Chapter 67: I Have Always Been With You

High-speed machinery will heat up due to working for too long.

Strenuous exercise will make a living being feel exhausted and pained.

This is normal.

It is part of the rules by which the world operates.

And now, Xu Xi's situation was even worse; his body aged year by year, becoming increasingly unable to bear the spirit of a Sanctuary Archmage.

A situation where one was weak and the other strong.

This forced the weak Physical Body to dilute and share the spiritual pressure through deep sleep.

This meant that in the time to come, Xu Xi would frequently fall into deep sleep until his life ended.

This was irreversible.

Unchangeable.

In the study, Xu Xi fell into silence as he looked at the results he had calculated.

He hadn't expected his already limited lifespan to encounter another variable; while the upper limit of his lifespan seemed unchanged, subtracting the time spent in sleep left very little indeed.

Furthermore—

Xu Xi sighed, "Who can guarantee that the next deep sleep won't be true death?"

Thinking back now.

That previous so-called sense of ease was clearly a premonition of the Soul returning to the Underworld.

In that hazy state of Soul and Physical Body, if Xu Xi were not careful, he would transition from deep sleep to death.

"Troublesome."

Xu Xi picked up the calculation sheet, his gaze sweeping over the results. Finally, in the silent atmosphere, fire emerged from his fingers, burning the paper to ash.

About death.

About lifespan.

Xu Xi had long been prepared to face them.

The only thing he couldn't let go of was the Witch who understood neither joy nor sorrow, nor emotion.

In this Magic World, Klisa had no one left to rely on but Xu Xi. If Xu Xi truly died suddenly, he didn't dare imagine what would happen.

"This matter… I cannot keep it from that child."

"Informing Klisa in advance might be hard for her to accept, but at least there will be a buffer period."

"If I keep it from her all along."

"Then, when the day of my true death comes, Klisa will only be more despairing."

Turning the knob, he switched off the light.

Xu Xi left the study.

…

[You told the Witch the whole truth. To your surprise, she did not show an expression of being unable to accept it; she was stronger than you imagined.]

[You were very relieved. It seemed you didn't need to worry too much about the Witch's future. You habitually thought for her, completely forgetting that she had once traveled the world with you, accumulating a vast amount of life experience and a mature enough mindset to handle affairs.]

"Mentor."

"What is it, Klisa?"

"Please leave everything to me."

"Everything?"

"Yes," said Klisa with a calm voice devoid of any color, her hands folded across each other as she sat opposite Xu Xi.

"Please allow me to take over all matters of the Courtyard, including caring for you during your deep sleep."

In her smooth, unfluctuating voice.

There was unexpectedly a hint of determination.

"I will take good care of you and everything you have," the immortal Witch made such a promise.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Klisa," Xu Xi said with a smile, giving her his trust without reservation.

…

[Simulation Year 62: You are 76 years old, Klisa is 68.]

[With your tacit consent, Klisa took over all matters of the Courtyard, including your plants, your books, your materials, and your magic.]

[Even you yourself were left to Klisa's care.]

[Sometimes you wondered if this was a different kind of inheritance. You dismissed the thought, because you were still alive.]

[Simulation Year 63: You are 77 years old, Klisa is 69.]

[The frequency of your deep sleep increased, and the duration of each sleep grew longer. In your latest slumber, you slept for a full half-month.]

[When you woke up and heard the passage of time from the Witch, you felt an extremely strong sense of trance.]

[Simulation Year 67: You are 81 years old, Klisa is 73.]

[The half-month sleep you once marveled at had now become your shortest slumber. You often woke up to find that the seasons had already turned.]

[The Witch took care of the dragon blood grass very thoughtfully.]

[You went to the Courtyard to check and found that the dragon blood grass was growing exceptionally well. You discovered undried Dragon blood on the leaves.]

[You criticized and educated the Witch, teaching her about sustainable development. The Witch took it to heart and decided to switch to a different Dragon to draw blood from next time.]

[Simulation Year 71: You are 85 years old, Klisa is 77.]

[You set a new record for deep sleep again.]

[This time, you slept for a full six months. When you woke up, you were greeted by the Witch's never-late greeting.]

"Welcome back, Mentor."

In the quiet room, a lonely echo resonated.

Xu Xi's consciousness gradually cleared. Before he had even fully opened his eyes, Klisa's greeting reached his ears.

"Mm, long time no see, Klisa."

Xu Xi said somewhat hesitantly.

In his perception, he had simply taken a nap. The so-called "yesterday" was crystal clear, but in reality, half a year had passed.

This eerie temporal distortion made Xu Xi feel a tightness in his chest.

Not until he drank a glass of ice water.

Did his body feel much better.

"I'm losing more and more strength," Xu Xi lowered his eyes, looking at his hands, repeatedly observing the wrinkles and the dull, yellowish skin.

To be honest.

If it weren't for the fact that during his waking hours, he could use Mortals Wisdom to continue learning new knowledge.

And that he always worried about Klisa, wanting to teach her more and watch her grow strong enough.

Such scenes of repeatedly torturous deep sleep.

Actually should have ended the simulation long ago.

Shaking his head slightly to clear the messy thoughts from his mind, Xu Xi turned his gaze toward Klisa.

He wanted to ask about Klisa's recent situation, to prevent anything bad from happening while he was away without him knowing.

"Klisa, what have you been doing while I was away?"

"Accompanying you."

"I mean, uh… what have you been doing lately?"

"I have been accompanying you."

The Witch's answer made Xu Xi daze for a moment.

Her voice was always so flat, devoid of any lies, only truth: "Since you fell asleep, I have been with you in the room, only going out when necessary to take care of the Courtyard for you."

"I was with you the day before yesterday, I was with you yesterday, and I am with you today, until you woke up."

Describing her actions with clumsy words.

No flowery rhetoric.

Simple, yet exceptionally heavy.

Through countless lonely days and nights, the immortal Witch sat quietly in Xu Xi's room, expressionless, gazing at that familiar and aged face, waiting for that long-awaited reunion, that long-awaited warmth.