Chapter 10: The Morning Phantom

As dawn barely broke, the morning light, thin as diluted milk, seeped softly into the university dormitory.

A taupe-colored creature, with soft, floppy ears, silently slipped through the bed curtains and landed lightly on the pillow.

Its amber eyes glowed faintly in the dimness, and with a furry paw, it gently nudged the human figure wrapped in the blanket.

“Master, it’s time to wake up!”

“Mmm…”

A muffled groan emerged from beneath the blanket.

A fair hand reached out from the edge of the covers, fumbled around on the bedside table, and picked up a white smartphone.

She tapped it twice, and the screen lit up. On the standby screen, a chibi taupe rabbit hugged a cup of matching boba tea. The time displayed below: 07:10.

“Mmm… it’s only a little past seven…” The person in the blanket buried her face deeper, her voice muffled and thick with sleep. “There’s no early class today…”

“There’s a mission!” Xiao Li, the taupe spirit companion, flapped its ears, conjuring a small, shimmering map projection in the air. The map focused on Classroom 403 in Academic Building Two, where a red dot pulsed steadily. “Academic Building Two, fourth floor. A low-rank R-grade ‘Shi’—a Phantom—has been detected. That classroom has a class at eight, so we need to deal with it quickly!”

The figure under the covers lay still, as if trying to protest the unreasonable early start with silence.

After a few more moments of dozing, the blanket was abruptly thrown back.

Lin Mo—or rather, the magical girl codenamed “Jasmine”—sat up, her short black hair a tangled mess from sleep. Her round, almond-shaped eyes were still half-closed as she let out a huge yawn.

“This is awful…” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. Her voice was soft, laced with the nasal tone of someone not fully awake. “Why now, of all times, for this ‘Shi’ to appear? No, ‘Shi’ shouldn’t appear at all!”

Despite her complaints, she was already scrambling down the bed ladder, then tiptoeing into the bathroom.

The mirror reflected a face still marked by sleepiness and youthful innocence. Her shoulder-length hair was a bit unruly from sleeping. She looked at her reflection, smiled, and gave herself a ‘you can do it’ gesture.

“Master!” Xiao Li zipped in through the crack in the door, circling anxiously. “We’re really going to be late! If the Phantom affects the students who have class…”

“I know, I know! I’ll be ready in a moment!”

Lin Mo quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face. The cold water splashed on her skin, clearing her head considerably. She then took out a hair tie adorned with small jasmine flowers and, with a few swift motions, tied her hair into a neat half-ponytail.

Once ready, she quietly peeked out to observe the dorm room. Her three roommates were still deep in slumber. She took a deep breath and, using a normal volume, murmured to herself as if thinking aloud:

“Oh, I’m so hungry… What should I have for breakfast? Maybe I’ll check the cafeteria…”

Saying this, she slowly walked to the door, gently pulled open the dorm room door, slipped out, and carefully closed it behind her.

The moment the door shut, the sleepiness and laxness vanished from her face.

“Xiao Li, confirm location.”

“Fourth floor, third classroom on the east side! I’ve already detected two early students heading to this academic building; they might be going to that classroom!”

“Understood.”

Lin Mo did not immediately transform. She quickly walked through the quiet dormitory corridor in the early morning, descended the stairs, and merged with the flow of early risers on campus. It wasn’t until she turned onto a path leading to Academic Building Two, where few pedestrians were around, that her eyes sharpened.

‘Spirit Agility—Jasmine’s Light Leap!’

The instant she silently recited the phrase, a faint white aura emanated from the edges of her ordinary canvas shoes. Her body suddenly felt light, her steps quickened, leaving behind faint afterimages of light particles.

In less than two minutes, she stood before Academic Building Two.

Without pause, she rushed into the stairwell. Her footsteps were almost inaudible, her figure leaving blurred white streaks around the stairwell turns.

Fourth floor, east corridor.

The academic building was empty and quiet in the early morning, save for her extremely light footsteps.

‘Mana Perception!’

She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, a faint emerald-green glow flickered in their depths. The world transformed in her ‘sight’—walls became semi-transparent, and the flow of energy inside the classrooms was clearly visible.

A murky shadow, constantly dissipating grey-black mist, was curled up in the corner of a back-row classroom, restlessly writhing.

A Phantom. A low-rank R-grade ‘Shi’, a vague black shadow in its initial materialized form, an aggregate of negative emotions. It could cause objects to move inexplicably and create small-scale pranks. It was the culprit behind common minor supernatural incidents.

Lin Mo soon reached the door of that classroom.

The Phantom inside the classroom seemed to sense something. The black mass trembled violently, then abruptly darted towards the back door—intending to escape.

Lin Mo gave it no chance.

She didn’t even transform; she simply made a grasping motion with her right hand, and a staff, as pristine white as jade with a jasmine bud blooming at its tip, condensed in her palm. The magical jasmine bud at the staff’s peak emitted a soft, emerald-green glow.

The staff gently tapped the ground.

‘Purity Barrier—Cleanse!’

From the staff tip’s point of impact, a semi-transparent white light membrane rippled outwards silently like water, instantly enveloping the entire classroom. Delicate jasmine patterns appeared along the membrane’s edge, and a refined, clean fragrance permeated the air, as if the entire space had been gently washed.

The Phantom, about to dart through the door to escape, collided with the edge of the barrier, letting out a sharp, wailing hiss. It seemed to be pinned by an invisible force, its movements suddenly sluggish, even unable to move, its form becoming even more unstable.

Lin Mo retracted her staff—now, she no longer needed a weapon.

She walked to the swirling mist and crouched down.

She looked at it—even this close, she could only discern a blurry, distorted outline. Yet, the empathy brought by ‘Mana Perception’ allowed her to clearly receive the chaotic, sorrowful, and fear-laced emotional fluctuations.

It was like a small animal accidentally trapped, or a lost child, holding onto a forgotten promise.

She extended her hand, palm upwards, hovering a short distance above the black shadow. She didn’t touch it, but a gentle, comforting intention was conveyed.

“Don’t be afraid,” she said softly, her voice exceptionally gentle in the quiet classroom. “The pain will fly away, you know~”

‘Jasmine Healing—Soothe!’

Warm white-green light particles emerged from her palm, like fireflies or first snow, gently drifting down and merging into the trembling black shadow. Wherever the light particles touched, the grey-black mist was purified bit by bit, revealing faint, gradually clearing light particles beneath.

The Phantom’s hissing gradually subsided, and its trembling frequency slowed. The chaotic emotional fluctuations, like tangled threads being smoothed out, slowly calmed and dispersed.

The entire process was quiet and swift.

When the last wisp of grey-black mist vanished, only a few faint, almost disappearing white dust particles remained, nearly invisible in the morning sunlight streaming through the window.

Lin Mo withdrew her hand, carefully sensing the area. The residual negative emotions in the classroom had completely disappeared. The air held only the faint jasmine scent from her barrier and the fresh aroma of grass drifting in from outside.

“Resolved?” Xiao Li finally floated in from outside the door, its tone a little complaining. “I told you to be quick! Students are already coming up from downstairs!”

Lin Mo stood up, and the barrier dissolved in turn. The light membrane silently dissipated, and the floral scent in the air quickly faded.

She tilted her head and listened—sure enough, footsteps and laughter echoed down the corridor, growing closer.

“Hurry, hurry!” Xiao Li urged.

But distinct footsteps were already audible just outside the door.

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