Chapter 1590 Exhaustion <TOC> Chapter 1592 Sinful Monster Laboratory
Translator: SumTLMan
Here was a young girl dressed in a magician’s uniform.
Sporting a tall hat adorned with black and white stripes, her pink tresses spilled through the gaps in her hat, cascading onto a white fur shawl that rested on her shoulders. The snug black magician’s uniform was lined with white lace, topped off with a vivid red plaid bow tie — evoking a theatrical, almost circus-like style.
The girl’s face was strikingly beautiful, but what set her apart was a cross symbol drawn just beneath her eyes, adding a playful allure to her beauty.
A young girl who exudes both the allure of a uniform and the youthful coquettishness — she should be quite popular, shouldn’t she? Gloria pondered.
Could this be Angel bringing his young paramour to meet the parents, or perhaps… Sanders?
At first, Gloria looked skeptical when she saw Shirley, but now her expression shifted to one of prying curiosity.
However, before Gloria could voice her musings, Angel quickly interjected, “You should know who she is. So spare me the sarcastic remarks.”
Reading Gloria’s expression, Angel sensed what she was about to say and cut her off in an act of well-timed prevention, so her words wouldn’t twist the meaning of things.
Gloria’s expression froze momentarily. A few seconds later, she scoffed and muttered, “You’re as dull as your mentor.”
Gloria was naturally familiar with this young girl. A recent incident had become the talk of Sky Mechanical City; rumors had it that an apprentice nearly flooded the main district of the city. If nothing else had intervened, the instigator of that uproar would undoubtedly be the seemingly innocent girl standing before them.
From what Gloria had gathered, not only was this girl incorrigible and audacious, but she was also rumored to have an incredibly powerful background, strong enough to brush aside the authorities of Sky Mechanical City.
“Her name is Shirley, and she’s the apprentice of the Water Ripple Witch,” Angel disclosed to Gloria directly.
Then, Angel turned to Shirley and said, “As for this woman who looks quite slender, she’s Gloria. You surely must be familiar with this name, right?”
Gloria? Shirley had naturally heard the name, a pinnacle figure among gourmet wizards. However, the Gloria she remembered seeing in magazines didn’t seem to have this physique. After all, Gloria’s nickname was “Diamond Barbie!”
As Shirley wondered if the woman in front of her was indeed the famed “Diamond Barbie,” Gloria shot Angel a glare. “What do you mean ‘looks quite slender’? I am thin — starvingly thin! I don’t know what’s wrong with this body; it just won’t gain weight, which is a total disservice to all the delicious food I make.”
In Gloria’s mind, not gaining weight meant lacking any aesthetic appeal. She missed her original body, which had unfortunately become trapped in the Nightmare Plane.
Upon hearing this, Shirley immediately understood that the woman in front of her was indeed the gourmet wizard she had been contemplating.
With that thought, Shirley promptly walked over, arching her eyebrows and greeting Gloria ingratiatingly.
Accompanying Shirley was a teapot adorned with rose patterns. As it made a “clang-clang” noise, a small otter residing inside the teapot peeked out, revealing half its body and greeting Gloria with folded hands.
Shirley’s flattery, if placed on anyone else, would come off as greasy or overly fawning. But paired with her circus magician attire, exaggerated expressions, and formal bowing, it was something Gloria didn’t find distasteful.
Gloria was pleased with Shirley’s attempts to curry favor. For one, although Gloria knew Shirley was somewhat unruly, she had a soft spot for rebellious youngsters. Secondly, Shirley’s mentor——the Water Ripple Witch Farina, was a figure that every wizard would love to be on good terms with. So building a relationship with Shirley was ultimately not a bad thing.
However, Gloria was still a bit puzzled. What was Angel’s reason for bringing Shirley here?
Without any reservation, Gloria openly voiced her question: “Shirley is indeed adorable, but why did you bring her here? Could it be…”
Gloria let her words trail off, but her teasing, suggestive gaze made her implications crystal clear.
Shirley was equally puzzled by this question. Last time, Angel took the initiative to ask for her contact information, which was strange enough. Shirley initially thought Angel wanted to take revenge on her, but Angel never ended up contacting her at all.
She had also heard that Angel was a special judge, so she thought Angel might be setting a trap for her through the judging process. As it turned out, Angel never showed up to watch her competition from start to finish.
Shirley was extremely curious. What exactly did Angel mean? Could it really be, as Gloria suggested, that Angel had feelings for her?
Angel couldn’t be bothered to respond and gestured to a drowsy Toby at his side.
Toby immediately took flight toward Angel, landing on Angel’s palm. He muttered a few discontented phrases, the meaning of which was unclear, but Angel could make out that it was probably a complaint along the lines of “Gloria is being too harsh on him.”
Angel gently stroked Toby’s feathers. Then, amidst Gloria’s puzzled gaze, Angel turned to Shirley: “Can you now perceive the emotional field emanating from him?”
Upon seeing Toby, Shirley’s expression froze for a moment. The reason she had gotten involved with Angel in the first place was because she had a momentary lapse in judgment and tried to steal something from Angel’s pocket, only to discover later that it was Toby. Furthermore, knowing that Toby’s abilities are comparable to those of a formal wizard, Shirley now felt a lingering apprehension every time she saw Toby, or even birds of a similar type.
After hearing Angel’s question, Shirley paused for a considerable amount of time before responding, “I can.”
Catching this from the corner of his eye, Angel glanced at Gloria. Although Gloria had been puzzled, her eyes narrowed suddenly when she heard Shirley’s response.
“So what kind of emotional field is it?” Angel asked.
