Ashmi gazed imploringly at Bai Shi and began to speak: “My lord, the Chalice...” Ashmi was parched, overcome by a thirst that seemed to originate from the very core of her soul. It was an agonizing sensation, as if she were about to wither away completely—an unbearable dryness. Fortunately, the silvery Teardrop Chalice was right before her. She knew that drinking its contents would finally sate this gnawing hunger. More than that, the liquid within the chalice—the very source of her existence—held the power to transform her, to let her be reborn anew. “Oh, my lord, I am so thirsty.” “If you can quench this thirst and nourish me, I will be able to serve you with even greater strength.” Bai Shi took out the silver Teardrop Chalice and examined it. To this day, Bai Shi still couldn't comprehend what this “arcane essence” of the Lands Between truly was. But the concept certainly had a profound impact on many things, such as all the beings that dwelt underground. Bai Shi handed the silver Teardrop Chalice to Ashmi. Just moments ago, while still in her mimic tear form, she had been squirming relentlessly, desperate to touch the chalice. It was clear she wanted it desperately. But now, Ashmi simply shook her head and said to Bai Shi: “My lord, my core is currently inside your body. For it to work, you must be the one to drink it.” Bai Shi glanced at the purple liquid in the chalice and frowned. “Me? You want me to drink this?” Was it really safe to drink something ? His body wasn't an inorganic vessel like a silver tear. Ashmi nodded repeatedly. “Yes, please, drink it without worry.” “This is the cradle of us Mimic Tears, our natal chalice.” “I will use my core to consume it; I promise it will not affect your body in any way.” Ashmi's form dissipated, returning to Bai Shi's body. “Alright, my lord. Please, drink it now.” Bai Shi raised the silver Teardrop Chalice and drained the purple liquid in one go. The instant the purple fluid touched his tongue, Bai Shi felt his thoughts freeze for a moment as a profound darkness appeared before his eyes. The sensation... it was as if he had returned to that moment among the stars when he had communed with the Outer Gods. Just as Bai Shi was about to immerse himself in the feeling, it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving him no time to comprehend it. It hadn't vanished without a trace, however. The arcane essence had indeed left something behind in Bai Shi. This power seemed to have slightly enhanced all of his Night sorceries, which was an unexpected bonus. Other than that, just as Ashmi had said, it had no other effect on him personally. Ashmi drew the liquid into her core, a process Bai Shi felt no discomfort from at all. Once Ashmi had collected all of the liquid, she began the process of “digestion.” Ashmi slowly absorbed the power from the chalice's liquid, her core contracting continuously. “Ah, thank you for nourishing me, my lord.” “The liquid from the chalice has eased my thirst. My core feels more content than ever before.” “Once I’ve absorbed all of this, I should be quite a bit stronger than before, capable of channeling even more of your power.” Ashmi quickly finished absorbing the liquid within. However, she then let out a sound of bewilderment: “...Ah, how could this be...” “I’m sorry, my lord, but I am still terribly thirsty.” “Even after drinking the liquid from the chalice, I'm still not satisfied.” “I thought that the contents of such a precious chalice would be more than enough to quench my thirst, but it seems I need much more.” Hearing Ashmi mention her thirst again, Bai Shi asked: “This thirst you keep mentioning, what exactly is it?” “If you can’t quench this feeling, will it cause any problems?” “Before I took out the chalice, you were completely immobile.” Ashmi emerged from Bai Shi’s body, her form coalescing once more as she explained: “My lord, I am a special creation of the Eternal City, and that arcane essence is a vital part of my being.” “As such, that arcane power is indispensable to me.” “Without the aura of the arcane, I cannot move.” “Unfortunately, I only learned this firsthand after I left the Eternal City and came to the surface.” “By that point, I had already fallen into a deep slumber. If you hadn't brought out the chalice and replenished the arcane aura, my lord, I would never have been able to move or awaken.” “As for whether other silver tears are the same, I do not know.” Bai Shi thought for a moment, then asked: “So if you get thirsty while inside me, will you fall dormant again?” Ashmi pondered the question, examining her current state. “It seems not. The liquid from the chalice has already erased that weakness.” “Now, the thirst is merely a source of torment for me, but it no longer affects my ability to act.” Orıginal content can be found at 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥 Bai Shi nodded. As long as it didn’t hinder her actions, it wasn’t a major issue. “That chalice is the origin of the Mimic Tears. I believe there must be other chalices in the other Eternal Cities.” “Please, my lord, find more chalices to soothe my thirst.” “If you do, I will grow stronger, and eventually be able to wield power equal to your own.” “Surely that would be more advantageous for you as well, would it not?” Bai Shi didn’t refuse; it was something he’d have to do sooner or later. Since he had already allowed Ashmi to inhabit him, he was committed to strengthening her to her absolute limit. Once she reached her