Four-Ring Sorcery: Flesh Regeneration

"Wizard Xu Xi, will I ever become good enough?"

"You will."

"But, Wizard Xu Xi, even I lack confidence in myself."

"Even so, I still believe in Servia."

As Xu Xi broke through to become a Fourth-Circle Wizard,

the scale of the Salvation Tower began to expand.

Now,

powered by vast amounts of soulfire, the tower operated efficiently every day, providing a barrier to shield against the miasma of death and maintaining a functional ecosystem.

It simulated all the elements a normal world should possess—

sunlight,

soil,

water,

and the countless species Xu Xi had gathered over the years, some for material production, others as food sources.

The survivors, having narrowly escaped death, saw the Wizard Tower as the last utopia in the world.

They threw themselves passionately into their work,

filled with reverence for Xu Xi and Servia.

"Praise the great one."

"May the great one bless my child and let her grow up healthy."

Kind-hearted people, moved to tears, spread tales of Xu Xi's good deeds daily.

Some even regarded him as a deity,

offering devout prayers every day.

Xu Xi found this troubling, but he couldn’t persuade the stubborn masses.

"Wizard Xu Xi, you clearly find this bothersome. Why not put a firm stop to it?" asked the Hero standing beside him, puzzled.

In this world,

the Hero had followed Xu Xi the longest.

She knew that neither faith nor reverence was what Xu Xi desired.

In response,

Xu Xi gazed calmly at the bustling people, their faces brimming with hope as they carried out their tasks within the tower:

"Servia, in life, people always need something to hold onto."

"Be it a goal,"

"or a role model."

"Without anything, they’d be unable to move forward, paralyzed by fear of an uncertain future, reduced to mere husks."

"I truly dislike this fanatical devotion,"

"but right now, it’s an indispensable source of security for them."

Xu Xi chuckled softly,

his voice slow, carrying contemplation of the world and sympathy for the suffering.

"So that’s how it is..."

The Hero understood.

She lowered her head, silently staring at the sword at her waist. Her silver-armored fingers lightly traced the hilt,

spinning in slow circles,

as if endless thoughts drifted away with the motion.

"Wizard Xu Xi..."

"Really is kind, isn’t he..."

When her fingers stilled,

the Hero handed out a long-overdue "good person" card.

"By the way, Servia, don’t you think the temperature suddenly dropped?"

"No, Wizard Xu Xi."

"Then perhaps I’m just tired..."

Shivering, Xu Xi cast a temperature-stabilizing spell on himself and turned toward the tower’s interior.

"Let’s go, Servia. Now that you’ve become a Third-Circle Wizard, it’s time to teach you new knowledge."

"Yes, Wizard Xu Xi."

Under the simulated sunlight,

the Hero’s silver-gray armor gleamed, clinking softly with each movement as she followed.

The incomplete Hero

was chasing her own future.

...

[Simulation Year 24, Age 41]

[After advancing to a Fourth-Circle Wizard, your spiritual sight grew sharper. You observed the boundless Netherworld, calculating how long it would take for the Wizard World to be fully consumed.]

[You reached a conclusion.]

[At least fifty years, at most a hundred.]

[The Wizard World would meet its end, becoming another plane captured by the endless Netherworld, transformed into pure Nethersoil.]

[You planned everything, preparing to send Servia and the others to safety one day while you sought out the mastermind alone.]

[To that end,]

[you began deliberately training Servia.]

[Beyond basic combat skills, you also taught her how to control the Wizard Tower and manage its various sectors.]

[Servia did not disappoint you.]

[As a noble by birth, she had some experience in administration.]

[At the same time, Servia was diligent and hardworking, often seeking your guidance to ease your burden in managing the tower.]

[You were deeply gratified, feeling her efforts were second only to your own.]

...

[Simulation Year 26, Age 43]

[Two years passed, and you weathered another Undead Tide.]

[Your strength was terrifying.]

[With the Fourth-Circle Spell—Death’s Decree—you purged the surging tide of undead and personally slew a Lich King.]

[With ample manpower, the Salvation Tower’s combat capabilities had also improved, achieving glorious results.]

[Your soulfire reserves increased by +1.]

"Praise the great one!"

"The invincible great one!"

The people cheered, venting their exhilaration with hoarse voices.

Those who had once been hunted by the undead

now took part in slaughtering them, weeping and laughing as they avenged their lost loved ones.

Amid the oppressive atmosphere,

Servia stood resolute.

Gripping her sword with both hands, she scanned the battlefield sharply, guarding Xu Xi’s side at all times.

"The Wizard’s safety is my duty!"

"Servia, charging forth!"

She fought with all her might.

Though a melee-oriented wizard, the sword waves she unleashed had devastating area effects.

However,

after repeated attacks, her soul energy inevitably ran dry.

The reckless Hero earned Xu Xi’s reprimand—her cheeks pinched and thoroughly kneaded by his fingers.

"Do you understand your mistake?"

"...I do."

Obedient, compliant, and adorable,

Servia admitted her fault without protest.

...

[The Undead Tide ended. That year, you continued harvesting soulfire, amassing an astonishing reserve.]

[You remained humble.]

[You knew full well that your current soulfire stockpile was still insufficient to open a large cross-planar portal,]

[let alone strike down the lofty Seventh-Circle Wizards.]

[You still had to strive harder.]

[Your spells grew more refined, often tested on the undead roaming the land.]

[Particularly powerful undead, after their demise, were recycled into Guardian Automatons for the Wizard Tower.]

[Simulation Year 29, Age 46]

[The Salvation Tower’s facilities became more advanced.]

[Years of accumulation led to a growing population within the tower, with some even becoming new wizard apprentices.]

[Yet the world outside grew utterly silent.]

[You found no more survivors.]

[The vast world resembled a dead sea, its waves rising and falling as your crafted ark sailed onward alone.]

[You and the Hero stood atop the tower, gazing at the pitch-black apocalypse, falling into silence.]

...

[Simulation Year 30, Age 47]

[You continued researching cross-planar technology. Though you had recovered useful data from the ruins of the Divine Plateau, evacuating everyone remained a daunting task.]

[Time was still plentiful,]

[but repeated experimental failures weighed on your mind.]

[Fortunately, success in another endeavor lifted your spirits.]

[You mastered the Fourth-Circle Spell—Flesh Regeneration.]