A body transformed into undeath.
A living, breathing body.
These are two entirely different experiences.
The sensation of fabric brushing against skin, the lightness of fingers trailing through the air, the reassurance of footsteps meeting solid ground, and the damp coolness of water trickling through one's palms—
After a thousand years of absence, these simple pleasures made Servia beam with childlike joy.
"The Wizard's hand..."
"It's just as I imagined—warm and safe..."
Her newly restored flesh still felt unfamiliar.
And so, Xu Xi led the girl by the hand, guiding her into the light, allowing her to see the tower she had long inhabited through the vibrant lens of the living rather than the dull gray of the undead.
All the while, Servia held his hand tightly.
Very, very tightly.
Her platinum-blonde hair was tied back, though a few loose strands framed her face, barely concealing the faint blush coloring her cheeks.
Perhaps the overwhelming emotions of returning to life had taken hold of her.
"Servia, is anything uncomfortable?" Xu Xi asked with concern, wary of potential side effects from the restoration spell.
In the corridor, Servia shook her head gently. "I feel wonderful, Wizard."
"I can see clearly, hear every sound, and there's no pain anywhere."
"Your spell worked perfectly. Truly... thank you."
She smiled again, radiant as a water lily in full bloom—
Clear, luminous, untouched by flaw.
"That's a relief." Hearing her answer, Xu Xi conducted his own examination, confirming what was already evident: her health was flawless.
Preparing for this day of flesh and blood restoration had demanded much.
First, he had dedicated a spell slot to mastering a sorcery otherwise useless to him.
Then came the gathering of bones—countless specimens, each tested to ensure Servia's revival would leave no scars.
Data, experiments, meticulous calculations—
Only then had he begun the true restoration.
The process was tedious, time-consuming.
But seeing the radiant smile of the Hero before him, Xu Xi knew it had been worth it.
"Wizard... have I troubled you too much?"
"Not at all. If anything, I'm the one troubling you. After all, it's always been you aiding my research."
Leaving the room, stepping beyond the corridor, their footsteps finally halted at a platform.
This was the higher reaches of the Tower of Salvation, bathed in golden sunlight, caressed by a gentle breeze—an ecosystem crafted to mimic the living world, a sanctuary for those who dwelled within.
"So beautiful..." Servia murmured.
Before her, the dawn stretched across the sky in soft hues of blue, silent and serene.
Sunlight slanted across the edges of leaves and petals, setting them aglow.
Irregular shapes shimmered as light spilled over greenery, cascading to the ground in scattered, dazzling patterns.
A sight so ordinary, yet in this dying world of sorcery, it was a rare treasure—a fleeting dream of beauty.
"Wizard... thank you."
The Hero spoke again, gratitude woven into her voice. "Because of you, I can feel this warmth once more."
Her left hand remained clasped in Xu Xi's.
With her right, she reached forward, hesitant yet hopeful, and caught a handful of golden light.
...
[The Hero, restored to her true form, possessed a beauty uniquely her own.]
[You had seen elves before.]
[Elves were purity, grace, beauty incarnate.]
[Yet you believed the Hero, in her renewed state, held a splendor surpassing even theirs.]
[It was a beauty tempered by malice—]
[Cracked, yet still shining with unbroken radiance.]
[Eager to experience more of her reclaimed life, the Hero proposed exploring the tower further.]
[You agreed.]
"You—you're Servia, aren't you?"
"Your face... it's healed?"
Before, Servia had hidden behind the excuse of fire-scarred ruin.
The people had pitied her, grown accustomed to her marred visage.
But today—
Every assumption was overturned.
They clamored in excitement, offering blessings and cheers.
"I knew it! I just knew it!"
"Lady Servia deserves this happiness!"
"By the heavens—Lady Servia is breathtaking! Is this what a saint looks like?"
Wherever they went, Servia's appearance stirred murmurs among the crowds.
Yet the people restrained themselves, keeping a respectful distance, watching with quiet contentment as she and Xu Xi walked hand in hand.
What were they thinking?
Servia had a guess.
Her cheeks burned like summer fruit.
Shyness, anticipation, a quiet joy—all of it made her grip that warm hand even tighter.
Father...
Mother...
The Clawphire family teachings hadn't covered what to do in situations like this...
Ahhh...
The girl's flustered thoughts came and went like the wind, a passing breeze cooling the heat in her cheeks.
Before she knew it, Servia's attention was captured by the tower's wonders—
Now seen through the eyes of the living.
Many familiar things burst forth with dazzling colors, so stunning that they seized one's gaze, making it hard to look away.
It wasn’t until half an hour had passed—
after visiting several key locations within the tower—
that Servia finally stopped her leisurely stroll. She turned to gaze back at the colossal structure and said, "Lord Wizard, let’s stop here."
"Don’t want to continue, Servia?" Xu Xi asked.
His hand still held hers, steadying her in case she stumbled.
Bathed in the warm sunlight, Servia’s features softened, her skin pale as snow, her deep green eyes bright and luminous.
"No, Lord Wizard," she replied with a smile. "For the remaining half hour, I’d like to do something else."
Xu Xi frowned. "Servia, you don’t need to worry about time."
The effective duration of flesh regeneration was one hour.
A short span, indeed.
But the spell could be recast.
As long as the required mystical materials were prepared again, and Xu Xi intervened, Servia’s physical state could be prolonged.
Yet, Servia declined.
"Thank you for your kindness, but this one hour is enough for me…"
The young maiden, clad in a pristine white dress, appeared serene and radiant under the sun’s glow.
Her right thumb and forefinger
lightly brushed against the emerald-green ring on her left hand,
caressing its cool surface.
A verdant shimmer swirled within, silver glints dancing alongside.
"Lord Wizard, casting the spell repeatedly would trouble you too much."
"And—"
"Didn’t you always say that the value of time isn’t measured by its length?"
One hour was indeed brief.
But because it was spent with Xu Xi, it felt fulfilling.
Even after time passed and her body reverted to bones, the lingering warmth and joy would keep the Brave One happy for a long, long while.
She smiled.
Her jade-like eyes were breathtaking.
"Lord Wizard, for the remaining time… could we have something to eat?"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
world slacker. But a genius female disciple just had to get clingy, insisting that he take her as a disciple. Not only that, she was always making advances on him, thoroughly disrupting his peaceful slacker life...
n Our Village Many years later, Xiushui Village had transformed from a remote, impoverished hamlet into the renowned and flourishing Xiushui City of the Shifang Continent. All of this, solely because it was the birthplace of the Shifang Continent's number one sect—the Lingxian Sect. This is the story of a group of village youths, family, and friends, building a sect and growing together. Lin Xiao: As the sect master, my days are filled with countless tasks. Cultivating really gets in the way of building the sect. System: Received. Understood. Arranging it immediately. [Ding—Congratulations, Host, on successfully activating the Auto-Cultivation Function] Lin Xiao: Oh no, we're out of spirit stones. System: Received. Understood. Arranging it immediately. [Ding—Sect Mission issued. Mission Reward: Spirit Stones xN] No one loves their host more profoundly than this System!
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
