Chapter 1590
Chapter 1590: Section 1591 Sharley's Ability
This is a young girl dressed in a magician's uniform.
Wearing a black and white striped top hat, her pink hair cascades down from the gaps of the hat, resting on her white furry shoulder wrap. The form-fitting black magician uniform with a white lace lining, coupled with a brightly colored red checkered bow tie, has a distinct circus flair.
The girl's facial features are also stunningly beautiful; however, beneath her eyes are painted crosses, adding a hint of playfulness to her beauty.
Surely, such a provocatively uniform-clad and youthfully charming girl should be quite popular, right? Greya thought to herself.
Could it be that Angel is bringing home his little lover to meet his family… Sanders?
At first sighting of Sharley, Greya appeared suspicious, but now her expression was tinged with curiosity.
Before Greya could speak, Angel promptly said, “You should know who she is. So, spare the teasing.”
Just by looking at Greya's expression, Angel knew what she wanted to say, and blocking it before she could speak out was most appropriate. Otherwise, as soon as she spoke, the meaning would change.
Greya's expression instantly froze, and after a few seconds, she spat in annoyance, “Just like your mentor, boring.”
Naturally, Greya recognized this young girl. Not long ago, there was an incident in the Sky Mechanical City that made quite the buzz, reportedly involving an apprentice who nearly flooded the main urban area. Without a doubt, the instigator of that incident was the seemingly innocent and adorable girl standing before her.
From what Greya knew, this young girl was not only mischievous but also incredibly audacious, supposedly with a very powerful background to have settled the matter with the officials of the Sky Mechanical City.
“Her name is Sharley, the disciple of the Water Pattern Witch,” Angel disclosed Sharley's identity directly to Greya.
Then, Angel turned to Sharley and said, “As for this slender-looking woman, she is Greya. You wouldn't happen to be unaware of this name, would you?”
Greya? Sharley certainly had heard the name, a towering figure among the Gourmet Sorcerer community, but the Greya she remembered seeing in magazines seemed not to have this physique? After all, Greya was nicknamed “Diamond Barbie”!
While Sharley wondered if the woman before her was really Diamond Barbie, Greya shot Angel a stern look, “What do you mean 'slender-looking'? This is being thin, starvation thin! I don't know what's wrong with this body; it just won't gain weight, which is such a betrayal to all the delicacies I make.”
In Greya's heart, without gaining weight, there was no sense of beauty. She preferred her original body, which unfortunately fell into the Nightmare Realm.
Hearing her words, how could Sharley not realize that the woman in question was indeed the Gourmet Sorcerer she had in mind?
With this in mind, Sharley immediately stepped forward, with a flattering smile on her face.
The rose pattern teapot swirling around Sharley, chiming with a “clang clang” sound, and the little otter living inside the teapot also sneaked a peek by lifting the lid, revealing half its body and clapping its hands to greet Greya.
Sharley's fawning, had it been directed at anyone else, would have been greasy, but matched with her circus-style magician costume, her exaggerated expressions, and her bobbing curtsy, Greya wasn't actually put off.
Greya accepted Sharley's flattery.
First, although Greya knew of Sharley's mischievousness, she nonetheless had a liking for such mischievous children. Second, Sharley's mentor–the Water Pattern Witch Farina–was someone all Witches wanted to ingratiate themselves with, so establishing a good rapport with Sharley was certainly not a bad thing.
Nonetheless, Greya was somewhat puzzled; why had Angel brought Sharley here?
Greya didn't beat around the bush and directly voiced her doubt: “Sharley is indeed cute, but why have you brought her here? Surely not…”
Greya let her thought linger uncompleted, her eyes arching with a playful and suggestive look that was self-explanatory.
This was a question Sharley was also curious about. The last time Angel took her contact information was strange enough. She had thought Angel might want to take revenge, but he never contacted her afterwards.
She also heard that Angel was a special adjudicator and thought he might set a trap for her in the form of judging, but he never showed up throughout her competition.
Sharley was very curious about what Angel really meant. Could it be, as Greya suggested, that he was interested in her?
Angel didn't bother to respond, and instead signaled to Toby, who was nodding off to the side.
Toby immediately spread his wings and flew to Angel, settling on his palm. Muttering indignantly, his grievances weren't clearly expressed, but Angel could tell it was probably about “Greya being too mean to him.”
Angel stroked Toby's feathers, and then, under Greya's puzzled look, Angel turned to Sharley, “Can you feel the emotional force field emanating from it now?”
Sharley's expression tensed when she saw Toby. Her entanglement with Angel began when she coveted something in Angel's chest pocket on a whim, later to find it was Toby. Knowing Toby's strength was on par with an Official Wizard, Sharley now felt anxious whenever she saw Toby or even this type of small seabird.
Hearing Angel's question, Sharley paused for a long time before saying, “I can.”
Angel glanced at Greya with his peripheral vision. While Greya was still puzzled, upon hearing Sharley's answer, Greya's eyes suddenly narrowed.
“Then tell me, what kind of emotional force field is it?” Angel asked.
Sharley closed her eyes, one hand pressing down on her hat, the brim covering her own eyes as if reflecting on something.
