Chapter 4: Shadow Mutation
When Lu Li regained consciousness, he found himself lying in his bed. He sat up, feeling no particular changes in his body. In fact, he felt stronger, though somewhat fatigued. As he turned around, his shadow twitched slightly. Just as he was about to investigate further, there was a knock on his door, and his cousin Ji Yue's voice called out, "Dinner's ready!"
"Okay!" Lu Li responded, his shadow returning to normal. He opened the door to find his uncle and aunt already eating. Without much conversation, Lu Li picked up a bowl, served himself, and started eating. His aunt was softly chatting with Ji Yue, while his uncle, after taking a bite of food, looked up at Lu Li and asked, "There's only a month left until the college entrance exams. How's your studying going?"
"Studying is going well. At the very least, I'll get into a university without any issues," Lu Li said calmly. With his brain operating at a higher efficiency, he didn't need to study seriously to maintain good grades, which were excellent, explaining why teachers tolerated his behavior.
"Have you decided which university you want to attend?" his uncle asked after a moment's hesitation. "I heard that a branch of a famous foreign university, something called Miss or whatever, is opening in the provincial capital this year."
"I'll handle the college stuff myself; you don't need to worry," Lu Li said, finishing his meal and cleaning his dishes. "After the exams, I'll move out. I have something to do tonight and won't be coming back to sleep."
Ignoring his uncle's hesitant expression, Lu Li left the house and walked towards the riverbank. At the same time, he brought up his data panel, revealing the following information:
**ID: YZ0135**
**Body Assessment: 1.24 + 0.62 (Shadow Mutation bonus, varies with environment); Life Energy Derivation: 0.1**
**Soul Assessment: 2.86; Mental Energy Derivation: 0.38; Shadow Magic: 0.001**
**Innate Ability: Ultimate Control: A non-human level soul grants extraordinary control over your body.**
**Basic Ability: Shadow Mutation: Your shadow has mutated. While attached to you, it absorbs power from the shadows to enhance your physical attributes and slowly extracts shadow magic, storing it within you. The limit = Soul * Spirit. When detached, it can move across surfaces and, in a non-light environment, can become three times your size. Its size inversely correlates with the amount of light. The shadow has no consciousness and must be controlled by you, with a maximum range of 14.3 meters (Soul * 5). It shrinks in light. Specific abilities need to be tested.**
**Skill Slots: Three, no skills.**
**Inventory: Rule Module: Fixed, Fear, Will, Control, Empower; Energy Module: Life; Control Module: Mind; Special Module: Basic Intelligence.**
**Game Points: 550**
**Evaluation: You are no longer entirely human, although your body remains human.**
Standing on the riverbank, Lu Li gazed at the Wujiang River below. It was already seven or eight in the evening, and the riverbank was deserted. Hidden by bushes and infested with mosquitoes, this spot was unlikely to be disturbed. The nearest light source was too far to reach him. Lu Li focused on sensing his shadow.
Even without any artificial light, he could feel a mass of shadow blending into the darkness at his feet. Closing his eyes, he concentrated entirely on controlling the shadow.
In the darkness, something squirmed. Under Lu Li's direction, a tendril of shadowy essence rose from behind him, gradually forming an irregular geometric shape. As Lu Li directed the shadow to move, he noticed it becoming smaller, as if it remained connected to him by a shadowy tether.
Frowning, Lu Li tried to sever the connection, causing the shadowy mass to dissipate and return to his feet. Opening his eyes, he sighed. His shadow couldn't detach; without direct mental control, it dispersed.
"I need to learn to multitask," Lu Li thought. His shadow was akin to having a second body, but it required his conscious control to remain intact.
For someone with Lu Li's control, it was almost laughable that he struggled with this. But it was a fact. Determined, he continued practicing, repeatedly detaching and controlling the shadow. By midnight, he managed to move the shadow independently without needing the connecting tether.
"It's really tough," Lu Li remarked, stretching his stiff body. As he moved, the detached shadow collapsed, returning to his feet. He shook his head, realizing that multitasking was harder than he thought. He needed to familiarize himself with the shadow's actions to make them second nature, freeing up his mind for other tasks.
The Wujiang River flowed continuously, the sound of water ever-present. By now, most people were asleep. Lu Li rested for a while, almost drifting off when his brain suddenly activated, sensing all the surrounding data, instantly alerting him: "Based on the analysis, that special feeling is akin to entering the illusory dreamscape, albeit much weaker."
"It's confirmed that the real world has its own illusory dreamscape, though likely much weaker!" Lu Li had grasped the feeling during his time in the dilapidated temple, and now he sensed it again. The question was whether sleeping now would allow him to enter this dreamscape.
With mosquitoes buzzing around, Lu Li sealed his pores, catching and killing the bloodsuckers. He closed his eyes and drifted into sleep. The feeling of the dreamscape flickered and vanished. Ten minutes later, he opened his eyes, wearing a puzzled expression. He could sense the illusory dreamscape but couldn't enter it, as though a barrier existed.
Unable to resolve this mystery, Lu Li let it go, sealing his pores and shutting off his senses, finally allowing himself a deep, restful sleep.