【Thinker's Glossary effect active...】
【You are thinking efficiently about how to proceed with this undead surgery】
【You begin the shaping process】
【The soft material in your hands takes on an unusual delicacy as you study Servia’s face, sculpting features of equal proportion】
【You know that a face shaped this way will inevitably differ—never as natural as the original】
【But from the start, your goal was never to restore her true visage】
【What you aim to do is fill the hollowed half of her face, so that Servia no longer appears terrifying】
【This is Servia’s torment—the erosion of undeath has made people revile her, see her as a monster, fueling her desire for restoration】
【You cast a first-circle spell: Wizard’s Hand】
【Your soul energy coalesces into a spectral hand, applying the prepared material to the warrior’s face with precision, shaping it as it rapidly solidifies】
【Once set, it adheres firmly to the hollowed skull】
【Yet remains pliant, mimicking the texture of living flesh】
【Eyes, ears, nose, lips...】
【With your aid, the warrior Servia regains a human face—at a glance, none could discern the void beneath】
D-did it work?
Temporary workshop.
Every corner of the room is cluttered with arcane tools, faint traces of supernatural energy lingering in the air.
The undead girl opens her eyes.
She senses something new on her face—a jelly-like substance that shifts slightly with her movements.
Drip—
Drip—
The soft sound of liquid droplets echoes from the surrounding instruments.
Gentle arms reach out.
Guiding Servia to sit up from the examination table.
"How do you feel, Servia? Any rejection?"
"N-none..."
The girl shakes her head dazedly before making a request.
"Great Wizard... may I see my face now?"
An expected question.
Anyone who undergoes such a change would first wish to witness the result.
"Of course. Sit still first." Xu Xi retrieves a vial of liquid—sap from a Blue Crystal Flower, capable of neutralizing undead miasma.
Dipping his fingers in,
he applies it gently to Servia’s face.
The touch falls on the numb, sculpted half—Servia feels nothing.
But as she watches Xu Xi up close,
the warrior senses something intangible stirring within her.
One stroke.
Two strokes.
Only when the vial is empty does Xu Xi pause.
He steps back, studying Servia’s face as if confirming its integrity, then conjures a water mirror for her.
At last, Servia sees herself.
No longer a hollowed skull, but a face alive with movement—when her real eye blinks, the false one follows.
Yet,
the crafted eye grants no sight.
Her world remains half-dark.
So this... is me now?
Servia gazes at the reflection—emerald-green eye, "whole" face, delicately sculpted features—an image of perfection.
"Your craftsmanship is remarkable, Great Wizard."
"...Thank you, Great Wizard."
Her voice is grateful, yet her expression wavers.
How strange—when Xu Xi had asked, she’d agreed without hesitation.
But now, with her face filled by artifice, no longer a horror of undeath, her heart feels hollow, chaotic.
"Are you unwell, Servia?"
Xu Xi notices her unease.
Servia shakes her head lightly.
"I’m fine, Great Wizard. Just... confused."
She lowers her gaze to her skeletal frame, thoughts tangled in uncertainty.
A facade can never replace truth.
Warrior Servia endured villagers’ scorn—their hatred, their disgust—all because her undead form terrified them.
Thus, she hid beneath heavy armor,
concealing her true self entirely.
Playing the part of a valiant hero to earn their trust.
And now?
Even after leaving Clawphire, must she don another mask to live anew?
Must she wear this false face daily, even with Xu Xi?
The warrior believes someone holds the answer.
"Great Wizard."
"Am I still... myself?"
The half-true face lifts toward Xu Xi, posing this question.
Not the Emerald of Clawphire who speaks,
but Servia—the undead girl sealed away by misfortune.
"Servia..." In that moment, Xu Xi understands. His eyes reflect her undead visage.
Hesitant, anxious,
the girl awaits his reply.
"The Servia I know has always been right here."
A calm voice affirms her existence.
No matter the form,
he remembers Servia Clawphire.
Not for her appearance, but for who she is.
"I see..."
The unease in her eyes brightens.
The warrior realizes what she truly wants—yes, she prefers honesty.
"Great Wizard, may I have a cloth strip? Thank you."
Taking the fabric from Xu Xi,
Servia grips both ends, winding it tightly around her face, covering the sculpted half.
When she finishes, only her true flesh remains visible.
Yet there is no horror in that face.
Her jade-green eye shines brighter than ever.
Even masked, even with just one eye, its brilliance outshines the stars—alight with mirth and mischief.
"Forgive me, Great Wizard."
"I’ve wasted your efforts."
"As penance, assign me any task you need."
Seeing her renewed spirit, Xu Xi relaxes. "It’s nothing. It was made for you—no waste at all."
"No." The warrior insists stubbornly. "I must atone for squandering your work."
A warrior has principles.
Mistakes demand consequences.
She vows to protect Xu Xi without fail.
Just then, thunder booms—the sky darkens. Servia instantly curls into a trembling ball.
"G-Great Wizard, f-fear not."
"I-I can handle this."
She clings to Xu Xi’s arm, bones rattling violently.
Xu Xi sighs. This warrior fears storms yet refuses to admit weakness.
"Reminds me of Ying Xue somehow..."
"Great Wizard, what did you say?"
"Nothing. Just thinking you’ll need a new weapon soon."
"Ah... You’re right. It is time."
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!
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.
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."
't think I'm that capable, I'm just trying my best to stay alive. I've been kind all my life, never did anything bad, yet worldly suffering spared me not one bit. The human world is a nice place, but I won't come back in my next life. A kind young man, who wanted to just get by singing, but through repeated deceits and betrayals, has gone down an irredeemable path.
