Chapter 710 – Dreamweaver World 48

“Ordinary people have only one shadow, but a Shadow Hunter’s shadow is like a mother tree — capable of nurturing countless child-shadows while still preserving its most important original shadow.

Remember, cultivating shadow pets must not be rushed. One at a time is best. If you experience physical discomfort or mental disorientation, you must pause and rest immediately.”

The book ended there.

Mo Lan placed it back on the shelf with reluctance, her gaze lingering on the other books lining the shelves.

《Shadow Pet Cultivation Manual》,《One Hundred Ailments Suitable for Shadow Therapy》,《The Art of Shadow Mending》,《How to Raise a Shadow from Nothing》…

Every single one fascinated her. She wanted nothing more than to pull them out and take a look, but unfortunately, Teacher Matina had only said she could read 《Shadow Analysis》 — she hadn’t said whether Mo Lan could touch the others.

Mo Lan knew her boundaries well. Without permission, no matter how badly she wanted to read them, she held herself back.

Just as she was wondering what else she could do in the meantime, the sound of footsteps came thudding from the staircase.

Her heart leapt with joy. She dashed to the stairs in two quick strides and, sure enough, saw Teacher Matina’s figure.

“Teacher!” Mo Lan asked eagerly. “Can I read the other books on the shelf?”

Matina was wearing a pure black sleeping robe, her gray-white hair still dripping with water. Her face, already dark as the bottom of a pot, grew even darker upon hearing those words.

Their bodies weren’t like adventurers’ — immune to dust and grime — so she had planned to take a quick bath before heading back to her room to sleep.

Worried about missing her apprentice’s study time, she had deliberately left a shadow bug in the Second Floor hallway, instructing it to wake her the moment it saw Mo Lan get up.

The result? She had barely stepped into the bathtub when that shadow bug came scurrying over in a panic to report that her dear apprentice had already gotten up and gone downstairs.

She had clearly told the girl to rest properly and restore her Power of Shadow, yet here she was — and upon seeing her teacher come down, she had the audacity to ask for more books!

“Are you done resting?”

Matina squeezed these words out through clenched teeth. The shadow behind her surged violently, twisting against the stone wall into the shape of a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey. “You reckless little brat — do you think depleting your Power of Shadow is some kind of game? Why aren’t you sleeping and resting properly?!”

“Teacher, my Power of Shadow has already fully recovered!” Mo Lan hastily raised her hand, converting the abundant Mana within her body into Power of Shadow. A mass of pitch-black mist appeared above her pale palm. “I just went back to my own world and slept. When I woke up, my Power of Shadow was completely restored.”

She spun this lie without so much as a blush or a skipped heartbeat.

Although residents of the dream realm knew that adventurers came from other worlds, they had no way of knowing that world had no magical energy whatsoever.

This unfalsifiable excuse was her best shield for securing more study time.

Matina’s raging shadow retracted slightly, but her brows remained tightly furrowed. “Then just read 《Shadow Analysis》! Theoretical study has nothing to do with shadow talent — it relies purely on effort and diligence. Don’t try to run before you can walk!”

“Um… Teacher,” Mo Lan interrupted softly, “I’ve already finished reading 《Shadow Analysis》.”

“Finishing and truly understanding are two very different things — wait.” Matina suddenly froze. Her wildly gesticulating shadow went rigid too, as if jammed in place. “Did you say you finished it?”

She stared at the student before her.

She had only taken a quick shower — she’d even skipped her beloved daily herbal bath out of worry that this reckless apprentice might force herself to practice and deplete her Power of Shadow. And yet this little monster had actually finished the entire 《Shadow Analysis》?

“Not only finished it,” Mo Lan decided to come clean, “but memorized it all too.” She tapped her temple lightly with a fingertip, her pure black eyes full of innocence. “Would you like to quiz me?”

For the first time, a blank, stupefied expression appeared on Matina’s wrinkled face. Her shadow suddenly snapped flat against the ground with a sharp slap, like a startled cat.

“How is that possible…” she muttered dryly to herself. The book wasn’t exactly a massive tome, but it certainly wasn’t something that could be read and mastered in such a short time!

She had planned to cover a few chapters per day, expecting to take at least three days to get through it all!

Because it was so unbelievable, she actually did quiz Mo Lan on quite a number of questions — not just the important concepts from the book, but also several tricky questions and obscure details. Mo Lan not only answered every single one fluently but could accurately recite the original text.

Clearly, she hadn’t been lying. She really had memorized it all, and her comprehension was quite solid too.

With the facts laid bare before her, Matina had no choice but to believe it.

After a long silence, she finally recovered her voice from the shock. “You little monster… these books — read whatever you want!”

With that, she turned and headed back upstairs, her footsteps noticeably heavier than usual.

Her little monster of a student didn’t need rest, but she certainly did!

Besides, given the girl’s learning ability, it seemed she didn’t actually need her teacher to personally explain any theory. Self-study would suit her just fine.

At the bend in the staircase, something occurred to her, and she whipped around suddenly.

“Remember! Without me present, do not attempt to cultivate a shadow pet on your own! There’s no shortage of examples in the village of people who tried to cultivate shadow pets and drove themselves mad in the process.”

Mo Lan nodded obediently, watching Teacher Matina’s figure disappear at the top of the stairs. Only after a heavy door slam echoed from the Second Floor did she let herself laugh out loud.

“Wonderful!” she cheered softly, her pure black eyes scanning the bookshelf with excitement. “So many more books to read!”

She immediately returned to the bookshelf and pulled out another volume.

As she read deeper, the scattered fragments of knowledge she had previously gleaned from the skill book began coming together in her mind like pieces of a puzzle.

Many of the abstruse theories were accompanied by Teacher Matina’s detailed annotations in the books, which made the reading entirely effortless for Mo Lan.

…

Matina was awakened by an enticing aroma. She opened her eyes with a frown, and the shadow bugs, seeing that she was awake, immediately crowded into the shadows by her bedside, chattering and chirping as they reported everything that had happened downstairs.

“What? She’s gone through every single book?”

Matina sat bolt upright, nearly throwing out her back.

The shadow bugs nodded frantically, then used gestures to describe Mo Lan’s peculiar behavior afterward — sitting in front of the fireplace in a daze, then suddenly starting to cook.

After hearing their report, Matina couldn’t help but confirm with the shadow bugs several times before she could accept that she really had only slept for a few short hours, not several days.

“What a little monster!” Matina grumbled, now wide awake. She changed into her usual gray linen robe in a few swift motions, grabbed her stone cane and cloak, and hurried downstairs.

The moment she descended, the aroma of food hit her full in the face.

Mo Lan stood at the kitchen counter, her long hair casually swept up and held in place with a vine.

The wooden spoon in her hand traced graceful arcs through the iron pot, and the food inside sizzled with a pleasant, appetizing sound.