Laili’s eyes shimmered with a piercing blue light as her vision penetrated the object.

  "It’s hollow inside."

  ?"What do you mean, hollow!?"

  ?"It’s the size of a ball but weighs as much as two bricks... and yet it’s empty!?" Phoebe added, tilting her head in confusion.

  ?"Strictly speaking, it is not empty," Laili murmured, noticing a peculiar structure.

  ?"This makes even less sense. Wouldn't it be faster just to crack it open?"

  ?"No! You mustn't!" Laili exclaimed. "Beneath these stitched jade plates, there is a resilient substance coating the interior—like the membrane of a heart. It’s likely protecting a liquid by sealing out the air."

  "It’s like thick cardiac muscle, designed to pump and protect blood. But the fact that it’s shaped like a doll... that’s unsettling."

  ?Laili’s eyes faded back to their clear, honey-sweet hue.

  "This is likely the liquid resource that other exploration groups have been searching for."

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  ?"And what is this liquid used for?"

  ?"I’ve heard rumors of it being excavated in ancient Sumer. Those who brought us aboard the disc-shaped craft shared myths with us—stories of a vessel that once carried the goddesses Ereshkigal and Inanna."

  ?Memories surged back to Amethyst at lightning speed.

  ?"Conversely, this liquid—the Me—became the catalyst for resource wars. That is why some chose to protect it, burying it deep within the Earth before they departed. Once the sun sets, we should expose this liquid to the moonlight. I suspect it will radiate a magnificent luster."

  ?"Wait for sunset? That’s four hours away! We were told we’d be back in one night," the father snapped, glaring at Laili as he took his daughter back from Amethyst and hoisted her onto his back.

  ?"Let’s listen to the whole story," Phoebe intervened, restraining him. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery. It’s worth spending four hours to extract everything Clamo knows now that he's grown."

  ?Amethyst pressed further with a question.

  "The goddess of Pluto, Ereshkigal, and the goddess of Venus, Inanna... they were sisters. Why did the Me become a seed of conflict between them? Clamo, don’t just stand there—tell us."

  ?"The Me is a liquid, but it is said that it can grant the power of flight and heal wounds instantly. There are many legends of its extraction since the dawn of myth. As Amethyst suggested, the sister goddesses likely amassed vast wealth by transporting it in their Starships. In their case, I suspect they used it to lift their crafts and escape the Great Flood of legend, seeking to rebuild their lives beyond Earth."

  ?"A panacea and an engine fuel all in one... It seems to be a miraculous liquid with potential far beyond our imagination," Amethyst nodded in solemn agreement.