Armor Equals Skin

Damaged things require repair.

If not,

they lose their original meaning.

The undead Servia could only move normally in the wizarding world and interact with people by concealing herself within her armor.

For this reason,

any flaw that might expose her identity needed to be promptly addressed.

"Servia, this might feel a bit ticklish. Please bear with it."

"Understood, Lord Wizard."

Xu Xi gently cradled the girl's hands.

With his soul power at the third-circle level, he delved into the depths of the magical armor while simultaneously drawing materials from his spatial ring to repair and adjust it.

During this process,

his soul power inevitably brushed against Servia's bones,

creating a ticklish friction.

But Servia remained composed, showing no sign of discomfort that might disturb Xu Xi's work.

"Hiss—"

"Hiss—"

The sunlight grew fiercer than ever before,

then abruptly softened.

The sky faded into a gentle orange sunset, lightly draping over the land.

The invisible, colorless soul force, touched by the remnants of the setting sun, dissolved and dispersed fragments of supernatural materials, meticulously filling the damaged parts of the armor.

Silver specks shimmered brilliantly,

like a dreamy cluster of stars.

"......"

Servia remained motionless in silence.

She watched closely as Xu Xi, with tender care, held her wrist and painstakingly repaired her armor, bit by bit, drop by drop.

At that moment,

a thought surfaced in the undead girl's mind.

Now, she had neither skin nor flesh—her armor was the only image she presented to the outside world.

So,

from another perspective,

the gray-silver armor was essentially her current skin.

Did that mean Xu Xi, while repairing her armor, was effectively touching her skin?

"Mmm..."

Servia blinked blankly.

Before long,

thanks to Xu Xi's third-circle wizard soul and his masterful craftsmanship, the armor was fully restored, with auxiliary spells on its surface updated and replaced.

After testing the spells a few times to ensure they functioned properly,

Xu Xi gave a slight nod.

"How does it feel? Any discomfort, Servia?"

At his question, the girl stretched her hands before her eyes, examining the intricate details and carefully engraved spells under the fading sunlight.

The metal surface gleamed silver,

reflecting a mesmerizing glow as the sun dipped below the horizon.

Beautiful.

Exquisite.

Unable to resist, Servia raised her hands above her head, gazing intently with her sole remaining emerald eye at every silver plate on her hands—a masterpiece of countless colors.

She had witnessed the entire repair process.

Gentle. Meticulous.

The creator's sentiment seemed to merge with the sunset, settling deep within the wearer's emerald eyes.

Her face was incomplete.

Her body was hollow.

Yet deep in her eyes, a soft glow flickered.

"I love it, Lord Wizard. Your craftsmanship remains as impeccable as ever."

The girl expressed her gratitude to Xu Xi.

...

[To observe the changes in the world after the fall of the Black Sun and Blood Moon]

[You chose to remain atop the mountain]

[Awaiting the true storm to come]

[For this, you built a temporary workshop, preparing to stay for months or even a year]

[This was not a meaningless waste]

[Having broken through to the third circle, you needed time to study corresponding spells to enhance your combat prowess. At the same time, you wished to modify the body of your Nether Raven to further increase its speed]

[On the second day of setting up the workshop, the Hansens came to visit]

[You had emphasized many times that you were neither a lord nor a noble, but after much deliberation, the elderly couple still insisted on bringing gifts]

[Wild fruits, vegetables, and crops they had grown themselves]

[At the workshop entrance, Servia and the elderly couple were locked in a stalemate, adamantly refusing to accept their offerings]

[After observing for a while, you chose to accept the gifts]

[The Hansens broke into smiles, repeatedly thanking you as if relieved of a heavy burden, finally turning to leave]

"Lord Wizard, why...?"

"Servia, sometimes, acceptance conveys kindness better than refusal."

[Listening to your words, Servia seemed to grasp something]

[The Hero Servia gained insight]

[The Hero Servia felt ashamed]

[The Hero Servia learned from you]

"Lord Wizard, compared to you, I still have much to learn."

At dawn,

on the second day after the sun returned to normal,

though the time was brief, the wizarding world had already undergone some changes.

Dewdrops sparkled like gemstones, dripping onto tender green sprouts. The mountains loomed faintly in the mist, their full forms indistinct.

Inside the workshop's first floor,

Servia was lighting a fire, igniting the prepared Kodoth pinewood.

Her method was somewhat unusual—

she struck a dazzling, scorching spark by swiftly slashing her sword.

"Servia, those were just trivial life lessons. What you lack is merely time."

After speaking,

Xu Xi glanced curiously at his hero.

"Servia, what are you doing?"

"Lord Wizard, among the gifts from Grandpa Hansen and Grandma Mina, there’s a fruit I recognize. I want to prepare something delicious for you."

Servia answered honestly.

Snap—

Her sharp knight’s sword chopped a piece of wood into a pointed stick.

She skewered the fruits—

one, two, three... until the stick was full.

Hero Servia held the stick close to the blazing fire, lightly roasting the fruits.

Before long,

a skewer of charred, steaming-hot fruits

was placed on the dining table.

A sight that left one speechless.

"Servia..." Xu Xi hesitated, then hesitated again.

"Yes, I’m here," the hero replied, standing beside the table after finishing her culinary experiment.

"Regarding this... how exactly is it meant to be eaten?"

"You can eat it directly. Roasted sand-bitter fruit is a rare delicacy. I’m sure you’ll find it quite novel."

Hearing the hopeful tone in her voice,

and staring at the ruggedly prepared skewer,

Xu Xi deliberated for a long moment before finally taking a small bite.

"Lord Wizard, is it good?"

"Well... perhaps it’s just that I lack the taste for it."

[Faced with Servia’s sudden inspiration, you couldn’t refuse her goodwill and offered a very tactful evaluation]

[The sun shone brightly, nature revived, vitality flourished]

[Only Servia radiated dejection]

[You revised your assessment, saying the roasted fruit actually tasted decent]

[Servia’s mood lifted]

"Servia, did you roast them like this in the past too?"

"No, Lord Wizard... back then, it was the family chef who did the roasting."

Xu Xi chewed the bitter fruit with a blank expression.

He realized where the problem lay.

"Servia, promise me—next time, only make dishes you’re familiar with, alright?"