The winter night in Yanshan City.
It boasts a truly peculiar landscape.
Neon lights and the bright moon shine together, where the extraordinary coexists with technology. In this modern metropolis of intertwining light and shadow, the figures of superhumans often dart through.
Some soar on flying swords.
Others ride magical beasts.
Or, with a light and graceful posture, they leap and bound between skyscrapers.
The colorful neon lights illuminate the city's outline on a snowy night, as pedestrians hurry by and vehicles flow endlessly, forming a dazzling scenic line.
In that cold, serene atmosphere.
Xu Xi could faintly hear the soft breathing of the witch behind him.
In the silence of the night, the witch's breathing was steady and continuous, blending into the night, flowing quietly.
It was peaceful.
And endearing.
At this moment, Xu Xi suddenly recalled that since the end of the second simulation, he had rarely spent time alone with the witch in the same room.
On one hand, it was because Krisha had become increasingly reliable.
No longer needing Xu Xi's guidance.
On the other hand, in the real world, Xu Xi had no lifespan constraints, so Krisha didn't need to constantly watch over him.
"Mentor, please have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself."
As Xu Xi reminisced.
The thoughtful witch, seemingly out of nowhere, brought a cup of tea, holding the tray beneath the cup, and steadily presented it to Xu Xi.
The surface of the water rippled slightly, shimmering, with an overall deep red hue.
It was Dragon Blood Spirit Tea, rich in both flavor and aroma.
"Thank you, Krisha."
Xu Xi took the cup, habitually thanking the girl, and took a sip of the tea. Hmm, it was a familiar taste.
Rich yet refreshing.
Top quality.
"Good tea," Xu Xi murmured softly, thinking that the Dragon Blood Spirit Tea he had grown tasted much better than the Chaka from the magical world.
He still couldn't forget the exorbitant price of one gold coin per cup.
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
The wind outside grew fiercer.
The dark sky was churned, and the old windows rattled noisily. From time to time, cold gusts slipped through the cracks, swirling in the empty old room.
But the loyal witch would not allow any factor that might disturb Xu Xi to exist.
With a gentle lift of her finger.
Under the moonlight, the cold, lifeless wind dissipated on its own, vanishing along with the falling snow, silently and quietly.
"..."
Her eyelashes fluttered lightly, and the moisture covering the surface of her eyes, under the dim light, further accentuated her calm and indifferent demeanor.
Anything that could affect Xu Xi.
Could not escape the grasp of those eyes.
"Krisha, you don't have to be so serious. Just sit down."
Xu Xi chuckled slightly.
However, Krisha was unwilling to do so.
She stood expressionlessly beside Xu Xi, holding a tray in one hand and a teapot in the other.
There was an indescribable sense of earnestness.
What was she doing?
Krisha's answer was simple: she was waiting for Xu Xi to finish his tea so she could pour him a fresh, hot cup.
Calm and unpretentious.
Just like in the magical world, the witch, in her own way of thinking what was best for Xu Xi, meticulously and diligently served him.
This was the following of the "Shadow of Dusk."
It was also the unfolding of the "Caged Bird."
Not a constraint.
This was the freedom unique to the witch.
"Then... thank you, Krisha," Xu Xi handed over the empty cup, instinctively meeting those mesmerizing eyes.
A noble gold, a serene black, and a blood-red hue.
A tricolored gaze.
Symbolizing the witch's three transformations.
"Thinking about it now, the simulated experiences in the magical world were truly full of twists and turns," Xu Xi mused.
Just then, something unexpected happened.
As the witch took the empty cup and was about to pour a new cup of tea, her hand slipped unexpectedly, and the teapot fell to the ground.
The tea inside spilled out completely.
In the gurgling sound of the collision.
Some of the liquid soaked the witch's dress, adorning her silver-gray hair with droplets of water.
"I'm sorry, Mentor..."
Krisha stood there dazedly, water droplets sliding down her bangs, gently dripping to the ground.
She apologized.
Her expression was blank, her body drenched.
At her feet, the teapot rolled around, spinning and turning until it finally came to a stop.
"It's alright, Krisha."
Xu Xi's expression first showed surprise, then softened as he gently comforted the witch: "There's no need to apologize. It's just a small matter."
No blame or reproach.
Such things were meaningless.
With the help of magic, the chaos caused by the spilled teapot was quickly cleared away.
As for the dampness on the witch's body, Xu Xi, for the first time in a while, used a combination of wind and fire magic—his self-created "Hair Dryer Spell"—to dry Krisha's wet hair.
Krisha was very obedient, staying still.
Her hair fluttered in the warm breeze.
Revealing her delicate face.
Expressionless, yet somehow full of emotion.
As he dried Krisha's hair, Xu Xi had a fleeting vision, where the grown-up Krisha overlapped with her fragile, younger self.
"Is something wrong, Mentor?"
Krisha asked.
She had noticed the hesitation in Xu Xi's movements.
"Nothing," Xu Xi smiled and shook his head, continuing to channel the fire and wind magic, drying the girl's hair thoroughly, leaving no trace of moisture.
"I just suddenly remembered the time when I first met you, Krisha."
"Time really flies."
Xu Xi's tone was filled with emotion.
Back then, Krisha was thin and frail, her state desolate, as if she could pass away at any moment.
That pitiful image was still deeply etched in Xu Xi's mind.
And now.
The girl had grown up.
To a point that surprised Xu Xi.
Was he happy? Indeed, he was.
Was he feeling emotional? Indeed, he was.
But more than anything, it was a sense of comfort, watching the girl he once knew grow up, bringing Xu Xi more joy than his own strength.
From learning magic at the beginning, to awakening her powers later, and then taking on the responsibility of managing the courtyard alone.
Every transformation of Krisha.
Xu Xi had witnessed it all.
The once frail and pitiful girl had long grown into a reliable adult, possessing great strength, no longer needing Xu Xi to worry about her.
"Alright, Krisha, you can get up now."
After drying the girl's hair, Xu Xi let go of his hands.
The witch stood up.
Her silver-gray hair cascaded down.
Bathed in moonlight, it formed a dazzling silver waterfall, with starlight shimmering at the tips.
"Thank you, Mentor," Krisha spoke, politely thanking Xu Xi, though her expression seemed somewhat unnatural.
At her chest, a deep blue glow shimmered, the reflection of the Sapphire Necklace.
It was turbulent.
Intense.
Rising and falling.
Like a child who had secretly done something wrong.
But Krisha was so obedient, so well-behaved—how could she have done anything wrong?
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
