Chapter 205: Mimic Tear

Bai Shi and Blaidd walked slowly through the narrow passage. The surrounding stone walls were cramped and cold, exuding an air of mystery.

As the two advanced, they could already see a dazzling starlight at the end of the tight walkway.

When they finally stepped out of the passage, the sight before them was breathtaking.

The oppressive, confined view instantly opened up. The sky bloomed with countless brilliant stars, like shimmering diamonds scattered across a pitch-black canvas.

Under the starlight, the towering rock faces appeared exceptionally majestic, their silhouettes clearly defined, framing this new world.

Innumerable stars twinkled before them in the sky, seemingly within arm's reach.

But as they moved, the stars would vanish, like an illusion.

Bai Shi’s gaze drifted. In the distance stood the ancient remains of the Night's Sacred Ground.

That magnificent architecture, once the pinnacle of human ingenuity, now stood as the final tombstone of a civilization, telling of bygone eras and endless stories.

The fleeting intelligence of mortals, gone like a meteor, and the immortal, everlasting structures intertwined to create an indescribably spectacular view.

In that moment, Bai Shi finally understood what was meant by "Eternal City."

No matter if a thousand or ten thousand years passed, this night sky would likely remain silent forever.

Even a false night sky possessed a beauty that was real.

This wasn't Blaidd's first time underground, but he was still awestruck by the scene.

Melina stood beside Bai Shi, gazing up at the brilliant night sky, completely captivated.

Snapping out of his brief wonder, Bai Shi stared at the Night's Sacred Ground in the distance, a bad feeling creeping in.

In the game, you had to jump to get to the Night's Sacred Ground.

He didn't know how the Nox people used to get there, but it certainly wasn't by jumping.

As for now... the Night's Sacred Ground stood as a completely isolated section, with no connection to the surrounding mountainsides.

Bai Shi roughly estimated the distance between the Sacred Ground and the cliffs. It was clearly too far to jump.

Using the storm, Bai Shi could propel himself in a short glide, and brief flight wasn't out of the question.

But he couldn't manage long-distance flight.

Bai Shi mentally noted the situation, planning to take another look once he got closer.

If it wasn't possible, he would just activate Fengling Yueying's zero equip load and use the storm to fly over.

His recent battles against various gravity-wielding enemies had given him an idea. Perhaps Fengling Yueying's zero equip load was just like their complete weightlessness.

—

The two defeated the Silver Tears and the completely mindless Nox Swordstresses blocking their path.

Bai Shi then found another Larval Tear in a pavilion, bringing his total to two.

Bai Shi and Blaidd arrived at the location of the Mimic Tear.

It was an open-air, temple-like structure that blocked the road ahead.

Standing at the entrance, they could see two pools of silver liquid on the ground in the distance.

Bai Shi began to check his equipment, intending to go in and have a fierce battle with the Mimic Tear, to experience what it felt like to fight himself.

After a moment of thought, Bai Shi drew the Sword of Night and Flame.

This weapon could be used for close-quarters combat and as a casting medium for sorceries. His Dragon Communion Seal was always in his hand, so he had no worries there.

This way, the mimic would be able to use Bai Shi's full range of casting abilities.

Bai Shi and Blaidd slowly approached the two pools of silver liquid.

Upon entering a certain range, the two pools began to stir and reshape themselves.

One began to mimic Blaidd, while the other began to mimic Bai Shi.

Soon, a "Blaidd" appeared before them.

Blaidd stared in disbelief at the figure opposite him, which was his perfect double.

"What is this? It can mimic our forms?"

However, the Mimic Tear copying Bai Shi was not having as much luck. It writhed for a long time without successfully forming.

Seeing this, the mimic that had already become Blaidd walked over to the unformed mass.

It merged itself into the liquid, which finally allowed the Mimic Tear copying Bai Shi to complete its transformation.

It seemed that when facing an enemy with stats that were too high, multiple mimics had to merge to succeed.

