Nolan's reservations did not last long. Although he felt the Mimic Tear's surrender was unreliable, he ultimately chose to accept it.
There were far too many people in this world who feared death. Even Nolan could not guarantee that, once the Firelink Army took the battlefield and faced defeat, they would always fight to the last man.
Life itself was precious. Treasuring it was not something that deserved harsh criticism.
Besides, the Mimic Tear's nature was not much different from that of a child, and children could grow through guidance and education.
"Hey, you," Nolan suddenly said to the Mimic Tear.
"My name is Asimi," the Mimic Tear replied timidly.
"Asimi, huh." Nolan repeated the name thoughtfully. "Did those Priestesses name you? It feels pretty ordinary. I thought you'd have something more imposing."
"I named myself," Asimi said weakly.
The air went quiet for a moment.
Nolan quickly smiled and said, "Actually, it sounds pretty good."
Nolan's smile made Asimi relax a little. She lifted her head and looked at him. She had no eyes, yet he could still sense the anticipation in her.
"All right, Asimi," Nolan continued. "From now on, you belong to me."
"Thank you for your mercy and generosity, my Lord. The glory of fire makes my life feel warm and bright," Asimi said, her voice trembling slightly with emotion.
"You've got a sweet mouth, little one." Nolan chuckled softly. Hearing her call him Lord again and again was actually rather pleasant.
"You've never tasted it. How would you know?" the silver sphere asked in an extremely tiny voice.
"Hm?" Nolan froze.
Which bad man had taught her that? Why did this Mimic Tear seem a little improper?
It definitely was not him.
"What I mean is, if I stay by your side, then you'll know what I taste like," Asimi said timidly.
That sounded even worse.
Nolan could not help raising an eyebrow. He seriously suspected this Mimic Tear was not proper at all.
"I can stay with you forever. That will make me a more useful power, and I'll be able to serve you better, but I need your cooperation."
"How?"
"Please bring your mouth close to me and draw me into your body. I'll be inside you, and you'll be able to command me as easily as your own arm."
"You're not just afraid of dying and trying to hide inside my body, are you?" Nolan stared at Asimi with suspicion written all over his face, as though trying to see through her real thoughts.
The color of the silver sphere seemed to change slightly, and she hurriedly waved her little arms in denial.
"...Of course not."
Her voice was a little rushed, as if she felt guilty.
The atmosphere turned awkward at once. Nolan smiled and decided not to tease her any further. He slowly bent down, drawing closer and closer to Asimi.
The silver sphere began to change in a strange way. As though melted by intense heat, it gradually lost its original shape and turned into a constantly writhing pool of liquid.
That silver liquid seemed alive. It slipped straight into Nolan's mouth and quickly disappeared.
Nolan instinctively licked his lips. There was no choking discomfort of swallowing food. Instead, a cool, soothing sensation passed through his throat.
"Bright yet dim, endless in life yet heavy with death... what a great fire. No wonder I couldn't imitate it."
Asimi's voice suddenly came from inside Nolan's body, filled with wonder and awe.
Nolan did not respond. He only quietly felt that cool sensation flowing through him.
As time passed, Asimi's sense of the flame gradually weakened.
Nolan had long since prepared for any unexpected situation.
If Asimi tried anything after entering his body, the only result would be turning to ash together with this body.
Nolan did not care either way. Injuries to the flesh did not count as injuries to him at all.
"I can't feel that flame anymore," Asimi said in disappointment.
"That's fine. I already left the fiercest fire in every part of your body," Nolan said.
"Huh!?" Asimi froze at once, clearly frightened by his words.
"It means I now control whether you live or die, so be obedient from now on. Otherwise, I'll burn you until not even ash remains," Nolan said lightly.
As he spoke, his wrist turned gently, and silver liquid seeped out from the surface of his body.
The liquid seemed to possess life. Following his will, it rapidly gathered and changed shape, finally turning into various weapons and limbs.
Nolan was certain Asimi had not lied to him.
Asimi fell silent for a moment. Then, as though she had suddenly realized the situation, she said in panic, "Lord of Cinder, please don't kill me."
Her first reaction was not anger, but begging for mercy. This little thing really was embarrassing. She definitely needed tempering.
Even Nolan had to admire how much Asimi valued her life. To be a Lord to this extent was truly one of a kind.
Sure enough, this creature was not suited to be a Lord at all. She should just obediently become his summoned beast.
Now that he had successfully conquered the Lord of the Nox people, the Nox people themselves were naturally next.
If even their Lord had begged for mercy, would the people still refuse to submit? There would certainly be stubborn ones, but beneath the guillotine, even the hardest bones were useless.
There was an old saying in the Lands Between from a thousand years ago. Death is equal to everyone.
...
"It's over..."
With that soft sigh, a gentle breeze passed over the surface of the Siofra River, stirring faint ripples.
That city, silent for a thousand years, had ultimately failed to withstand the erosion of time and the baptism of war. In the end, it had become ruins in the clash between Lords.
As the powerful shockwave gradually subsided, three heavily armored knights slowly raised their heads within the aqueduct of the underground Siofra River.
They wore dark red heavy armor. Under the firelight, the thick plates reflected a glow that made the heart tighten.
Beneath their helmets, the knights' gazes were solemn and deep, as though they carried the weight of a thousand years of vicissitudes.
The three Crucible Knights stood there in silence, gazing toward the once-glorious city in the distance.
A woman wearing tree-crown-shaped Crucible Armor walked out from behind the three knights, the golden Aspects of the Crucible wings on her back gradually fading away.
That soft sigh just now had come from this Crucible Knight.
The other three Crucible Knights clearly respected her deeply. When they saw her step out, they immediately bowed their heads together and said in unison, "Lord Siluria."
Four Crucible Knights, one of them a Chief Knight. Such a force would be enough to capture most fortresses in the Lands Between.
Of course, the Nokron before them was not among those fortresses. But the existence of a Lord was still not enough to make them afraid.
The tall Chief Knight stood where she was and did not answer. She only narrowed her eyes slightly, staring at the city in the distance as it gradually returned to calm.
After a long while, the Chief Knight slowly spoke.
"The Lands Between have produced another outstanding Lord. Do we know who the two sides in that battle were?"
"It seems one side was Nokron's hidden secret weapon, while the other was a Lord from the surface, Lord of Cinder Nolan Bethel," one knight replied.
"Nolan Bethel... I see. That thorn in the Two Fingers' side does indeed have the qualifications to call himself a Lord," Siluria said with a nod.
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