Chapter 534 ·Authority of Emotion
Chapter 534: Authority of Emotion
The lush leaves on the Witch’s Tree represented all the witchcraft Janna had mastered so far.
Thanks to the abundance of witchcraft stored within the White Tower, combined with the vast amount of Skill EXP Janna had accumulated recently, her reserves of witchcraft had increased tremendously in one leap.
Thus, when Janna looked at the luxuriant leaves of the Witch’s Tree, even she felt a flicker of astonishment. After taking in the fruits of her recent efforts, she separated a tendril of consciousness and connected it to the pink fruit that symbolized the 【Fragment of the Law of Beauty】.
【Authority of Beauty:
① Beauty of Appearance: Flesh fades, yet beauty endures; every smile is transcendent.
② Beauty of Art: With sound, move the heart; with celestial artistry, engrave eternal beauty.
Authority of Emotion:
Weave the web of desire within the soul, using emotion as the thread.】
“Indeed, this time the promotion of the 【Law Fragment】 also allowed the 【Fragment of the Law of Beauty】 to gain a new authority. It’s just—”
Staring at the brief description under 【Authority of Emotion】, Janna couldn’t help but feel that it resembled something that belonged to the 【Law of Love】. After all, when it came to bewitching the soul, no one could surpass the Abyssal Succubus, favored by the 【Law of Love】 itself.
“Knock, knock, knock—”
A sudden tapping sound came from outside the window. The Celestial Sparrow, looking a little disheveled, finally returned to Janna’s dormitory.
“Master, I’ve successfully sent that witch home. Everything went rather smoothly—except that she nearly threw up on me———…”
Seeing that the dormitory window wasn’t locked, the Celestial Sparrow deftly opened it and flew to the small table by Janna’s bed, grumbling endlessly as it began to complain.
Seeing this, Janna withdrew her consciousness from the Sea of Souls, the corners of her lips curling slightly as she looked at the bird with an amused glint in her eyes.
“Aph—.”
“What is it, Master?”
“Look at me.”
Upon hearing this, the Celestial Sparrow, still panting slightly from its long flight, lifted its head in obedience and met Janna’s gaze.
In the next instant, the moment its eyes met hers, its body shuddered as though struck by lightning. Its bird-like expression went blank and dazed.
“Aph, how do you feel right now?”
“I———”
The Celestial Sparrow froze for a second before slowly turning its gaze toward the green cactus at the head of the bed.
“Master, I think… I’m in love. I think I’ve fallen for this beautiful green plant.”
As it spoke, the Celestial Sparrow trotted on its short legs to the cactus and began circling around it affectionately.
“And now?”
Watching the bird’s lovestruck behavior, Janna’s originally black-and-white eyes were gradually veiled in a faint bluish mist that spread gently through the air.
“I… I suddenly feel so sad. Why was I born a bird? Birds and plants can never be together——…”
Just moments ago it had been love at first sight, and now, in the blink of an eye, the Celestial Sparrow had become a pitiful creature heartbroken by impossible love, sitting on the floor and weeping uncontrollably.
“So this is the power of emotion…”
For the first time, Janna had successfully tested the 【Authority of Emotion】 on the Celestial Sparrow. Seeing it swing between laughter and tears, she felt a twinge of guilt—but also deep awe toward the mysterious might of this new power.
After years of nurturing and several evolutions, the Celestial Sparrow was no longer the naïve low-rank Spirit of Holy Light it once was.
Not only had its magic power increased substantially, but its Spirit Power and Soul Strength had also advanced accordingly.
Yet even so, under Janna’s most rudimentary use of the 【Authority of Emotion】, it still fell effortlessly into her emotional trap, showing no sign of regaining its senses.
“Besides the inherent power of the 【Authority of Emotion】 itself, the Celestial Sparrow’s lack of guard against me must be one of the main reasons the experiment succeeded—”
At this point, feeling slightly guilty, Janna stopped manipulating the bird’s emotions.
“Aph, are you alright?”
“Master—I——”
Although Janna had ceased using the 【Authority of Emotion】, the lingering emotional aftereffects had not fully dissipated. The Celestial Sparrow just sat blankly on the floor, its eyes dull as it glanced between the cactus and Janna.
“Sorry, Aph. I used you for a small witchcraft experiment and may have gone a bit overboard—this is my compensation.”
As she spoke, a Light Elemental Essence radiating pure brilliance appeared in Janna’s palm. She handed it toward the Celestial Sparrow.
“Aph is fine… thank you for your generosity, Master——”
The Celestial Sparrow looked at the exquisite Light Elemental Essence—something it had once treasured above all else—but for some reason, it felt no joy at all. Instead, it felt as if something had been quietly taken from its heart, leaving it hollow and adrift.
“Master… Aph has a request—”
“Speak. As long as I can do it, I’ll grant it.”
Upon hearing that, a spark of light returned to the Celestial Sparrow’s previously vacant eyes.
“Master, could you give this plant to Aph? Aph wishes to take it back to Heavenly Mountain.”
“Eh—”
Seeing the earnest look on the bird’s face, Janna gained a clearer understanding of the overwhelming power behind the 【Authority of Emotion】.
“I’ve clearly lifted the emotional control… so why hasn’t it returned to normal?”
After confirming once again that she had indeed stopped using the 【Authority of Emotion】, Janna’s gaze focused intently on the small eyes of the Celestial Sparrow.
“It seems my understanding of the 【Authority of Emotion】 was still mistaken. Even at its most basic level, the power of a 【Law】 cannot be compared to ordinary mind-control witchcraft.”
When she had used witchcraft like 【Mental Charm】 in the past, once its duration expired, the affected subject would naturally regain their senses—and often even forget the incident entirely.
But the power of the 【Authority of Emotion】 was completely different. Those influenced did not lose the memory of their emotional state—in fact, the emotional residue continued to linger, persisting until time itself wore it away.
“Master—if you agree, Aph is willing to give up the elemental essence.”
Perhaps Janna had been staring for too long; the Celestial Sparrow, unable to guess her thoughts, simply assumed she didn’t want it to take the cactus away.
Normally, the bird would never go against Janna’s will—but this time, it insisted, even willing to give up its beloved Light Elemental Essence.