Chapter 688 – Dreamweaver World 26

Only after Old Groot grudgingly adjusted his prices back to normal levels did Mo Lan finally place her order with satisfaction.

She cleared out nearly all of Old Groot’s skill book inventory—from 《Canary Transfiguration》 to 《Maidenhair Fern Transfiguration》, and she didn’t even pass on the 《Forest Warden Class Invitation》. She couldn’t have cared less how many of them were shapeshifting magic skill books with similar forms.

Old Groot muttered under his breath while counting his dream coins: “Titmouse Transfiguration and Canary Transfiguration, Ghost Cat and White Cat Transfiguration—they’re practically the same. Master one and that’s enough… Why waste your money learning so many?”

Mo Lan shot him a look of amused surprise—so he actually had moments where he felt bad about her wasting money!

But she had her own plans.

What she truly pursued was never any specific set of transformation skills, but rather the Natural Shapeshifting magic hidden behind countless transformation techniques.

In her view, each transformation skill was like a piece of a puzzle. Only by collecting enough pieces could one assemble the complete magical picture.

There were far too many species of flora and fauna, and the ecology of every world differed. Mo Lan couldn’t possibly learn every single transformation, but as long as she grasped the fundamental principles of Natural Shapeshifting magic, she could quickly learn the transformations of any world’s native plants and animals in the future. That was what she truly wanted.

The highest level of Transfiguration was never mere imitation of form—it was understanding and resonance with the very essence of life.

Walking back to the inn, Mo Lan was already planning her upcoming study schedule.

Using real-world time as her baseline, she couldn’t enter the dream realm during the day, which was perfect for studying the skill books she’d bought. She would dedicate every night’s time in the dream realm entirely to attending the transformation classes taught by the village’s various Instructors.

Animal transformation skill books were placed at the top of her study list. Mo Lan planned to wait until she’d mastered most animal transformations before using that 《Forest Warden Class Invitation》 to change her class to Forest Warden and systematically study the plant transformation system.

Animal transformation and plant transformation together formed the complete Natural Shapeshifting magic. Mo Lan’s Mana could be converted into either the power of animal transformation or the power of plant transformation—she wasn’t bound by class restrictions.

As for the main quest issued by the Dreamweaver World—”Hunt the Dream-Eating Tapirs”—she set it aside for the time being.

It wasn’t until one morning half a month later, when Mo Lan was flipping through Greenwood Village’s class schedule and discovered that the next three days were all rest days with not a single transformation class available, that she finally began giving the quest serious consideration.

During this period, she had also accomplished quite a bit during her free time between classes.

First was dealing with her real-world finances.

Every day, she would visit the Federation contact point in Greenwood Village to exchange small amounts of dream copper coins—just enough to cover her real-world expenses, not enough to attract anyone’s attention. She looked just like a newcomer adventurer freshly arrived in the dream realm, eager to earn wealth.

These Federation coins quietly flowed into “Sina’s” account, maintaining the appearance of a normal life.

Additionally, Mo Lan would transform into various animal forms to browse the stalls of dream citizens and adventurers in the village, purchasing dream realm materials and other specialties as card-crafting components.

Even a master of transformation among the dream citizens probably hadn’t mastered as many different animal forms as she had. This served excellently to conceal her identity, preventing anyone from linking all the “big spenders” back to a single person.

Among the materials she collected was Dreamwood.

Back in her real-world apartment, she immediately began her preparations.

First, she materialized a {Material Card—Dreamwood} from the Book of Cards. A bundle of wooden sticks gleaming with a pale purple luster appeared neatly on the floor.

Each stick was only as thick as a baby’s forearm, its surface covered in spiral patterns.

“Zhizhi, come here.” Mo Lan called out to the little creature patrolling by the bedside. “Store these in your space, and just keep one in your hands.”

She rubbed Zhizhi’s fuzzy head. “We’re going out to hunt Dream-Eating Tapirs in a bit—follow my lead!”

The moment Zhizhi heard there was fighting to be done, it perked right up.

It deftly stowed the Dreamwood into the spatial pouch at its waist, keeping only one stick gripped in its claws, and stared at her with excitement, awaiting her next command.

Mo Lan took out her broomstick and straddled it.

“Hop on!” Mo Lan patted the broom handle in front of her, where she’d attached a small invisibility cushion for Zhizhi.

Once Zhizhi jumped on, she activated the broom’s full invisibility suite and glided silently out from the balcony.

Only after ascending to roughly a hundred meters above Dream Fulfillment Community did Mo Lan speak to Zhizhi: “Light the Dreamwood. When one burns out, switch to the next.”

Zhizhi immediately tapped the fire elemental gem on its belt. A cluster of orange-red flames leapt forth, instantly igniting the tip of the Dreamwood.

The Dreamwood burned red-hot, shrinking at a slow but even pace, yet producing neither ash nor smoke.

Mo Lan leaned in and sniffed—no scent at all. “I really wonder what kind of nose Dream-Eating Tapirs have…”

She muttered to herself while simultaneously manipulating her elemental force of wind to push the invisible fragrance produced by the burning down toward the buildings below.

According to the knowledge provided by the world consciousness, although Dream-Eating Tapirs couldn’t fly, they possessed astonishing leaping power—capable of vertical jumps up to fifty meters. They could also climb freely across building surfaces and even phase briefly through walls.

Mo Lan deliberately maintained this safe altitude, ensuring that even the most powerful Dream-Eating Tapir couldn’t reach them.

Dream-Eating Tapirs were invisible to the naked eye, but every Explorer’s Key of Dreams would flicker faintly when a Dream-Eating Tapir appeared within ten meters.

At that range, the energy fluctuations emitted by Dream-Eating Tapirs were quite pronounced. Even without being able to see them, one could pinpoint their exact location through energy fluctuations and carry out the kill.

However, Witches who possessed Witch Sight didn’t need to go through such trouble. Records in the Otherworld Archives already explicitly stated that Witch Explorers could see Dream-Eating Tapirs in their energy state.

The elemental force of wind swirling at Mo Lan’s fingertips precisely guided the special fragrance from the burning Dreamwood into every corner of Dream Fulfillment Community.

This scent—detectable only by Dream-Eating Tapirs—flowed like invisible ribbons between the residential buildings, carried by the wind element, winding through the complex.

Sure enough, in less than ten minutes, a writhing mass of grayish-black energy phased out through the wall of the middle building.

Its semi-transparent body squirmed like viscous asphalt, its surface occasionally bubbling up with blister-like protrusions. A proboscis-like appendage nearly half a meter long extended and retracted with nervous, twitching movements, greedily trying to capture the “fragrance” in the air.

The Dream-Eating Tapir seemed completely entranced by the scent of Dreamwood. It rapidly scaled the exterior wall to the rooftop, its flattened body looking especially unnerving under the pink moonlight.