Chapter 44: The First Summon and a Glimpse of Truth

“Are these the Shadow Beasts that have invaded this world?”

Bai Yu gazed at the pitch-black wolf, posing the question to Moweila.

[Precisely. Judging by its spiritual fluctuations, it’s merely a first-tier creature, perfectly suited for you to hone your skills.]

Bai Yu’s gaze sharpened like a pillar of light, and the Kin of the Night immediately activated, granting her a fivefold amplification.

She then drew the Holy Sword, still affixed with its stone platform.

Pausing for a moment, she decided to test the swordsmanship Cecelia had taught her.

She had originally intended to learn more, but to her surprise, Cecelia had departed right after teaching her just a single move.

For now, she would have to rely on this basic swordsmanship, hoping for an opportunity to learn more from Cecelia later.

Bai Yu raised the Holy Sword, spiritual energy—the magic power of this world—gathering upon its blade, its surface shimmering with the radiance of Starlight.

Sword Skill: Starlight.

Bai Yu’s body lunged forward in an instant, the Holy Sword carving a brilliant arc as it struck the wolf-shaped Shadow Beast.

The Starlight then erupted in an explosion upon the Shadow Beast.

“Awooo! Awooo!”

The pitch-black Shadow Beast let out a piteous cry before its body instantly detonated, dissolving into dark particles that were subsequently absorbed into Bai Yu’s body.

Bai Yu immediately felt a new power surge within her, a force unlike ordinary spiritual energy, imbued with a distinctly dark essence that resonated inexplicably with her [Eternal Night] spiritual core.

[Congratulations, Host. You have acquired the secret art, Shadow Wolf Summon. Current progress: 1/10.]

Moweila’s clear voice echoed in Bai Yu’s mind, seemingly accompanied by a faint chuckle.

“Uh, where did you learn something like this? And what does 1/10 mean?”

Bai Yu felt a touch speechless; how could Moweila possibly know about this system-like function, straight out of a novel?

[Why, from your memories, of course. Doesn’t this ‘system’ thing bear a striking resemblance to me? And this format is quite convenient, wouldn’t you agree?]

[As for the 1/10, it represents the condition for advancing from first-tier to second-tier. Roughly ten first-tier creatures can be synthesized into one second-tier creature, and so on. You can manually choose whether to synthesize them, which is quite thoughtful, isn’t it?]

Moweila spoke with a laugh, having discovered many interesting things in Bai Yu’s memories—concepts entirely unknown in her own era.

“Hey! Stop peeking at my memories!”

Bai Yu’s face flushed crimson. Her memories held many private thoughts, now so brazenly exposed before this Witch.

Regarding the synthesis function, however, she found it quite useful, recognizing that the ability to attack multiple targets could sometimes be more effective than a single high-tier creature.

[Are you referring to those videos and images you’ve watched? It seems most of them feature figures quite similar to your current physique.]

Moweila chuckled, directly exposing Bai Yu’s peculiar habit.

“Just shut up!”

Bai Yu chose to ignore Moweila, believing that out of sight, out of mind.

She sensed the power within her, then raised her hand, drawing that force from her body.

Immediately, a swirling, pitch-black shadow vortex materialized on the grass, and from its depths, a tiny pup slowly emerged.

[Shadow Pup *1. Gender: Female.]

Staring at the pup, which was utterly different from the wolf she had just slain, Bai Yu was filled with confusion. Did Shadow Beasts actually have genders?

“Why is the one I summoned so small?”

[It’s possible there’s some spiritual energy loss during the killing process. As for the gender, only females exist in this unfinished world. It seems the creator never intended for males to exist here at all.]

“Is that so?”

Bai Yu wasn’t particularly surprised; after all, given Lili’s demeanor, she hardly seemed interested in men.

Bai Yu cradled the small female pup. Its dark body held no warmth, feeling even a little cold.

It gazed at her with hollow, large eyes, seemingly curious about the girl before it.

“Since you’re my first summoned creature, I’ll give you a name.”

“You’re so dark, I’ll call you Xiao An.”

“Awoo! Awoo!”

The pup seemed to genuinely like the name.

[Do not grow too attached to your summons. They are weapons, not companions.]

Moweila’s cold voice reminded Bai Yu, but Bai Yu paid her no heed.

“If you’re so cold-blooded, no girl will ever like you.”

[I don’t need anyone’s affection. This is enough for me.]

Moweila displayed no emotional fluctuation. Only at moments like these could Bai Yu glimpse Moweila’s true feelings.

Indeed, how much emotion could remain in someone who had existed from ancient times until now? Perhaps the last vestiges of her humanity were reserved solely for Bai Yu.

“I’m sorry…”

Bai Yu felt as though she had wounded Moweila’s heart.

[Why are you apologizing?]

Moweila did not comprehend the meaning behind Bai Yu’s apology.

“It’s nothing.”

Bai Yu gently set down Xiao An. It seemed she needed to hunt quickly.

With the experience of hunting her first Shadow Beast, Bai Yu began to indulge herself, searching for isolated Shadow Beasts in the surrounding area.

Soon, Bai Yu had collected ten Shadow Wolves. Ten small pups now trailed behind her, though their combat effectiveness was admittedly weak, serving primarily for reconnaissance and harassment.

“Alright, now we can finally advance!”

[Select a primary target for advancement.]

Bai Yu immediately chose Xiao An; after all, she was her very first summoned beast.

Begin advancement!

Instantly, Xiao An floated into the air. The surrounding Shadow Wolves gradually transformed into their most primal, pitch-black particles, each brimming with spiritual energy.

These particles continuously surged into Xiao An’s body, causing her form to steadily expand.

Finally, a lithe and magnificent wolf emerged from the shadows.

[Promoted to Second-Tier.]

“Now that’s more like a proper fighter!”

Bai Yu gazed at Xiao An before her, unable to resist the urge to immediately test her strength in battle.

Continuing deeper into the forest, Bai Yu searched for more Shadow Wolves.

“By the way, do slain Shadow Beasts respawn?”

Bai Yu felt a little confused; otherwise, she would eventually kill all the Shadow Beasts here.

[How could that be? The number of Shadow Beasts entering this world is limited. Do you really think this is a game?]

Moweila’s voice carried a hint of exasperation as she reluctantly explained Bai Yu’s query.

“I was just asking, that’s all.”

Bai Yu scratched her head. It seemed she would need to find a new hunting ground soon, or this small area’s Shadow Beasts would quickly be depleted.

For the subsequent Shadow Wolves they encountered, Bai Yu allowed Xiao An to handle them.

Being an entire tier higher, Xiao An faced no pressure against these first-tier Shadow Beasts.

“Speaking of which, why is advancing tiers for these Shadow Beasts so simple? Just synthesize them.”

Bai Yu was somewhat puzzled. Arcanists’ advancements required various factors, with each tier posing increasingly difficulty.

[That is merely because you have gained control over this world. In the outside world, the birth of every powerful Shadow Beast is the result of devouring countless Arcanists or other Shadow Beasts.]

Moweila informed Bai Yu, a revelation that sent a jolt through Bai Yu’s heart. It seemed her original world was not as peaceful as she had imagined.