The bonfire burned, dry wood cracking, illuminating every corner of the night.
A faint glow rested on the tip of her nose.
Hazy and warm.
Xu Xi's eyes were slightly closed, the shadows of flames flickering across his face.
He was reminiscing—about his observations of Servia, as well as the past she had recounted. In the end, all the anomalies had found a reasonable explanation.
Because of that hideous face.
Because of that tragic, painful life.
The girl subconsciously avoided her undead self.
She donned armor.
Grasped a sharp sword.
Adopting the identity of a "hero," she approached the village, earning the trust of its people.
At the same time, Servia's wariness toward Xu Xi's identity as a sorcerer also stemmed from past events.
A sorcerer had destroyed the girl's home.
Turning her into something neither human nor ghost.
In truth.
Even now, Xu Xi could sense a faint trace of vigilance—buried deep in her heart, an instinctive reaction born of fear.
"Great Sorcerer, may I ask..."
"Why did you save me?"
The dry wood burned fiercely, crackling incessantly.
Orange-yellow flames reflected off the armor, casting patches of rust-stained yellow. The undead girl, puzzled, voiced the question that had weighed on her for so long.
To this.
Xu Xi did not hide the truth.
He admitted that her courage had moved him—and that he was intrigued by her state of existence.
"Your condition is unique, suspended between life and death, maintaining a delicate balance. I find it fascinating," Xu Xi said.
Servia suddenly understood.
She lowered her head, examining her skeletal hands.
Then touched her face.
Indeed, even in these times when the undead roamed freely, her body was an extraordinary case.
Ordinary people would recoil in fear, but for someone like Xu Xi, a sorcerer, it was only natural to be curious—even to desire studying it.
"Of course. Feel free to use my body as you wish."
The undead girl agreed without hesitation.
She was already dead.
Devoid of flesh, only bones remained.
If she could assist Xu Xi, repaying the debt of his saving her life, she had no objections to lending him her body.
Besides.
Servia herself was curious about her own condition. Perhaps Xu Xi, as a sorcerer, could provide a proper explanation.
The two reached an agreement swiftly, deciding to begin their research the next day.
The bonfire swayed in the night breeze.
Now leaning left.
Now tilting right.
Dancing gracefully, illuminating everything around them.
Perhaps it had been too long since she had spoken normally with another person, but the girl's spirits were unusually high, her questions endless.
"Great Sorcerer, how do sorcerers cultivate their powers?"
"Great Sorcerer, what has become of the world outside?"
"Great Sorcerer..."
"Great Sorcerer..."
Xu Xi patiently answered each of Servia's inquiries.
It was nothing much.
Just a soul, long isolated, eagerly venting its pent-up frustrations. Xu Xi understood that feeling well.
Finally, after answering her last question, Xu Xi asked in return:
"Servia, have you ever thought about the future?"
The future...
Her cheerful mood came to an abrupt halt.
The girl fell silent, forcing a smile with that horrifying visage. "I suppose... I'll keep being a hero. The people here still need me."
"Have you never considered leaving?"
"I have, but... they need me."
Hugging her knees, she lowered her head.
Servia's voice was tinged with loneliness.
Was it that the villagers needed a false hero, or was it the false hero who couldn't bear to leave them? Even she couldn't discern the truth anymore.
Hiss—
Xu Xi tapped the bonfire with a finger.
The dimming flames roared back to life, surging fiercely.
He didn't look at Servia, didn't gaze upon that desolate expression. Instead, he watched the wild dance of the fire and spoke softly:
"Servia, you're actually quite remarkable."
"Great Sorcerer, are you... referring to me?"
"Yes."
The girl's astonishment was palpable, her emerald-green eyes wide with disbelief. Never had she imagined that Xu Xi—who had obliterated a minotaur undead with a single spell—would praise someone as weak as her.
The clanking of metal echoed.
The sound of armored plates colliding.
"I think... you must be mistaken."
Servia shook her head, rejecting Xu Xi's words. "I'm not strong. On the contrary, I'm weak."
"You've saved many people, Servia."
"But... I'm not a real hero. I can't save everyone. I don't have true power."
The undead girl was lost, still denying Xu Xi's words.
Did saving others make her remarkable?
Compared to those she had rescued, there were far more things she couldn't do.
She couldn't bring her deceased parents back to life.
She couldn't defeat powerful undead.
She couldn't save the lives that slipped away before her eyes.
She was powerless.
"That alone is remarkable, Servia," Xu Xi's voice remained gentle, his eyes reflecting the blazing fire. The flickering light cast shifting patterns across the undead armor, painting the girl in an unusual hue.
To fight despite fear.
To fight despite hopeless odds.
Even a true hero.
Might not possess her perseverance.
And so, Xu Xi believed Servia was extraordinary.
Though her appearance was grotesque, a monster in the eyes of ordinary people, her spirit—unseen by most—shone brilliantly. A soul truly radiant and beautiful.
"I..."
The undead girl sat quietly, her skeletal hands clasped together beneath the armor.
There was so much she wanted to say.
That she wasn't as noble as Xu Xi claimed.
That she saved others partly out of her own loneliness.
So many things.
Too many words.
But in the end, all of them dissolved into the silence of her soulfire. Nothing left to say, only the trembling of cold armor encasing a spirit.
"BOOM!!!"
Thunder roared.
The rain, which had ceased earlier, returned with a vengeance.
The hero Servia shivered in fright.
"Are you alright, Servia?"
"G-Great Sorcerer, I'm... I'm fine..." Servia forced a steady voice, though it trembled.
In that moment.
Xu Xi wondered if he had misjudged her.
[You saved the "hero" on the brink of death.]
[And from the "hero's" own words, learned of her tragic life.]
[Servia Clawphire]
[Once the rising star of the Clawphire Family, destined for a bright future and a happy life—until a necromancer's spell turned her into a half-human, half-undead aberration.]
[She is a false hero struggling in the darkness, yet also a true hero who fights to save others.]
[You acknowledged the girl's deeds and formed a partnership with her. In return for your aid, Servia agreed to let you study her body.]
[Tonight, thunder rages.]
[Hero Servia encounters the storm, fighting valiantly but ultimately defeated.]
[Hero Servia has fallen.]
[Hero Servia curls into a ball.]
"Great Sorcerer, p-please don't look at me..."
"It's... a bit embarrassing..."
Thus spoke the hero Servia.
shall grant"] ["Inscribing the glory of our race upon tombstones"] ["All that is threatened, I shall protect"] How his younger sister sees her brother: A brother who only makes eye contact once a day, mostly fading into the background as he tinkers with who-knows-what in his room all day. Their life paths should have remained largely separate. Until one day. Su Qi created an equipment card for his never-met "online girlfriend." His sister fell into silent contemplation upon receiving the "white stockings." [Card can be upgraded] [Upgrade by fulfilling any of the following conditions] [Condition ①: Consume one hundred higher-tier cards] [Condition ②: Complete one 'Heart-Pounding Adventure'] What constitutes a Heart-Pounding Adventure? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Beginner Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to admire it.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Easy Level): Equip the card, invite 'Su Qi' to touch it, and analyze the equipment's texture.] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Entry Level): Equip the card and invite 'Su Qi' to...] [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Challenge Level): Freely combine the words 'Brother' 'Out' 'Brother' 'Me' 'Please' into a complete sentence...] "Please help me analyze both teams' mistakes in this match, brother..." His sister exhaled in relief—surely... surely there couldn't be anything more difficult? [Heart-Pounding Adventure (Suicide Mission Level): Sneak a peek at the names of the galgames in 'Su Qi's' hidden E-drive folder]
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
