The Queen of Scrolls never admits defeat

"Want to learn from me? One Dream Coin isn't enough, you'll need at least two!"

Martina slammed her fist on the stone table, her thin knuckles turning white. "Groot's Transformation class, no matter how many people teach it, can't compare to me teaching it all by myself! All those so-called Transformation masters combined can't beat me!"

She suddenly leaned closer to Moran, a dangerous glint flashing in her cloudy eyes: "But don't be too happy yet—if you can't learn shadow walking within three days of following me, I'll boil you in a teapot!"

Upon hearing this, the shadow of the teapot in the corner immediately became excited and danced around. The shadow of the spout opened exaggeratedly, made a "whoosh" swallowing motion, and even gestured as if throwing something into its own stomach.

Moran: "..."

Compared to Groot, who always demands exorbitant prices and raises them twenty-five times the initial amount, Martina, who is fierce but only asks for two Dream Crystals, is much "gentler" in business.

At this moment, she finally understood the brilliance of Groot's seemingly nonsensical letter of introduction.

He deliberately belittled Martina, saying her class was "worth at most one Dream Coin," but then "inadvertently" revealed that the transformation class in Greenwood Village cost "two Dream Coins."

This writing style, which subtly criticizes while actually comparing, precisely hit Martina's competitive spirit, prompting her to set the price at "two Dream Coins".

But Martina had no idea that Moran had actually paid Greenwood Village not two Dream Crystals, but a full five!

What's even more ingenious is that Groot left room for maneuver in the letter—he specifically emphasized that "at most one will be accepted, and Greenwood Village only accepted two," which gave Martina room to raise the price and created an opportunity for Moran to "voluntarily raise the price."

This way, Martina will feel like she got a good deal, while Moran can increase her favorability by paying an extra one or two Dream Crystals.

They even figured out Moran's personality, knowing that she might be willing to add one or two Dream Crystals to build a good relationship with Martina, but she would never add too many, making people think that she was really a generous spender.

Ultimately, the tuition Moran paid for Martina would still not exceed the amount he paid to Greenwood Village.

A letter, just a few lines, even the doodles are calculated.

Moran looked at Martina, who was still angry and had torn Groot's letter of introduction to shreds, and suddenly felt a deep respect for old Groot. The old man's ability to manipulate people was simply terrifying.

Moran saw through Groot's scheme but didn't expose it, after all, he was still trying to save her money.

Anyway, apart from Groot, no one knows how much tuition she paid back then.

Moran took out three Dream Crystals from his backpack and said considerately, "Ms. Martina, this is my tuition fee. One-on-one teaching should be a little more expensive than group classes."

Martina's wrinkled eyes twitched slightly, and the corners of her mouth turned up involuntarily.

"Hmph! You have good taste!" Martina swept the crystal coins into her sleeve, her voice filled with undisguised smugness. "Much better than that short-sighted old codger!"

She even stomped her foot, and with her movement, the shadow of the teapot suddenly came to life, floating obsequiously to Moran like a little servant. The shadow of the spout tilted gracefully, pouring Moran a bowl of steaming tea as well.

"Are the items for the race transfer ready?"

Martina suddenly asked, her voice still gruff, but her tone was noticeably gentler than before: "If you don't have it, go to the general store at No. 28 Shadow Street and ask Isaac for it. Just say you're my student, and he'll prepare it for you!" She picked up her teacup and drank it all in one gulp, leaving a few glistening tea stains on the corners of her mouth.

"The Spirit Transformation Clan's physique..." she scoffed, gently poking Moran's arm with her stone cane. "They're good at tending to flowers and plants, but they can't control the power of shadows! Remember to eat well before the transmigration ceremony, or you'll be in for a world of hurt. The Spirit Transformation Clan's physique is so different from our Shadow Clan's."

Moran understood the good intentions in her words and quickly took out the household registration guarantee, the ethnic change ceremony materials, and the Shadow Hunter job invitation letter:

"Ms. Martina, I'm all ready!"

Martina glanced at it: "Hmph, you're quite well prepared!"

Moran clearly saw a hint of satisfaction flash across his eyes.
Just then, Moran's stomach let out a protesting "grumble".

She touched her stomach sheepishly, giving a slightly shy smile: "But I've been traveling for a long time, and I am indeed a little hungry now..."

She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, but her eyes secretly glanced at a black iron stew pot hanging next to the fireplace. The pot looked quite old, but it was very well maintained, and there were many spices on the wooden shelf next to it.

Therefore, she boldly guessed that Martina was probably also a food enthusiast, and this might be an opportunity to get closer to her.

“I have some ingredients I gathered along the way in my backpack,” Moran blinked, her tone sincere with a hint of expectation. “Could I borrow your pot and fire? I can cook something to eat, and…” she paused deliberately, “so you can also try my cooking.”

The flames in the fireplace suddenly crackled and popped, as if expressing their approval.

Martina's shadow on the wall swallowed dramatically, while she herself, with a stern face, waved her hand reluctantly: "Whatever! But if you dare burn my precious pot... I'll use your shadow as a rag!"

Before she could finish speaking, the shadow of the stew pot had already lifted it off the hook and brought it to the fireplace.

Moran's eyes lit up, and she immediately began taking out ingredients.

She plans to use the ingredients she bought in Cuimu Village and combine them with her cooking skills to make something.

First, he carefully took out a bag of blue mushrooms wrapped in leaves, with dew still clinging to their caps: "These are blue pine mushrooms. This kind of mushroom is the most delicious when used in soup."

Next, a piece of dried bacon marinated with herbs was taken out, with red and white marbling dotted with bits of rosemary and thyme.

This is salted meat she made using her own recipe after collecting meat ingredients from the dream world.

Martina's nose twitched involuntarily, and her shadow on the wall stealthily moved closer to sniff.

Finally, a small bag of emerald-colored tree fruit was brought out. The skin was crystal clear, and you could vaguely see the flowing nectar inside.

“These are honey crystal fruits, a specialty of Emerald Wood Village,” Moran said, shaking the bag like a treasure, the fruits clinking together with a crisp sound. “They’re very sweet when eaten raw, but they become a wonderful seasoning when cooked.”

Martina still had a stern face, but her eyes were already glued to the ingredients the girl had taken out. (End of Chapter)