Chapter 61: You Hear the Echoes of Your Lifespan

Concerning how to nurture Klisa.

Concerning how to nurture a witch.

Xu Xi had already thought about this countless times in his heart and had developed a corresponding plan.

First was magic. After Xu Xi's Breakthrough to Archmage, the magic he mastered had already risen to Level 9.

Beyond that were the Forbidden Curses used by Sanctuary Archmages.

Xu Xi planned to teach the witch everything he had mastered, from Level 1 to Level 9 elemental magic, and even the Forbidden Curses he had yet to master, one by one.

Balancing body and mind, balancing Bloodline and elements.

Klisa's talent had become terrifyingly immense; she could try to master more attributes instead of being perpetually limited to earth, wind, water, and fire.

Furthermore,

there was a very important aspect of her development.

Xu Xi wanted to try and heal the witch's emotional defects before this simulation ended.

Click—

He pushed open the door to the meditation room.

He walked through a corridor where light and shadow intertwined.

His footsteps were slow but very powerful, like the steady beat of a small drum echoing within the chest cavity that housed his heart.

The sound startled the seabirds on the eaves into flight and sent several tiny insects scurrying away.

“Klisa?”

Just as Xu Xi rounded the corner, he saw the silver-gray haired girl who had been waiting for a long time.

She stood against the wall with perfect posture. Her face was in the shadows cast by the wall, but a few strands of her hair were exposed to the sunlight, glowing with a pure white luster.

“Mentor, congratulations on your promotion,” the witch said, offering a blessing without any fluctuation. Her tone was as flat as plain water, devoid of any emotional color, so tasteless that one might wonder if they had misheard her.

But Xu Xi knew.

This was already the best Klisa could do.

She had tried before to welcome Xu Xi with a smile, but the result was a stiff, crooked mouth that looked even more eerie, much like a motionless corpse.

At that time, Xu Xi had been exceptionally silent.

He didn't criticize or scold her.

He simply expressed tactfully that Klisa should give up on the idea of welcoming him with a smile.

Klisa was very obedient; she did as she was told.

Consequently, she returned to her expressionless state, her tone so flat it was like a series of 'uh-huhs' and 'ohs'.

Whenever Xu Xi achieved a Breakthrough in his Realm or delved into exploring new magic, the witch would obediently wait not far from the meditation room, patiently awaiting Xu Xi's return.

“Thank you for your hard work, Klisa, for waiting for me all this time.”

“It is what I should do, Mentor.”

Xu Xi stepped forward.

He joined the witch.

The two walked side by side toward the main hall. Along the way, they chatted about scattered bits of daily life or knowledge and techniques regarding magic.

“Klisa, did anything happen outside while I was meditating for my Breakthrough?”

“Please rest assured, everything is normal.”

“Is that so? That's good. How has your recent magic cultivation been going? Any problems?”

“Yes, regarding the ice magic derived from the water element, I…”

Klisa's tone was as calm as a machine.

She explained her doubts to Xu Xi.

Xu Xi taught her patiently, telling the witch where she went wrong and where she needed to improve. This was how the two of them interacted—a dull and ordinary daily life.

After returning to the main hall, the witch took the initiative to stop her questioning and prepare a refreshing hot drink for Xu Xi.

She busied herself alone in a way she believed was useful to Xu Xi. Her expression was meticulous as she washed the porcelain cup spotlessly clean and then dried it carefully with a white cloth.

Finally, she poured a cup of scalding hot drink.

The liquid was pale green, with spirit clearing grass added to it.

The taste was slightly astringent, but for a mage who had just finished a meditation Breakthrough, it had the effect of relieving fatigue.

“Thanks, Klisa.” As Xu Xi took the cup and thanked her, he subconsciously met those gorgeous black-and-gold eyes.

He froze for a moment.

It wasn't because of how unique the witch's eyes were.

Over the years, he had seen them countless times and would no longer be surprised by them.

What made Xu Xi freeze was that he once again saw his clear reflection in Klisa's lifeless eyes. However, compared to the time they retreated from Alenson, his reflection had clearly changed.

Changes in appearance, changes in posture, changes in lifestyle habits.

No, perhaps it wasn't that obvious.

But truly, through Klisa's eyes, Xu Xi realized that his time had inevitably begun its countdown.

This year, Xu Xi was 29 years old.

He was at the very Peak of his life.

But soon, before many years had passed, this body would unknowingly turn into an aged version that Xu Xi himself wouldn't recognize.

Such is so-called life—fleeting in an instant.

“Is there a problem, Mentor?”

Seeing Xu Xi dazed, the girl thought there was something wrong with the hot drink and asked.

“No, it's nothing.”

“I just… suddenly remembered some things.”

Xu Xi shook his head and took a light sip of the hot drink, feeling the bitter liquid roll over his tongue.

There was no sweetness after the bitterness; not even a hint of a sweet aftertaste. The magic drink made from spirit clearing grass was purely bitter, with an astringency that made the tongue go numb.

Xu Xi drank slowly, his gaze drifting outside the house.

Unlike the courtyard where they used to live, which was affected by urban buildings and offered almost no scenery, in Apogu City this time, one could see the azure sea right from the house.

It was currently the height of a scorching midsummer.

The sunlight was vicious, the light was piercing, and the sun scorched the air until it was distorted and blurry.

Rumble!

Rumble!

Apogu City's central steam engine units began to operate.

Majestic steam, like a Tower of Babel, shot straight up into the sky, only to be swept away and dispersed by the sea breeze, forming a hot, humid, and stifling mist.

Countless people playing by the seaside scattered one after another because of this.

They were unwilling to endure the invasion of the hot mist.

Time was pressing; if anyone ran too slowly, they would be deeply trapped in the surrounding hot mist. Although not fatal, their bodies would become drenched in sweat, which was quite uncomfortable.

“Time is running out…”

Amidst the witch's bewildered gaze, Xu Xi spoke these words, his voice haunting.

It was unclear if he was referring to the people outside,

or to something else.

The witch did not understand. she tilted her head, took the empty cup from Xu Xi's hand, and refilled it with a new cup of spirit clearing grass magic drink.

“…So bitter.”

Xu Xi finally couldn't help but comment.

[You have successfully achieved a Breakthrough to Archmage. Your strength has become even more powerful, and your Mental Energy has risen to an unprecedented level.]

[You feel a bit conceited.]

[Your conceit vanishes.]

[Feeling the blockade and suppression of the gods, the plan to ascend to godhood that you held in your heart met with bankruptcy before it could even be truly implemented, but you do not feel sad in your heart.]

[In your view, being able to achieve the status of a Sanctuary Archmage in the future is already perfect enough.]

[After leaving the meditation room, you encounter Klisa waiting at the door.]

[You see yourself once again in Klisa's eyes, and you suddenly realize with a start that your appearance has already changed significantly compared to when you were in Alenson City.]

[You hear the echoes of your lifespan.]

[You are dazed, you are lost in thought, and then you smile and accept it calmly.]

[You prepare to accelerate the plan to nurture the witch, because you are unsure in which year your Mortal lifespan's limit will finally come to an end.]