Shadow Prisoner

Ling Ying always seemed to have the luck to get into big trouble and walk away unscathed, but this time, Ling Ying subconsciously felt she was done for. The reason was simple: Noxus, the Black Rose, or even that monstrous spider that had lived for who knows how many years on the Shadow Isles – none of them were people she could afford to provoke right now, yet she had stumbled upon them all at once. Like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, or a mayfly shaking a tree, the result could only be a crushing defeat without suspense. Ling Ying just wondered, if this was the afterlife, wasn't this place a bit lacking in style?

A room that couldn't be called spacious, lit by a dim oil lamp that illuminated walls painted with simple gray paint and furnished with just a bed and a chair. No matter how you looked at it, this place had nothing to do with heaven or hell.

"Creak."

As Ling Ying was observing her surroundings, the door to the room opened. A person completely shrouded in a black robe entered, carrying a small tray. Without a word, (he) sat down on the small stool by Ling Ying's bed and raised a hand, taking out a slender syringe from the tray.

"Hey..."

Ling Ying, not understanding what was happening, instinctively pulled her hand back, only to find her limbs bound by shackles made of some unknown metal. The shackles, emitting an ominous black flowing light, seemed to possess some kind of energy, making Ling Ying feel powerless.

Seeing the Black Robe about to stab her arm with the needle, Ling Ying struggled with all her might. With those damned shackles, Ling Ying couldn't break free, but she certainly wouldn't surrender so easily. This at least caused some trouble for the Black Robe. Holding the needle in one hand, (he) couldn't find a place to inject it as Ling Ying thrashed around on the bed like a slippery loach. After a few seconds of this stalemate, the Black Robe suddenly made a move and injected the needle into Ling Ying's buttock, where her movements were the least pronounced.

"Damn it!"

Ling Ying couldn't help but curse. The Black Robe ignored her and, while Ling Ying was less agitated, pushed the syringe all the way in, injecting an unidentifiable potion into Ling Ying's body before yanking it out forcefully. The entire process was simple and brutal.

"Oh, you really are in a sorry state. It was just a simple injection, after all."

A cool, clear female voice sounded in her ear, but it wasn't from the Black Robe. It belonged to a black-haired, black-eyed woman who had appeared by Ling Ying's bedside at some unknown time.

The Black Robe gave a slight nod to the woman who had suddenly appeared, then quickly tidied up and walked out of the room. Thus, only Ling Ying and the black-haired woman remained in the room, staring at each other.

Ling Ying stared at the person before (she) for two seconds, then her nose twitched. She said in a deep voice, "LeBlanc."

"Oh? Not bad?"

The newcomer said, not without surprise.

"I had no idea my disguise could be sniffed out."

"Hmph, no need to play mysterious. Since I can see you here, it seems I didn't die?"

"No, but you were very close."

As LeBlanc spoke, (she) suddenly made a gesture, and a Magic Mirror appeared between them.

"Take a look at yourself now."

"..."

Ling Ying, and then (she) saw it: a monster, half of whose face was covered in black carapace, with black cracks covering the visible skin. A grotesque, neither human nor ghost. (She) trembled and reached out a hand, and the monster in the mirror also reached out. (She) grabbed the collar of her clothes and pulled it down slightly, then quickly stopped, because it was clear that beneath the clothing were larger cracks, and even some tentacle-like black buds swayed and moved within them.

LeBlanc waved her hand and dismissed the Magic Mirror, but Ling Ying remained staring blankly ahead. After a long while, (she) let out a deep sigh.

"Congratulations. Whatever you were trying to do, you've succeeded in making me feel like living is worse than dying."

There was no anger, and she didn't know why. She felt she should be angry, but when the words reached her lips, only sorrow remained.

"Oh? It seems you've misunderstood something."

LeBlanc plopped down onto the chair and crossed her legs.

"Your current state isn't my doing. Hmm... although it's somewhat related to me, the one who saved you from the little spider's mouth in the end was me."

"You... saved me..."

Ling Ying didn't pay attention to LeBlanc calling the Spider Mother "little spider."

"Why? You clearly wanted to kill me before."

"Hmm... For no reason. I just changed my mind temporarily. If you really want a reason, just consider it for my own sake."

LeBlanc's words made Ling Ying pause slightly. She quickly thought of a possibility in her mind and looked at LeBlanc with vigilance.

"Don't expect me to do any dirty work for you."

"Oh? Is that so? Unfortunately, this is not up to you."

LeBlanc shrugged and revealed a sinister smile.

"When I said you were close to death, I wasn't exaggerating. Do you know your current condition? Shadow Assimilation. The little spider's trick is quite good. You should have turned into one of those mindless Shadow Monsters long ago, but... it seems there was already Shadow Power within your body? That saved your life and allowed you to barely maintain your current form. However, it's clear this state cannot be maintained for long. You should be able to feel it without me telling you. Can you still use the power of the Void?"