A "Bai Shi" appeared, completely identical in appearance, with no discernible difference from the original.

Melina stood next to Bai Shi, looking back and forth between him and the copy.

"It's really exactly the same..."

Seeing that the two had merged into one, Bai Shi told Blaidd to stand back.

"Blaidd, don't interfere. Let me test its skill."

Blaidd nodded and retreated to a safe distance.

The moment the Mimic Tear finished forming, it charged forward.

A storm swirled around its body, and the distance between them was crossed in an instant.

The Sword of Night and Flame in the Mimic Tear's hand swung, and a sky full of flames, carried by the storm, rushed toward Bai Shi.

Bai Shi stood his ground, his own Sword of Night and Flame unleashing fire and storm to clash with the attack.

The moment they made contact, Bai Shi noticed something was wrong.

The Mimic Tear's flames were clearly weaker than his own.

Although the same smoldering embers appeared on its body, it seemed to have only copied the appearance, without acquiring the same power from the Outer God.

However, the attribute bonuses from his Great Runes seemed to have been perfectly replicated.

Perhaps they didn't care about the source of the stat boosts, simply copying the final numbers that Bai Shi manifested.

"This will have to do."

Knowing the enemy couldn't use the power of the sun, Bai Shi decided not to use his active solar abilities either.

That included sunlight, solar flares, and burning blood.

His passive effects, however, were something he couldn't control.

The blades of the two Swords of Night and Flame clashed before quickly parting.

The Mimic Tear separated from Bai Shi, only to launch another frenzied assault.

The mimic raised its Sword of Night and Flame high and smashed it into the ground, its entire body enveloped in a storm as it spun rapidly in the air.

Flames burst from the Sword of Night and Flame as it chopped down from above.

Faced with this ferocious Lion's Claw, Bai Shi responded in kind.

Bai Shi lowered his stance and took a step forward, his Sword of Night and Flame swinging up from below, its flames carving a massive arc through the air.

A lunging upward slash!

Bai Shi had also gathered the power of the storm on his blade and unleashed the fire from the Sword of Night and Flame.

Although the Mimic Tear's Lion's Claw descended from above with immense momentum, it was still no match for Bai Shi.

After a brief clash, the Mimic Tear was sent flying by the upward slash.

Even with the same attributes, Bai Shi's flames were augmented by the extra damage from his embers, and there was a clear gap in their control and mastery of the storm.

The Mimic Tear used the storm to adjust its position in mid-air, but Bai Shi seized the opportunity, using a blade of wind to send it flying even further.

However, for a Mimic Tear that had replicated Bai Shi's physical constitution, this bit of damage was not a problem.

It stumbled a few times in the air but still landed steadily on its feet.

Immediately after, Bai Shi launched two Swift Glintstone Shards at the mimic, then sidestepped the Night Comet it unleashed.

The Swift Glintstone Shards were blocked by the mimic's storm, but Bai Shi's Sword of Night and Flame was already gathering power for Comet Azur.

Seeing the danger, the Mimic Tear immediately fired an Ambush Shard, attempting to distract Bai Shi for a moment.

But if it could block with a storm, how could Bai Shi not do the same?

The torrential Comet Azur shot toward the Mimic Tear with tremendous force.

With the Ambush Shard blocked, the Mimic Tear had no time to cast a matching Comet Azur.

In its desperation, the mimic's sword became wreathed in a storm.

It threw itself unceremoniously to the ground to dodge Comet Azur.

Bai Shi was adjusting his aim to track the mimic, but a fierce pillar of wind struck at him, hitting his sword and lifting the Sword of Night and Flame.

The stream of comet energy instantly tore across the night sky and struck a corner of the temple, sending chunks of rock falling.

Bai Shi immediately stopped casting Comet Azur to conserve his mana. Wiping away the blood from where the storm had struck him, he raised his Sword of Night and Flame again and cast Glintblade Phalanx.

