Chapter 20: Transfiguration Class
Because the inspiration for witchcraft syllables came from sirens, most of the syllables in witchcraft were modeled after the pronunciation habits of sirens.
Among roughly a thousand syllables, about eighty percent were similar to human pronunciation habits.
The remaining twenty percent were relatively difficult to pronounce, but for Janna, who possessed the [Muscle Control] talent, it wasn’t much of a problem.
Thus, it only took a little over an hour for Janna to memorize all the syllables effortlessly, using her [Exceptional Memory] talent. Then, with the help of [Voice of the Heavens], she trained in pronunciation. What was normally a rather difficult area of study in witchcraft was easily mastered by Janna at the introductory level.
“Quest Panel.”
【Today’s Quest: Learn a Sound-based Witchcraft Spell (Completed);
Quest Reward: 100 Talent EXP, 500 Skill EXP, Comprehension +0.2】
Looking at the quest rewards listed on the Quest Panel, Janna couldn’t help but feel a burst of joy.
“Didn’t expect that this time the reward points would go into Comprehension. Not bad at all.”
Improved Comprehension helped Janna to grasp occult knowledge more quickly.
It was a mysterious and elusive attribute.
Then, out of habit, Janna added the talent EXP to her Soul Projection talent and also brought up her Character Panel.
【Name: Janna Roland
Occupation: First Tier Wizard Apprentice
Class Level: 8
Wizard Talents: Soul Projection (B-level – Upgrade Progress 80%), Plant Affinity (B-level – Upgrade Progress 5%)
Wizard Skills: Contract Summoning (Level 19 – Cannot Upgrade Temporarily), Spirit Summoning (Level 19 – Cannot Upgrade Temporarily), Soul Lash (Level 19 – Cannot Upgrade Temporarily), Vine Bind (Level 19 – Cannot Upgrade Temporarily), Acid Spray (Level 19 – Cannot Upgrade Temporarily), Soul Chain (Level 19 – Cannot Upgrade Temporarily), Siren Chanting (Level 1 – Upgradeable)
Wizard Tricks: Featherlight Spell (Level 10 – Max Level), Flash Spell (Level 10 – Max Level), Cleaning Spell (Level 10 – Max Level)
Constitution: 5.5
Spirit Power: 17.4
Strength: 5.3
Agility: 5.8
Perception: 6.7
Charisma: 9.6
Comprehension: 10.7 (+0.2)
Luck: 7.5】
Seeing the entry 【Siren Chanting (Level 1 – Upgradeable)】 on the Skill Panel, Janna continued to draw from her relatively ample pool of skill points and invested 1,800 Skill EXP into this newly learned spell.
“Whoosh—”
As the glowing light of experience flashed rapidly, the [Siren Chanting] spell was successfully upgraded by Janna to the current level cap—Level 19.
“I command you with my will—Summon, Celestial Finch.”
As a burst of radiant light imbued with sacred aura erupted on the Contract Array, the fluttering-winged Celestial Finch appeared within the glow.
“Aph is at your service—Dear Master, now that you’ve summoned me from the Spirit Realm again, do you have new instructions for me?”
Lightly landing on Janna’s shoulder, the Celestial Finch, already accustomed to being summoned straight into battles, felt somewhat uneasy this time when she realized the summoning had brought her to a dorm room instead.
“Aph, I’ve learned a new spell today. You’ll be my training partner.”
“Uh… Master, I recall you recently bonded with a new elemental spirit. I think that spirit might be more suitable for this task…”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful and won’t hurt you.”
Gently stroking the slightly uneasy little head of the Celestial Finch, Janna preferred her over the low-intelligence Thornflower Sprite, as the Celestial Finch could communicate effectively and provide feedback—undoubtedly a better sparring partner.
“La—— La la——”
As ethereal syllables flowed from Janna’s lips, the enchanting and vibrant voice resembled a call from the ocean’s deepest depths—mysterious and alluring, evoking a sense of entrancement.
“Thud—”
Within just a few breaths, the once bright and lively eyes of the Celestial Finch gradually turned dull and vacant, as if intoxicated, and with a soft thud, she fell straight off Janna’s shoulder onto the lab table.
“Aph, wake up.”
Seeing the Celestial Finch acting like a puppet, Janna ceased her spellcasting and lightly patted the bird’s back, attempting to awaken her.
“Ah! Master, Aph is alright!”
Shaking her head, the Celestial Finch slowly stood up, still a bit dazed as she looked at Janna, now free from the enchantment.
“How did it feel?”
“It felt… amazing. I seemed to fall into the brightest holy light atop the Celestial Mountain, listening to the teachings of the Lord of Light…”
“Seems like you fell into an illusion.”
Listening to the description, Janna nodded in satisfaction, affirming the successful experiment.
With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the Contract Power and returned the Celestial Finch to the Spirit Realm.
“The advantage of [Siren Chanting] is its wide area of effect, but the downside is just as apparent—it attacks indiscriminately… Looks like next time, I’ll have to instruct the summoned creatures to seal their hearing beforehand.”
Glancing at the mechanical clock on the wall, Janna, having completed her spell study, picked up the key notes she had taken during Liji Silks’ lecture yesterday from the bookshelf and began practicing the piece Bloodshadow Rose line by line, following the notes.
“If only I had twenty-four more hours in the day than other witches…”
Taking a sip of water to moisten her dry throat, Janna looked at the fleeting time on the mechanical clock and couldn’t help but let out a heartfelt sigh.
…
“Long time no see, little ones.”
“Good afternoon, Professor Mage.”
Unlike Grace Eva’s sharp androgynous features, Lilith Mage, a seasoned First Tier Wizard, looked more like an elegant and affable noblewoman. Her neatly tied hair and impeccably ironed deep-purple witch robe exuded an air of noble wisdom and intelligence.
“Due to a personal emergency, the Transfiguration class had to be paused for a while. For that, I offer my deepest apologies.”
After speaking, Lilith Mage gave a graceful lady’s curtsey, surprising the apprentices who were long accustomed to the lofty attitude of full-fledged witches.
“Transfiguration is one of the most renowned fields in Occult Studies. Among them, the most famous are the [Five Major Transfiguration Laws of Gump]. If you’ve done any pre-reading, you may have heard of them…”
“First, transfiguration cannot produce an object that doesn’t exist in the material world; second, witches can only transfigure into things they understand; third, no peeking at deities during spellcasting; fourth, food made from stone is not edible; fifth, if you turn into a fish and are not in water, you’ll dry out and die quickly.”
Lilith Mage spoke rapidly and precisely, without dragging between sentences, a pace that easily kept the apprentices’ attention focused on her.
“What an excellent lecturer… I think Professor Mage’s explanations are much more engaging than Professor Uta’s Ancient Magic History class…”