LeBlanc's words were like a bolt from the blue. Ling Ying was stunned for a while before finally realizing why her body had felt wrong since earlier. It was because... she could no longer feel the power of the Void. Delving into her thoughts, all she could see was a giant black vortex that had devoured her inner world, constantly spinning and churning.

Ling Ying closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had only one thought in her mind: It's over. Yes, it was all over. Without the power of the Void, how could she survive in this world?

LeBlanc watched Ling Ying moping alone with great interest and suddenly spoke.

"How about it? Think about it. If you feel life is meaningless, I wouldn't mind granting you your wish to die. But of course, you have another option..."

As LeBlanc spoke, (she) stood up from the chair and moved close to Ling Ying, speaking in a seductive tone.

"Listen to me, and you can survive. Moreover, if you're lucky enough, you might even become stronger than you are now."

"Survive..."

Ling Ying kept muttering the word. Her mind, her rationality told her that someone like LeBlanc was not to be trusted. But the fact before her was that if she didn't want to die, she had no other choice but LeBlanc.

"Tell me, what do I need to do to earn a chance to live."

After struggling internally for a long time, Ling Ying finally compromised. Indeed, she hated her current monstrous appearance, but she hated the thought of dying even more. Regarding her transmigration to another world, she subconsciously still hoped to achieve something, just like the protagonists in novels. Therefore, she had to accept LeBlanc's terms, even though she knew she might have to pay a heavy price.

"Wise choice."

LeBlanc smiled and snapped her fingers.

"I like dealing with intelligent people. So, the preliminary agreement is reached, but you still have to show your worth. Lie down for now, you're useless in your current state. If you haven't turned into a Shadow Monster in a month, we'll talk again."

As LeBlanc spoke, she made a move to leave, but suddenly remembered something. Without looking back, she said, "Ah, right. Someone will give you an injection like just now every day. Don't doubt it, it's a potion to suppress the Shadow Power activity within you. So, if you don't want to die faster, you'd better not refuse."

As soon as her voice fell, LeBlanc disappeared from

Is a month a long time? Perhaps not for those with fulfilling lives, but for Ling Ying, it was an agonizing period. Especially since she couldn't find a moment's peace even while lying down. Apart from the hour or two of tranquility after her daily injection, she had to exert all her energy to fight the Shadow Power within her that was trying to turn her into a monster. Compared to the Void Consciousness's previous attempts to usurp her body, the Shadow Power was wild and direct. Fortunately, Ling Ying was not overwhelmed by it. Perhaps it was because Ling Ying was no stranger to Shadow Power, or perhaps it was simply luck. In the dozens of days and nights of struggle between the two. Ling Ying gradually gained the upper hand. She regained control of the portion of energy within the Shadow Vortex in her consciousness that originally belonged to her. Using this as a springboard, she began to influence the energy she couldn't control. The result was not bad; at least more than half of the Shadow Vortex's energy was usable by her. She even felt the buried Void energy again. Although that portion of Void energy was very weak, like a candle flame in the wind that could be extinguished at any moment, at least, as LeBlanc had said before, everything seemed to hold hope.

She raised her right hand, and a ball of Shadow Flame ignited in her palm. She stared at the flame for a few seconds, then flipped her hand and extinguished it. She then drew a stroke in the air, and a Magic Mirror appeared before her, reflecting her face, half-corrupted by shadow. After a long moment, Ling Ying sighed and waved her hand, dispelling the Magic Mirror. A smiling black-haired woman appeared by the bedside, previously obscured by the Magic Mirror. Ling Ying looked up at the woman and said expressionlessly, "Do all you Noxians like to appear suddenly and silently like this?"

The black-haired woman paused for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, as if she had heard something amusing. She only coughed and spoke when Ling Ying's expression changed slightly.

"Firstly, I don't particularly like the way you refer to us as 'Noxians.' Secondly, Noxus doesn't have that many Shadow Masters who can appear and disappear without a trace before you."

"Oh?"

Ling Ying feigned a surprised expression at the opportune moment.

"I always thought this land was full of patriots? So..."

"Heh, if you're referring to people like Darius, there are indeed quite a few here. But unfortunately, I'm not interested in the values of Noxus."

LeBlanc appeared very candid as she said this, her obsidian-like eyes showing no hint of falsehood. However, after just a moment, that seriousness was replaced by a cunning smile.

"But I am indeed here for Noxian matters this time. They require a little assistance from the Black Rose. And after some consideration, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to test your recovery progress, and incidentally, to see if there's potential for a deeper cooperation between us."

LeBlanc's words caused Ling Ying's breathing to pause slightly. She knew that LeBlanc had come to collect her investment. Just as she had said before, with interest, and most likely... no, it definitely wouldn't be anything good. Taking a deep breath, Ling Ying looked at LeBlanc.

"Who do you need me to kill?"

"Some stubborn ghosts of the old era who refuse to integrate into the new order."

LeBlanc smiled charmingly.

"And their kingdoms."