Chapter 54: Have I Caused You Trouble?

Compared to the old meditation room in Alenson City,

the new meditation room was not nearly as dim.

The glow of mithril, the brilliance of radiant gold, and the white vapor rising from the steam equipment combined to give everything in the room a dreamlike atmosphere.

Click—

Xu Xi turned the knob, switching on the glass lamp embedded with Light Crystals.

The light was slightly diffused by the water vapor, soft and hazy, falling perfectly upon Xu Xi and the gray-haired girl lying unconscious not far away.

Occasionally, the girl would show a pained expression and briefly regain consciousness.

But soon,

she would fall back into a coma.

Back and forth, over and over, it was like a never-ending torment.

However, the strange part was that despite looking incredibly dangerous, the girl's life force was safe and sound, with no signs of impending death.

Xu Xi had already checked.

Whether it was life-attribute magic or death-attribute magic, both indicated that Klisa was in perfect condition.

"But why is this happening…"

"Those eyes, and that Demon Race Bloodline—what exactly is going on inside Klisa's body?"

That Klisa's life was not in danger was certainly good news.

But remaining in such a painful coma was clearly not an option.

Xu Xi turned his head slightly toward the corner of the meditation room. The young witch, who knew neither joy nor sorrow, was currently pale-faced, lying unconscious on a temporarily laid magic stone slab.

Her forehead was covered in fine sweat.

Her breathing was ragged and rapid.

Her fingers twitched unconsciously.

In a daze, looking at the seventeen-year-old witch in such a weakened state,

Xu Xi recalled once again, after a long time, that little girl in the foul and filthy alleyway—battered, covered in scars, treading through muddy water with hollow eyes, praying for salvation in the midst of despair.

At this moment,

in Xu Xi's eyes, the grown witch and the little girl she once was slowly overlapped.

Both were equally helpless.

"You really make it hard not to worry, Klisa…"

Xu Xi sighed softly.

His voice echoed lingeringly in the empty meditation room.

Then, accompanied by the clacking sound of mechanical chains, Xu Xi opened the desk and chair built into the wall. After sitting down, he placed several ancient books on the table and began leafing through them to find information on the Demon Race.

Occasionally, he would stand up to observe and record the girl's physical condition.

During her brief moments of wakefulness, he would keep her company and chat for a bit.

But mostly, he sat alone at the desk, flipping through books and holding a pen, transcribing and marking records regarding the Demon Race under the glass lamp that was neither too bright nor too dim.

"I see… To think such a thing existed…"

"Long before the gods descended upon the world, the Demon Race was already active…"

"It seems the creation myth promoted by the Church of the Gods isn't worth trusting; the gods are merely products that came after the world's birth."

He muttered to himself, recording quickly.

With the help of Mortals Wisdom, Xu Xi's research and thinking abilities had been significantly enhanced.

His understanding of the Demon Race was gradually deepening.

…

[You are worried about the unconscious witch.]

[You begin researching materials on the Demon Race.]

[While your original intention was to wake the witch from her coma, you unexpectedly discover truths about the world that you were previously unaware of from various ancient books.]

[There are two versions of the creation myth in the Magic World.]

[One is the well-known version where the gods of the celestial realm worked together to open up the world, creating all things, the sky, and the earth; thus, the gods are the masters of the world.]

[The other is a primordial theory hidden in obscure books that very few people know: the world was born in Chaos, and the elements derived all things on their own. The so-called gods were merely latecomers, appearing even later than the Demon Race.]

[Surprised, you continue to look through detailed information on the Demon Race.]

[Those materials are too obscure, and the languages used are exceptionally rare; your research speed is slowed down by this.]

[Mortals Wisdom is continuously active…]

[You have learned Aegbuan-e, you have learned Primordial Ancient Language, you have learned Engra.]

[Your research into the Demon Race begins to proceed smoothly. Your understanding of the Demon Race deepens, and you become familiar with their mating habits, innate talents, racial characteristics…]

Busy flipping through pages.

Busy learning.

When hungry, he endured it temporarily; when thirsty, he used Water Magic; when tired, he meditated to stay awake.

Aside from a few necessary meals,

Xu Xi maintained this state.

His Mental Energy was very strong, so this level of burden was nothing to him, though it was inevitable that he would feel a bit haggard.

"Mentor, have I… caused you trouble?"

In the middle of it all,

Klisa woke up briefly once.

She saw the exhausted Xu Xi; her eyes were hollow and her tone was dazed.

Even a girl who had lost her emotions would care for someone she valued. She did not want, nor did she wish for, Xu Xi to be so haggard and tired for her sake.

"It's alright. Klisa is very good; you've never caused me any trouble."

The man's voice was as gentle as ever.

His palm was broad and reassuring as always, gently stroking the witch's head, bringing her a faint and precious warmth.

It was very warm and comfortable, allowing the lethargic witch to drift back into sleep.

Afterward,

Xu Xi checked again to confirm that Klisa's body was still fine, then threw himself back into his research on the Demon Race. He was close to making a breakthrough.

One day, another day, and another.

The sun rose, the moon set, and Reincarnation continued.

After nine consecutive days, Xu Xi finally finished reading all the materials on the Demon Race. He had cleared his basic thoughts and had some guesses regarding the cause of Klisa's coma.

However, his brain was too cluttered.

To prevent an unclear mind from affecting his subsequent thinking and plans, Xu Xi decided to rest for a while, letting his body, which had worked for many days, fall asleep.

He didn't return to the bedroom to sleep on a soft bed.

His overworked body only wanted to rest immediately.

Drowsiness swept over him like a tide, swallowing Xu Xi's consciousness and letting him fall into a deep sleep while sitting up, looking very peaceful.

Gurgle, gurgle—

Gurgle, gurgle—

Without the rustling of writing and the flipping of pages,

the only sounds left in the large meditation room were the surging of steam and the hazy, yellowish-white light of the lamp. Occasionally, a faint hum would drift in from the outside.

That was the ultra-large steam equipment in the city center, providing energy for the entire city like a roaring giant beast.

An hour later.

In the meditation room, the stone slab engraved with life recovery magic trembled slightly.

Klisa, who had been unconscious on it, woke up.

The girl opened her eyes. The black and gold colors within her pupils were still swirling and intertwining like a never-ending spiral, moving upward without limit.

Subconsciously, she looked toward Xu Xi.

He was the only person she cared about.

In the past, every time she woke up, Klisa could hear Xu Xi's voice or the sound of him seriously flipping through materials, but this time it was unusually quiet.

Unaware that Xu Xi had already fallen asleep, the witch instinctively began to worry.

Anxious.

Afraid.

Wondering if Xu Xi was too exhausted and if something had happened to his body.

Once this thought appeared, the witch could no longer stay calm. She pushed herself up from the stone slab with her arms, forcing her weakened body to stand.