Following Asimi's guidance, the Tarnished and Millicent finally arrived at the place where the treasure was likely hidden—the Night's Sacred Ground. The moment they entered, the two were ambushed by an uncountable swarm of silver tears.
Aside from a vast number of basic Silver Tears, there were many capable of mimicking human forms. These mimics took on various shapes and donned diverse equipment; though they lacked heavy armor for protection, they remained troublesome to deal with. Of course, the Tarnished and Millicent possessed many ways to eliminate them, but they also kept in mind Asimi's request to collect as many Larval Tears as possible.
In the end, Asimi stepped forward, using her absolute power and status to suppress the Mimic Tears into submission, clearing a small path for them. The duo leaped through a window into a building, finding a massive "Iron Ball" situated below.
This, too, was an entity formed by Silver Tears. In the entirety of the Night's Sacred Ground, there were virtually no living humans—only these tears.
"My Lord, I can feel it... there is something here vital to me." Asimi spoke truthfully about what she sensed. It was the cradle of all tears, a Holy Cup containing the ultimate mysteries of the stars.
All tears were born from Holy Cups, many of which were distributed throughout the underground world. However, at this moment, Asimi could feel a Great Holy Cup of paramount importance right here.
With this Great Holy Cup, Asimi could merge perfectly with the Tarnished, unleashing one hundred percent of her power.
In the eyes of the tears, the Great Holy Cup was no less important than the legendary treasure... perhaps this was why so many Silver Tears guarded this place.
"There's actually such a thing?" It was the first time the Tarnished had heard of such a treasure. Having not gone treasure hunting for a while, his blood began to boil with excitement.
"The giant tear below looks quite ferocious," Millicent noted, looking at the massive sphere. She felt that a single collision would crush an ordinary warrior into meat paste. The Tarnished raised his right hand, the Queen's Black Flame igniting within his palm, but he paused to ask Asimi if the sphere was a single tear or a collective.
Upon learning it was composed of multiple tears, the Tarnished retracted his black flame with a chuckle. Since it was a collective, it meant the probability of obtaining Larval Tears was much higher. If he used the Black Flame to incinerate it directly, he feared nothing would be left but a pile of ash.
Millicent gave the Tarnished a knowing look and silently circled to the side. She struck out swiftly, carving a deep gash into the tear sphere, though it wasn't a fatal blow. Taking the initiative, she used a fluid, flowing swordplay to pin the sphere into a corner before drawing her blade for a strike—an unstoppable sword qi that successfully sliced the sphere in half.
It split into many small tears. These were smaller than the ones outside; while still slow, they understood cooperation, clustering together to change into various forms. The iron ball was merely one of many shapes they could take.
Their potential went far beyond that...
"My apologies... it seems my sword techniques alone cannot kill them... and their numbers are increasing. The sound of battle has attracted the tears from outside as well." Millicent jumped back to the Tarnished's side, feeling a bit guilty.
"No, it's not your fault..." The Tarnished felt something was off. He recalled Asimi's mention of the Great Holy Cup; could the Cup be the cause? Before he could think further, more tears flooded in like a silver tide.
They then pressed against each other, consuming and assimilating one another.
"My Lord... be careful. And please, look closely at the upper limits of the tears..." Asimi did not intervene immediately. At this stage, lured by the Holy Cup, these tears no longer feared her power suppression. They sought only the Cup... they were entirely different from the tears they had met before.
"This...!" Millicent was dumbfounded. The reason was simple: the cluster of tears had fused into a giant mass as large as a room, eventually shifting form into a Giant Troll—one far larger than any normal Troll.
"ROAAAAR!" The Troll-tear's roar was deafening, making the ornate building tremble as if it might collapse. Before the creature could react, the Tarnished and Millicent dashed outside, intending to settle the fight in the open.
The Tarnished wouldn't normally spare a glance for an ordinary Troll, regardless of size, but a Troll made of tears was different. They possessed not only the massive frame of a Troll but also incredible physical density, even compensating for the low intelligence typically found in the species.
They could utilize various sorceries, and the electrical discharge ability common to individual tears was amplified. This was a formidable enemy—smarter and stronger than any natural Troll.
The Tarnished had countless ways to solve this now, but he chose to leave this opportunity to Millicent. This young girl had her own pride; she couldn't stay under his protection forever, or this journey would lose its meaning.
Growth was essential. Even if the path involved pain, Millicent would accept it gladly. She had to temper herself... until she could stand side-by-side with the Tarnished as a true asset.
Blade and sword clashed against the Troll, the hard silver skin ringing with the sound of striking iron. Millicent's swordplay was superb, but it was not her dominant hand; both her strength and agility felt somewhat strained.
