At the edge of the mountaintop, Xu Xi gripped his staff. His soul energy swept outward, using the mountain’s stones as raw material. He combined them with the unoccupied houses from the village below, dismantling and reconstructing them anew.
Rumbling sounds echoed.
Wood and stone clashed.
Like assembling a massive structure of building blocks.
Monts later, a temporary workshop stood tall upon the mountain peak.
The weathered mountain rocks ford rough, uneven stone walls, layered atop one another. In the sunlight, they exuded a weighty presence.
The structure had three levels, each designated for different purposes—cultivation, rest, and daily living.
“This should do,” Xu Xi nodded slightly as he surveyed the workshop he had built.
Although it was far from a proper sorcerer’s tower, it was more than sufficient as a temporary dwelling.
“I have now ascended to the rank of a Third-Ring Sorcerer,” he mused.
“It’s about ti I started preparing to build a sorcerer’s tower…”
Leading Sylvia inside, Xu Xi placed his belongings one by one. He organized his extraordinary materials, sorcerer instrunts, and various books in order.
Soon, the once-empty workshop beca compact and orderly, no longer feeling so desolate.
“Master Sorcerer,” the armored girl scanned the room with so curiosity. “How long will we be staying here?”
Sylvia still rembered that Xu Xi’s goal was the Plateau of the Gods. He intended to uncover the truth behind the world’s upheaval.
“As for that, I don’t know the answer,” Xu Xi replied, gazing toward the bright world outside. The dazzling sunlight made him unconsciously stare for a long ti.
“Sylvia, when we don’t fully understand the impact of the world’s changes, acting recklessly is extrely dangerous.”
“We might stay here for a long ti.”
“Or it could just be a few short days.”
“Once the world undergoes a significant shift and we gather more intelligence, that will be our ti to leave.”
His voice was calm, explaining the logic in a way that was easy to understand.
Sylvia thought for a mont before nodding. “I see… I understand now, Master Sorcerer.”
Tap—
Tap—
The two ascended to the second floor. The sound of Sylvia’s iron-clad boots echoed crisply against the stone steps, stirring up a faint layer of dust in the air.
Xu Xi took out a spatial ring—a relic he had found in an abandoned sorcerer’s tower during his travels. It now served as his personal storage vault.
As he continued arranging the workshop, he spoke to the undead girl beside him.
“Sylvia.”
“During this ti, I will be focusing on mastering Third-Ring spells while conducting other research.”
“Your task is to absorb more soul fire, strive to grasp the essence of soul materialization, and advance to a Second-Ring Sorcerer.”
“I understand, Master Sorcerer.”
Following behind him, Sylvia silently committed his words to mory.
Obedience—
It was a quality that a research subject should possess.
Loyalty—
It was a virtue a knight’s squire should uphold.
For the longest ti, Sylvia had always considered herself a false hero. But at the very least, she could fulfill her role as both a research subject and a knight’s attendant.
With Xu Xi’s guidance, she was gradually erging from the darkness, learning to face the blinding light once more.
“Master Sorcerer, is there anything else I need to do?”
The false hero longed to be needed.
She followed closely behind Xu Xi, proactively offering herself for any task he wished to assign.
Xu Xi only smiled. “No need, Sylvia. You can spend your free ti doing whatever you like.”
“…Huh?”
Her erald eyes blinked in confusion, reflecting Xu Xi’s face and figure.
Beneath her armored body, an ordinary person might assu there was a lively, youthful form inside, rather than a skeleton with empty, pallid bones.
“Co, sit down, Sylvia.”
Xu Xi led the girl up to the third floor.
It was an open, empty space, with nothing inside—and he had no intention of adding anything.
In the overwhelming silence, only the sunlight poured in unrestrained, draping over the stone walls and settling in Sylvia’s erald eyes.
As she blinked slightly, the green gemstones of her eyes shimred with a translucent brilliance—now tinged with a warm, golden hue.
The third floor’s open design allowed them to sit at the very edge, offering a sweeping view of the vast world beyond. It was the perfect vantage point for observing the changing world.
Xu Xi stepped forward and took a seat near the edge. Then, he patted the spot beside him, signaling for Sylvia to join him.
“Yes, Master Sorcerer.”
She moved cautiously, her footsteps light, and sat down beside him. Her hands folded neatly on her lap.
At this distance, they were closer to the outside world than ever before.
Naturally, the brilliant sunlight pierced through the clouds, scattering onto her armor. The polished tal glead intensely, almost blinding.
Noticing this, Sylvia quickly pulled up her cloak to shield the glare, afraid that the reflected light might disturb Xu Xi’s eyes.
Xu Xi was about to tell her it wasn’t necessary—after all, as a Third-Ring Sorcerer, he was no longer affected by such minor light.
But as he watched her careful movents, the words he had intended to say changed.
“Thank you, Sylvia.”
Expressing gratitude for her consideration, he noticed that her gaze brightened even further.
To be needed.
To be acknowledged.
To be appreciated.
These were the things she longed for most.
Xu Xi understood that feeling. That was why he wanted Sylvia to rest more, to have so ti for herself.
“Sylvia, these past four years have been hard on you.”
“Ah—Master Sorcerer, it is I who should be thanking you… I haven’t done anything worth ntioning…”
“Haven’t you?”
The golden sunlight poured over the land like fine grains of sand, filling every crack between the stone bricks.
Their shadows stretched long and deep.
Xu Xi recounted her accomplishnts.
Beyond just being a research subject, Sylvia had slain countless undead. She had saved many suffering people.
She had been there whenever he needed help, standing guard against hidden threats.
Xu Xi was grateful for all that she had done.
That was why he wanted her to take ti for herself—to find joy in sothing beyond duty.
A hero’s life.
Sylvia Crowfield’s life.
It could be so much more.
“But I…”
Her erald eyes flickered with hesitation. She had long grown accustod to following Xu Xi’s side.
Now that he was telling her to do sothing for herself, she had no idea what to do.
“Forgive , Master Sorcerer, but I can’t think of anything.”
Sylvia shook her head slightly.
“I see…”
“Then just think about it when the ti cos.”
Xu Xi didn’t press the matter. Instead, he smiled gently.
He had only brought it up because he wanted Sylvia to feel more at ease. There was no need to rush such things.
“By the way, Sylvia—give your hands.”
“Yes, Master Sorcerer.”
She lifted her hands lightly.
The gray-silver armor covered her skeletal fra, its once-polished surface now riddled with battle scars.
The once-pristine sheen had long been dulled by countless fights.
Especially around her fingers.
The wear and tear were so heavy that her skeletal joints could now be faintly seen beneath the cracks in the tal.
Reviews
All reviews (0)