The Gift of Lilith

The evening breeze brushed past, the dark blue sky dotted with stars.

Back in the real world, Ye Chuan lay on his bed, silent and still. He leaned against the headboard, letting the night wind from outside the window wash over him.

"Haa…"

He exhaled slowly, savoring the crisp air filling his nostrils as he relaxed his mind.

After sitting there for over an hour, Ye Chuan finally recovered his composure. He then picked up the jade pendant hanging on his chest and called out, "Lilith."

"What dost thou seek of me?"

Lilith responded quickly—perhaps because she was afraid of being licked by Ye Chuan again. After all, the pendant served as her temporary vessel, and a single lick from him made her feel like her entire being had been slurped up.

"Come out for a bit."

The pendant shimmered with a violet glow as Lilith's figure gradually materialized. She silently observed Ye Chuan before sitting cross-legged on an invisible chair, twirling her hair and sighing.

"I cannot manifest too often, lest my soul energy wanes."

No sooner had she spoken than a brilliant violet light erupted before her.

"Huh?" Lilith's petite face froze in surprise as she noticed the piles of spirit essence surrounding Ye Chuan. The dense soul energy radiating from them made her eyes gleam instantly.

"Where… did you get these?" Lilith asked, astonished.

"Pretty amazing, right?" Ye Chuan grinned before pulling out even more spirit essence from his backpack, nearly filling the entire room.

Lilith looked up, her initial shock giving way to calm. "So much… all for me?"

"Yep."

Without hesitation, Lilith waved her hand, absorbing all the soul energy from the essence in one go.

"There's more." Seeing that she had finished, Ye Chuan waved again, and another mountain of spirit essence materialized, covering the room once more.

Lilith: "…"

She continued absorbing.

This cycle repeated until Ye Chuan had emptied his entire stock. Only then did the violet glow around Lilith begin to fade.

Now, Lilith no longer appeared translucent. If not for Ye Chuan sensing she was still a spirit, he might have thought she had fully regained her physical form.

"…"

"Kutana!" Lilith reveled in the surge of power within her. In the next moment, seven or eight magic circles enveloped her!

As the circles shattered, Lilith emerged before Ye Chuan in a mature, curvaceous form—long legs, flowing hair, and star-like pupils locking onto him.

A smirk curled her lips.

"Good. I shan't forget thy kindness…"

But in the next instant, a strange expression crossed her face. Violet light engulfed her once more, and after a brief struggle, she deflated like a punctured balloon, reverting to her petite, childlike appearance.

"Huh?!" Lilith's round eyes widened in outrage. "Damn it! That bastard, what did he do to me?!"

Watching her stomp her feet in frustration, Ye Chuan crossed his arms. "Uh… no idea who you're talking about, but you look kinda cute like this."

Under Lilith's withering glare, he raised his hands in surrender.

"Never mind."

Lilith exhaled deeply, as if resigning herself to reality. "I know not where thou obtained these spirit essences, but clearly, thou hast ventured into another dimension."

The faint ripples of spatial energy hadn't escaped her sharp senses.

"Here, this is for thee." A violet orb materialized in Lilith's palm, pulsing with boundless magical energy.

"What is this?"

"A mythical artifact—the Holy Grail of Noir," Lilith explained. "Absorb it into thy mana core, and thou shalt wield near-limitless magic."

"Meaning… infinite MP?"

Ye Chuan's brows shot up.

A treasure like this?

Did that mean he could spam skills without restraint?

"Not infinite, but given thy current strength… it should last thee a hundred million years or so." Lilith waved dismissively.

"I slew—ahem, found it in some ruins. Consider it payment for restoring my soul energy."

Ye Chuan took the orb and examined it—

[Item: Holy Grail of Noir (Mythic)

Eternal Mana Core.

Equip effect: Mana cost -99%, Mana regeneration +99%

Equippable]

Seeing the crimson text, Ye Chuan hadn't expected Lilith to gift him a mythic-grade artifact. He immediately scooped her up under her arms and lifted her. "This is why I love you! My S-tier money tree!"

"Release me!" Lilith glared, squirming in protest.

"Oops, sorry."

Setting her down, Ye Chuan ignored her puffed-up cheeks and equipped the orb without delay.

Instantly, he felt an unending torrent of power surging within him.

"Does this mean I can maintain my avatar indefinitely?"

Mana and spiritual energy were fundamentally the same to him. If so, none of his techniques would be constrained by MP anymore.

What a treasure.

"You’re giving me something this valuable?" Ye Chuan found it hard to believe an archmage like Lilith wouldn’t need it herself.

"I have long transcended the need for such trifles. To me, every word and gesture is magic." Lilith replied serenely.

That sounded ridiculously impressive.

"Do you still need more spirit essence?" Ye Chuan asked.

"Indeed. This barely restored a fraction of my soul energy." Lilith floated back onto her invisible chair. "Continue gathering it for me, and thou shalt be rewarded."

"Deal." Ye Chuan nodded, then recalled the events beyond the mysterious stone gate.

"Lilith, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Does the 'Rider of the End' ring any bells?"

The moment Ye Chuan uttered those words, Lilith’s expression darkened. "Where didst thou hear that name?"

"It’s a long story." Seeing her reaction, Ye Chuan continued,

"Thou already knowest I possess the ability to traverse dimensions…"

He omitted mention of the "Multiverse App," simply stating he had crossed into another realm and encountered the colossal knight behind the stone gate.

Lilith didn’t seem surprised by his dimensional travels. After hearing his account, she fell silent for a long moment before speaking in a subdued tone.

"Thy current strength is insufficient for such knowledge…"

With that, she dissolved into a violet streak and vanished back into the pendant.

"Oi, not even a hint? Gonna be a cryptic jerk?"

"…"

When the pendant remained silent, Ye Chuan considered pressing further but ultimately let it go.

Whatever. The treasure Lilith had given him was already a massive windfall.