After a while, Sharley straightened her hat and said, “It's the same as the last time I sensed it, but with slight differences.”
“What was the sensation last time?” The question now came from Greya, not Angel.
Sharley: “Malignance, malevolence, madness, anger… and envy.”
A glint of comprehension flashed in Greya's eyes. She and Angel had been completely unable to sense the Extreme Resentment Thoughts within Toby, yet Sharley had sensed it?
While Greya was surprised, Angel asked, “You said what you sensed this time was slightly different than before. What's the difference?”
Sharley hesitated: “I'm not sure if it's just my imagination, but I feel that the emotional aura of negativity is denser than before, but it's not too obvious. How should I put it…”
After pondering for a moment, Sharley said: “It seems like every time he closes his eyes, that feeling becomes more intense.”
Angel and Greya exchanged glances, seemingly coming to a realization.
Greya stepped forward and slapped Toby on the head, jolting the drowsy Toby into opening his eyes wide. He looked at Greya with dissatisfaction and then, feeling wronged, flew in front of Angel, chirping as if to complain.
“Now?” Greya asked.
Sharley replied: “It's fainter than before.”
Realization dawned on Greya. Every time Toby closed his eyes, he was a step closer to sleep and a step closer to the Extreme Resentment Thoughts in his dreams, and that's why Sharley would sense a stronger emotional field. But as soon as he woke up, the feeling would fade.
Greya couldn't help looking at Sharley: “Your sensitivity to emotions is quite impressive.”
This was no longer simply “sensing emotions”; it could even be described as a talent or a special ability.
Sharley removed her hat and placed it on her chest in a curtsy: “On the stage, sensing the subtle changes in the audience's mood is a quality of a good Magician.”
Greya took a deep look at Sharley and then turned her gaze to Angel, casting a Third Level Trick “Mind Ribbon,” establishing a connection with Angel.
Through the Mind Ribbon, Greya spoke privately to Angel: “Did you bring Sharley here for Toby?”
Angel nodded and responded through the Mind Ribbon: “I had noticed that Sharley seems to have a strong response to emotional fields. I have this vague intuition that her ability might be able to help Toby.”
Angel paused and then told Greya about their first encounter and everything that happened subsequently, including the recent conversation with the Water Pattern Witch.
After learning about the background, Greya said: “It's not just your intuition; I felt a movement in my heart too.”
A Wizard's intuition is a kind of premonition that cannot be ignored. Since both of them had this feeling, perhaps Sharley's ability could indeed help Toby.
“Now that you've brought Sharley back, and she will be staying here for a while, I'm going to experiment to see if I can find a way to rescue Toby.” Greya, who had been idle recently, decided to focus all her attention on this matter.
Naturally, Angel had brought Sharley hoping that Greya would help, as it would be somewhat awkward for him, a man, to frequently accompany Sharley.
Angel said: “I'll leave Sharley in your care then. However, please try to avoid any experiments that could lead her to her death. After all, I'm not ready to sever ties with the Water Pattern Witch yet.”
Greya waved her hand: “Don't worry, I have a measure of it.”
Sharley could feel that Greya seemed to be secretly communicating with Angel. She didn't know what they were discussing, but she had a feeling it was about her.
Sharley sighed to herself, just hoping that she wouldn't be tortured beyond recognition here.
As Sharley was lost in her thoughts, Greya terminated the Mind Ribbon and said to Angel: “Toby probably can't last much longer, hurry up and let him sleep for the night, then continue training tomorrow. As for Sharley, leave her to me.”
Angel nodded and cast a Nightmare Illusion to help Toby enter the Wilderness of Dreams. In a haze, Toby drifted into slumber.
Watching Toby fall asleep, Angel carefully tucked him into his pocket: “I'm leaving now, there are still some follow-up tests to do on the Shapeshifting Technique.”
Greya nodded: “Alright, but don't forget, you still owe me a drama box.”
After Angel left, Greya turned to Sharley.
Sharley carried an expression of sycophancy typical of the Circus, but her eyes betrayed some anxiety.
Greya smiled, took Sharley by the shoulder, and whispering into her ear, asked: “What's the answer to the question I asked you just now?”
Just seconds before, while Angel was still with them, Greya had stealthily transmitted a private message to Sharley.
It was a question: “After Angel put Toby to sleep, did you feel the emotional field become more intense or fade?”
Upon hearing the whispered question, Sharley immediately focused on sensing, and now when Greya inquired, she replied without hesitation: “No change at all.”
“Indeed, no change.” Although Greya had the answer in her mind, getting Sharley's confirmation still made her mutter to herself, thinking determinedly, Toby must have fallen asleep but wasn't disturbed by the Extreme Resentment Thoughts. How did Angel manage it?
She knew Angel had some minor dream-related tricks up his sleeve, but even with those affecting Toby's dreams, it shouldn't have been possible to suppress the Extreme Resentment Thoughts.
Greya was somewhat baffled. After pondering for a while, she shook her head… Forget it; Angel wouldn't harm Toby.
Instead of dwelling on these questions, she ought to consider how to leverage Sharley's abilities to help Toby conquer the Extreme Resentment Thoughts.
With that thought, Greya focused her gaze anew on Sharley.