Simulated Lives: The Sorrow of the Sword Maiden

Chapter 58 – Life truly passes in the blink of an eye

"Life... it's something that withers away in an instant."

In the autumn breeze, a sea of withering flowers swayed and struggled.

Petals continuously fell from the branches, slowly tumbling in the wind, sometimes pausing, sometimes flying far away to places even they didn't know.

Xu Xi watched this scene, feeling the unique desolation and loneliness of autumn.

He reached out his fingers.

Just in time to catch a petal.

"The flowers in Warg City are more fragrant than those in Allenson City. Is it because people here generally worship the Goddess of Nature and the Goddess of Life?"

"However, the timing of their withering is remarkably consistent."

The charming flowers will eventually wither.

The tender green leaves will also turn yellow and fall.

Most life in the world is so brief and hurried. Although humans can live a bit longer, compared to the eternal gods, they are ultimately insignificant.

Like a droplet splashed from a mighty river.

Small, humble, and easily overlooked.

Xu Xi had no particular desire for longevity. In fact, even if the simulation ended now, he wouldn't feel any loss.

Since the simulation began, he had learned many skills and knowledge, including but not limited to magic usage, elemental control, mental power application, magic device creation, mysterious observation, and complex multi-element application.

Xu Xi had mastered over a dozen world elemental attributes, including life and death.

Only time and space remained beyond his reach.

Isn't such an achievement rich enough?

Moreover.

Xu Xi was only 27 years old, with a long way to go before reaching the true end of his lifespan.

Before the simulation truly ended, his gains would continue to expand.

Therefore, Xu Xi was quite open-minded about the matter of lifespan, never lamenting over the limited life of mortals. What truly concerned him was the witch with eternal life.

After he was gone, could she live alone?

Would she be devastated by it?

On countless moonlit nights, he pondered these questions repeatedly.

"Master."

A sudden call interrupted Xu Xi's thoughts.

His fingers instinctively loosened, and the half-withered petal slipped away, brushing past his cheek, grazing his nose, and finally falling into the soil that nurtured its growth.

"What's the matter, Krisa?"

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Xu Xi turned around.

What he saw was the witch who still maintained the appearance of a 17-year-old. Her gray-silver hair became more lustrous, cascading like a waterfall down her back.

A few strands gently fell between her collarbones, highlighting her fair skin.

Eternal youth bestowed the witch with unfading beauty.

Xu Xi thought.

This should be considered a good thing.

However, Krisa herself was filled with deep unease about it, fearing the unknown changes.

"Master, I... don't want to become like this."

With limited life experience, Krisa couldn't comprehend the meaning of immortality. She only knew that she was becoming different from her master.

This was absolutely unacceptable.

This was utterly impermissible.

A witch's life was meant to draw closer to the "sun," so how could she allow such distancing?

Seeing Krisa's unease, Xu Xi comforted her, "It's okay, Krisa. Immortality isn't a bad thing. In this world, many people dream of it."

The girl was somewhat bewildered, "So, is it actually a good thing?"

Xu Xi remained silent.

Unlike before, he didn't immediately answer the witch's question.

He looked up at the sky, watching birds spread their wings and dive past treetops, gracefully weaving through gaps, flying grandly in the sunlight.

"It's neither good nor bad, I suppose."

Xu Xi gave a vague answer.

The rest of life was still long, and the witch could experience it herself and define the good and bad of immortality.

...

[Krisa feels uneasy about her changes, sensing that the distance between you is gradually widening.]

[Despite your repeated reassurances, the unease shows no sign of dissipating.]

[The witch begins to work even harder.]

[The witch's abilities improve.]

[The witch's household skills improve.]

[Krisa continuously strives to excel in every aspect, hoping to become closer to you.]

[You find it amusing and frustrating, and one afternoon, you lightly tap Krisa's head, telling her not to overthink and just live each day well.]

[Krisa heeds your advice, and her busy figure slightly eases.]

[In the fourteenth year of the simulation, you are 28, and the witch is 20, still maintaining the appearance and demeanor of a 17-year-old.]

[From this year on, Krisa consciously reduces her outings. Her eternal lifespan grants her an unchanging appearance, but her mental growth continues.]

[The witch realizes that her unchanged appearance over three years has sparked some discussion around her.]

[So, she chooses to reduce her outings to avoid others' gossip about you.]

In the Cultivation World, there are Youth Retaining Pills.

The Magic World naturally has similar items.

For example, the Blessing of the Goddess of Beauty or the Fountain of Life that slows aging.

However, even these transcendent items cannot achieve true eternal youth.

They merely slow the process to the point where it's hard to observe with the naked eye, while the body's organs continue to grow and age internally.

Krisa is different.

She is truly immortal, truly eternal, with time genuinely frozen at the age of 17.

Mortals may find it hard to discern the difference.

But for mages, their highly sensitive mental power allows them to instantly see through the difference between immortality and youth retention, recognizing Krisa's non-human nature.

After all.

What ordinary person could achieve immortality?

In the shared understanding of the Magic World, only gods and a few long-lived beings can achieve this.

To avoid trouble, to avoid conflict, to prevent Xu Xi's peaceful life from being disrupted, Krisa chooses to stay in the courtyard, no longer going out for shopping as she used to.

This lifestyle continued for two months.

Watching the witch still doing housework every day, diligently practicing magic, and cleaning the fallen leaves in the courtyard.

Xu Xi made a decision.

"Krisa, let's prepare to move to another city."

The sudden news clearly caught the witch off guard, and her usually calm and indifferent face rarely showed confusion.

"Why... did you make this decision?"

Krisa asked in a daze.

Xu Xi didn't hide it and gently explained, "By moving to another city where no one knows you or me, you can go out again, Krisa."

"But," Krisa was even more puzzled, looking at Xu Xi, sincerely suggesting, "You don't need to do this."

The witch was not particularly interested in going out.

All her purposes and actions were just to better assist her master.

Even if she were confined to the courtyard for a lifetime.

She would only feel happiness.

Therefore, the witch genuinely felt that Xu Xi didn't need to move from this newly stabilized home because of her.