Chapter 704 – Dreamweaver World 42

Chapter 704 – Dreamweaver World 42

“Teacher Matina~” Mo Lan sat up helplessly, her newly grown ash-gray hair cascading down like a waterfall.

She reached up and brushed aside the strands clinging to her cheeks, revealing those pure black eyes. “I don’t think I’ve introduced myself yet… My name is Moira.”

Matina impatiently rapped the edge of the coffin with her stone cane, producing dull thudding sounds. “Alright, little monster, you can come out now.”

She turned and walked down from the altar, her cloak dragging across the stone floor with a rustling sound. “Stop dawdling—you’re already late for your first shadow magic lesson.”

Mo Lan leapt nimbly out of the stone coffin and was surprised to find she made almost no sound upon landing.

The Shadow Tribe’s body was even lighter than she had imagined.

“Focus your attention and channel the Power of Shadow within your body. Make your shadow ‘come alive’ and let it take you to the world of shadows…” Matina’s voice carried over. “Remember, shadow is not a tool—it is a part of you!”

Mo Lan ignored the Shadow Tribe racial core in her mental sea and didn’t use the Shadow Hunter class invitation either. She simply closed her eyes, converted her Mana into the Power of Shadow, and felt the pulse of the shadow beneath her feet.

Suddenly, a strange sensation welled up inside her. Her shadow was “breathing,” like a second heart beating.

When she opened her eyes again, she was astonished to find that her shadow had already detached from the ground and was drifting beside her like a black banner. The shadow reached out a hand toward her, its movements even more fluid and natural than her own.

“Very good,” Matina said, showing a rare look of approval. “Now, let it take you into the Shadow Realm. Remember, the first time might be a bit…”

Before she could finish, Mo Lan’s shadow suddenly spread its arms wide and wrapped around her like a cloak.

The world instantly lost all color and sound. Mo Lan felt herself melting, becoming a wisp of pure darkness.

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

Everything here was black and white. Objects from the real world appeared as semi-transparent outlines.

The plaza in the shadow world was bustling with activity—bizarre shadow creatures everywhere, shadow balls that bounced and constantly split apart, slender dark silhouettes swaying like seaweed… and Shadow Tribe children practicing Shadow Walk and shaping their shadow pets.

“Welcome to the Shadow Realm, rookie.” Matina’s voice suddenly came from nearby.

Draped in her black cloak, Matina didn’t look much different from Mo Lan wrapped in shadows. Mo Lan recognized her at a glance.

“Now, try taking a step. Remember, moving here isn’t done with your legs… but with your will!” As soon as Matina finished speaking, she dissolved into a wisp of black smoke and instantly appeared ten paces away.

Will… Mo Lan couldn’t be more familiar with that.

She looked down at herself. Her “body” was completely wrapped in flowing shadows, like a tailored black gown.

Mo Lan had already figured it out—the Power of Shadow was the key to “activating” shadows.

She maintained a steady flow of the Power of Shadow while also channeling a touch of psychic power, clearly conveying the thought of “forward” to her shadow.

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

The sensation was utterly marvelous—like floating in water, yet also like strolling among the clouds.

“Big sister, your shadow is so pretty! Can I have a piece to play with?”

A Shadow Tribe child suddenly popped up from the darkness at her feet, a mischievous grin on his ash-gray little face.

Before Mo Lan could respond, the little one’s hand was already reaching for the edge of her shadow, making a grabbing motion.

Mo Lan instinctively tightened her shadow, and the flowing darkness solidified in an instant.

The child’s hand grasped at nothing. He tried a few more times in confusion, then stared wide-eyed in bewilderment. “How come I can’t grab it?”

“Dani! Can’t you do it? Let me try!” Another child leapt out from the shadows—a little girl with pigtails this time.

She used both hands, trying to “tear” a piece off Mo Lan’s shadow, but failed just the same.

“Huh?” The little girl looked up in disbelief. “Big sister, is this really your first time trying Shadow Walk?”

In the blink of an eye, four or five dusty little heads popped up from all directions, every pair of eyes sparkling with curiosity. Like a litter of kittens discovering a new toy, they circled Mo Lan’s shadow, eager to have a go.

“Go make trouble somewhere else!”

The shadow of Matina’s stone cane suddenly descended from above, landing precisely on top of each little head with a series of dull thunks.

“Aah! Granny Matina!” The children scattered in all directions.

Matina turned to Mo Lan. “Next, I’ll teach you something practical… how to steal things from other people’s shadows. You remember those little rascals who just tried to steal your shadow, right? Go on then! Remember the key principle—your will is the law of shadows! Overpower the other person’s will, and you can seize their shadow!”

Mo Lan finally understood why those children had been so astonished.

Without deliberate control, a shadow should be like soft clay. But once she channeled psychic power to reinforce her will to “protect,” her shadow became as inseparable as steel tempered a thousand times over.

This realization made the corners of her lips curl into a dangerous arc.

Now it was her turn to go “pay a visit” to those little troublemakers’ shadows…

The shadowstone beneath her feet spread out into a complete sea of shadows. Mo Lan easily concealed herself within them and silently glided over to where those children were gathered.

They were huddled together, discussing their earlier failure.

“That new big sister is so weird…”

“Her shadow is as hard as Granny Matina’s!”

“Should we try again?”

…

The first victim was the little girl called Dani, who was pouting and drawing circles on the ground with her little hand, still unwilling to accept defeat.

“Gotcha~” Mo Lan quietly emerged from the edge of her shadow, gave a light flick of her finger, and a piece of the little girl’s skirt shadow went missing—as if an invisible pair of scissors had snipped away a corner.

“Eek!” Dani jumped in fright and frantically patted her skirt. “My skirt! My skirt’s shadow has a hole in it!!”

The other children crowded around at the commotion, exclaiming in a chorus:

“It’s that new adventurer big sister!”

“How does she already know how to steal shadows?”

“That’s not fair! She just came out of the altar!”

Mo Lan happily admired her handiwork.

The stolen piece of shadow flowed in her palm like a soft piece of black silk.

She deliberately twirled it between her fingers, making the children stare wide-eyed with a mix of alarm and envy.

“Want it back?” She waved the shadow fragment, imitating Matina’s eerie tone. “Will you dare grab other people’s shadows without asking next time?”