Chapter 334: Good Day, Lord Wizard

[A brand new life has begun]

[You are immersed in secluded cultivation, unable to extricate yourself]

[You continue to contemplate; the Thinker trait is steadily in effect, and you begin to study unfamiliar Third-Ring spells]

[Every morning, you fly a circuit outside to observe the changes in the world and the real-time movements of the sun and moon]

[At the same time, you receive greetings from the Hero]

["Good day, Lord Wizard."]

[On the empty mountaintop, Sevia repeats her sword swings over and over again; her movements are precise and correct, and her Aura is very sharp]

[Witnessing such a scene, you feel that the Undead Sword Saint is beginning to take shape]

[The sunlight is brilliant, and the moonlight is pure white]

[A world that is too normal gives you some peace of mind, though you know that the beauty before you will not last]

[Death, war, destruction, parting… this world has far too much chaos]

[You cannot help but wonder]

[Whether the beauty before your eyes is merely the world's final terminal lucidity]

…

[The first month of living on the mountaintop]

[The world is calm and leisurely; no special events have occurred]

[In your observation records, as the sun and moon have returned to normal, the Wizard World has begun to recover some vitality, becoming less desolate]

[The faded stained-glass windows refract the dazzling sunlight]

[Moss spreads silently, growing tenaciously in the ruins of the village, giving rise to some weak Slime individuals]

[The Hansens are frightened by this]

[You step in to clear the Slimes, and while supplementing your research materials, you set up defensive spells for the two elderly people so they won't be harassed by monsters]

[To you, this is just a minor matter done in passing]

[But the expressions of the two elderly people are full of shock; then, with even more trembling voices, they hail you as "Master Wizard"]

[You sigh and try to persuade them once again, telling The Hansens there's no need for that]

[Finally]

[Through your efforts, The Hansens no longer call you Master]

[They choose to call you Lord Wizard, just like Sevia does]

[You look up at the sky, somewhat silent]

[Thinking that it at least sounds better than "Master"]

“Lord Wizard, the world is so quiet now…”

A soft and delicate voice.

Through the vibration of the Soul Fire, it simulated the tone of voice from when she was alive.

Its owner.

Was sitting at the entrance of the workshop's first floor, staring blankly at the bright scenery outside.

Since the summoning of the Netherworld, the Wizard World had lost the meaning of the four seasons, divided only into the snowy season and the non-snowy season.

What should have been a sweltering summer.

Under the radiance of the pitch-black sun, appeared entirely desolate and eerie.

But now.

The summer sunlight, like a golden gauze, returned to the earth with scorching heat.

Sevia watched from afar as the leaves shimmered with emerald light in the sun, swaying in the wind and flapping slightly, revealing the tiny insects within.

This should have been the most common of sights.

Now, it had become a precious miracle.

Xu Xi closed a thick book and followed the undead girl's gaze, looking out at the green trees and the red sun as well.

“A beautiful world is always quiet, Sevia.”

“Because of that, it is even more fragile, vanishing as easily as a dream.”

As if echoing Xu Xi's words.

Outside the door, the summer world seemed even more silent, so quiet that one could hear the warm wind blowing through the sea of trees and the rustling sound of the leaves.

Sevia gently closed her eyes.

She reached her hand out of the workshop door.

Despite the layer of armor, despite having no flesh or nerves, listening to the rustling in her ears, she felt as if she had returned to a time a thousand years ago.

Her family was still there.

The beauty was still there.

Everything remained as it originally was.

Without overindulging, Sevia reopened her eyes and murmured to herself while standing beside Xu Xi in the quiet afternoon.

“It is a good dream, Lord Wizard.”

Her voice was very light.

Carrying away the echoes of the dream.

…

[The second month of living on the mountaintop]

[The sunlight is still magnificent]

[You still haven't observed any useful changes in the world]

[Your understanding and development of Third-Ring spells have entered a critical stage; using your automatically promoted Innate Talent as a sample, you have successfully locked onto several directions]

[You work hard and diligently, using elemental techniques from the Magic World to develop Third-Ring elemental spells]

[You are in high spirits]

[Sevia notices your happiness and asks whether to prepare a sumptuous dinner]

[You agree to the suggestion but veto the existence of roasted fruits]

[The fireplace bonfire rises and burns, releasing a small amount of light and heat; as the clear spring water in the copper kettle boils, amidst the clattering of the pot lid, you brew a cup of Tinder Flower Tea for yourself]

[At the same time, you light a necromantic mushroom for Sevia]

[At dusk]

[One of you holds hot tea, the other holds a lit mushroom, and together you watch the bright full moon outside, discussing how long it will take to disappear]

“Lord Wizard, I have completely absorbed all the Soul Fire you gave me, but…”

“But what?”

“I cannot materialize my Soul power to break through to the Second-Ring Realm.”

“Take it slow, Sevia. There is still plenty of time.”

“Eh, but as only a First-Ring, I can't help Lord Wizard at all.”

“How could that be?” Xu Xi smiled. “My experiments cannot do without Sevia. If I didn't have Sevia's help, I would be very troubled.”

The undead girl looked at the moon outside.

Her hands lightly held the lit mushroom.

She brought it close to her face.

Letting her Soul Fire experience that fragrance from a closer distance.

“I understand, Lord Wizard. I will wait for your summons and offer this body at any time,” she said softly.

Because of the mushroom's cover, Xu Xi could not see Sevia's eyes.

They should be—

A deep and bright green color.

…

[Using a Magic Tool Book to record the changes of every dawn and dusk]

[By the fireplace, fresh Demonic Beast meat sizzles as it roasts]

[The rugged mountain rocks and old wooden beams cast shadows of varying lengths in the alternation of sun and moon]

[At your fingertips, the shadows of the sun gather]

[That is time silently slipping away]

[As time passes, the number of Third-Ring spells you have mastered increases, and you begin to become a qualified Third-Ring Wizard]

[At the same time, you begin to conduct research on promotion experiments for the Nether Raven]

[You feel that for future travels, you must possess faster flight speeds]

[From the mountaintop, you gaze at the distant lands where plants grow and seas of flowers sway; that dreamlike and beautiful sight often gives you the eerie feeling of a coming storm]

[You decide to continue waiting]

…

[The third month of living on the mountaintop]

[The passage of time dilutes everything equally]

[The farmer Hansen and the farmwoman Mena were originally the only residents of this high mountain; they held wariness and fear toward your arrival, but now, that fear has long since dissipated]

“Lord Wizard.”

“Young Miss Sevia.”

[The two elderly people no longer tremble, but instead interact with you with normal, smiling faces, occasionally bringing over melons and vegetables]

[Every time, you gladly accept]

[Afterward, you create various 'accidents' to let the two elderly people find enough food to compensate for their kind gifts]