Chapter 346:

The half-built tower that soared into the sky stood tall and magnificent.

Its base was made of high-energy crystal stones, providing excellent floating capabilities while also offering reassuring sturdiness. Bright light radiated from within, shining upon the many autonomous construction puppets. The glow broke into fragments, casting long, moving shadows. Even deep into the night, the puppets continued building the tower.

Only like this could the sorcerer’s tower be completed faster.

Xu Xi sat on a small hill, overlooking his own floating tower, speaking with Sylvia about the future and the key points of sorcerer cultivation.

“Sylvia, how’s your progress with the transformation of soul spell’s faint light particles?”

“I… I’m sorry… There are still a few parts I don’t understand.”

“It’s alright. Ask away, I’ll explain it again.”

“Thank you, Master Sorcerer!”

The firelight was like a pair of gentle, hazy hands, softly comforting the loneliness and cold of the night. It lit up the broken face of the brave warrior, making it clearly visible.

Sylvia spoke of several cultivation difficulties, and Xu Xi patiently answered. He traced diagrams with his fingers, combining them with verbal descriptions to teach her.

The night was long.

But with Xu Xi’s voice as company, the brave warrior wasn’t alone.

“Sylvia, did you understand?” After finishing the explanation, Xu Xi asked again, still concerned.

“Mhm… I think I got it,” the brave warrior blinked.

“…”

Everything around them went still. Only Sylvia’s confident voice echoed.

Xu Xi looked up at the sky.

After three seconds of silence, he looked at the brave warrior again and began explaining the previous problem once more—patiently, gently, from a clearer and easier angle to help her remember.

This time, Sylvia truly remembered.

Right in front of Xu Xi, she cast an even stronger soul spell. With her hand on her sword hilt, radiant light shimmered. In the endless night, a dazzling brilliance burst forth—an extreme, blinding light.

It was worth noting that after becoming a sorcerer for many years, Sylvia’s spells were no longer limited to death, soul, and general-purpose sorcery. She had begun to explore other fields as well.

Her growth and progress were clear to see.

“Master Sorcerer, thank you for your guidance.”

The undead warrior bowed and gave a formal knight’s salute, politely thanking Xu Xi for his patient teaching.

“You don’t need to be so formal, Sylvia.”

“The one who made yourself stronger was always you. I merely guided you.”

The wind of the deep night grew louder.

Xu Xi raised his hand.

He cast several spells, calming the disturbance caused by Sylvia and also cleaning up the grease from dinner.

He glanced toward the sorcerer tower’s construction site. Seeing that the construction puppets were operating normally, he sat down again and stared at the world by the firelight.

For the foreseeable future, Xu Xi would remain in the canyon.

Only after the sorcerer tower was completed could he truly begin his plan—to harvest the soul flames of the undead and prepare for the ultimate strike.

“This world… is about to die…”

Thick dark clouds drifted in from afar, obscuring the eerie blood moon.

Above the canyon, eerie howls echoed—there were the trembling cries of the undead and the roars of magical beasts.

Twisted, dead trees rooted themselves into damp cliff faces, sprouting grotesque leaves with red veins hidden in the darkness, swaying in the wind like dense blood mist.

“Master Sorcerer.”

A voice came from beside him.

The brave warrior sat down beside Xu Xi. Her heavy armor struck the ground with a metallic clang.

The quiet night made the sound even more prominent.

A dead soul from a thousand years ago asked Xu Xi this question:

“When people die, they become undead… or are reincarnated.”

“But when a world dies…?”

“Master Sorcerer, what will our world become after it dies…?”

Her eyelashes quivered. The light in her deep green eyes, once bright because of the fire, had now dimmed.

The innocent warrior had once wanted to save this world.

But now, she understood how heavy a burden that truly was.

Heavier than the honor of the Crowfield family—countless times heavier.

A world-saving feat unimaginable to mortals.

No one person, or even two, could change the ending.

Xu Xi replied, “The death of a world probably means absolute nothingness.”

The thoughts of the living. The history of civilization.

All of it combined to create a brilliant world.

Sadly, the death of the sorcerer world was total—not only would the world itself be devoured by the underworld, but all living things inside it would be corrupted and assimilated, losing everything they once had.

“Master Sorcerer… If only I were a true brave warrior…”

Sylvia lowered her head.

Her voice was quiet, her fingers intertwined.

The strong desire to save the world clashed with her powerless self, tormenting her again and again.

“That’s not your fault, Sylvia.”

“A true warrior isn’t measured by power. Your character is outstanding, and you’ve always worked hard.”

“In my eyes, that’s the finest kind of warrior.”

Xu Xi acknowledged her efforts.

Indeed, in fantasy tales, heroes were often filled with extraordinary traits—handsome looks, unique charm, immense strength, or incredible luck.

Compared to them, the undead Sylvia lacked nearly everything. Only her tenacious courage and sense of justice made her stand out.

But that was enough.

Anyone with a brave heart was already their own hero.

“Have faith in yourself, Sylvia,” Xu Xi said gently.

He lightly patted her shoulder, then stood up and walked toward the construction site of the sorcerer tower.

He was going to replace the energy cores of the construction puppets to prevent any downtime.

The night was deep.

Xu Xi’s figure slowly disappeared into the darkness.

After he left, Sylvia sat silently for a long time, squatting and staring at the ring on her left hand without moving.

“Master Sorcerer…”

“I’m not… as good as you say I am…”

Her voice was so soft only she could hear it, fading into the air.

There was a quiet sense of disappointment in herself.

Warrior? Justice?

These words, symbols of light, had felt unworthy ever since she became undead.

Because she feared loneliness, she held on tightly to the only hand she had—and followed Xu Xi away from the Crowfield territory.

That made her feel like a hypocrite.

To uphold justice, to save the world, to destroy evil…

Yes, she had thought about those things during her journey with Xu Xi. She had acted on them, truly.

But unlike the brave warriors in stories who carried the world in their hearts and cast aside their weakness…

Sylvia felt like she had just used those ideals as an excuse to stay by Xu Xi’s side.

To remain near the one person who, even after knowing how ugly she truly was, still treated her with kindness.

To inch closer and closer… shamelessly.

To enjoy the care she hadn’t felt in a thousand years, hiding in this safe harbor.

Someone like her—wasn’t just undead in body.

Even her heart was… disgraceful.