Chapter 348:

“I guess it was to be expected…”

“Relying on myself alone, it really is hard to control the entire tower.”

The sky was dim and overcast.

The earth was silent.

The sorcerer tower crash-landed onto a flat plain.

Multiple sections were torn open, smoke billowed from the wreckage—it looked truly devastated.

Earthwork puppets poured out from within, repairing the tower in an orderly fashion. Xu Xi stood not far away, quietly watching the restoration process.

From the beginning, this moving war fortress was never meant for a single user.

The ideal model was for the strongest tower master to lead, supported by a team of mid- to low-tier sorcerers handling their respective duties.

But the current situation was unusual.

Aside from Sylvia, Xu Xi had no one else he could rely on.

“…I’m sorry, Master Sorcerer.”

“…It’s because I was too weak.”

Sylvia looked downcast. The knight’s sword in her hand was chipped and battered, clearly showing signs of a fierce battle.

“You don’t need to apologize, Sylvia. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

The girl blamed herself.

She believed the damage to the sorcerer tower was her fault, because she wasn’t strong enough.

Xu Xi looked at the lightless world around them and comforted Sylvia, telling her not to feel sad. No one could have expected the dark tide to be so overwhelming.

It truly felt endless.

There was no end in sight to the number of undead.

Even a sorcerer would feel helpless in the face of such a massive disaster.

…

[After the Tower of Salvation is repaired, you once again take control of its flight]

[Right now, the sorcerer world]

[Is filled with dangerous undead]

[It’s both a threat and an opportunity]

[Ordinary sorcerers struggle to resist the laws of the Underworld, often spending tremendous time and effort to barely extract a trace of soul flame]

[But with the effect of the Soul Collector trait, you can easily harvest soul flames in great numbers and use them as your own power]

[You continue to destroy the undead]

[Your overwhelming soul presence causes the weaker undead to begin fearing you]

[You notice that due to the intensity of the dark tide, Sylvia’s weapon is close to shattering and can no longer be used]

[You forge a brand-new enchanted longsword for Sylvia]

Silver gleamed brightly—sharp and dazzling.

The blade was long, heavy, and engraved with enhancement runes.

Iron boots stepped across the clean floor, and Sylvia solemnly accepted the longsword with both hands.

Gripping the hilt, she effortlessly raised the heavy mithril blade.

Under the light above, the sword’s gleam was clear and brilliant, reflecting beautifully in her shining green eyes.

“Master Sorcerer, am I really allowed to keep this?”

“Of course. I made it for you, Sylvia,” Xu Xi said warmly.

He began explaining the enchantments applied to the sword so she could quickly become familiar with it.

At the end, Xu Xi modestly commented on his work: “It’s not perfect. I was short on materials. I’ll make you a better one next time.”

“No, Master Sorcerer. I think this sword is already wonderful.”

She slid the blade back into its sheath and held it gently in her arms.

Her green eyes, layered with deep and light hues, had softened.

She looked at Xu Xi and said, “Master Sorcerer, I really like it. I really, really… like it.”

Because it was a gift from you, it could only be something she liked.

No matter what it looked like, no matter the quality.

Her answer would always be the same—she liked it.

Her bone fingers touched the sword hilt through her armor, slowly gripping it, then gently loosening her hold.

In that small motion, it was as if the soul inside her undead body had also been purified.

She seemed happy.

The soul flame inside her flickered and rose slightly.

Then suddenly, as if something came to mind, Sylvia removed the armor from both arms, revealing her pale skeletal hands.

She repeated the motion of gripping the sword again.

“Sylvia, what are you…”

“Master Sorcerer, when I hold the sword like this… it feels kind of warm,” the hero said with a strange smile, claiming her hands felt warm.

But as an undead, she shouldn’t be able to feel hot or cold.

…

[You and the hero continue your journey]

[With the firepower support of the sorcerer tower, your soul flame collection speed greatly improves]

[To prepare for facing the powerful and mysterious Seven-Ring Sorcerer]

[You believe the current pace still needs to increase]

[You run repeated experiments, modifying the tower spirit to make it faster and smarter in handling tasks]

[The Tower of Salvation moves at great speed]

[Carrying you and Sylvia, it leaves the desolate wilderness behind. After many years, you once again set foot in the lands of the living]

[You vaguely remember that a kingdom once stood here]

[But now, all you see is ruins]

[The dead rise from flesh, bony fingers clawing at stones, their twisted forms shuffling through a fire-choked battlefield]

[Flames rise]

[Souls cry out]

[You see what can only be described as true hell]

The combined impact of the black sun’s fall and the undead dark tide was far beyond what Xu Xi had anticipated.

At the start of the fifth simulation, living people could still survive in the world.

But now, the sorcerer world had no future for the living.

Before the two worlds collided and were destroyed, the flood of undead would already wipe everything out, taking away what little hope of survival remained.

They killed the living, turned them into undead, and forced tormented souls to become the very monsters they feared most.

“BOOM!!!”

Above the burning ruins of the fallen kingdom, the sorcerer tower unleashed a barrage of firepower.

There were so many undead that precision wasn’t needed. Every blast harvested vast quantities of soul flame.

Xu Xi waved his wand and cast a powerful Three-Ring spell, blasting apart the skeletal dragons that tried to ambush the tower.

Sylvia stood guard by his side, protecting him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched the kingdom engulfed in flames. The higher the fire rose, the tighter she gripped her sword.

Gradually, amid that crimson, despairing world, a flash of sword light tore through the darkness.

It was strong.

And yet, also fragile.

“Master Sorcerer, I don’t like… this kind of world.”

Her hoarse voice carried a mix of emotions—sadness, anger, and deep, bitter unwillingness.

“Neither do I,” Xu Xi replied, his eyes reflecting the deep red flames and countless pale skeletons.

Heat and cold collided, and fierce winds howled.

The howling gusts sounded like the cries of the dead.

…

…

[Simulation Year Seventeen. You are now 34 years old]

[You’ve begun to gain a basic understanding of the path to Four-Ring advancement]

[You and Sylvia endured the heaviest year yet]

[The world has not completely perished]

[But for those still living in the sorcerer world, there is no hope left for tomorrow]

[You guide the Tower of Salvation to one human kingdom after another, but what you see before you is always the same: lifeless ruins]

[Broken walls, hellfire burning]

[The stench of blood and decay covers the land—no intact village, town, or nation remains. Only a few lucky souls hide away in terror]

[You and the hero saved some of them]

[When people speak of you, they dare not call your name directly. Instead, they refer to you with deep reverence as “that lord”]