Friendship... Gradually Deteriorating

On the other side, Luo Wei and Tilis appeared on the tidal flats by the sea.

The cold sea breeze brushed against Luo Wei's face, making him shiver.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked, puzzled, as he looked at Tilis.

Tilis finally let go of his hand and smiled as she gazed into the distance along the coast. The sea fog was thick, and in the distance, the faint outline of a small wooden cabin could be seen.

"Taking you to my home!" she said mysteriously, blinking her eyes. "There are lots of beautiful things there!"

"Oh..." Luo Wei nodded in understanding. The "home" she referred to was likely the place where she had been living for the past six months.

But he couldn't help but be curious. "Why didn't you just teleport us there?"

The distance from the town to the small cabin by the sea was quite far.

"Because I wanted to chat with you~" Tilis replied slyly, blinking again. "How long has it been since we last talked like this? I really miss those old days..."

More importantly, it was a rare opportunity for the two of them to be alone, free from the presence of irrelevant people...

"Oh..." Luo Wei nodded silently.

Then, the two of them walked side by side along the long coastline.

Tilis quietly confided many things to Luo Wei.

She spoke of the endless research she had been conducting for so many years, unable to find the reason why mages went mad. The more she pursued magic, the closer she seemed to be to self-destruction, and she was gradually losing hope...

She also spoke of the Magic Hermitage, where various factions within the organization were constantly at odds with each other. Disagreements over ideologies often turned into deep-seated hatred, leading to frequent deadly conflicts...

Besides these, there were many other things—the endless persecution from the Church, the expectations and pressures from the Elders' Council. Tilis was not only disappointed with the mage community but also with humanity...

She was even disappointed with the entire world.

Listening to her complaints one after another, Luo Wei felt overwhelmed by the heavy negativity, and even he couldn't help but frown...

Miss Witch was definitely an ultimate "heavy" woman. With her around, the atmosphere would instantly change, and the oppressive weight of negativity and despair could suffocate anyone.

Luo Wei silently looked at Tilis. These burdens shouldn't have fallen on her shoulders, but her talent was too extraordinary...

Perhaps from the moment her teacher, the former head of the Hermitage, chose her as an apprentice, her future had already been determined.

After venting, Tilis stretched and yawned.

"Let's not think about those depressing things anymore..."

She turned to Luo Wei, her face showing a hint of tiredness, and muttered in confusion.

"I don't know why, but whenever I'm around you, I always feel like sleeping. Are you some kind of giant sleep-inducing incense or something..."

Luo Wei chuckled and shook his head. "I don't have that kind of power."

Then, he observed Tilis closely.

Her face was pale and haggard, with heavy dark circles under her eyes.

She seemed lively when talking to others, but when it was just the two of them, she became listless, indicating that she was usually forcing herself to stay energetic.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Tilis asked, noticing Luo Wei's gaze, and she touched her face in confusion.

"How long has it been since you had a proper sleep?" Luo Wei asked, frowning as he examined her.

The closer he looked, the more evident her exhaustion became. It was even more alarming than his own experience of pulling three all-nighters in an internet café during his school days. He was genuinely worried she might collapse from exhaustion...

"Sleep?" Tilis shook her head helplessly.

"Why should I sleep? There are so many things waiting for me to do. The ultimate secrets of magic, the truths of the world, are right in front of me. How could I waste time on something like sleep..."

Luo Wei was speechless. Was she implying that she never slept?

"You can't just not sleep..." Luo Wei sighed, trying to persuade her. "Resting well will help you focus better on your research, won't it?"

"Hmm..." Tilis pouted unhappily. "Even you're saying that now..."

Elder Margery and others in the Hermitage had said the same thing, but she had never paid attention to them. After all, her time was the most precious thing in the world...

But when it came to Luo Wei, she didn't outright reject him.

Instead, she smiled softly and said, "Alright, I'll consider it."

Luo Wei looked at her suspiciously, feeling that her words were full of insincerity.

So he thought for a moment and then said with a smile, "Lack of sleep will make you less beautiful. Eventually, your condition will worsen, and you'll end up looking like a legendary old witch."

Tilis was taken aback for a moment, then replied nonchalantly, "So what? It's just a shell."

She had always believed that Luo Wei and she were drawn to each other because of their shared ideals. Their conversations never lacked topics, and they could talk for days on end.

Their spirits and souls were highly compatible. They were the best of friends and the most trustworthy comrades. What use was something as mundane as physical appearance to them?

Thinking this, Tilis looked at Luo Wei, who was so close to her, and suddenly felt a pang of confusion.

Friends...

Best friends... right?

In the past, she would have answered without hesitation, because her teacher had once taught her that the closest and most intimate relationship was friendship...

Luo Wei was the closest person to her besides her teacher, and the person she was closest to...

Therefore, it followed that:

Luo Wei = friend.

(Perfect logic.)

But that was her old way of thinking...

When Luo Wei completely disappeared four years ago, she went mad searching for him. During her travels across the continent, she also witnessed many intimate relationships that were different from "friendship"...

Tilis felt like she had discovered a whole new world!

Her teacher was completely wrong! The closest and most intimate relationship wasn't friendship at all!

It was...

Tilis fell into deep reflection. Her social circle had always been pitifully small, basically countable on one hand. And because she had been immersed in magical research with her teacher for so many years, she had never bothered to understand or care about relationships...

So she had simply accepted whatever her teacher said without much thought...

It wasn't until later that she realized...

Her teacher had lived her entire life without ever having a man, remaining single for decades! What right did she have to teach her about such things? She was completely clueless!!

Silently complaining about her teacher, Tilis looked at Luo Wei again.

Perhaps because of the chaotic thoughts in her mind, when she saw Luo Wei's gaze fixed on her, her heart suddenly fluttered.

They were no longer just friends, not anymore...

Tilis silently lowered her head.

"What's wrong?" Luo Wei asked, confused.

She had been fine just a moment ago, but now she seemed off.

"N-nothing..." Tilis shook her head nervously.

Then, as if remembering something, she waved her hand and conjured a small mirror.

Avoiding Luo Wei's gaze, she nervously examined her reflection in the mirror.

It seemed...

She did look a little haggard?

Tilis felt like she was becoming stranger by the day.

Although her teacher had once said that she was the most beautiful person in the Hermitage, raising the average attractiveness of the gloomy, magic-twisted mages...

She had never paid much attention to her appearance before...

But now, she found herself worrying about it...

"Luo Wei..."

Tilis raised her head slightly and asked softly, "Do I... not look beautiful anymore?"

Luo Wei gave her a suspicious glance, unsure what was going on with her.

But he still replied, "No, you've always been beautiful!"

He meant it.

Though Tilis looked extremely tired, there was something uniquely captivating about her current state. She could be described as a "melancholic beauty"...

How to put it... she had the aura of a "female villain" or "dark sorceress," the kind who might destroy the world at any moment...

"Oh..."

Tilis nodded silently.

However, she still felt a bit conflicted inside.

So, should I really get a good night's sleep for the sake of beauty?