Simulated Lives: The Sorrow of the Sword Maiden-Chapter 44 – Reflections on Four Years of Time

Xu Xi met Krisa at the end of autumn in the sixth year of the simulation.
Now, it's the tenth year of the simulation.
In other words, it's been nearly four years since Xu Xi saved Krisa, took her away from the filthy alleys, and gave her a life as a "human."
Four years of time, four years of companionship—how heavy is that weight?
Even Xu Xi, who experienced it firsthand, couldn't give an accurate answer.
Clack—
Clack—
Pushing open the door to the Meditation Chamber, Xu Xi, who had successfully advanced, walked down the corridor. The thick soles of his boots made a heavy, muffled sound that echoed in the air.
The hum reverberated continuously.
Suddenly.
Xu Xi stopped in his tracks, slightly raised his head, and looked at the azure sky and the bright sun outside the corridor.
"The sunlight today is really dazzling..."
The overly glaring sunlight evaporated all the mist that lingered over Allenson City, leaving the sun so bright that Xu Xi instinctively squinted his eyes.
The halo of light triggered memories.
In the haze of his vision, Xu Xi recalled many things, bits and pieces from his time in the Simulated World.
In a total of ten years of simulated life, Xu Xi spent six years living alone, and the last four years living with the witch.
It's quite magical.
Clearly, the former period was much longer than the latter.
Yet he didn't remember many details.
What he remembered were all the daily interactions with the witch.
For instance, two years ago, Krisa painstakingly practiced her cooking skills and finally made a decent meal. Although it was a bit charred on the surface and slightly bitter, Xu Xi still finished it all.
Or a year ago, when Krisa was practicing Level 3 Water Magic, her strong affinity with the water element caused a flood that washed the courtyard clean of all plants.
She herself was drenched, water dripping from head to toe.
Krisa immediately apologized to Xu Xi.
Xu Xi smiled, without blaming or scolding the girl, and simply helped her change into clean clothes and used wind-fire composite magic, which he hadn't used in a while, to dry her wet hair.
Each daily occurrence.
Just trivial matters in life.
Yet they seemed like faint miracles, sparkling in the ordinary days, bringing warmth and beauty.
"It's a pity that we have to temporarily say goodbye to this life."
Xu Xi's gaze remained on the sky, the clear blue sky was beautiful, like a painting, evenly spread without any annoying moisture.
But precisely because of this, Xu Xi felt a strong sense of crisis.
This situation was not normal.
"To support the operation of the entire city, the underground steam engine in the center of Allenson City is extremely large, with a power and steam volume far more turbulent than what we see today."
"But in the past month, the noise from the central steam engine has been getting quieter."
"And steam airships have been frequently dispatched, transporting some people away from Allenson."
Something was wrong.
Absolutely wrong.
Xu Xi had gone to the Mage Association to gather information, but to his surprise, the high-ranking members of the association, like those nobles, had disappeared without a trace.
Only some basic staff were left to maintain the normal operations of the Mage Association.
From this, Xu Xi concluded: [Something is going to happen in Allenson City]
With insufficient information, he couldn't determine what it was.
But staying away wouldn't be wrong.
"I've already advanced to Grand Mage. Even if I move to another city, there won't be any economic issues. We must evacuate quickly."
Xu Xi pondered.
A shield of magic power stood in front of him, blocking the overly glaring sunlight.
That wasn't Xu Xi's own magic.
"Thanks, Krisa, your magic shield works well," Xu Xi looked to his right. At some point, the 16-year-old witch had already walked up beside him.
Four years had passed, and the witch was no longer the frail and pitiful figure she once was.
She had grown taller.
Her features were delicate.
Her long gray-silver hair draped over her shoulders like overlapping water light, gently rippling like water when the wind blew.
She didn't have the liveliness typical of girls her age.
Her expression was calm, without joy or sorrow.
But this didn't affect her beauty and allure.
Dressed in a light white long dress, with a pale blue outer jacket adding a touch of gradient, her outfit was simple, without too much flamboyant decoration. With the Azure Necklace gifted by Xu Xi, she easily outshone the so-called noble young ladies of her age.
A naturally exquisite beauty, polished by adversity, appeared even more splendid and unique.
"You're too kind, this is what I should do."
Krisa stood quietly beside Xu Xi, her hands crossed in front of her abdomen.
Her voice, like her face, contained no emotion.
Looking at the obedient witch, Xu Xi felt regret in his heart. Despite his many efforts over the past four years, he still couldn't restore the witch's emotions.
"Krisa, was there any news outside while I was away?"
Walking on the path to the living room, Xu Xi asked.
"According to your instructions, I kept an eye on the use of steam airships. The last three steam airships left this morning."
"This morning? Today?"
"Yes."
Listening to Krisa's calm response.
Xu Xi's steps halted, and the sense of crisis in his heart was stronger than ever.
"Something's not right. Not a single one was left behind. Does this mean they're completely abandoning Allenson City?"
"It seems we have to leave too, Krisa."
"Let's leave today."
Xu Xi took a deep breath, closed his eyes briefly, then opened them.
He turned to the girl and said, "Krisa, go to the market now and buy as much food and supplies as you can. Whatever you can buy, put it in the space ring and bring it back."
"There's no need to hide your magic anymore. Go, use Wind Riding to fly directly there."
"Yes, as you wish."
Without asking why.
Krisa nodded gently, then took out her magic wand 'Grey Rekindle.' With a wave of her arm, wind elements enveloped her body, propelling her into the sky.
As for Xu Xi, he quickly walked into the study on the other side of the courtyard.
He pulled two magic books from the bookshelf.
The sense of crisis in his heart grew stronger.
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His intuition told him that relying solely on Level 4 and Level 5 magic would definitely not be enough to deal with the unknown danger.
So, he needed to take advantage of the short time Krisa was out shopping to learn Level 6 and Level 7 magic, which only a Grand Mage could use, to aid their upcoming evacuation.
[The atmosphere in Allenson City has become strange, and you keenly observed something.]
[Observer Entry activated... continuing activation...]
[You sensed the crisis hidden behind the events. The departure of all steam airships made you realize that the crisis might descend upon Allenson City soon, perhaps even today.]
[You sent the witch to urgently purchase supplies.]
[You began studying magic to increase the feasibility of evacuation. Wisdom of Mortals continues to activate...]
[You observed the workings of the world, and your understanding of magic improved efficiently. You learned your first Level 7 magic, then your second Level 7 magic.]
[You began creating new magic...]