The illusion faded, peeling away layer by layer, like scattered petals or the shards of a broken mirror.
Amid the soft, flickering haze, Krisha’s true appearance erged—a 17-year-old girl, untouched by ti, her delicate features still holding the familiar indifference that Xu Xi knew so well.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Xu Xi said softly, his voice filled with warmth.
Standing before the immortal witch, he looked aged and frail, his white hair and lined face forming a stark contrast to Krisha’s tiless youth. The gap between them was palpable, as though the boundary of life and death had quietly materialized, separating their existences.
“…”
The silence between them was heavy, laced with unspoken sorrow. Xu Xi reached out his hand and gently patted Krisha’s head, attempting to soothe the faint trembling in her body.
Outside, the autumn leaves rustled, marking the arrival of fall and heralding the impending winter.
[Simulating the fiftieth year: You are 64 years old, and Krisha is 56 years old.]
[You begin using life magic daily to restore your vitality, but your body continues its inevitable decline.]
[Outside, the Church of God remains relentless in its search for your traces, but your concealnt remains successful.]
[Simulating the fifty-first year: You are 65 years old, and Krisha is 57 years old.]
[You develop hobbies typical of the elderly, such as sitting in the sunlight for hours or planting flowers and plants.]
[Krisha continues to serve you daily, ensuring you have a cup of the bitter Qingshen grass magic drink whenever you need it.]
[Simulating the fifty-second year: You are 66 years old, and Krisha is 58 years old.]
[Your body remains healthy, albeit slower and less capable than in your youth. You feel optimistic, believing you may live longer than expected.]
[Simulating the fifty-third year: You are 67 years old, and Krisha is 59 years old.]
[Krisha’s culinary skills improve further. She ventures to the market alone for ingredients and has learned never to confuse poisonous items again.]
[Simulating the fifty-fourth year: You are 68 years old, and Krisha is 60 years old.]
[Unable to progress further in magic, you imrse yourself in gardening, planting dragon blood grass in your flowerbed, using materials gifted by a mysterious red dragon.]
[Krisha stays by your side, carefully cleaning the blood from her wand, “Gray Resurrection,” with practiced precision.]
…
The years blurred together, passing like a film set on fast-forward. When Xu Xi tried to recall them, only fragnted mories remained.
His body aged steadily, resembling the setting sun—still radiant, still warm, but with the inevitability of nightfall creeping closer.
By the sixty-first year of the simulation, Xu Xi was 75 years old. His once-dark hair was now completely white, and deep wrinkles lined his face. He sat half-reclined in the courtyard, sunlight reflecting off his silvery hair, his steady eyes holding all his concealed spiritual power.
“So tiring…” Xu Xi muttered.
He had long known that aging would bring challenges, but the reality of it was far more harrowing than he had imagined. Tasks that were once simple now seed insurmountable.
“If not for my strong ntal power and magic to assist , this retired life would be unbearable,” he thought wryly.
With a surge of the wind elent, Xu Xi lifted himself to his feet. Dust from his robes scattered as the earth elent responded. Then, wrapped in a gentle breeze, he floated back into the house.
“Master, welco back,” Krisha greeted him.
She opened the door, her calm deanor unchanged. The dining table was set with a hot al, the enticing aroma filling the room.
“Krisha, your cooking has improved yet again,” Xu Xi complinted her with a smile after taking a bite.
“Thank you, Master. I will continue to work hard,” Krisha replied, her voice steady and emotionless.
Xu Xi knew this wasn’t indifference but her natural inability to express feelings.
After the al, Krisha cleaned up with the efficiency of water and wind magic. Xu Xi shuffled to the living room, eased into a wooden lounge chair, and closed his eyes to rest, surrounded by sunlight and blooming flowers.
His aging body made him feel perpetually tired, especially in the afternoons when sleep seed to call him irresistibly.
“Let’s sleep a little longer today,” he thought.
Lying on the cool, wooden rocking chair, Xu Xi quickly succumbed to the quiet pull of sleep. Darkness enveloped him, and the world faded away.
“Master… Master!”
Through the haze, he faintly heard Krisha’s voice but dismissed it as an illusion. He was too tired to respond.
Sinking deeper into sleep, Xu Xi’s consciousness floated aimlessly, only to return after what felt like an eternity.
“I am…”
Xu Xi opened his eyes groggily.
He found himself lying in bed rather than the living room. Piecing it together, he realized Krisha must have moved him. He tried to speak, but a burning sensation in his throat triggered a violent coughing fit.
“Master, here’s so water,” Krisha’s calm voice reassured him as she handed him a glass.
Drinking deeply, the cool liquid soothed his throat and refreshed his parched body.
“Thank you, Krisha,” Xu Xi said, setting the empty glass down.
But then he noticed sothing unusual. Krisha looked different. Her clothes had changed, and her face appeared haggard, as if she had endured imnse sorrow.
“…You’re finally awake, Master,” she said, her voice tinged with sothing he couldn’t quite place.
[You napped as usual, but this ti, your sleep was unusually long and peaceful.]
[After waking up, Krisha inford you that you had slept for three entire days. You were shocked and began investigating the cause.]
[Mortal Wisdom activated…]
[You discovered the truth. Your aging mortal body can no longer sustain your extraordinary spirit. In response, it initiates prolonged sleep to recover and protect itself.]
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