The Fourth Epoch is the Era in which Shiayar actually lived, with the establishment of the Holy Calendar as the turning point.
The Echo of History in Escarnia, where Shiayar resided, was the intersection of the Third Era and Fourth Epoch.
As for the First Era, even the Knowledge Holy Chalice knew little, for its Authority could only comprehend the present, while the First Era predated the birth of the Knowledge Holy Chalice.
The emblem of the Second Era, then, was the enlightenment of Arcane Arts and the establishment of the Wizard and Beastmaster Systems.
And also, the construction of the Black Tower.
Indeed, although the Supreme Black Tower, True Red Tower, and White Tower are collectively referred to as the "Three Towers Wizards" on the Western Continent today.
In reality, the White Tower was founded by the "Gray-Silver Witch" Silvia in the middle of the Fourth Epoch. Its history is merely five hundred years long, making it a junior among the three towers, really just there to make up the numbers.
The True Red Tower, or rather the Red Tower, fared slightly better, but it was only at the end of the Third Era that it began to bud.
Only the Supreme Black Tower, born at the end of the First Era, directly influenced the start of the Second Era.
According to the Knowledge Holy Chalice, the Supreme Black Tower is the origin of Arcane Arts and Magic. It could even be said to mark the beginning of the Western Continent's civilizational history.
Of course, the Knowledge Holy Chalice itself was nurtured from the soul crystal of the Great Sage and has intricate connections with the Black Tower. Therefore, it's unclear how much of what it says is flattery due to a biased perspective, and how much is truth.
Tsk, no wonder she knows about that treacherous Chalice; she might have even been duped by it. Did Augutina also come from the Second Era? And according to Augutina, the True God of Abyss 'Crimson Red Moon,' in its complete, peak state, was actually crippled by one of the Black Tower's original 8th Pages? Since that person was one of the Black Tower's 8th Pages, it means they didn't ascend to godhood... As a human, crippling a True God? Were the wizards of the Second Era all that outrageous? The current prerequisite for the Black Tower's 8th Pages is merely to be Legendary. Crippling a True God in its prime is something not even an ordinary Throne could accomplish. I wonder who is more formidable, my mentor or that original 8th Page...
Shiayar pondered quietly.
On the other hand, after a brief reminiscence, Augutina began to narrate once more.
However, this time, her gaze landed squarely on Shiayar's face.
"Crimson Moon needs a new body, or rather, a vessel for Its descent."
"But naturally, the chosen vessel would not willingly become just a shell for It."
"However, that is, after all, a True God… possessing many methods to erode and corrupt the prey It has selected."
Golden light flickered faintly in Augutina's eyes.
"For example, at the cost of half of Its Divinity, It granted me the bloodlust."
"The identity of True Ancestor gave me greater power, yet the bloodlust is akin to a curse."
"Every time the bloodlust is triggered, it pushes me closer to succumbing to vampirism. Or rather, it pushes me one step further towards becoming the vessel Crimson Moon desires."
"To quell the bloodlust, I have to consume a large amount of spiritual power to restrain myself. However, this desire continues to accumulate and must be suppressed by eternal slumber."
Her eyes drifted over the lands beneath the Millennium Castle.
"The followers of the Crimson Red Moon had perished along with the collapse of the Divine Kingdom in the war at the end of the Second Era."
"However, over the passage of two Eras, Crimson Moon has also regained some strength. With this strength, It created Its own new kin—what you call vampires."
"They are Crimson Moon's most devoted servants. They also act upon Crimson Moon's will. From their birth, they incessantly seek my whereabouts, wanting to plunge me fully into vampiric desires and turn me into the purest, most perfect vessel their master wishes for."
Augutina's gaze swept across Shiayar's eyes as if trying to discern something from his gaze, but ultimately found nothing.
"I know, in the eyes of others, I and those vampires are of the same kin."
"But—in my view, whether they are titled nobility or Blood Princes, they are merely puppets in Crimson Moon's hands. Likewise, they are my enemies—my mortal enemies."
"That's why I slaughtered the ancestral land of the entire Blood Tribe—the Millennium Castle. I exterminated the six Blood Princes there, along with all the ghouls, dead apostles, and blood servants."
"Afterward, I hunted the remaining members of the Blood Tribe while sealing myself in Millennium Castle, using eternal slumber to suppress the bloodlust that intensified and accumulated with time."
"But that was only a temporary measure, after all. As time passed, the accumulated bloodlust would increasingly consume my spiritual power. During the most difficult moments, I had to use over seventy percent of my strength to suppress this urge."
"And because of this, not long ago, due to Crimson Moon's machinations, my bloodlust was triggered."
A slight smile appeared on Augutina's lips as she extended her scarlet tongue to lightly touch the corner of her mouth.
"As you've seen, you became the first person I ever fed on."
"Or rather, as those of the Blood Tribe call it, you've been 'First Embraced' by me."
"This is the common method the Blood Tribe uses to create progeny. Generally, those who receive the First Embrace, regardless of their original Race, will be transformed into the same kind of vampire."
"Of course, I am not a member of the Blood Tribe in the ordinary sense and will not truly turn you into one. But through that First Embrace, we also formed an equal pact, and a portion of Crimson Moon's Divinity and Authority within me was thereby shared with you."