Chapter 349: The Hero Who Fled in Panic

The Tower of Salvation.

The plaza platform.

Dozens of people sat scattered about.

Their faces were dull and they remained silent, like puppets whose Souls had been snatched away, sobbing amidst their trembling.

Gradually.

Those sobs turned into clear weeping.

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

A knight who had lost an arm used his only intact hand to tightly embrace his child, his stoic face contorted in an ugly cry.

There was also a thin, haggard woman cradling an infant while tears streamed down her face.

Eternal farewells, separations, and being parted by death.

Words that once felt distant had now descended upon everyone with a heavy presence.

Relatives had passed away.

Close friends had died tragic deaths.

Most of those who survived had lost their most important family and friends.

Even if they were lucky enough to survive, they were in a miserable state.

Ultimately.

That surging despair and inner emptiness turned entirely into intense sorrow, dripping continuously into the hot soup before them.

They had survived.

By the grace of that lord, they had survived this desperate disaster.

Sorrow mingled with gratitude, turning the soup they had just swallowed into crystalline tears at the corners of their eyes.

“Lord Wizard, do you not plan to go down?”

Atop the high tower.

Xu Xi and Sevia stood at a high vantage point, watching the people they had just rescued as they wept and offered thanks.

That sight was moving.

It was a flower of tears blooming in despair.

“…If I go down, things will probably become more chaotic.”

“More chaotic?”

“Yes, it would likely turn into a crowd of people crying while bowing to me.”

Xu Xi shook his head; he did not like such scenes.

Before saving anyone.

He used a Goodness Detection spell to briefly discern their character, ensuring he wouldn't save any ungrateful ingrates.

It was a good method.

Correspondingly, however, people of good character would place extreme importance on Xu Xi's kindness, which caused him some slight annoyance.

“Passing through seven kingdoms, fifty-three towns, and numerous villages.”

“In the end, only forty-eight people were rescued.”

“And that includes young children.”

Xu Xi shifted his gaze upward toward the dim sky, looking at the pitch-black sun hanging high in the firmament, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

…

[You saved some people]

[You do not think of yourself as noble; you are merely releasing a negligible amount of kindness within the scope of your abilities]

[Furthermore, you have other arrangements for the rescued people]

[The Tower of Salvation is too vast; things like the observation and cultivation of Magic Plants, the pairing and breeding of Demonic Beasts, and the maintenance and patrol of the tower structure are all extremely time-consuming tasks]

[You and Sevia need to increase your strength]

[Miscellaneous chores like these are exactly when you need manpower to share the burden]

[The rescued people became members of the Tower of Salvation and were filled with respect for you; you often heard echoes of 'that lord' within the Wizard Tower]

…

[Year 18 of the simulation, you are 35 years old]

[During the flight of the Tower of Salvation, a few more people were saved; your Wizard Tower began to operate fully as your manpower increased]

[Thanks to this, your speed in harvesting Soul Fire also increased significantly]

[People's respect for you grew deeper]

[The kind-hearted Sevia, under the cover of her half-cloak, also built good relationships with the people]

[She often helped people solve problems they faced living in the tower; every time she solved one, she would feel genuine happiness]

[You are gratified to see this scene]

[Year 20 of the simulation, you are 37 years old]

[The massive floating fortress rampaged through the completely dead world; the frequency with which you encountered living people became even lower, and even Wizards were extremely rare]

[Although it has not truly died yet, you see no signs of life in the current Wizard World]

“Sevia, a world like this is quite terrible, isn't it?”

“…I will protect you, Lord Wizard.”

The silver-armored Hero spoke as she held her sword.

The heavy blade shimmered with sharp light.

Following a flicker of emerald green from her fingertips.

The forces combined, tearing through the heavy and thick darkness to strike down an entire Bone Wyvern.

The world's extinction was already irreversible, but at the very least, Sevia wanted to protect the light before her eyes.

She did not want, nor was she willing, to sink back into her former darkness.

…

…

[Year 22 of the simulation, you are 39 years old]

[The number of personnel in the tower increased further, to about a hundred people]

[Among them, the vast majority were ordinary civilians, but a few were Wizard Apprentices who shared more of your research pressure]

[The Hero remains your most trusted knight]

[She is afraid of the dark and afraid of thunder]

[But for your safety, she can endure her fear and overcome her inner unease]

[The only cost is that the Magic Tool Book you once gave the Hero was used up rapidly, with the illumination and Soundproofing Spells on it nearly exhausted]

[You provided the Hero with a new Magic Tool Book]

The night wind was cold and piercing.

It made the Soul Fire flicker.

Above the firmament, there was still the pitch-black sun and the blood-red moon, but the Tower of Salvation was shrouded in a special spell that perfectly shielded that eeriness.

Replicating the stars, replicating the bright moon, replicating the sky from times of peace.

“Lord Wizard, it seems I have troubled you again…”

At the very top floor of the tower.

Xu Xi and Sevia were conversing here.

Facing the offered Magic Tool Book, the Hero felt a bit embarrassed, thinking she was a burden to Xu Xi and not a qualified guardian knight.

But Xu Xi only smiled.

His smile was gentle: “If it's Sevia, it's no trouble at all.”

“!!!!!”

Hero Sevia's eyes widened.

Hero Sevia fell into a state of confusion.

Hero Sevia took the Magic Tool Book and fled in panic.

…

[Year 23 of the simulation, you are 40 years old]

[The passage of time and the erosion of Death Qi have not affected your appearance]

[You still look young, but there is a deeper spiritual fluctuation in your every move, causing the people in the tower to feel a sense of pressure]

[Your Soul has reached its limit]

[You are preparing to break through to a Fourth-Ring Wizard]

“So slow…”

“Compared to the cultivation of Immortality, Magic, or Martial Arts, the Breakthrough of Wizard Realms is clearly much slower.”

“However, that's normal.”

“After all, few extraordinary systems can begin exploring truth as early as Wizards do.”

The Tower of Salvation stopped flying.

To ensure a smooth Breakthrough.

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

Sevia, meanwhile, stood guard at the door of the Meditation Room, holding her heavy knight's longsword, calmly activating detection magic and remaining alert for any factor that might disturb Xu Xi.

“Well then, let's begin.”

“Mental Aggregation Formation, Soul Amplification Formation, Perception Enhancement Formation, and Spirit Vision for observation.”

“Along with Leaves of the Tree of Life and Eternal Water.”

“I have done all the preparations that can be done for a Realm Breakthrough.”

“Next, only the final step remains: for me to officially begin, changing the observation of the world into the interference of the world.”

Inside the room.

It was deep and quiet.

The environment, which was too dark, seemed to have detached the existence of space and the passage of time.

The 40-year-old Xu Xi sat cross-legged alone and reached out to summon his Magic Wand.

Crack—

Crack—

An invisible yet surging Soul power burst out from within his body, turning into an unseen, terrifying tide.

The darkness was distorted and collapsed.