Still Need to Disarm

Xu Xi and Servia first met.

It was during the second year of the simulation.

Pitiful, lonely, desolate, yet resilient.

Servia, with her disfigured face and undead body, was driven away in terror wherever she went.

No one believed her words.

Nor did they offer her kindness.

Thus, Servia had no choice but to don armor and pose as a false hero, grasping at the faintest shreds of trust.

After meeting Xu Xi, she once asked him a question.

Could he heal her undead body, restore the hollow bones to their human form?

"I'm sorry, I can't."

At that time, Xu Xi gave her an apologetic reply.

But now, having ascended to the rank of a Fourth-Circle Wizard, Xu Xi had finally mastered the Fourth-Circle Spell: Flesh Regeneration, after compiling extensive research.

The creator of the spell had intended it for healing wounds.

Yet, through numerous experiments,

Flesh Regeneration was proven to have a miraculous effect—restoring flesh to lifeless skeletons.

"Great Wizard, I... I... Can I really...?"

"Of course, Servia. But this isn't a permanent cure. There's a time limit."

"A time limit?"

"Yes, it will only last about an hour."

Disappointed? Not at all.

Servia stood still, her eyes blinking with joy and gratitude.

Before meeting Xu Xi,

the hero had no one to talk to.

Fearful of being exposed, she would flee each village she saved, never daring to speak with its people.

Fearful of the crushing silence, she endured a world where only the dripping of a leaky roof kept her company.

Those days were too dark.

A wound too deep to fade.

Now, that wound had a chance to heal. Xu Xi would help the hero reclaim the wholeness of being human.

"Great Wizard."

"What... what should I do?"

"Should I remove my armor? And the cloth around my head...?"

The undead girl fidgeted nervously.

Though time had tempered her into maturity, in this moment, she was as lost as a child, unsure of what to do.

"No need to rush, Servia."

The simulated sunlight streamed into the room like golden threads, casting a delicate glow over every surface.

Xu Xi chuckled softly,

unwrapping the cloth from Servia’s head.

"Great Wizard, the armor..."

Servia instinctively reminded him, thinking he had forgotten.

But Xu Xi shook his head.

"Servia, this experiment doesn’t require removing your armor."

"Eh? But... before, it was always necessary..."

Her voice trailed off weakly.

Her stunned mind finally caught up, and Servia realized the foolishness of her words.

This experiment

was to restore her flesh.

A whole body, a living body, an unbroken body.

If she removed the armor now...

Servia couldn’t bear to think further.

She crouched, hugging her head, curling into herself.

Overwhelmed by shame, she reverted to the posture of a child afraid of the dark.

Xu Xi busied himself preparing the arcane materials for the spell.

[The hero’s wish was to regain her normal body.]

[Amidst the world’s upheavals, humanity’s downfall, and countless other tragedies, the hero had long forgotten this desire.]

[But you remembered.]

[After ascending to the Fourth-Circle, you devoted yourself to researching Flesh Regeneration.]

[And now, you had mastered it—ready to use it on the hero.]

The bones trembled.

Flesh began to sprout.

The moment Xu Xi cast the spell, vast amounts of life force were drawn from the materials and transferred to Servia, manifesting as crimson tendrils of newborn flesh.

It was a breathtakingly intricate process.

A miracle of creation, unfolding with perfect order.

Every detail, down to the organs, was meticulously restored.

Xu Xi couldn’t see beneath the armor, but he could witness the transformation of her once-disfigured face.

Delicate features.

Graceful long hair.

Emerald-green eyes.

In the morning light, her platinum-blonde hair shimmered like rippling water.

Like the first moment of dawn,

bright and striking.

The radiant strands cascaded past her shoulders, a blend of pale gold and white, reflecting the emerald in her eyes.

Quiet. Bewildered.

This was the most dazzling jewel of Clawphire.

Shattered countless times, pieced back together—only now restored to wholeness.

"Great Wizard..."

Touching her face, feeling its flawless smoothness, Servia’s voice trembled.

No longer a mimicry of her soulfire, but the true voice of Servia Clawphire.

It was beautiful.

Clear and pure.

"Thank... you..."

Tears glimmered like faint starlight, welling up before spilling freely.

This should have been her happiest moment.

Yet the hero could no longer hold back.

Silent tears, crystalline under the sunlight, shone with sorrow.

She didn’t want to cry aloud.

She didn’t want to trouble Xu Xi.

Servia clasped her hands over her mouth, but it was futile—tears streamed through her fingers, revealing her vulnerable, weeping face to Xu Xi alone.

This was the hero’s helplessness, seen only by him.

A quiet, sorrowful cry, impossible to hide.

All her pain

poured out in stifled sobs.

"Servia." Xu Xi watched her grief, gently wiping away her tears with his thumb.

He didn’t say, ["You’re welcome."]

Nor did he offer lengthy comfort.

Instead, with a tender touch, he stroked her head. "You’ve endured so much, haven’t you?"

The dam broke completely.

Her eyes

became true emeralds, glistening and bright.

...

[You succeeded in restoring the hero’s body.]

[Her emotions—her sorrow—were enough to move anyone who witnessed them.]

[You waited patiently,]

[until her tears subsided,]

[before leaving the room to give her space to change.]

[Before, fearing the revulsion her undead form would provoke, she had no choice but to wear her armor at all times.]

[But now, with her flesh restored, she could finally dress like a human again—reclaiming her lost humanity.]

Among the prepared garments,

Servia chose a dress.

Soft, elegant fabric, an iris-patterned collar, pale green buds adorning the white skirt.

A refined and graceful choice.

"Great Wizard."

Pale fingers lightly gripped the doorframe as Servia peeked out, searching for Xu Xi.

"Do I... look alright?"

The hero worried—was her face not beautiful enough? Had she chosen the wrong outfit?

She longed for Xu Xi’s opinion, desperate to hear his answer.

"More beautiful than I imagined." Xu Xi smiled, gazing at the girl bathed in sunlight, and gave his approval.