Chapter 352: Do You Still Need to Remove Your Armor?

Xu Xi and Sevia met.

It was during the second year of the simulation.

Pitiable, lonely, solitary, yet strong.

With a scarred face and an undead body, Sevia was driven away by terrified people wherever she went.

No one believed her words.

Much less offered her kindness.

Because of this, Sevia could only don armor and become a fake Hero to earn that tiny bit of trust.

After meeting Xu Xi, she once asked him a question.

Could her undead body be cured? Could those hollow bones be restored to human form once again?

"Sorry, I can't do that."

The Xu Xi of that time.

Gave an apologetic answer.

But now, having advanced to a Fourth-Ring Wizard and combined gathered data, Xu Xi had finally learned the Fourth-Ring Wizardry: Flesh and Blood Regeneration.

According to the creator's intent, it was meant to be developed as a spell for healing injuries.

However, after various experiments.

Flesh and Blood Regeneration was proven to have the miraculous effect of restoring flesh and blood even to dead, silent skeletons.

"Lord Wizard, I… I… can I really?"

"Of course you can, Sevia. But this isn't a permanent cure; there's a time limit."

"A time limit?"

"Yes, it can only be maintained for about an hour."

Was she disappointed? Not at all.

Sevia stood where she was, her eyes blinking with lingering joy and gratitude.

Before meeting Xu Xi.

The Hero had no one to talk to.

She feared being exposed, so every time she saved a village, she would leave quickly, not daring to speak with the people.

She feared the silent loneliness. In a world where she was all alone, she could only listen to the drip-drop from a leaking roof.

Those times were far too dark.

They became an indelible pain.

Now, that pain had a chance to heal. Xu Xi was going to help the Hero restore her wholeness as a human being.

"Lord Wizard."

"W-What should I do?"

"Should I take off my armor? And the cloth strips on my head…"

The undead girl was a bit flustered.

Having been tempered by time, she was long since mature, yet at this moment she was as lost as a child, not knowing what to do.

"No need to rush, Sevia."

The simulated sunlight was like golden silk threads, gently shining into the room, striking the surface of every object and coating them in a delicate glow.

Xu Xi chuckled.

He helped Sevia untie the cloth strips from her head.

"Lord Wizard, the armor…"

Sevia subconsciously reminded him, thinking Xu Xi had forgotten this step.

But Xu Xi shook his head.

"Sevia, you don't need to take off your armor for this experiment."

"Eh? But, it was always needed before…"

The girl's voice grew thin and weak.

Her stalled brain began to function again, her intelligence reclaiming the high ground. Sevia finally realized what a foolish thing she had said.

This experiment.

Was to restore her Physical Body.

A complete body, a living body, a healthy body.

If she removed her armor…

Sevia didn't dare think any further.

She held her head, curled up, and squatted down.

Excessive shame caused the girl to react as if she were afraid of the dark.

Xu Xi prepared the supernatural materials nearby to activate the spell.

————

[The Hero's wish is to restore her normal body]

[With the world's upheaval, the extinction of humanity, and all sorts of changes swarming in, the Hero had long since forgotten this matter]

[But you still remember]

[After advancing to a Fourth-Ring Wizard, you set out to research the Flesh and Blood Regeneration spell]

[Finally, you mastered this spell and used it on the Hero]

The white bones trembled.

Flesh and blood began to sprout.

The moment Xu Xi released the wizardry, a massive amount of life force was extracted from the materials and transferred to Sevia, turning into crimson sprouts of flesh and blood.

It was a breathtakingly precise construction.

In an orderly fashion.

A miraculous creation was completed.

Detailed down to every part, deep into the internal organs.

Xu Xi couldn't see the body inside the armor and didn't know how well it was recovering, but he could see that scarred face becoming whole.

Exquisite features.

Elegant long hair.

Emerald eyes.

In the morning light, her platinum-blonde hair shimmered with ripples of luster.

Like the moment of dawn's first light.

Bright and striking.

That brilliance cascaded over her neck and shoulders, pale white and pale gold interlacing and reflecting each other, like the surface of water tinting the emerald of her eyes.

Quiet, lost.

She was once the most dazzling emerald of Claufeel.

Shattered countless times, reassembled countless times, until today, she finally restored her complete form.

"Lord Wizard…"

Touching her face with her hand, it felt whole and flawless. The girl's voice trembled.

It wasn't a simulation of Soul Fire, but the original voice belonging to Sevia Claufeel.

It sounded lovely.

Clear and clean.

"Thank… you…"

Tears, like faint starlight, flickered in her eyes, quickly filling them and flowing freely.

This should have been the most joyful, the happiest moment.

But the Hero could no longer remain strong.

Silent teardrops were crystal clear in the sunlight, shining brightly, shining with sorrow.

She didn't want to cry out loud.

She didn't want to trouble Xu Xi.

Sevia's hands overlapped, covering her mouth and nose, but it was a futile gesture. Tears flowed freely through the gaps between her fingers, revealing a fragile, weeping expression to Xu Xi.

It was a helplessness unique to the Hero that only Xu Xi could see.

Crying quietly and sadly, crying in a way that could not be hidden.

All the suffering.

Transformed at this moment into a sob she tried her best to suppress.

"Sevia," Xu Xi took in the girl's sorrow and reached out, gently wiping away the tears at the corner of her eyes.

He didn't say "You're welcome."

Nor did he offer a long-winded comfort.

Instead, with a gentle pressure, he stroked the top of the girl's head: "It's been very tiring all this time, hasn't it?"

The rippling surface of the water paused for a moment, then the dam completely broke.

Those eyes.

Became truly crystal-clear, shining emeralds.

…

[You successfully restored the Hero's body]

[That excitement, that sorrow, was enough to move anyone]

[You waited patiently]

[Until the Hero's emotions calmed down]

[Only then did you leave the room to give the Hero personal space to change clothes]

[Before, due to the fear that her undead body would be loathed and rejected by people, the girl could only wear armor all day long]

[But now that her body was restored, the girl could finally, after a long time, put on normal clothes and show her 'human' side]

From among the many clothes prepared beforehand.

Sevia chose a long dress.

Delicate and soft fabric, an iris-patterned neckline, and light green buds decorating the pure white dress.

It was a very elegant and decent outfit.

"Lord Wizard," with her fair fingers gently gripping the door crack, Sevia poked her head out from the room and looked toward Xu Xi.

"Do you think this looks good?"

The Hero was a bit worried that her face wasn't beautiful enough, or that the clothes she chose weren't outstanding enough.

She cared about Xu Xi's opinion and wanted to hear his answer.

"It's more beautiful than I expected," Xu Xi looked at the girl in the sunlight and gave his affirmation with a smile.