The visit to the church concluded successfully.
Accompanied by Xu Xi, Krisha toured the entire church and recorded numerous "wisdom of the ancestors."
As Krisha put it,
this was the most precious gift.
She would treasure it and use this "wisdom" at the appropriate time.
Seeing Krisha so delighted, Xu Xi was also pleased. The only issue was that he seemed to have caught a cold recently, sneezing incessantly.
Quite peculiar, wasn’t it?
Catching a cold under the supreme protection of magic.
...
In the days that followed, Xu Xi mostly lived in the purchased estate.
Just like in the world of magic,
he perused ancient historical texts of the new world.
Or he accompanied the witch to purchase daily necessities, occasionally venturing farther to see other facets of the world.
"Whoosh!"
"Whoosh!"
The rain poured down violently.
Like the wrath of the heavens, arcs of lightning danced through the dark clouds, fierce and frenzied.
In the second month of the simulation,
a heavy rainstorm struck. The torrential downpour seemed intent on flooding the world, and even after the rain ceased and the wind died down, the ground still bore the lingering aftermath of the storm.
When Xu Xi and the witch stepped out to buy fresh ingredients,
they found the path to the outside world muddy and nearly impassable.
Thick, wet mud, washed into slurry by the rain, formed puddles scattered across the uneven road.
A faint stench lingered in the air.
"Krisha?"
Xu Xi, wearing rain boots,
strode forward, ignoring the mud pits.
But he noticed that the witch, who usually stayed close by his side, remained rooted in place, staring blankly at the dark brown puddles, not taking a single step.
Even when she heard Xu Xi’s call,
she stood there dazed, her expression hollow and lost.
That look, that posture, overlapped with the scene when Xu Xi first met Krisha.
In the end,
it was Xu Xi who turned back,
took Krisha’s hand, and led her forward.
"Remembering the past, Krisha?"
"...Yes, Mentor."
Xu Xi’s first encounter with Krisha had not been a pleasant one.
It was in a foul-smelling alley,
where filth flowed freely and mud oozed underfoot.
A girl, her body battered and broken,
trembled in fear, enduring hunger as she awaited death.
Those memories were so deeply etched that even now, the witch could not forget the sorrow of those days—nor the hand that had reached out to her.
"Krisha."
"Do you really still shrink back in fear because of those memories?"
"It doesn’t seem likely..."
The road after rain is always muddy and difficult to traverse.
With every step,
with every press of a boot,
filthy droplets splashed up.
Amid the symphony of water, the witch silently tightened her grip on Xu Xi’s arm, her expression calm as she savored the warmth, her voice detached:
"I don’t understand what you mean, Mentor."
"After all—"
"I am but an incomplete witch, incapable of joy or sorrow."
Using the all-purpose excuse,
Krisha relaxed her mind, leaning her entire body against Xu Xi’s arm.
So warm.
So reassuring.
Mentor, my life has been broken and incomplete.
Only when you are here do I feel whole.
...
The rainy season lasted a long time.
Many dried-up riverbeds swelled once more with water.
Xu Xi rested in the estate, enjoying the warmth of the fireplace while flipping through historical records unique to the new world, broadening his knowledge.
"Mentor, some tea."
Krisha poured Xu Xi a hot drink.
The pale green liquid looked familiar.
He took a sip—yes, the bitter taste was familiar too.
"Is something wrong, Mentor?"
"...Krisha, what did you use to brew this tea?"
"Bittergrass, Mentor."
Later, after consulting some books, Xu Xi learned that the bittergrass Krisha used was a magical herb with properties similar to clarity grass.
Equally bitter, equally invigorating.
"Krisha, let’s try a different tea next time," Xu Xi suggested tactfully.
"Yes, Mentor."
...
In the third month of the simulated world,
the dragonblood grass planted in the garden had fully matured, its white-gold appearance shimmering like a dazzling silver sea as it swayed in the wind.
A breathtaking sight.
So much so that it attracted wild lesser dragons.
The lesser dragons sought to devour the dragonblood grass to purify their bloodlines.
The witch, kind-hearted,
decided that since there was an overabundance of dragonblood grass—enough to disrupt the estate’s aesthetics—she would uproot some under Xu Xi’s guidance.
She intended to offer it to the lesser dragons.
Yet the moment she flew out of the estate gates, the lesser dragons scattered in terror.
Their expressions twisted with dread, as though a second’s delay would mean annihilation.
"...Mentor?"
The witch turned to Xu Xi in confusion,
unable to comprehend why things had turned out this way.
After some thought,
Xu Xi arrived at an answer.
"Krisha has been solely responsible for cultivating the dragonblood grass, watering it daily with dragon’s blood."
"To the dragons, then,"
"Krisha’s presence is akin to a dragon-slaying menace, perpetually drenched in their kin’s blood?"
Xu Xi had an epiphany.
No wonder the lesser dragons fled so swiftly.
...
In the fourth month of the simulation,
as the seasons shifted between cold and heat,
Xu Xi took Krisha on a journey away from the estate, just as they had done in the world of magic, traveling across the land together.
They saw much, experienced much.
They once stood aboard a colossal steam-powered magitech airship, witnessing the migration of dragon flocks.
They also beheld the grand festivities of the merfolk on the vast, endless sea.
As the rumors went,
the merfolk were all beings of exceptional beauty.
"Vulgar," the witch remarked, shielding Xu Xi’s eyes with her hands, claiming the merfolk’s attire was far too shameless for him to see.
Xu Xi wholeheartedly agreed.
Under the stinging pressure from behind, he obediently closed his eyes and let Krisha cover them.
Only after leaving the merfolk’s waters
did the witch release her hold,
allowing Xu Xi to see the azure sea once more.
The boundless ocean stretched like a vast mirror, reflecting the blue sky and drifting white clouds.
The salty wind howled,
and schools of fish leaped from the water, gliding through the air in a fantastical display.
"Mentor, would you like some fresh seafood?"
Krisha suggested.
By now, she could distinguish which seafood was safe to eat.
"No need, Krisha."
Xu Xi declined with a smile. "It’d be too much trouble to go out of your way to catch some. Besides, I’m not hungry."
The witch pondered this.
About ten minutes later, the boat carrying Xu Xi and Krisha collided with a mysteriously deceased, fresh-looking fish floating on the water’s surface, untouched by other sea creatures.
"This must be a gift from the world."
Krisha declared with conviction.
Using her psychic abilities, she swiftly retrieved the fish and prepared a multi-course seafood feast for Xu Xi.
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)
] [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!"
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
tions: attribute allocation, analysis, proficiency, and simulation. Specializing in mechanical alchemy, from crafting sorcerous battle armor to handcrafting mechanical maidens, his mechanical legion conquers endless realms... Relying on his wits, he begins with a student-teacher romance, wins over a female director, enslaves a female assassin and a underworld queen, becoming the husband of a Grand Duchess... He enslaves the Goddess of Magic from the divine realm, developing his power simultaneously in both the Wizard World and the Realm of Gods...