The Mimic Tear opposite him did the same, casting its own Glintblade Phalanx.

The two charged again, their swords clashing as the phalanxes of glintblades shattered against each other in mid-air.

Both Bai Shi's and the mimic's swords were wreathed in a violent storm, and the moment they collided, the storms erupted, creating immense wind pressure in the center of the temple.

Bai Shi could clearly feel the mimic's control over the storm gradually improving.

But Bai Shi's mastery was clearly superior, and he began to overpower the Mimic Tear.

The Mimic Tear threw a kick, but it met the sole of Bai Shi's boot.

"Heh, I've used that trick countless times."

The storm on Bai Shi's hands erupted once more, blowing the Mimic Tear away.

Then, Bai Shi raised his Sword of Night and Flame high and brought it down, cleaving a turbulent blade of air.

As the blade of air flew, it briefly created a vacuum in its path.

The Mimic Tear couldn't dodge in time and was grazed by the wind blade, then held in place by the vacuum.

It had lost the time to dodge the next move.

A giant dragon's claw had already slammed down, pinning the Mimic Tear.

Then, an enormous dragon's head materialized, brewing destructive fire in its mouth.

Flames surged forth, relentlessly blasting the Mimic Tear with terrifying heat.

Pinned to the ground, the Mimic Tear unleashed a Zamor Ice Storm to resist Agheel's flames while swinging its Sword of Night and Flame to break free from the dragon claw's grip.

With a few backward leaps, it escaped the range, and a golden light emerged from the Dragon Communion Seal in its right hand.

Blessing's Boon.

As Blessing's Boon was cast, the wounds on the Mimic Tear began to gradually heal.

It didn't pull out the quicker Flask of Crimson or Cerulean Tears to heal, so it probably didn't copy them.

That made sense. Being able to mimic the body's stats and equipment was already incredible. If it could just copy consumable items like in the game, that would be too strange.

After all, those things had to be eaten, drunk, or used to take effect.

If the mimic copied them with its own body, would it have to chew on itself?

It seemed that if he wanted to use the summon in the future, he would have to prepare various items for it and even spare some of his flasks.

Taking advantage of the moment after the Mimic Tear cast Blessing's Boon, Bai Shi swiftly unleashed a powerful column of air from his blade, piercing toward his opponent.

When playing the game, Bai Shi hated it when people attacked him during his flask-drinking animation.

But now, fighting the Mimic Tear, Bai Shi felt it was necessary to teach it a lesson, to show it the harshness of the world.

No drinking in class!

The Mimic Tear failed to dodge in time and was struck by the column of air. It was sent flying, and much of its armor was shattered.

Bai Shi gave the Mimic Tear no time to react.

He followed up with a series of swift, piercing columns of air, forcing the Mimic Tear to constantly dodge.

Although it was a bit strange to see his own face scrambling around in panic, Bai Shi was having a great time.

The Mimic Tear, having copied Bai Shi's physique and skills, was no slouch. It quickly devised a countermeasure.

The Mimic Tear swung its Sword of Night and Flame, and a vast sheet of fire, swept up by the storm, blocked everyone's view.

By the time Bai Shi's storm blew the flames away, the Mimic Tear had vanished.

Bai Shi realized that the mimic had used the brief moment of obscured vision to cast the sorcery 'Unseen Form.'

He immediately began using the wind around him to probe for its presence.

But the Mimic Tear also stirred the wind, interfering with Bai Shi's search from all directions.

The mimic had copied Bai Shi's attributes. With its current stats, it could easily approach without making a sound, making it impossible for Bai Shi to locate it by ear.

In fact, Bai Shi could also use 'Unseen Form' to hide himself, and the Mimic Tear would be equally helpless against him.

But that would turn into a meaningless battle of attrition.

Bai Shi was confident he could defeat the Mimic Tear, so he wasn't concerned that it had hidden itself temporarily.

Suddenly, a silver mist began to spread around Bai Shi.