"Ugh..." The Troll's monstrous strength forced Millicent back with a punch, a numbing pain radiating through her left arm. This strike was terrifying; while nowhere near the power of Radahn, it was enough to crush mass-produced puppets like the Burial Watchdogs.
(No... I cannot lose... if I cannot even handle an enemy like this... how can I speak of walking beside him...) Millicent cast a subtle glance at the Tarnished, only to find him watching her intently. Even with his face hidden by a helm, she could see the eyes beneath—eyes filled with hope for her.
(He... believes in me... Phew...) Millicent exhaled a long breath of turbid air and slowly sheathed the Moonveil. Then, she charged toward the Troll with unwavering resolve. The Troll swung a fist downward, accompanied by silver mist and lightning.
Millicent closed her eyes, intending to emulate Malenia at this moment... listening to all directions, she released her hypersenses, mobilizing all her strength to dodge the fist that could have destroyed her. Using the Troll's massive arm as a springboard, she lunged forward and drove her blade into the creature's neck.
"!!!" The Troll-tear glanced at Millicent and moved to reach out with its massive palm, but Millicent was faster.
"Waterfowl... Dance...!" Withdrawing her blade, Millicent leaped lightly like a swan gliding through the air. A dazzling flurry of slashes swept across the Troll-tear's neck. As she landed gracefully, countless blade-lights exploded from the neck, forming a beautiful and chilling white flower of sword qi. Millicent stood tall, sword in hand.
"Fall..." Following her whisper, the final flash of the blade appeared, reverting the tears back to their original state.
"I did... it..." Millicent flashed a weary smile. A single Waterfowl Dance had drained all her stamina. Just as she was about to collapse, the Tarnished caught her in his arms.
"I succeeded... now I can truly be the blade that fights for you..." Millicent's smile was captivating, a smile of the purest sort... as flawless as her soul.
"Yeah, well done... get some rest." Under the Tarnished's gentle touch, Millicent fell into a deep sleep. This was a breakthrough for her; a warrior would only grow stronger. Though she was still a green youth, one day she would recreate the majesty of the Goddess of Rot.
"My Lord... please look ahead." Carrying Millicent, the Tarnished arrived before a magnificently decorated building. "The Holy Cup... I can feel it. It is right before us." Even with her own personality, Asimi's craving for the Holy Cup was as primal as human hunger.
Gently leaning Millicent against a wall, the Tarnished stepped forward and opened an impressive treasure chest. An intricate, profound light shot out the moment the lid was lifted. The Tarnished shielded Millicent to prevent her from being woken by the glare; she needed her rest.
"This is the Great Holy Cup?" Once the light faded, the Tarnished peered into the chest. Inside was a crystal-clear vessel containing an amber liquid... and a pitch-black, ominous shortsword.
"The Holy Cup and the Fingerslayer Blade... they were placed together..." Asimi was clearly surprised. She hadn't expected these two supreme treasures to be kept in the same place, but there was no use dwelling on it now.
"Is this what Ranni was looking for? What a terrifying aura." The bloodstained black blade was even more sinister than the weapons of the Black Knife Assassins. The old blood coating it suggested the blade had been used once before.
"Fingerslayer Blade... a fitting name." The Tarnished picked up the shortsword. Even a powerhouse like him felt a stinging pain just by touching it.
"My Lord... the Fingerslayer Blade requires someone with a special destiny to wield it. Others cannot unleash its true power."
"Does that mean Ranni is the one who can perfectly drive this blade?"
Asimi gave an affirmative. The people of Liurnia and the residents of Sellia were both descendants of the ancient Nox. The current Carian Royal Family was no different. Princess Ranni, with her noble bloodline, might very well be the one the Nox had been waiting for. Since she knew of the blade, it meant their fates were intertwined; Ranni had the right to use this supreme treasure.
"Once this is given to Lady Ranni... she will likely step into her own Age of Night," Asimi mused. "Before that, My Lord... please drink from the Holy Cup. When you do, we will merge completely... No, saying it that way might not be entirely accurate."
The Tarnished was unique; the miracle within him was something even a tear could not mimic. While the Great Holy Cup couldn't turn her into a perfect copy of the Tarnished, it was enough to manifest her as a female version of him. This meant the tear wouldn't have to stay inside him all day; she could leave his body while still sharing power and feedback constantly.
"Alright." Lifting the Holy Cup, the Tarnished drank it in one go. A strange sensation surged through him. Closing his eyes to sense it, he drifted into a deep sleep... and Asimi fell asleep at the same time. This was a sign of their closer, more intimate bond.
It was also the precursor to Asimi's evolution into a complete form. Once she fully absorbed the power of the Holy Cup, she would become the greatest aid at the Tarnished's back, walking with him to the end of all things.
Because of this induced slumber, the Tarnished saw that long-lost blonde girl in his dreams—St. Trina.