Warlock Apprentice

Angor could sense the hot breaths released from the dragon’s head.

The monster had already canceled its aura. But this didn’t help Angor feel any better as he felt his entire body going numb in fear. He watched Toby being dragged away from him but could not do anything.

“Leave—leave him be!”

Squeezing these few words through his chattering teeth almost drained all his remaining stamina.

The dragon only lifted Toby closer to inspect him, without minding Angor’s protest. Apart from violent hunger and confusion, those crimson eyes were beginning to show something else—eagerness, remembrance, and unconcealed disgust.

“The little thing carrieth its scent… but is not ‘it’, nor its infant. It dost contain its emotions within its form… A life weaved by human hands, I wonder?”

Angor could actually understand these cryptic words. He had heard it from Greya that Toby was “cooked” out of the remaining body parts of a powerful monster that contained the monster’s emotions.

If this unknown monster originated from the Abyss Plane, it would explain why Toby enjoyed roaming around this place so much and even claimed that it felt like home.

The dragon must have recognized something in Toby, which was probably the legendary monster from which Toby was born.

“No… This little one is the child of nature. Its birth was not forged or manipulated by foreign force… Or was it?” the dragon muttered as it shook its large head. “Fine. That old abomination loved leaving tricks and traps behind. I shall not meddle with any of its accursed palavers.”

The gentle wind power around Toby disappeared, releasing him from control.

Seeing this, Angor gathered his strength to take a step forward and caught Toby in his hand.

“Pathetic human, have you no idea what this little one is?” the dragon asked a question while giving Angor a curious look.

“*Gasp* He’s Toby…”

“So, ‘Toby’ is its name for the present? How… unamusing. Do you know its true name, human?”

“He is Toby. I don’t know or care otherwise.”

The dragon didn’t seem to mind Angor’s attitude. “Do you plan to keep it with you, human?”

Angor said his answer by shielding Toby closer, in both hands.

“Ha.” The dragon raised its head higher and gazed into an unknown direction.

Angor could no longer feel the dangerous killing intent haunting him. The creature still looked displeased. Mad, even. But thankfully, such enmity was not directed at him.

The dragon’s powerful gaze penetrated great distances and obstacles until it saw a human figure motionlessly waiting at the bottom of a dead sea.

“*Snort* Just so. I was awoken by ‘that’. Not a surprise. Not at all…”

It turned its head around to look at Angor again.

“Human, you will keep holding onto this little one?”

Hearing the same question twice, Angor slowly nodded.

“Will you change your mind if… Say, if I tell you that, what you’re carrying in your hand right now, is the root that drew an unpleasant drove of demons to the Lightless Mountain?”

Toby attracted all those demons to us?? Angor didn’t look convinced. Toby? How?

“You are clueless of the curse inflicted by a Pilgrim of Misfortune?”

Toby has the curse?? 

Angor believed these words because the dragon probably didn’t have a reason to tell such a lie. This explained everything that bothered him and Sunders since the beginning of their journey. The unexpected monsters in the Shaded Cave, the endless demon assaults after they departed from the Overwatch Base, and the inter-plane tunnel failed twice in succession.

“I shall ask again, ignorant worm. Knowing the curse, do you still wish to keep this one with you?”

Angor felt the commanding force of the dragon relentlessly booming in his head and held Toby even closer out of instinct. He would not give Toby up for any reason. They were partners who saved each other’s lives multiple times. It would take more than a deadly curse to separate them.

“Then I shall wish you good luck, even though your ‘luck’ will only haunt you as rotten misery from this momentous point…”

The dragon gave Angor one last thoughtful look and flew away.

As a dominating monster in the Abyss Plane, the dragon found it unnecessary to kill an insignificant human for no apparent reason. The curse on Toby might have drawn it to Angor, but once it discovered the cause of the unpleasant appeal, it would not see its own actions being controlled by the curse.

Lucky for Angor, the curse on Toby somehow lured a monster way too powerful for the curse to fully control. Suppose it was Manjimania who found him today, he would not be so “lucky”.

The Abyssal Dragon, on the other hand, couldn’t care less about Angor’s survival. Though it did choose to spare Angor’s life after it saw Angor cherishing the “little one” so much.

“That old abomination could have left a pawn in this world for a good reason… It will be for the best if I stay away.”

…

Meanwhile, Angor was greatly relieved when he didn’t have to unleash the hidden danger inside him.

He more or less knew why the dragon came and left like that, since the curse of a Pilgrim of Misfortune was definitely potent enough to attract it here.

Nevertheless, he didn’t die, and that mattered.

“Just…”

He looked at Toby, who was still sleeping peacefully in his pocket as if nothing had happened.

He wouldn’t try figuring out how Toby gained the curse because finding the cause wouldn’t help with anything now. He must think of a way to keep both of them safe.

Remaining in the Abyss was absolutely a bad choice. A random half-demon should be enough to catch him off guard and kill him for good. Since that dragon came, he would soon expect more monsters coming his way.

And unlike the dragon, demons probably wouldn’t worry about why they wanted him dead so much.

“How to stay alive?”

No one could answer him. Sunders was unlikely to return when the tunnel was gone. Toby didn’t seem to be waking up any time soon. He only had himself.

Well, unless…

“Great dragon. Is there a way to lift the curse from Toby?” he called loudly toward the dragon’s back, before it fully disappeared from his view.

Of course he didn’t want to get the terrible creature’s attention again if he had other choices, which he did not have.

Staying here alone as a helpless apprentice was sure death. He wanted to take the only other chance that might change his situation, even though it looked extremely risky.

Hearing his voice, the dragon slowly turned its head back. “You wouldst ask me questions, human? Your bravery is commendable.”