to him but rather aids instead.

Inside the House of the Heart, Toby had experienced multiple occasions where he ignored the pursuit of powerful Magical Creatures and directly seized his objectives. This was precisely why Toby was resolute in his choice now.

Instead of confronting unknown calamities head-on, he would bypass them, abandon them, and prioritize achieving his goal first.

So Toby acted accordingly. Initially, everything unfolded as he had envisioned. The dense swarm of Magical Creatures could not hinder him at all. Relying on space-burning flames and his extraordinary speed, Toby quickly broke through the obstacles and raced toward his ultimate destination.

However, unforeseen changes still emerged.

From the massive whirlpool that had previously been unseen, a colossal shadow slowly crawled forth. It appeared as another Magical Creature, yet its form was unprecedentedly large, emitting a power that far surpassed anything the other Magical Creatures could muster!

More crucially, this Magical Creature was incredibly fast – faster even than Toby’s Gryphon form!

Although Toby had already surged a great distance ahead, in the blink of an eye, the creature caught up with him and blocked his path.

Staring at the gigantic shadow obstructing his way, Toby’s gaze grew intensely serious.

The shadow was still faintly veiled by Mist, yet the aura it exuded was already so strong that even in Gryphon form, Toby felt a flicker of trepidation.

Its speed was astonishing too, indicating that Toby was likely facing a terrifying Magical Creature of strength comparable to his own – one he could not outpace and must confront.

"Where on earth did this Magical Creature come from?" Toby felt as though a shadow had cast over his mind.

Why had he never encountered this Magical Creature in over a hundred experiences within the House of the Heart? Could this be a hidden trump card of the Extreme Resentment Thoughts?

But upon recalling what Angel had said before – that the Extreme Resentment Thoughts were prevented from entering the Wilderness of Dreams – it didn’t make sense, as the Extreme Resentment Thoughts shouldn’t even know what had happened in the House of the Heart.

So what exactly was going on?

Whatever the answer might be, Toby understood that he had no choice but to battle this unknown creature, and this fight could very well determine whether he could successfully weather this calamity.

As Toby set aside his confusion and prepared to exert his fullest effort in this "unknown battle," the Mist surrounding the shadow slowly dissipated.

When Toby caught a full glimpse of the shadow’s true form, he suddenly froze.

He’d been pondering all along – who was this enormous creature, and why had it never appeared in the House of the Heart before? Now, the answer was finally revealed—

It wasn’t that Toby hadn’t seen it before, but rather he had fallen into a mental trap.

Every time Toby entered the House of the Heart, the first thing he saw wasn’t some chaotic trap or a torrent of negative emotions. Instead, he always encountered... a slimy, large-winged, blood-patterned python!

Its academic name: Snake Bird!

Toby was well aware that the Snake Bird represented the form he would acquire after defeating the Extreme Resentment Thoughts. Thus, he had naturally assumed that the Extreme Resentment Thoughts’ form within the House of the Heart was the Snake Bird.

While inside the House of the Heart, the Snake Bird was initially situated in the Void, so Toby had never found anything abnormal. But during the real calamity, when he hadn’t seen the Snake Bird, he had assumed it would appear at the final target.

Yet what he hadn’t expected was that the Snake Bird had emerged from the whirlpool instead?!

Yes, the so-called "powerful unknown creature" that had unsettled Toby earlier was none other than—the Snake Bird.

The blood-colored patterns, the black wings tipped with crimson, and those scales Toby had torn off countless times in the House of the Heart all unmistakably confirmed its identity.

"So it’s... you." The taut string of tension in Toby’s heart finally loosened.

If it had been any other Magical Creature, he would have been highly vigilant. But if it was the Snake Bird, he could relax. It wasn’t because the Snake Bird lacked power – its strength was undeniable. However, Toby had been beaten by the Snake Bird at least seventy or eighty times within the House of the Heart and had hovered on the brink of death repeatedly. Having cycled through "Samsara" that many times, if Toby still had no experience combatting the Snake Bird, he wouldn’t have been able to forgive himself.

Toby was confident in his ability to defeat the Snake Bird. This confidence stemmed from the House of the Heart’s most recent twenty-plus encounters, during which he had exacted revenge and toyed with the Snake Bird in countless ways, triumphing every time.

With such assurance in hand, what was there to fear?

The shift in Toby’s emotions was instantly sensed by the Extreme Resentment Thoughts. Moments ago, Toby had been fearful, fleeing, and trembling. Why, upon recognizing the embodiment of the Snake Bird’s power, did he suddenly lose all fear and even seem... eager?

The Extreme Resentment Thoughts knew nothing of these inner dynamics, but they had faith in the Snake Bird’s strength. Even if Toby transformed into a Gryphon, the Snake Bird’s power remained firmly superior.

Underestimating the opponent would inevitably lead to swift defeat!

Yet the gap between ideal and reality was vast. Toby dared to belittle the Snake Bird because he had good reason. Facing the Snake Bird, Toby unleashed his cunning.

He had innumerable ways to defeat the Snake Bird, and he opted for the most effortless path.

—To show outward contempt for his adversary.

The Snake Bird’s true name was "Jealous Snake Bird," which actually signified its nature—highly susceptible to provocation. After dying countless times, Toby had distilled a truth: outward disdain paired with inward tactical precision was the key.

Sure enough, after the Snake Bird failed to even graze Toby several times, and Toby continued to display a relaxed demeanor, occasionally casting contemptuous looks without saying a single word, the Snake Bird’s previously dormant emotions began to churn violently.

In an instant, the Snake Bird’s eyes turned fiery red – the fury of humiliation combined with the envy of Toby’s easy mastery overshadowed its rationality entirely.

Once it entered a state of emotional eruption, the Snake Bird’s power surged, but its tactical prowess plunged. Its attacks became straightforward and direct, allowing Toby to easily predict and evade them while stealthily dismantling its scales piece by piece.

Throughout this process, blinded by its rage, the Snake Bird failed to notice the faint stinging pain from its scales being pried away.

As for Toby, each time he dislodged a scale, he released a small burst of fire within.

Though the flames were minute, even a raging inferno starts with a single spark.

When the time was right, the roaring blaze would become the Snake Bird’s funeral song.