Tolaen

Tolaen, known as the Red Devil, is a former Silver Arm wanted criminal whom the Arcane Church recruits after he advances to Beyond Grade A. Brash and eager for recognition, he challenges Floating Dragon only to be defeated by Hila. A later attempt to lure her into an ambush ends with Han Xiao imprisoning him, although the Arcane Church eventually secures his release.

Biography

The Flickering World

Newly promoted and lacking a famous battle record, Tolaen enters the Shattered Star Ring seeking an opponent who can serve as his stepping stone. He chooses Ames, believing her easier to handle than Black Star, but Ames lets her newly advanced student Hila answer the challenge. Tolaen transforms and fights aggressively, only to be gravely injured by the Power of Death and forced to admit defeat. The loss makes Hila famous instead. He remains with the Arcane Church delegation and, despite fearing another encounter, is later assigned to provoke Hila and draw her away from her stronghold for a larger ambush. (Chapters 998–1004, 1007, 1017, 1020, and 1044)

Intelligent Plague and the Association

Tolaen appears on a wide-area channel blazing with Demonfire and challenges Hila, intending to lead her toward Kasuyi and the hidden attackers. When she refuses and orders the fleet to fire, the team launches a forced assault instead. Black Star arrives, overwhelms the attackers, and captures Tolaen, who is sealed in Spacetime Amber and displayed among five Beyond Grade A prisoners. After negotiations and a public apology, the Arcane Church ransoms him; he leaves physically free but deeply afraid of another imprisonment. He subsequently joins the Beyond Grade A Association and is directly present by projection in its deliberations, confirming that his custody has ended rather than becoming his final status. (Chapters 1046–1055, 1059, 1061–1063, 1086–1088, and 1112)

Appearance and personality

In True Liberation, Tolaen becomes a huge red demon-like figure with curled horns, two pairs of bat wings, three jagged tails, bone spurs, dark brown bones, and patterned skin. He is arrogant, provocative, and eager to prove himself, but not wholly reckless: he admits he cannot beat Black Star and knows not to damage Planet Aquamarine. Defeat and confinement leave him fearful, though his habit of speaking whatever he thinks soon returns. (Chapters 998–1001, 1053, 1087, and 1112)

Abilities and class

Tolaen is a Beyond Grade A Mage whose elevated demon bloodline supports transfiguration and melee combat. True Liberation reveals his powerful body, while dark-blue mana, magical circuits, shields, and stacked enhancement spells increase his size, attributes, resistance, and regeneration. His Super Overload talent lets him endure many simultaneous enchantments. Hila's life-corroding Power of Death bypasses his usual staying power, and Han later extracts a copy of Super Overload without removing Tolaen's own ability. (Chapters 1000–1002, 1017, 1053, and 1061–1062)

Relationships

• Hila: Hila defeats Tolaen in her first public Beyond Grade A battle. He later acts as bait in an operation meant to kill her, and their hostile banter continues after his release. (Chapters 999–1003, 1017, 1044–1055, and 1112)
• Han Xiao: Tolaen avoids directly challenging Black Star but attacks his army and is captured by him. Months in Spacetime Amber leave Tolaen visibly terrified of falling into his hands again. (Chapters 999–1000, 1046–1063, and 1086–1087)
• Kasuyi: Kasuyi warns Tolaen not to provoke Black Star and later joins the concealed force behind Tolaen's challenge to Hila, though his cooperation with Han contributes to the ambush's collapse. (Chapters 998 and 1044–1055)
• Sagman: Sagman assigns Tolaen the bait role and directs the failed assault. After Tolaen's release, Sagman welcomes him as a fellow former captive. (Chapters 1044–1055 and 1087)
• Ames: Tolaen initially selects the Dragon Emperor as a supposedly manageable opponent, but she has Hila answer him instead. (Chapters 998–1000)

Items

Tolaen has no named personal item in the supplied inventory. His magical shields and enhancement effects are spells rather than distinct cataloged possessions. (Chapters 1000 and 1053)