The Queen of Scrolls never admits defeat

Chapter 717 Dream World 55
Moran and Liya had just climbed to the middle of the spiral wooden staircase when a fierce argument suddenly broke out above them. Moran quickly grabbed Liya, and the two stopped on the steps, holding their breath to listen.

"My apprentice is a super genius who just came out of the altar and has already mastered shadow walking, shadow jumping, and walking in the light! He's stronger than we were in our youth! He hasn't failed even once!"

Moran listened to the voice filled with pride and found it hard to associate it with Teacher Martina.

“What apprentice can compare to a daughter? My little Leona has never disappointed me since she was a child! No matter how many times she gets injured while practicing magic, she never backs down! She is the most determined little girl in the whole village!” Leona’s voice sounded like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Moran glanced at Liya, whose face was slightly flushed, as if she couldn't believe her mother would praise her like that.

However, the argument upstairs was not over yet.

"My apprentice read through all the books in my collection in just a few hours! Hundreds of books!" Martina's voice rose higher and higher. "The key is that she memorized them all, not a single word!"

"No disciple is as dear as a daughter. My little Lia will secretly infuse me with the power of shadow when I'm sick, will hug me when I'm down, and will work hard silently when I want to beat you..."

"My apprentice tamed an entire tea set on his first attempt at taming a shadow pet! And it only took him a few minutes!"

"Adventurers are all so indifferent!" Leona suddenly raised her voice. "They'll all leave sooner or later, so what's the use of being a genius!"

The air suddenly became quiet for a moment.

Lia also looked at Moran.

"So what!" Martina's voice suddenly deepened, yet carried an undeniable power. "Wherever Moran goes, she's my apprentice. Her shadow magic was taught to her by me, which only brings me honor. Besides, she already paid for it; I don't expect anything in return!"

After saying that, he suddenly changed the subject: "Besides, can you really keep Lia by your side forever? Did you raise her just so she could bring you returns? Children grow up and always have to go out and make their own way in life, just like we did back then, no different from the adventurers who come and go. At least Moran is an adventurer, with several chances to start over, so I don't have to worry about her dying easily. But what about Lina?"

"How is this possible!" Leona screamed as if she had been stepped on a sore spot.

She truly couldn't tolerate her daughter being in danger or getting hurt.

Moran and Liya exchanged a glance and quickened their pace in unison.

When they climbed out of the floor door, the scene they saw was both hilarious and absurd.

Martina and Leona faced each other like two ruffled old cats, one leaning on a stone cane and the other holding an account book, seemingly about to engage in a physical fight.

Their shadows had already become a jumbled mess, and the gold coins on the counter were shaken and scattered all over the floor.

"Mom!" Leah ran over and hugged Leona tightly around the waist. "I won't leave you!"

Moran silently walked to Martina's side and gently supported the teacher's slightly trembling arm. She could sense the complex emotions hidden beneath the old woman's seemingly tough exterior.

Leona's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. Her fingers unconsciously stroked her daughter's braids, but her voice was hoarseer than usual: "What nonsense are you talking about... How can you never leave your mother?"

After saying that, she suddenly turned fiercely to the master and apprentice at the door, the glint of water in her single eye instantly evaporated by anger: "What are you looking at! Get your goods and leave now!" She grabbed a rag from the counter and vigorously wiped away non-existent dust, "If you don't leave, I'll charge you a reservation fee!"

Martina's stone cane thudded to the ground: "Fine, I'll go." She turned and stepped out the door, her black cloak drawing a sharp arc behind her.

But the old woman stopped abruptly the moment she stepped across the threshold.

The lamplight cast her shadow long, long. She didn't turn around; she simply tapped lightly on the doorframe with her stone cane.

"Hey, old man."

“…What?” Leona’s voice was muffled.

Martina looked up at the light filtering through the cracks in the cave ceiling: "Stop crying." Her voice was unusually gentle, and her figure appeared particularly thin in the light, yet inexplicably resilient: "Since we were able to come back alive from the exploration zone... we'll pass on all our skills to the children. They're stronger than us, so nothing will really happen to them."

The entire shop suddenly fell silent, and the lantern on the counter crackled softly, its light illuminating Leona's stunned expression.

"...Who's crying!" Leona suddenly grabbed a jar containing subterranean worms and threatened to smash it. "Get out of here!"

But her shadow betrayed its master, secretly wiping the corner of her eye on the wall.

Martina chuckled softly and stepped forward with a stone-carved foot.

Moran quickly followed, and heard Lia's clear voice calling from behind: "Moran, when are you going to tame other shadow pets? I want to go and see and learn!"

"You dare!" Leona roared, her voice booming. "You'd better tame your white-spotted worm shadow first! Be careful not to take too big a step and hurt your head!"

The night breeze carried the fading sounds of the mother and daughter arguing, and Martina's lips curled into a slight smile.

Those anxieties about separation and growth have now transformed into firm steps. After all, they were just like that back then, stumbling and falling, but under the guidance of their parents and relatives, they gained strength and ventured into a wider world, and were fortunate enough to return to their hometown to retire.

"Teacher..." Moran suddenly spoke softly, "Were you afraid when you first went to the exploration area?"

Martina paused slightly, then gave a short laugh: “Afraid? Of course I’m afraid. Leona and I traveled together. On our first night out, we huddled together in the shadows, trembling, and didn’t sleep a wink! But we later discovered that the lessons we had learned had laid a solid foundation for us. We already had the power to protect ourselves; all we needed was a little more caution and courage.”

Moran nodded in agreement, but remembering what she had heard before, she couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, if I leave in the future, will you be sad?"

“Silly child…” Martina’s voice seemed to come from a great distance, “Do you think we old folks really care whether you come back or not? The legacy of Shadow Village has never been about confining you to this little village. What we want is for you to go to places we’ve never been before. So as long as you’re strong enough, go! Little monster! I know that with your abilities, it won’t be long before I have nothing left to teach you.”

Moran suddenly laughed: "Then I'd better work hard and try to reach the depths of the exploration zone!"

“That’s more like it!” Martina laughed heartily.