Closing her eyes, Shirley pressed a hand against her hat, the brim of which shielded her eyes, as if in deep contemplation.
After a while, Shirley adjusted her hat and said, “It’s mostly the same as what I sensed last time, although there are slight differences.”
“What did you sense last time?” The one asking this was no longer Angel, but Gloria.
Shirley: “Resentment, malice, madness, anger… and jealousy.”
A glint flashed in Gloria’s eyes. She and Angel couldn’t sense any Tribulation of Resentment within Toby, yet Shirley could?
As Gloria was taken aback, Angel inquired, “You say what you sensed this time is slightly different from the last. What’s the difference?”
Shirley hesitated for a moment: “I’m not sure if it’s just my imagination, but the aura of negative emotions seems thicker than before, although it’s not strikingly so. How can I put it…”
Shirley pondered briefly: “It feels as though each time he closes his eyes, that sensation intensifies a bit.”
Angel and Gloria exchanged a glance, as if both had thought of something.
Gloria stepped forward and sharply patted Toby’s head. The drowsy Toby instantly opened his eyes wide, shot an annoyed look at Gloria, and then flew indignantly to Angel, chirping as if to complain.
“And now?” Gloria asked.
Shirley: “It’s weaker than before.”
An understanding dawned in Gloria’s heart. Every time Toby closed his eyes, he moved a step closer to sleep and, consequently, a step closer to the Tribulation of Resentment in his dreams. Hence, the emotional aura that Shirley sensed became denser. Once he woke up, that sensation lightened.
Gloria couldn’t help but look at Shirley: “Your sensitivity to emotions is remarkably keen.”
This was no longer just “sensing emotions”; it could even be described as a special talent or ability.
Shirley removed her hat and held it to her chest in a gesture of salute: “On the stage, it’s crucial to perceive shifts in the audience’s mood. That’s what makes for a professional magician.”
Gloria gave Shirley a penetrating look, then turned her eyes to Angel. She employed a third level spell, “Mental Link,” to connect with Angel.
Communicating via a mental link, Angel quietly said to Gloria, “Did you bring Shirley here for Toby?”
Angel nodded, responding through the same mental connection, “I’ve noticed earlier that Shirley seems highly sensitive to emotional fields. I have this vague intuition that her ability might be of help to Toby.”
Angel paused for a moment, then recounted his initial encounter with Shirley and the subsequent events, including the recent conversation with the Water Ripple Witch, to Gloria.
Upon understanding the full context, Gloria remarked, “Not only do you have this intuition, but I also felt a certain stirring within me.”
The intuition of a wizard is a cryptic premonition that must not be ignored. The fact that both of them had similar feelings suggested that Shirley’s abilities might truly be beneficial for Toby.
“If you’ve brought Shirley here and she’ll be staying for a while, then I’ll conduct some experiments to see if we can find a way to aid Toby through her,” Gloria said, as she was unoccupied at the time and decided to focus her full attention on this matter.
Angel brought Shirley back, naturally hoping that Gloria could assist. After all, the optics of a grown man frequently accompanying Shirley would be somewhat awkward.
Angel said, “I’ll entrust Shirley to you, but while conducting any experiments, try not to put her in mortal danger. I’m not ready to have a falling-out with Water Ripple Witch.”
Gloria waved her hand dismissively, “Don’t worry, I’ve got it under control.”
Shirley sensed that Gloria and Angel were secretly communicating but didn’t know what they were discussing. Nonetheless, she had a feeling that it was likely about her.
In her mind, Shirley sighed, just hoping that she wouldn’t be tormented beyond recognition while here.
As Shirley’s thoughts meandered, Gloria severed the mental link and said to Angel, “Toby probably can’t hold on much longer. You should let him rest for the night, and continue the training tomorrow. As for Shirley, leave her to me.”
Angel nodded and cast a Nightmare Dream Entry spell on Toby. In a state of drowsiness, Toby entered the Wilderness of Dreams.
After watching Toby fall asleep, Angel carefully tucked him into his chest pocket. “I should get going; I haven’t yet completed some follow-up tests on shape-shifting spells,” he said cautiously.
Gloria nodded, “Alright, but don’t forget, you still owe me a Drama Shadow Box.”
After Angel had walked away, Gloria turned her gaze towards Shirley.
Shirley’s expression was filled with circus-like sycophancy, but there was a hint of uneasiness in her eyes.
Smiling, Gloria put her arm around Shirley’s shoulder and leaned in to whisper in her ear: “What was your answer to the question I asked you earlier?”
Just moments before, when Angel was still present, Gloria had surreptitiously sent a private message to Shirley.
It was a question: “After Angel put Toby to sleep, did you feel the emotional field intensify or weaken?”
Upon hearing the message, Shirley immediately tuned in. Now, when Gloria inquired, she replied without hesitation, “There was no change.”
“So, there really was no change,” Gloria mumbled to herself, although she had already suspected as much. She couldn’t help but wonder how Angel had managed to put Toby to sleep without having him enveloped in the Tribulation of Resentment. She knew Angel had some minor tricks with dreams, but even those shouldn’t be enough to suppress the overpowering Tribulation of Resentment, right?
Feeling a bit baffled, Gloria pondered for a moment and then shook her head… Never mind, she thought, Angel wouldn’t harm Toby.
Rather than dwelling on that, it was better to focus on how to utilize Shirley’s Abilities to help Toby overcome the Tribulation of Resentment.
With this thought, Gloria’s gaze returned to Shirley once more.
Chapter 1590 Exhaustion <TOC> Chapter 1592 Sinful Monster Laboratory