Chapter 349:

Tower of Salvation.

The platform square.

Scattered across it sat several dozen people.

Their faces were blank, silent and lifeless, like puppets drained of their souls, trembling as soft sobs escaped their throats.

Gradually…

The sobs became clear crying.

“Thank that lord for saving you, Avijin… my child.”

A knight with a severed arm hugged his child tightly with his only remaining hand. His once resolute face now twisted in a pitiful expression of sorrow.

A frail, thin woman held her baby in her arms, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Farewell. Separation. Life and death.

Words that once felt distant now fell upon everyone with heavy weight.

Loved ones gone.

Close friends dead.

The ones who survived had all lost the people they cared for most.

Even those who managed to stay alive looked miserable beyond words.

In the end…

The overwhelming despair and the emptiness inside them turned into pure, heavy grief, dropping silently into the steaming bowls of soup before them.

They had survived.

They had received mercy from that lord and lived through this hopeless disaster.

Grief mingled with gratitude, and the soup they sipped turned into crystal tears at the corners of their eyes.

“Master Sorcerer, you’re not going down there?”

At the top of the tower, Xu Xi and Sylvia stood watching the rescued people below as they wept and gave thanks.

That scene was deeply moving.

A flower of tears blooming in the heart of despair.

“If I went down, it’d just make things more chaotic.”

“More chaotic?”

“Mm. It’d probably turn into a crowd crying and bowing to me.”

Xu Xi shook his head. He didn’t like that kind of scene.

Before rescuing them, he had used a kindness detection spell to judge their character—just to ensure he wouldn’t be saving any backstabbers.

It was an effective method.

But as a result, these kind-hearted people became especially devoted, which Xu Xi found a little bothersome.

“We passed through seven kingdoms, fifty-three towns, and countless villages.”

“And in the end, we only saved forty-eight people.”

“Some of those… were just children.”

Xu Xi looked up at the dark sky, where the pitch-black sun hung high above. His heart was filled with mixed emotions.

…

[You saved a few people]

[You don’t think of yourself as noble—this was merely a small kindness within your ability to give]

[Besides, you had plans for those you saved]

[The Tower of Salvation is far too massive—tasks like monitoring magic plants, breeding magical beasts, maintaining the tower’s systems all take an immense amount of time]

[You and Sylvia need to focus on improving your strength]

[These chores are best handled by others]

[Those you saved became members of the Tower of Salvation, holding deep respect for you. Within the tower, you often hear echoes of “that lord” being spoken with reverence]

…

[Simulation Year 18. You are 35 years old]

[During the tower’s travels, you rescued a few more people. With a larger crew, the sorcerer tower began to operate more efficiently]

[As a result, your soul flame collection speed increased significantly]

[The people respected you even more]

[The kind-hearted Sylvia, beneath her half-length cloak, also formed good relationships with others]

[She frequently helped with everyday issues inside the tower, and every time she solved a problem, she felt genuine joy]

[You were comforted to see this]

[Simulation Year 20. You are 37 years old]

[The great floating fortress barreled through the silent world. Encounters with the living became rarer—sorcerers were now exceedingly few]

[Though the world hadn’t fully died, there were no more signs of life in the sorcerer world]

“Sylvia, this world… it’s pretty awful, isn’t it?”

“…I will protect you, Master Sorcerer.”

The silver-armored hero spoke, sword in hand.

The heavy blade gleamed with light.

A trace of green at her fingertips mingled with the sword’s shine and pierced through the suffocating darkness, slashing down an entire skeletal dragon.

The world’s death could no longer be reversed.

But at the very least, Sylvia would protect the light before her.

She didn’t want to—and would not—

Fall back into that old darkness.

…

[Simulation Year 22. You are 39 years old]

[The number of people inside the tower increased to around one hundred]

[Most were ordinary civilians, but a few were sorcerer apprentices, easing your research burden]

[The hero remained your most trusted knight]

[She feared the dark. She feared thunder.]

[But for your safety, she endured that fear and overcame her anxiety]

[The only cost was that the enchanted book you once gifted her had been used up—the illumination and soundproofing enchantments were nearly depleted]

[You gave her a new enchanted book]

The night wind was cold.

It made the soul flames sway.

Above, the sky still held a black sun and blood-colored moon, but the Tower of Salvation was shielded by special enchantments that blocked out that eerie influence.

The stars returned. The moonlight returned.

The sky of the peaceful era was recreated.

“Master Sorcerer… I think I’ve troubled you again…”

At the highest floor of the tower, Xu Xi and Sylvia were speaking.

Looking at the enchanted book being handed to her, Sylvia looked a little embarrassed. She felt she had caused Xu Xi trouble and wasn’t being a proper guardian knight.

But Xu Xi simply smiled.

A gentle smile. “If it’s you, Sylvia… it’s not trouble at all.”

“!!!!!!”

Hero Sylvia’s eyes widened.

Hero Sylvia fell into chaos.

Hero Sylvia accepted the enchanted book… and fled in panic.

…

[Simulation Year 23. You are 40 years old]

[Time passed, and the erosion of death did not affect your appearance]

[You still looked young—but your every move now carried deeper spiritual pressure, making those in the tower feel your power]

[Your soul had reached its limit]

[You were ready to break through to the Four-Ring Sorcerer stage]

“So slow…”

“Compared to cultivation, magic, or martial arts, sorcerer breakthroughs are clearly much slower.”

“Then again, that’s to be expected.”

“Few transcendental systems begin exploring truth as early as the sorcerer path.”

The Tower of Salvation stopped flying.

To ensure a successful breakthrough,

Xu Xi found a quiet place and continuously adjusted his condition.

Sylvia stood outside the meditation chamber, gripping her heavy knight’s sword, calmly activating a detection spell to watch for anything that might interrupt Xu Xi.

“Alright then, let’s begin.”

“Mental Fusion spell… Soul Amplification spell… Perception Enhancement spell… and the Vision of Insight.”

“Along with the Leaf of Life… and Eternal Water.”

“I’ve done everything I can to prepare for this breakthrough.”

“All that’s left is to take the final step—turning observation of the world into interference with the world.”

Inside the room,

It was dark and quiet.

So dark that it felt as if space and time had been stripped away.

Xu Xi, now forty years old, sat alone in a cross-legged position and reached out to summon his wand.

Crack—

Crack—

A torrent of invisible soul power burst out from within his body, surging like a terrifying wave.

The darkness twisted—then collapsed.