Chapter 77: Elementary Transfiguration
Lilith Mage’s final words were exactly the first two of the Five Major Transfiguration Laws of Gump.
The remaining three were: no peeking at deities while casting; food transfigured from stone must not be eaten; and if you transform into a fish but aren't in water, you’ll quickly dry up and die...
As she mulled over Lilith Mage’s words and looked at the lush vine-type magical plant in the potted plant on the podium, a contemplative glint flickered in Janna's eyes.
“Alright, before you attempt partial transfiguration, I must first explain the casting elements and principles of Elementary Transfiguration. After all, someone among you has already mastered Partial Transfiguration, and I can’t let her progress be delayed because of others...”
As she spoke, everyone couldn’t help but look again toward the front row, where Janna sat upright.
As the only apprentice in the class who had already mastered Partial Transfiguration, it was indeed time for her to begin learning the next stage of witchcraft.
...
“According to Professor Mage’s words, how come I feel like the rest of us in the class are the ones holding back Miss Janna’s progress...”
“You’re not the only one, I got that impression too.”
“But that’s not really our fault...”
“Then whose fault is it? Miss Janna’s?”
“That’s not what I meant...”
...
Hearing the whispers behind her, Janna—who was fully aware of her overwhelming presence—acted as if she heard nothing.
Though she didn't know why Lilith Mage was speaking so highly of her, the spotlight of being publicly labeled a "transfiguration genius" was precisely the kind of momentum Janna had aimed for.
“Unlike Partial Transfiguration, which emphasizes Mental Power, Elementary Transfiguration touches upon the threshold of Soul Conversion. And the soul is microscopic—tangible but formless. It is not a fixed, objective substance, but more like energy: adaptable to any change, any state, transcending the mind, even capable of easily permeating alternate planes and different dimensions—an esoteric form of energy...”
Though it sounded obscure, upon carefully reflecting on each term’s deeper meaning, Janna felt that her experiences of “transmigration” and “rebirth” aligned perfectly with Lilith Mage’s explanation of soul principles.
“But!”
Just as Janna couldn’t help but lower her gaze in thought, Lilith Mage’s suddenly forceful words snapped her attention back to the professor.
“Although soul energy is not bound by space, time, or dimension, once it detaches from its anchor, the spiritual traces within it will rapidly dissipate. Therefore, in theory, once the soul leaves the body, no matter how powerful the mental force, it will gradually fade... Unless, a new anchor appears—one more capable of preserving spiritual traces than the original vessel. But in reality, such things practically don’t exist...”
No, they do exist.
Having experienced transmigration (soul energy permeating through a different dimension), rebirth (soul energy’s adaptive properties), and retention of past-life memories (unharmed preservation of spiritual traces), Janna had personally gone through all of this.
And the reason such an occurrence had happened, she could only attribute entirely to the system—hidden in the form of a tree seed within her soul (the new anchor).
“It is precisely because of the soul’s unique properties that, once the technique is mastered, every witch can use the power of Occultism to guide the soul via Mental Power, achieving self-adaptation. This allows the caster to undergo a complete, thorough transfiguration from the inside out in a short amount of time. This is what’s known as Soul Conversion...”
After finishing her explanation, Lilith Mage didn’t seem intent on allowing anyone time to digest her words.
Instead, she locked eyes with Janna and began demonstrating casting gestures that were far more complex than those of Partial Transfiguration.
“The casting gestures of Elementary Transfiguration are derived from seventeen symbolic hand signs defined within the Occultism field. As for the incantation, it’s composed of twenty-seven syllables drawn from the Soul Domain of Occultism. Neither can be flawed, and the casting speed must also be perfectly synchronized.”
“Gulp gulp—”
Just as Lilith Mage was about to demonstrate the spell, some upper-year apprentices who had already taken the Sensory Link Potion could no longer wait—even though they hadn’t learned Partial Transfiguration yet—and directly gulped down the potion.
“Everchanging Form—”
As the chant ended and her body wriggled, in just an instant, Lilith Mage—who had been standing on the podium—transformed into a majestic giant eagle over two meters tall, its body covered in silver-white feathers.
“This is Elementary Transfiguration. With your current apprentice-level strength, if you transform into a magical creature of the same affinity, you won’t be able to hold the form for more than three minutes... Of course, for a Third Tier Witch Apprentice, maintaining the form for over ten minutes is entirely possible.”
The deep, resonant voice came from the beak of the silver giant eagle.
This magical transformation astonished the students in the classroom, causing many to crane their necks and gaze in amazement at the majestic creature Lilith Mage had become.
“Everchanging Form—”
Another transformation.
This time, the silver eagle on the podium twisted and turned into a lifeless chair. Before anyone could react, the ordinary chair reverted back into Lilith Mage’s refined, elegant middle-aged lady form.
“If you transform into an object without any magical fluctuations, the mana consumption will drastically decrease. For instance, with a Tier-1 apprentice’s mana circuit, the transformation can be maintained for up to fifteen minutes.”
As she spoke, Lilith Mage continued to look at Janna. Receiving such particular attention, Janna also nodded seriously and kept taking notes without pause.
“Alright, you may try it now.”
Upon hearing this, the upper-year students who had taken the Sensory Link Potion were now at the peak of their perception boost.
Surprisingly, under this heightened state, the incantations and gestures that were expected to take multiple failed attempts were successfully executed in just a few tries.
“Getting the incantation and gestures right isn’t enough. The Mental Power that can even deceive yourself—that’s the true key!”
Seeing those upper-year students practicing under the influence of the potion, Lilith Mage couldn’t help but shake her head.
In the end, she still voiced another reminder:
“If you haven’t even mastered Partial Transfiguration, then don’t attempt Elementary Transfiguration. Otherwise, it’s just a waste...”