The Calm Before the Tsunami

In countless worlds,

the sun is an entity of supreme significance.

It may symbolize deities or represent the world itself.

But now,

the sun, suspended high in the heavens, descends toward the vast earth in a terrifying, pitch-black form, heralding annihilation.

Before it even crashes,

its colossal shadow engulfs mountains and seas alike.

Xu Xi hears it—the final note of the world’s demise.

His soul surges, his staff swings, and countless grimoires float and flip through the air, unleashing every defensive spell at his disposal.

"Rustle—"

"Rustle—"

To Xu Xi’s astonishment, the descent of the black sun is only the beginning. Behind it, the eerie blood moon halts its sway in the sky.

The sun and moon appear together, heralding the prelude to the world’s end.

An overwhelming pressure bears down upon the earth.

And so,

the flowing clouds, the howling storms, the trembling earth, the surging oceans—all freeze in a momentary stillness.

The world falls silent.

"Servia, are you alright?"

"Yes, Wizard Xu Xi, I’m fine. What about you?"

"I’m unharmed as well."

An unknowable amount of time passes.

The world resumes its motion.

The terrifying aura of the falling sun and moon dissipates like an illusion, vanishing without a trace.

Xu Xi dispels his defensive spells, his eyes still flickering with unease as he recalls what just transpired.

A moment ago,

he had prepared himself for the end of the simulation.

Yet the cataclysmic descent of the celestial bodies left no tangible destruction, passing through the sky and earth like a phantom before disappearing entirely.

And more than that—

Xu Xi lowers his staff and gazes upward at the serene blue sky, where the radiant sun now shines brilliantly once more.

"Incredible… the sun has returned to normal."

The intensity of its light

dispels the deathly clouds shrouding the world of wizards.

Bright, scorching, luminous—this is undeniably the true sun.

"What in the world…"

"Just happened…?"

[The black sun falls, the blood moon shatters.]

[You witness the dance of sun and moon.]

[The ominous black sun and blood moon vanish from the sky of the wizards’ world, transforming before your very eyes into an ordinary sun.]

[All suffering and tragedy seem to fade away in this moment.]

[Azure skies, warm breezes.]

[For the first time in a thousand years since the summoning of the Netherworld, the wizards’ world experiences a normal day.]

[The reason for this remains unknown to you, leaving only a sense of eerie strangeness, an inexplicable oddity.]

"Wizard Xu Xi, has peace returned to the world?"

Servia asks this with hope.

The revitalized world brings joy to the undead girl.

The overwhelming sunlight causes her slight discomfort—her undead body does not fare well in daylight.

Yet despite the physical unease,

she adores this radiant weather.

"No, I don’t think so, Servia," Xu Xi replies, casting a shade barrier around the girl to shield her from the sun’s burning rays.

"Eh…?"

Servia is taken aback, not understanding his meaning.

The lifeless world has regained its vitality, and the sun has returned to its former brilliance—isn’t that a good thing?

Facing her confusion,

Xu Xi gazes at the sky and answers softly:

"Servia, have you ever seen the ocean?"

"No, Wizard Xu Xi."

"The ocean is dangerous—turbulent, violent, surging with waves. But on rare occasions, it grows eerily calm, its waters receding far from the shore."

"Wizard Xu Xi, you mean…"

"Servia."

Xu Xi meets her startled emerald eyes.

In a low voice, he explains: "The ocean’s tranquility is not its true nature. It is the illusion before a tsunami strikes."

"The gathering of water, the spread of energy, the sequence of waves."

"All these factors work together to lull the shore into false serenity—until the moment arrives, and the raging tsunami obliterates everything in its path."

Servia freezes.

She remains still for a long, long time.

Then she stretches out her hands, cupping the warm sunlight, feeling its radiant glow.

She loves it. She yearns for it.

Since becoming undead, Servia has dreamed countless times of holding sunlight again, of greedily basking in its warmth.

But she knew it was impossible.

Reason told her the world she longed for could never return.

The world’s suffering, the undead plague—none of it would simply vanish.

"Wizard Xu Xi… are you saying this world is in the false calm before a tsunami?"

A breeze stirs.

It brushes through the weeds at Servia’s feet,

rustling them softly.

In that strange silence, Xu Xi gives a slow nod.

[You cannot be entirely certain your theory is correct.]

[But as you stare at the blazing sun overhead, you cannot bring yourself to believe the undead calamity has truly ended.]

[Moreover, through your Third-Circle Wizard’s spiritual sight, you sense the Netherworld has not departed.]

[Watching the undead girl’s fleeting joy,]

[you choose to shatter the false hope, unwilling to let her drown in an illusory dream. You know too well—the higher the hope, the greater the despair that follows.]

[Servia’s reaction surpasses your expectations.]

[After a brief moment of sorrow, she quickly regains her composure, assuring you she will not lose herself in fantasy.]

[Then she asks you where to go next—whether the original plan still stands.]

"Wizard Xu Xi, are we still heading to the Plateau of Gods?"

"We will. But not yet."

[The disappearance of the black sun and blood moon leaves you wary.]

[Countless theories swirl in your mind. To avoid encountering an unstoppable force mid-journey, you decide to pause your travels.]

[You resolve to observe the changes in the wizards’ world, preparing for the coming "tsunami."]

[At the same time, as a newly ascended Third-Circle Wizard, you need time to master higher-tier spells.]

[You find a tall mountain nearby,]

[intending to settle atop its peak and survey the shifting world below.]

"Servia, let’s go."

"Yes, Wizard Xu Xi."

Xu Xi steps forward.

A swift gale rises beneath their feet, lifting him and Servia into the air as they soar toward the distant mountain.

Towering, jagged, and barren,

the mountain’s surface is covered in rugged rocks—

some protruding,

others pitted.

Xu Xi flies straight to the summit.

Only then does his expanded vision reveal a flat expanse dotted with dilapidated huts—a long-abandoned village.

During his travels,

Xu Xi has seen countless similar ruins.

Some fell to undead invasions, others to famine—entire villages erased from existence.

"Is this place the same?"

Guiding the wind, Xu Xi lands smoothly atop the peak with Servia.

He surveys the desolate scene, then glances up at the radiant sun above, feeling the stark contrast between cold and heat, life and death.

Xu Xi does not like a world doomed to ruin.

Neither does Servia.