Chapter 339:

“Sylvia… Miss Sylvia…”

“Beautiful Miss Sylvia…!!”

The cold wind howled, sweeping up a storm of snow. The two monsters seemed unfamiliar with their own bodies, staggering forward, their flesh mangled, exhibiting a savagery their original forms never had. They roared as they lunged toward Sylvia.

Every shout.

Every step.

Made the hero’s body tremble.

“Sylvia, are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m sorry for making such a selfish request, but please trust me.”

“…Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

“Thank you, Master Sorcerer.”

The long silver sword was gripped tightly in her hand. She was holding it so hard that the blade trembled. Sylvia Crowfield took a step forward, sword in hand, approaching the two grotesque figures.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa Hansen, Grandma Mena.”

“Please forgive me…”

As she closed the distance, the monsters’ hoarse voices became clearer. They were repeating the words the two elders often spoke to Sylvia in life.

And now, each time Sylvia heard those words, her steps grew faster, heavier.

She couldn’t forgive it. She couldn’t forgive such kind and gentle elders being denied even the peace of death.

Grief mixed with fury, burning everything within her.

“I will not allow you to continue desecrating the dead!!”

The sword gleamed, its sharpness flashing.

The undead hero had once ended her own parents’ suffering with her own hands. That sorrow—no matter how much time passed—would never fade.

Xu Xi had considered this and intended to take action himself.

But the hero did not want that. She refused to turn away from the expectations of the dead.

She could not bear to see the elders’ corpses defiled, yet she had tried to ignore it, to pretend she couldn’t see or hear it. But rage surged within her, finally pouring entirely into her blade.

Why? Why must this world be so full of suffering? Why must even the smallest happiness be destroyed?

Why… why is it like this?!

One-Ring Sorcery: Death Aura Enhancement.

One-Ring Sorcery: Bone Lightening.

One-Ring Sorcery: Strength and Speed Amplification.

One-Ring Sorcery: Sharpness Augmentation.

One-Ring Sorcery: Sorcerer’s Hand.

One-Ring Sorcery: Soul Glimmer.

At this moment, Sylvia abandoned all thought, pouring her full power into her sword.

She charged like a shooting star, dazzling and brilliant.

Slash! A streak of light carved through the dark world, its radiance lingering.

Even the wind and snow seemed to freeze in place.

Only the blade kept advancing.

Amidst her overwhelming grief, she struck with unstoppable force, slicing down and destroying the two newly reborn undead creatures.

It was only natural.

Corpses defiled and reanimated into undead were weaker than ordinary skeletons, and they could never be stronger than a one-ring sorcerer like Sylvia.

Yet, as the glow of her sword faded, Sylvia collapsed as well.

Her hands could no longer grip the hilt. She had exhausted all her strength, and the turmoil in her soul fire left her unsteady.

“Sylvia.” Someone approached, gently supporting the undead hero.

The last thread of her rationality snapped.

Her scarred face twisted into an expression of overwhelming sorrow.

Sylvia sobbed uncontrollably, throwing herself into the only embrace she could rely on. Her voice was hoarse as she cried out, finally releasing all the grief she had been suppressing.

Xu Xi lowered his gaze and gently patted Sylvia’s back.

It was his way of comforting the grieving hero.

…

[As you restarted your journey, you encountered an unusual event.]

[Even though their souls had passed into the Netherworld, Grandpa Hansen and Grandma Mena’s bodies still turned undead, becoming desecrated corpses.]

[You realized that the world’s destruction was accelerating.]

[More death energy.]

[More twisted world laws.]

[From now on, the sorcerer’s world would become even more grotesque, until it was fully devoured by the Netherworld.]

[After personally cutting down the undead creatures, Sylvia wept sorrowfully in your arms. Even though she lacked a normal body, her grief was clear as day.]

[Since Sylvia had drained all her energy, you had no choice but to carry her, gently placing her on the back of the Netherflame Crow.]

[As you departed from the mountain,]

[The wind whispered in your ears.]

[The shifting gusts sounded like the soft voices of elders, bidding farewell and offering gratitude to the travelers who were now leaving.]

…

[Three days after leaving, Sylvia recovered from her weakened state. It seemed that her previous battle had served as the final push she needed to break through.]

[In an instant, she advanced to a two-ring sorcerer.]

[With her ascension to the two-ring realm, she now held the potential to grow even stronger.]

[But she showed no joy. She simply sat beside you, silent for a long, long time.]

“Sylvia, aren’t you happy?”

“Master Sorcerer, I…”

Faced with Xu Xi’s question, the undead girl shook her head sadly.

The Netherflame Crow soared at high speed, cutting across plains and mountains. Every beat of its wings stirred the wind and snow into chaos.

Along the way, it scattered trails of ghostly blue fire, flickering like shooting stars, vanishing as quickly as they appeared.

…

[You noticed the girl’s low spirits.]

[You told Sylvia that the creatures she slew were not truly Grandpa Hansen and Grandma Mena, but merely undead that had hijacked their corpses.]

[Though she had no choice but to destroy the creatures, defiling the elders’ bodies in the process,]

[It was the only way to grant them peace.]

[After listening to your guidance, the hero was deeply moved. She emerged from her sorrowful state.]

“Thank you, Master Sorcerer.”

“I… I won’t be lost anymore!” Sylvia looked down at her hands, as if making up her mind, slowly clenching them.

…

[Seeing the hero regain her determination, you nodded approvingly, feeling pleased.]

[Your goal was clear.]

[You guided the Netherflame Crow toward the Plateau of the Gods.]

[It was the legendary gathering place of deities and the very heart of the sorcerer’s world. You wanted to go there to observe and directly experience the Netherworld’s invasion.]

[At the same time, through your travels, you had explored many abandoned sorcerer towers.]

[You were beginning to understand their structural designs.]

[The Plateau of the Gods was home to many powerful sorcerers. You believed you could gather useful information there to perfect your blueprint for constructing your own sorcerer tower.]

…

Fly.

Endlessly, they flew.

The vastness of the sorcerer’s world exceeded Xu Xi’s expectations.

He was grateful he had chosen to modify the Netherflame Crow, turning the tireless undead into a mount.

Without it, long-distance travel would have been impossible.

“They say sorcerers of the four-ring level or higher can manipulate space, using enchanted items or special creatures to teleport.”

“Unfortunately, I’ve only just broken through to the three-ring level.”

“The fourth ring…”

“It’s still a long way off.”

Xu Xi calculated quietly, gazing down from the sky.

Darkness. Desolation. Silence.

Ever since the return of the Black Sun and Blood Moon, the sorcerer’s world had become even more eerie and terrifying.

The fragile peace maintained by the people was now crumbling under the ever-rising tide of the undead.

During their journey, Xu Xi and Sylvia had intervened several times.

But it was meaningless.

No matter how much they helped, they could never save everyone from a disaster that spanned the entire world.