Unarmoring Has Become a Habit

In addition to armor and a sharp sword,

Xu Xi also prepared a half-cape for the girl.

The cape possessed no extraordinary abilities,

but for Servia, it was the most practical item.

With the cape concealing her, Servia—whose face was wrapped in bandages to mimic human features—could move freely in the human world, relying only on the normal half of her face.

Far more reasonable than the helmet she used to wear.

...

[Your training of Servia has officially begun]

[In terms of swordsmanship and close combat, Servia has already accumulated ample experience]

[But in the world of wizards, without an understanding of soul power, one cannot glimpse higher vistas]

[The soul is the origin of truth]

[Knowledge is the lever that moves the world]

[Sorcery is the means to practice truth]

[Servia, who relies solely on swordplay, has a very limited ceiling in the perilous world of wizards]

[You conducted a wizard aptitude test for Servia]

"Servia, let's begin."

"Understood, Master Wizard."

"Wait, Servia, there's no need to remove your armor."

"Huh, really?"

Just before the aptitude test, Xu Xi stopped Servia as she was about to take off her armor. Faced with the girl's confusion, Xu Xi fell into deep thought.

Xu Xi felt that something about the way they interacted was off.

It needed correction.

With this in mind, Xu Xi retrieved a crystal ball and a book.

The crystal ball could assess soul aptitude.

The book, which recorded knowledge from various fields, could test comprehension.

Not the most authoritative method, but given the circumstances, nothing better was available.

...

[You tested Servia's aptitude, and the results surprised you]

[Perhaps due to her unique state—balanced between life and death—her soul talent was exceptionally outstanding]

[This meant Servia possessed the potential to become a wizard]

[However, in the knowledge assessment, her performance was rather mediocre]

"Master Wizard, am I... stupid?"

"Not at all, Servia. You're exceptional."

[You devised a suitable training plan for the girl]

[Omitting complex fields like potions, magical tools, elements, and transmutation]

[Focusing solely on knowledge of death and the soul, as well as universal wizard spells]

[The Hero's circumstances were special—with her undead body, even without deliberate study, she would naturally gain insights into necromancy as her soul evolved]

[The soulfire flickering within her skull was the purest manifestation of the soul]

[In this regard, even you, who stood at the boundary of life and death, couldn't claim superiority over the Hero]

[At the same time, within the wizard system, there existed a school that strengthened the body through soul power—perfect for the undead Hero]

[You began your formal instruction]

"Servia, you've already succeeded in soul meditation."

"Next, I'll teach you your first 0-circle spell."

"Channel your soul power, release it through spell runes, and achieve a simple physical enhancement."

"This is the 0-circle spell: Muscle Empowerment."

Amid the howling winds of the desolate plains,

Xu Xi moved with deliberate slowness, demonstrating the casting of the 0-circle spell for the undead girl.

The power of Muscle Empowerment stemmed from the spell rune deep within the soul.

It had nothing to do with being alive.

Nor with being undead.

Any being capable of movement could use this spell to amplify their physical strength through the conversion of soul power.

Without a doubt, for Servia, who excelled in close combat,

this was the most useful spell.

"Understood, Master Wizard."

Servia remained calm, drawing on her past experience to adjust her physical and soul rhythms.

Steady.

Steady.

Steady again.

Gripping her sword with one hand, she emptied her mind and connected with the small spell rune within her soul.

Finally, an invisible force field enveloped her body.

"Master Wizard, I did—!"

Snap—

The force field shattered instantly.

Servia looked at Xu Xi in confusion. "It seems... I failed."

Xu Xi encouraged her, "It's fine. Failure is the mother of success. Just keep trying."

0-circle spells weren't complicated.

Xu Xi believed this posed no difficulty for the girl.

The real challenge lay in the subsequent 1-circle and 2-circle spells.

...

[Under your patient guidance, after repeated trials, the Hero finally mastered her first 0-circle spell]

[The process was arduous, but the outcome was rewarding]

[Thanks to her exceptional soul talent, the power of Servia's 0-circle spell was several times greater than that of an ordinary wizard apprentice]

[Pleased, you proceeded to teach her a second spell]

0-circle spell: Death Coil.

Among apprentice-level spells, 0-circle spells were never particularly powerful.

Among these,

Death Coil ranked at the very bottom.

At best, it could slowly sap a living being's vitality,

causing illness or weakness.

However, considering Servia's undead nature, Xu Xi still taught her this spell.

Its purpose wasn't to grow stronger,

but to serve as a foundation for Servia to begin understanding the power of death and the soul.

"Servia, focus on my soul frequency."

With textbook precision, Xu Xi cast the most standard Death Coil—a wisp of gray mist that drifted toward a small tree upon the wind.

Withered, shedding leaves, discolored.

Under the girl's watchful gaze, the tree's vitality slowly faded.

She seemed to grasp it, yet not quite.

Lowering her hands, she steeled herself and aimed at the tree.

Hero Servia cast Death Coil.

Hero Servia's Death Coil was blown away by the wind.

"Mm, next time," Xu Xi consoled her.

...

[Whether in supernatural powers or scientific knowledge, the best stage for learning is always during the ignorant years of childhood]

[Servia, raised with knightly training, clearly struggled with the wizard system, stumbling through her studies]

[You patiently instructed the girl]

[As a 2-circle wizard, teaching her, a mere apprentice]

[And slowly imparted the common knowledge of the wizard world, introducing her to the most fundamental principles]

[At last]

[Amid the winter winds and falling snow, thanks to her innate soul talent and your meticulous guidance, the girl began adapting to the wizard's power system]

[Combining wizard spells with knightly combat skills, Servia was gradually becoming a battlemage]

[Your vision of an undead sword saint seemed to be inching toward reality]

"Muscle Empowerment!"

"Agility Boost!"

"Bone Fortification!"

"Death Coil!"

Ssching—

A heavy sword gleam flashed and vanished.

Servia sheathed her sword slowly, watching as the massive boulder before her split cleanly in two, dark death energy rising from the smooth cut.

Compared to casting spells from afar,

the girl still preferred close combat.

Her sword was her staff.

With Xu Xi's help, Servia had adapted the spells for melee use, her strength far surpassing what it had been half a year prior.

Now, all that remained was for her soul to grow stronger, naturally advancing to the 1-circle tier.