Chapter 301

[Your journey is long and lonely.]

[But you are already used to it.]

[After twenty days of traveling with intermittent stops, you finally reach a small city. Unlike villages, it has fortified walls and scattered necromancers living within it.]

[Like you, they are only apprentice necromancers, not full-fledged sorcerers.]

[Yet in this small city, even apprentice necromancers hold high status, revered and respected by countless ordinary people. After some thought, you decide to settle here temporarily.]

[This year, you are 18 years old.]

[The presence of the Cycle of Life and Death and Soul Collector traits accelerates your soul’s transformation. You focus solely on cultivation, rejecting all invitations to feasts and gatherings.]

[The only time you leave your meditative state is when the apprentice necromancers hold meetings, where you go to exchange knowledge.]

[You learn the complete structure of necromancer ranks.]

[The hierarchy in the world of necromancers is based on ‘rings.’]

[Zero-ring necromancer apprentices merely have stronger souls compared to ordinary people.]

[A formal necromancer, a one-ring sorcerer, possesses distinct transcendent qualities. Their study of souls is deep enough to engrave spell structures directly into their own soul.]

[At this stage, a necromancer has already transcended life and death.]

[The boundary between the living and the dead blurs.]

[One-ring, two-ring, three-ring, four-ring… until the legendary peak of seven-ring necromancers, who achieve true immortality, with souls unrestricted by the Underworld.]

[Some even enter the Underworld and become eternal sovereigns, ruling over a layer of the soul realm.]

…

[Year two of the simulation. You are 19 years old.]

[Your cultivation progresses rapidly, and without anyone realizing it, your soul reaches the apprentice’s peak limit.]

[In your heart, you silently thank the countless skeleton soldiers who contributed to your growth.]

[You begin selecting your soul-engraved life spell, which will serve as the foundation for your future progression.]

[You ponder this choice for a long time.]

[Year three of the simulation. You are 20 years old.]

[Your apprentice soul reaches its absolute limit. No longer suppressing your progress, you seize the moment amidst a tide of soul energy and engrave your life spell.]

[One-Ring Necromancy: Life Decay]

[This is the most compatible spell you could find for your Cycle of Life and Death trait, bridging both life and death.]

[Breakthrough. Advancement. Stabilization. Your rank transitions to a one-ring necromancer.]

[You distinctly sense your soul sharpening, granting you a deeper understanding of the death aura that pervades the world.]

[This is a brand-new perspective, different from the one you had when sharing the Witch’s power.]

[You keep a low profile and do not announce your advancement. Instead, on a silent night, you quietly leave the small city you have lived in for two years.]

[Once again, your journey resumes.]

[Your next destination: either a region teeming with undead or a necromancer gathering site.]

[The former will strengthen your soul, while the latter will grant access to the knowledge you seek. Both are equally important to you.]

[Fortunately—]

[Now that you have become a formal necromancer, you possess more methods and spells, sparing you the embarrassment of traveling on foot.]

…

The simulation progressed smoothly, though it was filled with obstacles.

In his previous simulations, Xu Xi had often stayed in one place for long periods.

But this time, in the Necromancy Side Simulation, he was constantly on the move. The reason was simple—the world was in ruins, with vast regions reduced to barren wastelands.

Ghosts, skeletons, and mutated corpses—these made up the world’s daily reality.

Though he had collected a significant amount of soul fire, greatly shortening his cultivation time, the endless death and desolation around him still felt unsettling.

“This simulation isn’t about power advancement.”

“I only need to meet the minimum requirements—the ability to research souls.”

“In the real world, as long as I comprehend the essence of this knowledge, my strength will naturally evolve. Compared to that, becoming a high-level necromancer is just a bonus.”

“Once I find a suitable place, I’ll establish my own Necromancer Tower and settle down.”

Seated atop a wingless bone bird, Xu Xi closed his eyes, contemplating his next steps.

Souls.

Death.

These were the primary themes of his fifth simulation and his main research focus.

Xu Xi believed that with the Cycle of Life and Death trait, it was only a matter of time before he discovered something significant.

“Lately, I’ve been using up soul fire too quickly. Time to replenish it.”

Xu Xi paused his flight, directing his bone bird downward.

He intended to find the nearest village to restock supplies while eliminating some undead to collect soul fire.

Whoosh—

Xu Xi was in luck.

Before long, he spotted his target—

A small village under attack by undead.

The undead were not numerous, only about twenty. Xu Xi descended in advance, just as he was preparing to cast his necromantic spells—

A rusted, armor-clad hand blocked his path.

“Outsider, stand back.”

“This is a matter for the hero.”

Xu Xi: ?

A hero? In this world? Was this a joke?

The thick metal armor was covered in dark brown mud, its surface marred with rust and scratches.

Full coverage. Full plating.

A completely enclosed suit of armor concealed the figure within.

Only a hollow voice echoed from within the helmet, commanding Xu Xi to step aside.

The unidentified “hero” strode forward alone, clad in iron armor and wielding a longsword. With swift movements, they launched an assault, rescuing one villager after another from the undead horde.

Their iron boots crunched over brittle, decayed bones.

Their longsword sliced through the air, snuffing out soul flames.

“Ah! It’s the Hero’s Holy Sword!”

A rescued villager exclaimed in awe, pointing excitedly at the armored figure.

Xu Xi followed their gaze and saw it—

A faint spiritual glow emanating from the sword’s blade.

The light shimmered, making the sword stand out in this sunless world, as though it were a beacon of hope, illuminating the despair in people’s eyes.

“Look! It’s the Hero’s Holy Light!”

Another villager cheered.

The armored figure moved with swift strides, clenched their fist, and—

A punch coated in a milky-white glow smashed through a skeleton soldier’s skull.

“Hero!”

“Hero!”

The battle ended.

The villagers erupted in celebration, their cheers filling the air. A little girl ran out from the crowd, offering the armored figure a woven grass ring.

Xu Xi, standing off to the side, frowned.

The Holy Sword?

The Holy Light?

Something felt… off.

The Holy Light from earlier—if his guess was correct—was nothing but an illusion.

The sword? The light? Their offensive power was extremely limited.

“I see…”

“It’s all brute force, isn’t it?”

Xu Xi shifted his gaze downward, focusing on the armored figure’s hands.

And yet—

With such raw strength, there was no need for them to masquerade as a hero to save people.

Why go out of their way to fabricate a “Hero’s” identity?

It wasn’t necessary.

Was it?