Sylvia’s life—
It could have ended a thousand years ago, alongside her family.
That would have been a painless slumber.
Death would have been a gentle lullaby, guiding her to reunite with her loved ones in the embrace of the underworld.
Or perhaps, she could have lived on as a normal human, carrying the “Erald” title that people admired, thriving in the sorcerer world a thousand years later, becoming a legendary knight, praised by all.
But fate often took unexpected turns.
Sylvia had neither truly died nor truly lived.
Her face, her body, her everything had been stripped away.
She was forced to exist as an undead.
People despised her.
They drove her out with violence—
Swords slashed. Stones were thrown.
In the end, Sylvia could only wear heavy armor, hiding her entire body,
Just to be able to communicate with people without being attacked.
How pitiful.
Xu Xi lowered his gaze and reached out, helping the undead girl sit up from the experint table.
Her erald eyes were clear and shimring, like ripples on a water’s surface.
“Sir Sorcerer, how is your examination?”
“I’ve made so progress, but not much. More research will be needed in the future.”
“I see…”
Her hesitant voice echoed in the empty banquet hall, flickering from her soul fire.
“Sir Sorcerer, do you think… my body can still be restored?”
Xu Xi shook his head.
“It’s difficult. At least, with my current level, I can’t do it.
If I beco a higher-ranked sorcerer in the future, I might be able to lift your curse.”
No false hope.
No lies to comfort her.
He told her the truth.
For a brief mont, disappointnt flickered across Sylvia’s face—
But she quickly returned to normal.
“That makes sense. I was hoping for too much… It wouldn’t be that easy to solve, after all.”
“I’m sorry, Sir Sorcerer.”
“I said sothing unrealistic.”
She stepped down from the experint table, her expression apologetic as she bowed slightly.
“My apologies. Let arrange a room for your rest.”
…
[Your long-term study of Sylvia has begun.]
[In the sorcerer system, the soul is an eternal foundation—
From it, knowledge of death, life, and the world’s truth is explored.]
[Thus, Sylvia’s existence is of great value to you.]
[For the first ti, you observed the chanics of soul fire up close and witnessed the balance between life and death.]
[Life-Death Intersection activated…]
[You have gained deeper insight into the mysteries of life and death.]
[If one day you truly step into death, your understanding of the soul will make you a powerful undead.]
[You have grown even more attuned to the secrets of the soul.]
[While researching Sylvia’s body, you also focus on tempering your own soul, ditating to reach a higher level of transcendence.]
“A sorcerer’s apprentice is the beginning of all things.”
“It is the stage where soul aptitude and sorcerer compatibility are evaluated.”
“Starting from the First-Ring Sorcerer, both body and soul step into the supernatural—rituals are solidified, the soul is inscribed, and the world’s truths are carved into it.”
“The Second-Ring Sorcerer undergoes qualitative change, where the soul gains physical presence—capable of affecting reality without relying on spells.”
“The Third-Ring Sorcerer refines their truths, the Fifth-Ring Sorcerer shapes their path of magic, and the Seventh-Ring Sorcerer seals their mortality.”
“As for …”
“I am only at the beginning.”
…
In the old mansion, its walls leaking wind and rain,
Xu Xi, clad in his dark robe, sat in deep ditation, engraving new spells into his soul.
His progress was slow but steady.
anwhile, outside the house, soft footsteps echoed.
It was Sylvia—training with her sword.
Just as Xu Xi had his own thod of cultivation,
The girl also had hers.
And her dedication was no less than his.
Thousands of slashes condensed into an instant,
Countless steps polished into a single flash of movent.
Even without supervision—
The Erald of Crowfield still shone.
…
[Every morning, under your watch, Sylvia lies on the experint table, removes her armor, and reveals her skeletal body.]
[You conduct daily research and record experintal data.]
[The process is monotonous and uneventful, with nothing worth ntioning.]
[True experints always require ti—only through long-term accumulation can aningful results be achieved.]
[Sotis, Sylvia feels embarrassed,
but you reassure her that she will eventually get used to it.]
…
[During your breaks, you cook your own als.]
[Despite the scarcity of ingredients and the crudeness of the kitchen, you create dishes so delicious they seem to shine with golden light.]
[Sylvia was amazed beyond belief.]
[The girl claid that, a thousand years ago,
your cooking skills would have conquered entire kingdoms and made you a guest among kings.]
[You don’t cook every day. When your training reaches a critical stage,
you skip als entirely.]
[As a First-Ring Sorcerer, this doesn’t affect you much.]
[But Sylvia wants to help.]
[Thus, whenever you are too occupied,
Sylvia prepares als for you—
using her scentless, tasteless undead body to make remarkably rich dishes.]
“Sylvia, how are you able to cook?”
“This is sothing my mother taught , Sir Sorcerer.”
Her answer was simple.
When she was alive, she had learned basic cooking skills.
Even though her current body lacked human senses,
Her muscle mory and craftsmanship remained intact—
Allowing her to cook as she once did.
“How does it taste?” Sylvia asked expectantly.
Xu Xi took a bite and nodded.
“It’s quite good.”
If he called it a delicacy, that would be an exaggeration.
But as a normal al, it was certainly passable.
…Wait—
Why did he suddenly feel a chill down his spine?
…
[Ti passed, like a fading dream.]
[The one-month period you originally planned—]
[Now had only a few days left.]
[You still haven’t fully understood Sylvia’s existence—
The balance between life and death was not sothing a First-Ring Sorcerer could comprehend.]
[However, you had a plan.]
[Through detailed records and specially designed sorcerer tools,
you docunted Sylvia’s body structure and the frequency of her soul fire’s fluctuations.]
[By storing this information, you could revisit it once you reached a higher level,
to further uncover the secrets of life and death.]
[You were confident—]
[With the Life-Death Intersection and Soul Collection as your guiding tools,
the day of revelation was not far off.]
…
Ti was running out.
The night deepened, forming a long, endless curtain that draped over the mansion and the vast forest around it.
The wind was strong tonight.
It howled through the trees, scattering cold air—
Revealing the blood-red moon above and the dim, lonely stars.
“By my estimate, it’s almost ti to leave.”
“The Fourth-Ring Sorcerer Tower in the Kingdom of Aoka…”
“The soul fire of countless undead wandering the wastelands…”
“Compared to studying Sylvia’s body, these are what will allow to grow stronger, faster.”
Xu Xi lifted his head, gazing at the moon above.
The moonlight cast a dim, crimson glow over his face.
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