Chapter 306

Human nature is complicated.

Humility, compassion, love, unity, and kindness truly exist.

But such kindness is only extended to fellow humans or beings acknowledged by humanity.

Clearly, a skeletal monster did not belong to that category.

Cursed by a sorcerer, her body eroded by the aura of undeath, the girl had long become an existence that was repulsive and terrifying.

She lost her beautiful face—now hideous and horrifying.

She lost her fair skin—now exposed as pale, lifeless bones.

She lost her beating heart—now replaced by a soul fire that could not be concealed.

“Get out, monster!”

“Quick, kill that thing!”

Angry stones were hurled.

Cold steel swords slashed mercilessly.

Sylvia Crowfield.

Once the radiant Emerald of Light, she experienced the true malice of people for the first time.

Fearful and helpless, she stared at those who now called her a monster.

It shouldn’t have been like this.

It was never supposed to be like this.

Sylvia had never intended to harm anyone.

She only wanted to protect the people of the Crowfield domain as much as she could.

Even though time had long passed.

Even though the people no longer remembered the name Crowfield.

Yet, as a girl who had grown up listening to the stories of heroes, she still wanted—

In this dangerous world—

To guard the innocent.

At the very least, she could not let her deceased parents down.

That was what Sylvia believed.

But the villagers didn’t see it that way.

All they saw was an undead creature, and in terror, they drove her away.

In the end, Sylvia had no choice but to flee.

In the most pitiful state, she staggered, fell, got up, and ran again.

She couldn’t do it.

She couldn’t lift her sword against terrified people.

So, she chose to run.

She fled far, far away—so far that only rot and decay accompanied her—until she finally returned to the ruins of what was once her home.

…

“Sir Sorcerer.”

The damp, withered forest after the rain was eerily silent.

Droplets of water dripped, echoing crisply in the stillness.

The armored hero sat half-hidden in the darkness, her figure appearing small and frail.

Her voice trembled with hesitation and confusion.

“Do you think…”

“When judging a person’s character, should it be based on appearance or what’s inside?”

“My… friend.”

“Sylvia really, really wants to know the answer to this question.”

She unconsciously crossed her fingers, rubbing the rust between the gaps.

Inside the heavy armor, the undead girl waited for Xu Xi’s response.

Her voice was hoarse and shaky, as if filled with lead sand—

Sharp and grating,

Even causing the dead branches above to tremble, making the water droplets fall faster, bursting like tiny splashes before Xu Xi’s eyes.

“An answer, huh…”

Xu Xi recalled his past simulations.

Finally, he looked at the armored girl before him, completely wrapped in steel, and spoke.

“I don’t know.”

“Why?”

That answer left her unable to comprehend.

Even with the thick metal helmet between them, Xu Xi could still feel her unseen gaze filled with silent disbelief.

She couldn’t understand.

Xu Xi met her gaze.

“A person’s morality is determined by many factors. It’s not solely about appearance, nor is it purely about what’s inside.”

“There are no absolute answers in this world.”

“Good or bad, no one can say for certain.”

“And besides, I’ve never thought that my worth should be judged by others.”

He recalled the third simulation—

The time he led the Army of the Desperate against the Great Qian Dynasty.

The time he heard the furious curses of the Great Qian officials.

Xu Xi shook his head.

“The most important thing in life is having enough trust in yourself.”

“So… ignore what others say?”

“You can choose to care, or you can choose not to. The final decision doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are the one making it.”

Inside the armor, the undead girl fell into silence.

This sorcerer was strange.

Unlike those she had met before—

He wasn’t cruel.

He didn’t toy with the souls of the living.

And yet, he spoke of things that were odd… yet somehow deeply resonated within her.

He seemed like…

A good sorcerer.

“Thank you for your guidance.”

It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

The soul fire within her flickered more vibrantly as she politely expressed her gratitude.

“If my friend were here, I believe she would also… be grateful for your answer.”

Her words were clumsy.

She kept referring to “her friend,” as if using it as a thin veil for a truth that could shatter at the slightest touch.

As the sound of falling water filled the silence, the undead girl asked Xu Xi one final question.

“Sir Sorcerer… do you think Sylvia, my friend… is still human?”

She quickly added, “She believes she still is… but she wants to hear what others think.”

In the darkness,

A faint fire danced—

The fire of a soul.

Hollow, yet fiercely burning.

A silent yearning filled the air—

A fragile, tormented soul awaiting Xu Xi’s answer.

Awaiting recognition.

The withered forest was still.

So still that the soul itself grew restless.

At last,

A light appeared before the girl.

“Of course.”

“Even if her body has turned undead, her mind is undeniably human.”

His voice became light,

Breaking through the silent, suffocating night—

Like the sound of glass shattering,

Yet carrying a quiet warmth.

Beaten.

Cursed.

Driven away.

Assaulted again and again.

The “hero” who had endured countless rejections and kept standing—

Finally… she broke.

She stared blankly for a long time.

“…Thank you.”

Inside the armor, her voice was still hoarse and unpleasant—

But this time, it carried relief.

And hope.

…

The Emerald of Crowfield was the bravest knight.

Even alone, she would press forward with her sword.

She knew—

She had never been a true hero.

She knew—

She was weak, pathetically so.

She didn’t even know if her actions held any real meaning.

All she had done was keep moving forward, seeking redemption.

Trying to atone for the pain of ending her parents with her own hands.

“Monster!” “Demon!” “Evil spirit!”

People despised her.

Again and again, they cast stones and drove her away.

Even after donning armor to hide her face, she could still hear their hatred.

But today—

Someone acknowledged Sylvia.

Someone spoke with certainty,

Believing that within this monstrous body, there was still a human heart.

“…Thank you.”

The undead girl expressed her gratitude once more.

She felt guilty.

She felt ashamed.

With trembling hands, she slowly removed the steel helmet, revealing her grotesque, terrifying face once again.

As if she had made up her mind.

“Sir Sorcerer, earlier, you asked me for my true name—

And the reason for my undead transformation.”

“Now, I will give you my answer.”

“The truth is… I am…”

“Sylvia Crowfield!”

The night was still.

Sylvia waited for Xu Xi’s reaction.

But he remained expressionless,

Sitting calmly in place,

His eyes showing no trace of shock.

Neither surprise, nor disbelief.

Sylvia was bewildered. “You’re… not surprised? About my identity?”

“Sylvia.”

“Ah! Y-yes, I’m here!”

“Has anyone ever told you… you’re really bad at conversation?”

“Eh?! How did you know?!”