It was Nightmaiden's Mist, a sorcery Bai Shi had learned in Sellia but had never used.

Bai Shi held his breath in time, but his exposed skin was already beginning to erode.

Bai Shi summoned a fierce storm to disperse the mist.

Just then, a Comet Azur shot toward him.

Bai Shi immediately dodged to the side and unleashed his own Comet Azur, colliding with the one aimed at him.

The two streams of comet energy canceled each other out in mid-air, the brilliant magical energy bathing the temple in a blue light.

The two streams of energy clashed back and forth, and for a moment, the beam struggle was a stalemate. It seemed it would only end when one of them ran out of mana.

But on the Mimic Tear's side, five Glintblade Phalanxes were already prepared, and they shot forward while the two were locked in their struggle.

The Mimic Tear, which had just come out of hiding while casting Nightmaiden's Mist, had already cast the Glintblade Phalanx in advance, waiting for Bai Shi to be locked in a beam struggle to attack him.

Bai Shi immediately summoned a storm, trying to deflect the Glintblade Phalanx.

But the Mimic Tear seemed to know what he intended to do, and it, too, summoned a storm in an instant.

The two storms canceled each other out, and the glintblades slammed into Bai Shi.

Normally, such a minor injury would be nothing, but with both of them locked in a beam struggle, the situation was completely different.

These five glintblades broke the fragile balance.

In an instant, Bai Shi's stream of comet energy vanished, while the mimic's shot across the short distance, about to engulf him.

Blaidd's expression was grave.

Melina looked at Bai Shi with concern.

But then something unexpected happened. The stream of comet energy was split in two down the middle, shooting past Bai Shi on his left and right.

When the Mimic Tear's Comet Azur ended, Bai Shi's figure was revealed once more.

A brilliant blue magical glow shimmered on his armor, forming an extra layer of magical protection.

Bai Shi lowered the Sword of Night and Flame from in front of him and shook out his wrist.

The moment the balance was broken, he had immediately canceled Comet Azur, not wanting to waste any more mana.

Instead, he had cast Scholar's Shield over his entire body.

Scholar's Shield was a sorcery that created a defensive layer on a shield, but it worked on armor just as well.

Due to the nature of magic canceling itself out, it could achieve up to 70% damage reduction against magical attacks.

Afterward, Bai Shi had blocked with the Sword of Night and Flame in front of him. Aided by the legendary weapon's strength, he had split the Comet Azur, receiving only a minor graze from the aftershock.

With such a high magic damage negation rate, he was virtually unharmed.

Bai Shi smiled slightly at the mana-depleted Mimic Tear.

"Heh, now it's my turn."

Flames and storm once again erupted from the Sword of Night and Flame in Bai Shi's hand.

This time, without its mana, the Mimic Tear could no longer hold out. Under the dual assault of storm and fire, it was quickly defeated.

—

Bai Shi ran his sword through the Mimic Tear that shared his exact appearance.

The feeling was a little strange, but he still forcefully slashed, splitting open its chest.

Within the body formed by the two merged pools of liquid were two cores.

Bai Shi ripped them out and stored them in his spatial disc.

With its cores removed, the still-living mimic could no longer move. It went limp, lost its shape, and reverted to a pool of silver liquid.

Speaking of which, during the battle, the Mimic Tear seemed to have a preference for using Night sorceries. He wondered if that was instinctual.

Bai Shi sheathed the Sword of Night and Flame and drank from his Flasks of Crimson and Cerulean Tears.

The Mimic Tear had indeed copied all his physical attributes, but it was still lacking in some areas.

Putting aside the power granted by the Outer God, even in terms of pure skill, there were deficiencies.

For abilities like the storm, which Bai Shi had perfectly mastered, the Mimic Tear couldn't immediately use it flawlessly.

Although the power of its storm had steadily increased throughout the fight, it still hadn't reached a perfect level.

They had the same stats, but this small gap in proficiency was what allowed Bai Shi to defeat it with relative ease.