peak, she should be able to replicate his stats perfectly. At that time, Bai Shi's enemies would have to face a painful two-on-one beatdown. Ashmi wasn’t like spirit ashes; summoning her didn't require a spirit-calling obelisk nearby. He could call upon her anywhere. Bai Shi couldn’t even imagine how miserable his opponents would be. Previously, Ashmi could replicate about sixty percent of his power. Now, it had probably increased by another ten or twenty percent, which was already quite good. Once he used the Teardrop Chalices to fully complete Ashmi, she should be able to manifest his full power. And so, Bai Shi added the “Ashmi Completion Project” to his agenda. Besides, Bai Shi already knew the locations of the other Eternal Cities. It was just a matter of making a couple of trips. Ashmi had absorbed the liquid from the chalice, and for the time being, there was no immediate need for her to appear. So, Bai Shi had her return to his body and remain on standby. After briefly comforting Shivr, whose “toy” had been snatched away, Bai Shi turned his attention to Selinsax. It was because of Selinsax's explanation that Bai Shi had learned about that particular region in the center of the Lands Between. Now that he had the answer, he decided to take this opportunity to tell Selinsax. It would also be a convenient way for her to catch up on what had happened in the Lands Between while she was sealed away in ice. Bai Shi and Selinsax sat down face to face. Then, Bai Shi recounted, in chronological order, the stories he had learned, sharing them with Selinsax. From the establishment of the Golden Dynasty to the current era after the Shattering, Selinsax finally learned of this period of history. After listening to Bai Shi’s tale, Selinsax shook her head. “Is that really what happened? I have to say, the situation is a bit overly complex.” “So the Horned people were wiped out. That's quite a surprise.” “I had little contact with them and don’t know much about them, so I won’t comment further.” “But the structures they built were magnificent, in a style completely different from the Eternal Cities.” “On the other hand, for the Numen to rise again on the surface after the Nox Dynasty was destroyed... that's truly impressive.” Bai Shi nodded in agreement. It was true. Marika was a Numen who ultimately succeeded in establishing the Golden Dynasty. The Carian royal family was also a branch of the Eternal City descendants; the connection was evident from their crests. Moreover, the Moonlight Altar even connected to the Eternal City of Nokstella. Speaking of which, if Marika was a Numen, then Radagon, as her other half, must have been a Numen as well. Looked at that way, didn't that mean every demigod in the Lands Between had Numen blood? Selinsax rested her chin on her hand and said: “Right, this is a good chance to tell you about the evolution of civilization in the Lands Between, my lord. Let's clear it all up now.” “You likely have no other way of learning this ancient history.” Bai Shi nodded in acceptance. He was indeed very interested. Selinsax spoke as she recalled the events: “In the earliest days, we ancient dragons and the beasts ruled the Lands Between, followed by the giants.” “The giants were of a truly absurd size, and their strength was immense. When the ancient dragons did not intervene, they were practically peerless.” “However, as the Crucible evolved, the giants' forms began to shrink, until eventually they were only the size of an original giant's head.” “Coupled with the emergence of other life-forms, the giants' reign soon came to an end.” “After that came the rise of various humanoid creatures.” “From the earliest Sun City to the Uru and Ud Dynasties, they were all exceedingly powerful, occupying most of the Lands Between.” “The Horned people were able to develop because they inherited a portion of the Ud Dynasty's legacy.” “Those Ancestral Followers we saw underground were another branch of survivors who held different beliefs from the Horned people.” “They forsook their legacy and abandoned their former civilization, yet they continued to worship the horn.” “Next were the Numen, visitors from the outside who established the Nox Dynasty.” “While the Nox Dynasty ruled the underground, the powers on the surface were also expanding.” “The Horned people also held a lot of territory, and Stormveil, which was supported by us ancient dragons, had its own place in the Lands Between.” “Though I was always underground, I believe at that time there were only two major powers on the surface: the Horned people and Stormveil.” “The Golden Dynasty and the Carian royal family you mentioned, my lord, did not exist back then; they developed later.” Bai Shi casually tossed a couple of pieces of meat to the bored Shivr and stroked its head. “Alright, that should just about cover the history of the Lands Between.” “I have a few more things to take care of, so I'll have to trouble you to keep looking after Shivr.” “By the way, if you wish to continue spreading the faith of the ancient dragons in Stormveil, you can have the Storm Knights cooperate with you.” “I’ve already spoken with my subordinates. You can proceed in whatever manner you see fit.” Selinsax nodded. She had already planned to start by preaching the faith of the ancient dragons to the Storm Knights. As successors to the storm knights of old, they would be more receptive. As for Bai Shi, he prepared to return to the Academy of Raya Lucaria to finish what he had started.