The Queen of Scrolls never admits defeat

Chapter 704 Dream World 42
"Teacher Martina~" Moran sat up helplessly, her newly grown gray-white hair cascading down like a waterfall.

She reached up and brushed the strands of hair that were stuck to her cheek, revealing her pure black eyes. "I don't think I've introduced my name to you yet... My name is Moran."

Martina tapped the edge of the coffin impatiently with her stone cane, making a dull thud: "Alright, little monster, you can come out now."

She turned and walked down the altar, her cloak rustling as it dragged across the stone pavement: "Don't dawdle, you're already late for your first lesson in shadow magic."

Moran leaped lightly out of the stone coffin and was surprised to find that she landed almost without making a sound.

The Shadow Clan's body was even lighter than she had imagined.

"Focus your attention and draw upon the power of shadow within you, bring your shadow to life, and take you to the world of shadows..." Martina's voice echoed, "Remember, the shadow is not a tool; it is a part of you!"

Moran ignored the Shadow Clan's racial core in his mental sea and didn't use the Shadow Hunter job invitation. He simply closed his eyes, converted his magic into shadow power, and felt the pulse of the shadow beneath his feet.

Suddenly, a strange feeling welled up inside me; her shadow was “breathing,” as if a second heart was beating.

When she opened her eyes again, she was surprised to find that her shadow had detached from the ground, floating around her like a black flag. The shadow reached out to her, its movements even more fluid and natural than her own.

“Very good,” Martina said, a rare look of approval on her face. “Now, let it take you into the Shadow Realm. Remember, the first time might be a little…”

Before she could finish speaking, Moran's shadow suddenly opened its arms, enveloping her like a cloak.

The world lost its color and sound in an instant, and Moran felt himself melting, turning into a pure darkness.

When her senses returned, she found herself standing in a world entirely made of shadows.

Everything here is black and white; objects from the real world appear as translucent outlines.

The square in the Shadow World was bustling with activity, filled with bizarre shadow creatures, bouncing and splitting shadow balls, slender black shadows swaying like seaweed, and Shadow Clan children constantly practicing shadow walking and creating their own shadow pets.

"Welcome to the Shadow Realm, newbie," Martina's voice suddenly came from the side.

Teacher Martina, draped in a black cloak, and she, shrouded in shadow, looked almost identical; Moran recognized her at a glance.

“Now, try taking a step. Remember, here you move not with your legs… but with your will!” Martina finished speaking and suddenly turned into a wisp of black smoke, instantly appearing ten steps away.

Willpower... Moran knew it all too well.

She looked down at herself; her "body" was now completely enveloped in flowing shadows, like a tailor-made black dress.

Moran has discovered that the power of shadow is the key to "activating" the shadow.

She maintained a steady input of shadow power and also slightly mobilized her mental energy to clearly convey the thought of "moving forward" to her shadow.

The darkness beneath her feet responded immediately, pushing her silently toward Teacher Martina.

The feeling was wonderful, like floating on water or walking on clouds.

"My sister's shadow is so beautiful! Can I have some to play with?"

A Shadow Clan child suddenly emerged from the darkness at her feet, a sly smile on his pale face.

Before Moran could respond, the little guy's hand had already reached out to the edge of her shadow, making a grabbing motion.

Moran instinctively tightened his shadow, and the flowing darkness instantly solidified.

The child's hand grasped at empty air. Confused, he tried a few more times, finally staring wide-eyed in surprise: "Why can't I grab it?"

"Dani! Are you sure you can do it? Let me do it!" Another child jumped out of the shadows, this time a little girl with pigtails.

She tried to tear a piece off Moran's shadow with both hands, but failed again.

"Huh?" The little girl looked up in disbelief. "Sister, is this really your first time trying to walk in the shadows?"

In the blink of an eye, four or five dusty little heads popped out from all directions, each pair of eyes sparkling with curiosity. Like a group of kittens who had discovered a new toy, they eagerly circled Moran's shadow.

"Go make trouble somewhere else!"

Martina's stone cane shadow suddenly descended from the sky, striking each little one precisely on the head with a dull "thump, thump".

"Ah! Grandma Martina!" The children scattered in all directions.

Martina turned to Moran: "Next, I'll teach you something practical... how to steal from someone else's shadow. Those little guys who tried to steal your shadow just now, remember that? Go! Remember the key—your will is the law of the shadow! If your will is stronger than theirs, you can grab their shadow!"

Moran finally understood why the children were surprised.

Without deliberate control, her shadow should be like soft clay, but after she mobilized her mental power to strengthen the effect of her "protection" will, her shadow became as inseparable as steel that had been forged through countless trials.

This realization caused a dangerous smile to appear on her lips.

Now, it's her turn to "visit" the shadows of those little troublemakers...

Beneath his feet, the shadowless stone spread out into a complete sea of ​​shadows. Moran easily concealed himself within these shadows and quietly slid to the vicinity of the children from before.

They huddled together, discussing their recent failure.

"That new older sister is so strange..."

"Her shadow is as stiff as Grandma Martina's!"

"Do you want to try again?"

……

The first to suffer was a little girl named Dani. She pouted and drew circles on the ground with her little hands in frustration.

"Gotcha~" Moran quietly emerged from the edge of her shadow, and with a gentle flick of her finger, a piece was missing from the little girl's skirt shadow, as if a corner had been cut off by invisible scissors.

"Oh!" Dani jumped up in surprise, frantically patting her skirt. "My skirt! The shadow on my skirt has a hole!!"

The other children, hearing the noise, gathered around and exclaimed in surprise, all talking at once:
"It's that new adventurer sister!"

"How could she steal shadows?"

"That's not fair! She just came out of the altar!"

Moran looked at his "masterpiece" with delight.

The stolen shadow was flowing in her palm, like a piece of soft black silk.

She deliberately twirled it between her fingers, making the children stare wide-eyed in amazement and envy.

"Want to go back?" She brandished the shadow fragment in her hand, mimicking Martina's sinister tone. "Will you dare to grab someone else's shadow again next time?"