The End of Simulation

【You did not receive the favor of the Goddess of Luck】

【After leaving the world of wizards】

【The Tower of Salvation was soon targeted by the immortals of the Endless Netherworld】

【You sensed a profound malice—even from a great distance, you were certain of the overwhelming strength of your adversary】

【You decided to execute your plan】

【To trade your life for the survival of Servia and the others】

All existence descended into chaos.

The laws of reality inverted.

After departing from the Tower of Salvation,

Xu Xi had no choice but to face the formless void of chaos and the horrifying pressure of the Endless Netherworld with his bare flesh.

"Hmm... troublesome, but not too much."

Xu Xi no longer restrained his soulfire.

His soul surged violently, his body cracked, and an overwhelming aura erupted, flooding the surroundings.

It suppressed the chaotic environment in reverse.

The concepts of life and death intertwined and blurred at this moment. Only through the effects of the simulator's traits could Xu Xi barely wield such power.

"Perhaps this is another form of unifying life and death?"

"Without the power of a Seventh-Circle Wizard, yet possessing some of its qualities."

Xu Xi chuckled lightly.

He paid no further mind to this borrowed strength.

Turning, he faced the Tower of Salvation.

"Using chaos as a reference, the Tower’s cross-dimensional speed is far too slow. They must evacuate immediately."

Without wasting another moment, Xu Xi stood firm in the chaos, his staff striking the void.

A vast and boundless surge of soul energy propelled the entire tower, hurling it at breakneck speed toward the distant world of Heruka.

This was Xu Xi’s primary objective.

He burned himself, turning into fuel for billions of soulfires, all to ensure Servia and the others could escape safely.

To guarantee their survival.

His secondary objective, however—

Xu Xi turned calmly toward a seemingly distant yet rapidly approaching mist of gray chaos.

"Unifying truth, unifying spells, unifying the possibilities of life and death."

"So it is..."

"A Seventh-Circle Wizard."

"Or should I call you the one who doomed our world?"

Life, death, the soul—

The path Xu Xi had forged upon reaching the Fifth Circle now blazed with radiant truth-light, fueled by the roaring soulfire.

It illuminated the chaos, yet carried an aura of absolute desolation.

"A Fifth-Circle Wizard?"

"A genius."

"Those fleeing cowards surely never imagined our homeworld would birth someone like you."

"To achieve something so inconceivable at the Fifth Circle."

The voice was almost admiring,

as if casually evaluating a promising junior.

The chaos writhed, truths converging.

A colossal, indistinct humanoid figure emerged, its mere presence crushing vast stretches of chaotic space, negating the continuation of natural laws.

This was a Seventh-Circle Wizard.

A terrifying existence built upon endless knowledge.

Even one who ascended through shortcuts could freely manipulate the laws of reality.

Then—

The blurred, gigantic figure’s expression twisted into a snarl, flashing with the madness unique to wizards.

"Good, very good!"

"Once I dissect your memories, I’ll uncover the secret behind your soul-gathering!"

"You have no idea how monumental this is—only I can unleash its true potential!!!"

The attack came without warning.

An immortal will clashed against the cosmos, stirring a deafening storm of chaos.

Yet the assault failed to land.

The moment it touched Xu Xi, it was nullified by an endless tide of soulfire.

"This... this quantity—"

"Impossible! How many souls have you collected?!"

Listening to the furious roar, Xu Xi remained still, the glow of his staff growing ever brighter.

Yes, just how many had he gathered?

Even Xu Xi himself didn’t know the answer.

The fall of the wizard’s world had left it littered with the dead. Every strike from Xu Xi or his tower reaped hundreds, even thousands, of soulfires.

Day after day.

Month after month.

Year after year.

The number of soulfires Xu Xi had stored had long surpassed comprehension.

Were it not for the Collector trait that allowed him to regulate them, his body would have burst long ago.

And now—

Xu Xi chose to release them all.

To condense billions of fleeting moments into a single, simultaneous instant.

"Come. I’ve waited long enough for this."

As he spoke, his flesh rapidly withered, his body desiccating into a skeletal, undead state.

There was no reversal from this transformation.

Xu Xi’s body, like a runaway train with no brakes, hurtled irreversibly toward annihilation.

Even his own soul was consumed by the raging soulfire.

In the end—

Everything that was Xu Xi, along with the immeasurable soulfire that outshone the chaos itself, coalesced into his staff.

A single strike, piercing through the chaotic cosmos.

It was the defiance of the living.

The wrath of the dead.

The destroyer of their homeland stood before them—

How could they not rage?

"Madman! You utter madman!!!"

The chaos erupted into absolute turmoil, sending ripples through the nearby wizard’s world.

The fury of mortals burned toward the lofty sovereign.

Making it fear.

Making it suffer.

Making it unable to pursue the Tower of Salvation now far beyond reach.

Just one strike.

Only one.

A mortal’s spell, woven from the duality of life and death, yet it sheared away one of the being’s arms.

"How... exhilarating."

Xu Xi grinned weakly, his face a mask of exhaustion.

"By my estimate, Servia should be arriving soon."

"I... need not worry anymore."

He laughed—joyful, weary.

He wanted to do more, but his body no longer obeyed.

The soulfire had burned even him away.

All that remained was his broken form, adrift in the chaos, awaiting final dissolution—and the Seventh-Circle Wizard’s vengeful retaliation.

So bright.

A hellish crimson inferno.

Designed to torment both soul and flesh to the utmost.

Xu Xi gazed at the spectacle, his eyes reflecting the flames, one last thought crossing his mind.

"At least Servia isn’t here..."

"She’s always been afraid of pain..."

Amid the agony of his burning soul and flesh, Xu Xi’s weary eyes slowly closed.

His soul followed.

Eternal silence.

Denying the Seventh-Circle Wizard any chance to dissect his memories.

Thus, the tale of the wizard and the hero came to an end.

A faded chapter, crumbling into dust.

In his final moments, Xu Xi glimpsed a vision—Servia weeping, her face fragile and helpless.

Instinctively, he reached out.

To wipe away her tears.

But his hand passed through her like mist, unable to touch her.

"Forgive me, Servia..."

His voice faded.

The last ember of Xu Xi’s soul vanished.

【You have died】

【Simulation concluded】

【You have completed a full adventure】

【You awoke in an unmarked grave, beginning in an unknown corner of the world】

【You stood alone against the mastermind behind the shadows, falling just before the dawn】

【You were a miracle made real】

【The legend sung by countless—the one they call "That Man"】

【You mastered the balance of life and death—no reaper, yet more feared than death itself, for no soul escaped your grasp】

【You nurtured a hero, forging strength in both body and spirit】

【You felt the Tower of Salvation enter a new world, and with no regrets, your journey reached its end】