The scene, drenched in blood and scattered remains, was a grim reflection of the butcher's true nature.
His Individuality had been drawn out in the open by the use of the Hex gear.
As Eren's gaze fixated upon the haunting scene sprawled before him, a flicker of self-awareness surged through his thoughts, punctuating the gravity of the moment. Softly uttered, his words carried an air of introspection that echoed in the stillness.
"There was more of me within that beast than I initially thought."
Yet, the weight of his realization was abruptly interrupted by a mischievous feminine voice that pierced the air from behind Eren.
"Hehe. I couldn't agree more, Mr. Grimdawn."
Before he could pivot to face the source, the lone female Ranker capitalized on his mental weariness, exploiting the opportunity to catch him off guard. With swift precision, she unleashed her formidable Ability upon him, making the most of his vulnerable state.
Reverse Rain!
***
Eren was an attentive student of the battlefield, drawing valuable lessons from each encounter.
He found himself immersed in deep introspection as he assessed the toll that his utilization of the Bear's Creed Hex Artifact had taken on his mental and physical well-being. With pitifully depleted mana reserves and an aching body that seemed to protest with every movement, he felt the aftermath of pushing his limits.
Yet, it was the impact on his soul that resonated the strongest. Eren's Spiritual Force had been drained to the point where even venturing into his Soul Space would reveal a desolate void shrouded in a sparse amount of ethereal fog. The sparse mist represented the remnants of his diminished Spiritual Force, a stark reminder of the side effects manifesting as a pounding headache that permeated his entire being.
Nevertheless, despite the mental fatigue weighing upon him, Eren's thoughts remained lucid. He concluded from his experience with the Hex gear, acknowledging several crucial insights.
Firstly, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at the success of his Hex gear in the heat of actual combat against Lysa's team. The brutal battle had served as an ideal proving ground, thoroughly testing the capabilities of his meticulously crafted artifacts. In this regard, he couldn't have asked for better test subjects or a more controlled environment to scrutinize their performance.
Secondly, Eren felt a profound sense of relief that he had chosen not to distribute these advanced Hex artifacts to the half-blood forces. If he had equipped them with such potent gears, it would have tipped the balance of power too heavily in their favor. This was a risk he was unwilling to take, driven by both his lack of trust in the half-blood forces and the potential repercussions from the Anfang Alliance.
Moreover, Eren contemplated the possibility that the Hex amplification achieved by the half-bloods, when paired with the appropriate Hex gear aligned with their bloodline genesis, could surpass even his own advancements.
He envisioned a synergistic effect, where the selection of a mana beast soul tailored to their individual heritage would unlock exponential Hex Amplification, propelling their prowess to unprecedented heights.
Epiphany washed over Eren's mind as he finally comprehended the fervent pursuit of compatible Hex gears by the half-blood forces. The significance of these arcane artifacts became crystal clear to him, illuminating the path to unparalleled offensive and defensive prowess.
The realization struck him with a jolt, unveiling the immense potential that lay dormant within the right kind of Hex gear. With their unique bloodline origins, the half-blood warriors possessed a profound opportunity to unleash their latent powers and ascend to unprecedented levels of strength.
Eren understood the far-reaching implications of such advancements, recognizing that they could potentially reshape the entire landscape of the ongoing conflict. It reinforced his conviction that he had made the right decision in safeguarding the advanced Hex artifacts for his personal use.
Eren wanted to keep the status quo of the battle maintained so that he could reap benefits from it. Any scale-tipping move was detrimental to him and his business. And it would have been detrimental to the Lazarus Project as well, to a large extent.
Eren's heightened perception allowed him to discern the damage inflicted upon the bear's soul as a consequence of their intense battle. It became evident to him that the soul of the bear, although formidable, was not entirely compatible with the ferocious currents of Wrath Mana, or at least not with his particular blend of it.
This realization led him to deduce that the Hex gear he had crafted would only sustain its optimal functionality for two or three more uses before the bear's soul would disintegrate irreparably.
The strain inflicted upon the bear's soul was a result of Eren's still-imperfect utilization. He acknowledged that his manufacturing process for the Hex gear played a part in this outcome.
Unlike regular Hex artifacts, which birthed the consciousness of weapons through various means, Eren's modifications had fused multiple techniques, rendering the stability of his creation compromised. Furthermore, lacking advanced tools like Shallot's Mirror or Soul Seed Insertion Arrays, Eren had to rely on his own ingenuity, inevitably giving rise to anomalies in the process.
Contemplating the potential dissolution of the bear's soul within his Hex gear, Eren's mind swirled with thoughts of securing a suitable replacement. The image of Baelin utilizing the soul of a wyvern to craft a formidable spiritual artifact lingered vividly in his memory. The notion of harnessing the raw power of a ferocious wyvern resonated deeply within him as he sensed the innate compatibility between such a creature and the currents of Wrath Mana.
The prospect of obtaining a wyvern's soul stirred a mixture of excitement and trepidation within Eren. The process of capturing and slaying such a formidable beast would be no small feat, and the subsequent insertion of his own soul into the Hex gear would require careful mastery. Yet, driven by his unwavering ambition and the desire to push the boundaries of his craft, Eren felt compelled to embark on this audacious endeavor.
***
Eren's fatigued mind churned with a medley of thoughts as he surveyed the aftermath of the battle, his gaze shifting from the lifeless body of Lysa to the surrounding battlefield.
In his weakened state, it was no surprise that someone from Layos' faction had managed to close in on him unnoticed. Seizing the opportunity, she swiftly drove her dagger into his heart, aiming to end his life.
Yet, as the blade pierced his chest, an unexpected surge of power surged through Eren's veins. The Sin Series Ability, inherent to his being, activated in response to the attack. Turning to face the female ranker, a chilling smile curled upon his lips, a mix of joy and determination shining in his eyes.
"Keke. I have found you at last, Reva Rain," Eren spoke, his words dripping with a sense of cruel intentions.
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