Chapter 28: Shadow Clones and Sisterly Affection

Only two days remained until the dungeon opened.

Today, an S-rank team arrived at the Adventurers’ Guild.

Elara and Hilvyn stood outside the crowd, observing from a distance. This S-rank team comprised two S-rank and two A-rank adventurers, placing them firmly in the category of a top-tier squad.

The team was swarmed by adventurers, as if they were holding a fan meet-and-greet. Their arrival undoubtedly generated even greater excitement for the upcoming dungeon expedition.

“How does one become an S-rank, Master?” Hilvyn asked, pulling her gaze away from the crowd. “Is it by mastering several exceptional spells?”

“Not exactly,” Elara replied, shaking her head. “S-rank adventurers possess exceptionally high mana affinity, and each has developed their own unique ‘domain’ magic.”

Only by developing one’s own domain magic could an adventurer truly be considered S-rank. Without exception, they were all geniuses among geniuses.

“That sounds incredibly impressive. If that team enters, won’t there be nothing left for anyone else?”

Hilvyn was concerned about her and Elara’s share of materials, fearing they might be carved up, leaving them unable to fight back and forced to suffer in silence.

“I doubt it.”

The Wind Whisper Dungeon wasn’t particularly challenging; at most, it would only spawn A-rank monsters. A team of this caliber entering would be severely overpowering the monsters.

“Let’s go.” Elara put away the magic scroll she had just purchased; she wasn’t accustomed to such boisterous places. “What do you want for lunch today?”

“Toasted bread,” Hilvyn replied.

“Then I’ll have something else.”

Hilvyn never tired of eating the same thing, but Elara certainly did.

****

That afternoon.

Elara practiced magic at home.

It was ‘Shadow Clone,’ a high-tier dark magic she had bought that very morning.

She could conjure up to five clones, allowing her to multitask, but the more clones she summoned, the higher the proficiency and mana required.

Currently, Elara could only control one clone.

This clone primarily served for distraction and absorbing damage, its offensive power and precision far inferior to the original—after all, multitasking was never an easy feat.

Elara conjured a clone, then observed it carefully.

The texture differed from a real person, though her consciousness could control it synchronously. The face appeared to be an exact replica of herself.

She slightly altered its mana, and its face changed. She could even project it without clothes, yet its body was as smooth as vanilla soap, lacking any defining features.

She quickly made the clone “put on” clothes again. Her “incomplete” self looked a little unsettling.

Elara pondered why the initial state of the clone included clothes. Soon, a theory formed: the magic directly replicated her external spatial form.

In other words, using the Shadow Clone spell would print her current appearance.

If she were to use Shadow Clone without clothes, the scene would be rather… picturesque.

“Master—” Hilvyn pushed open the door. “I…”

⊙▽⊙

Upon seeing two Elaras, Hilvyn’s brain immediately crashed.

“It’s the Shadow Clone spell,” Elara explained, pointing at her clone.

Hilvyn cautiously approached, circling the clones and examining them from every angle, much like someone inspecting a nine-legged bell cow.

She poked its face, then felt its arm.

“The texture isn’t like a real person, what a pity…”

Elara didn’t understand what she found so regrettable.

The next second, Hilvyn decisively crouched down and did something utterly shocking.

“Huh, no details?”

Elara was wearing a loose dress at home. Hilvyn squatted down, lifted the clone’s skirt, and peered underneath, a hint of disappointment on her face.

Her speed was too fast, her actions too decisive; Elara hadn’t even reacted.

“No,” Elara stood frozen, as if she herself had been the one whose skirt was lifted. “What are you doing?!”

“I’m verifying the spell’s level of detail.”

Hilvyn’s expression remained unchanged, her gaze even firm, as if merely stating a reasonable triviality. However, the blush on her face betrayed her.

Elara quickly dispelled the clone; her intuition told her it was the right thing to do.

Maintaining the clone also continuously consumed mana.

She really needed to reduce Hilvyn’s contact with that tailor, Martha. If she dared to lift a skirt today, she might try to lift an entire forest tomorrow.

“Master, I heard some adventurers downstairs just now saying they discovered a new type of slime,” Hilvyn changed the subject. “I went to check the materials, and the crystals are gray.”

Typically, the forest contained green-crystallized Wind Slimes, but different environments could foster other varieties.

“Perhaps it’s just painted,” Elara said, dismissing the idea. She added, “The forest’s edge has long since been thoroughly explored.”

How could a new species suddenly appear? It must all be a gimmick.

She settled her mind and sensed her mana.

Dark affinity at 60%, Spatial affinity at 49%.

The growth of affinity also followed a pattern: slow, then fast, then slow again.

As for the dividing points of each stage, they varied from person to person. For Elara herself, she estimated it wouldn’t slow down until after 80%.

Yet, it was sufficient. An affinity of 80% was already enough to support the development of domain magic.

“Hilvyn, what’s your affinity at?”

“Oh, I just checked last night.”

Hilvyn thought for a couple of seconds. “Wind is 57%, and Ice is 59%, I think.”

That fast! Elara was surprised. Could this be the advantage of being an elf? Although the variety of racial attributes was limited, they were naturally more attuned to mana.

Elara could only comfort herself with the thought that ‘humans have a higher ceiling.’

“After we return from the dungeon, let’s go take the A-rank assessment.”

“Alright—”

****

Night fell.

“Master, can you make a clone appear beside me?” Hilvyn asked, blinking her eyes full of anticipation.

“No.”

“Please, please, I want to experience being surrounded by Master.”

“N-no…”

Elara sighed helplessly, ‘Even when it’s time to sleep, she can’t stay quiet.’

“Fine then.”

Hilvyn gave up, instead pulling Elara’s arm and hugging it tightly.

“What are you doing…”

“I want to hug Master while I sleep.”

Elara’s hand instinctively tried to pull away, but Hilvyn only held her tighter.

Ugh, her arm was sinking in.

Elara’s arm was deeply entangled in Hilvyn’s embrace, unable to extricate itself.

“How am I supposed to sleep like this?” Elara’s face was flushed, her expression awkward.

“Why can’t you sleep?”

Elara met Hilvyn’s bewildered gaze, then her eyes inadvertently dropped—

She immediately flipped from her side to lying on her back.

The ceiling tonight was truly white, and the fluorescent light was very bright.

As Hilvyn’s older sister, she felt apologetic for the suggestive thoughts that flashed through her mind, but it was indeed a natural human reaction. She could only do her best to avoid impropriety.

She feared that struggling might make Hilvyn feel insecure and overthink things, especially since, under normal circumstances, a younger sister hugging her older sister’s arm was merely a trifle.

“It’s fine. Continue telling the story of the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.”

“Alright—” Hilvyn said, tightening her embrace even more.

“Hey, you…”

‘Forget it.’

“…The Tang Monk and his two disciples arrived today at a place called the Flowing Sand River…”

Even breathing soon emanated from beside her.

Elara tried to pull her arm out, but Hilvyn had it bound tightly.

‘Never mind, this will do…’