Chapter 90:

Xu Xi couldn’t quite understand Krisha’s actions. Adjusting the positions of the sugar bowl and magic wand seemed unnecessary, but he didn’t dwell on it. It was just a minor change, and the sugar bowl was still there.

“Let’s go, Krisha. It’s time to prepare dinner.”

“Yes, Master,” Krisha replied.

The autumn sun was setting fast, painting the sky with deep shades of orange and leaving a thick darkness behind. The last light of the day brushed softly across the ground, casting a golden glow through the tall kitchen windows.

The light illuminated Krisha’s pale face, her skin so clear that even the tiniest details were visible.

“Master, please allow me to handle this,” Krisha offered.

“No, Krisha. Let me do it,” Xu Xi said, feeling that this reunion was worth celebrating. He wanted to cook the meal himself, but Krisha seemed just as eager to take over.

In the end, they worked together to prepare the meal.

Charcoal-grilled chicken, stewed dragon meat, ginseng and red fruit soup, and stir-fried nectar mushrooms filled the large dining table. The steam rising from the dishes chased away the chill of autumn.

With a click, Xu Xi turned on the overhead light. The sun had fully set, and the moon was rising high in the night sky. Only the bright indoor lights kept the house warm and inviting.

“I never thought I’d meet you again in the real world, Krisha. This feeling is…” Xu Xi said as he pulled out a chair and sat down, looking directly at the witch seated across from him. Her empty eyes stared back, calm and unwavering.

“…Really good,” he concluded, a faint smile curling his lips.

The witch’s presence filled the previously empty courtyard with warmth and life. Even with her stoic demeanor, her very existence made everything feel livelier.

“Let’s eat, Krisha,” Xu Xi said.

“Yes, Master,” Krisha responded, picking up her bowl and chopsticks after Xu Xi began eating.

Xu Xi couldn’t help but notice her dexterity with chopsticks. Before the end of the second simulation, they had been her nemesis. Did she teach herself during the time after his death?

Time, ruthless as it is, forces people to grow and learn.

“Krisha,” Xu Xi said, placing a piece of soft stewed meat into her bowl.

“Yes, Master?” she asked, slightly confused.

“Nothing. I just want you to eat more,” Xu Xi said gently, watching as the immortal witch opened her small mouth and slowly bit into the stew.

Dinner was uneventful, yet the soft clinking of bowls and chopsticks created a serene rhythm. For Krisha, this ordinary moment carried profound meaning—it was everything she had longed for.

“Very good…” Krisha murmured halfway through the meal, her voice barely audible, but Xu Xi’s sharp hearing caught it.

“What’s so good?” he asked.

“It’s great to see you again,” she replied softly.

Xu Xi smiled warmly. “Krisha, have you thought about what you’ll do now that you’re in this world?”

“Be with you,” Krisha answered without hesitation.

Her response was familiar, just as it had been before.

“I’ll be with you tomorrow, the day after, next year, and ten years from now,” she said with quiet determination.

The faint strands of gray-silver hair falling across her forehead partially obscured her brilliant eyes, leaving Xu Xi unable to discern the emotions hidden within.

“Exactly what you’d say, Krisha,” Xu Xi said, his tone a mix of fondness and resignation. “If that’s your choice, I won’t stop you.”

Krisha had become a god, and Xu Xi himself was a Holy Domain Mage. With their abilities, practical matters like food and shelter were irrelevant.

After dinner, Krisha cleared the table and washed the dishes by hand. Though she could have used her powers to finish the task instantly, she chose to do it the traditional way, calling it a “ritual of serving the Master.”

Watching her move purposefully, Xu Xi felt his life in the real world had become far more interesting.

“It’s a shame…” he murmured to himself. “The Krisha here isn’t your true body, just a projection.”

For someone as powerful as Krisha, even her projection was indistinguishable from a real person. But knowing it wasn’t her true form, Xu Xi couldn’t help but long for the real Krisha.

“You don’t need to worry,” Krisha said, overhearing him.

She placed a cup of hot tea on the table and added, “I will accelerate the upgrading of this world until it can withstand my true body.”

Xu Xi froze, mid-sip. “What did you just say, Krisha?”

“Accelerate the upgrading of this world,” she repeated calmly.

Xu Xi’s eyes widened.

He had always thought the earth’s extraordinary recovery was a natural phenomenon. Now it seemed Krisha had been directly involved.

As realization dawned, his expression became one of utter disbelief.

“Wait a minute… Does this mean… I crippled myself?” he exclaimed, his voice rising in shock.

Krisha, standing calmly, shook her head. “Before I began upgrading the earth, the extraordinary recovery had already started. I didn’t break your legs, Master. That’s not my fault.”

Xu Xi let out a deep breath, processing her words. Even so, he couldn’t shake the surreal thought that somehow, his current life might have been his own doing all along.