READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 67:
Chapter 67: I’ve Been With You All the Time:
Machines running at high speed heat up from prolonged use.
Living bodies ache and tire from exhaustive effort. These were the natural laws of the world.
But for Xu Xi, the situation was far worse.
His body, aging steadily year by year, was no longer capable of supporting the vast spirit of a Holy Domain Magister.
The imbalance between a weakening body and an overwhelmingly powerful spirit created an unavoidable condition—his body sought reprieve through deep, prolonged sleep.
This cycle was irreversible.
In the study room, Xu Xi sat silently, staring at the results of his calculations. The conclusion was as grim as it was clear: his time awake would become shorter and shorter, stolen away by slumber, until the inevitable end.
He let out a long sigh. “Who can guarantee that the next sleep won’t be my last?”
The sense of comfort he once felt before these extended slumbers now seemed ominous—a subtle precursor to the soul’s departure from the mortal world.
Annoyed, Xu Xi burned the paper with a flick of his finger, watching as the calculations turned to ashes.
He had long prepared himself to face death.
What truly worried him was Krisha—the immortal witch who lacked the ability to process emotions, joy, or sorrow. If he were to suddenly die, he dreaded imagining what would become of her.
“This can’t be kept from her…” Xu Xi murmured. “If I tell her now, she’ll have time to prepare. Hiding it will only make her despair when the day comes.”
Turning off the lamp in the study, he stepped out into the quiet night.
…
[You told the witch the full truth. To your surprise, she showed no signs of distress. Her strength surpassed your expectations.]
[You were relieved. You realized you had underestimated her maturity and the life experience she had gained from traveling the world with you.]
“Master.”
“What is it, Krisha?”
“Please allow me to take over everything in the courtyard, including caring for you while you’re asleep.”
Her tone was calm but carried a note of determination. Sitting across from Xu Xi with her hands folded neatly, she spoke with quiet resolve.
“I will take care of you, and everything else too.”
Moved by her devotion, Xu Xi smiled. “Thank you, Krisha. I’ll leave it all to you.”
…
[Simulating the 62nd year: You are 76 years old, and Krisha is 68 years old.]
[Under your approval, Krisha assumed responsibility for everything in the courtyard—your books, plants, magical research, and even your care.]
[Sometimes you wondered if this was a form of inheritance, but you dismissed the thought, reminding yourself you were still alive.]
[Simulating the 63rd year: You are 77 years old, and Krisha is 69 years old.]
[Your slumbers became more frequent and longer. Most recently, you slept for half a month. Upon waking, you were disoriented by how much time had passed.]
[Simulating the 67th year: You are 81 years old, and Krisha is 73 years old.]
[Half a month of sleep once seemed extraordinary, but now it is your shortest slumber. Often, you wake to find entire seasons have passed.]
[The witch diligently tends to the dragon blood grass in the courtyard, even ensuring sustainable harvesting practices after your guidance.]
[Simulating the 71st year: You are 85 years old, and Krisha is 77 years old.]
[You set a new record, sleeping for half a year. When you finally woke, the witch was there, greeting you as always.]
“Welcome back, mentor,” her calm voice echoed softly in the quiet room.
Xu Xi stirred awake, her words grounding him. For him, it felt as though no time had passed since yesterday, yet half a year had slipped by. The dissonance left a tightness in his chest, which he eased with a cold glass of water.
“I’m losing so much strength,” Xu Xi muttered, gazing at his wrinkled, yellowing hands.
If not for the rare moments when he could activate his Mortal Wisdom to learn something new, or his lingering concern for Krisha, he might have long since chosen to end the simulation.
Clearing his thoughts, he turned to Krisha.
“Krisha, what were you doing while I was asleep?”
“Being with you.”
“I mean, what else? What have you been doing recently?”
“I stayed with you.”
Her answer left Xu Xi momentarily stunned. Her calm voice carried no embellishment, only a simple truth.
“From the moment you fell asleep, I remained by your side,” Krisha continued. “I only left to tend to the courtyard or handle necessities. Otherwise, I stayed with you—yesterday, today, and until you woke up.”
Her words were clumsy but sincere.
For countless lonely days and nights, the immortal witch sat silently in his room, her expression blank, her gaze fixed on his aged face. She waited, patiently, for the fleeting warmth of his return and the rare, cherished moments they could still share.