An eerie sense of dread filled the air.
It was as if the entire secret chamber had been submerged in an abyssal sea. It was as though this space held its own ethereal ocean, and Eren stood at the bottom, gazing upon a motionless monstrosity atop the raised platform.
Despite the creature's lifeless state, it emanated a terrifying aura that evoked instinctual fear in anyone who encountered it. Being exposed to a Titan's aura made one acutely aware of their own insignificance and the limitations of their powers.
No matter how powerful or skilled, in the face of such ancient and overwhelming energy, everyone couldn't help but feel small and vulnerable.
Avalon's impromptu move forced Eren to take an unexpected trip down memory lane.
He was torn between cursing the Grandmaster Ranker for triggering a lost trauma and admiring him for skillfully catching him off guard. It was a psychological tactic reminiscent of Eren's own strategies whenever he played the role of the guild master for the White Raven Guild.
It seemed that he had underestimated Avalon. The man didn't have much experience as a guild master of the Lancelot Guild. But his status as a Grandmaster ranker was enough to assume that role seamlessly.
The memory of his first encounter with a dead Titan's aura flooded back into Eren's mind.
Back then, he was just an Ace Ranker, and the mere presence of such a fearsome entity haunted his nightmares for weeks. To worsen matters, Eliza had used the skeletal remains of these Titans as peculiar home decor, carefully arranged in a way that unnerved Eren to the core.
The ancient auras emanating from the gigantic skeletons and their hollowed eyes seemed to fixate on him, leaving him shaken both physically and mentally during his visit to Eliza's abode in Purgatory.
Eren chuckled inwardly as his hand trembled in the presence of the dead Titan. 'I... I thought I got over this,' he thought to himself.
'No. Something's different this time.' Taking a deep breath, he decided to face his fear head-on by retracting his Mana Sense and extending his Soul Sense instead.
His trembling ceased as he shifted his approach. Comparing his current experience with his past encounters, Eren noticed something peculiar about the dead Titan's presence this time.
'This... the Titan is indeed dead, but his body is still intact for the most part. These bastards have preserved his body after Shallot slayed him in the Calamity War,' he muttered, confirming the Titan's status using his Soul Sense.
Eren couldn't help but curse the past Rankers for their peculiar fascination with preserving the bodies of Titans as macabre mementos of their battles. Eliza had indulged in this practice, and now it appeared that Shallot had followed suit.
The legacy of Shallot, and her encounter with the dead Titan, had been passed down through her clan, resulting in the preservation of the colossal creature's lifeless form to this day. The eerie and unsettling presence of the Titan's body served as a haunting reminder of battles long past, perpetuating a tradition that Eren found unsettling and unnecessary.
Turning to Avalon with an incredulous look, Eren wordlessly conveyed a multitude of questions.
Avalon was impressed by Piper's composed response. "You have surprised me, young man. You are handling this better than I had thought," he said with admiration.
"When I was exposed to this place at a young age, I almost shat my pants. Hahaha." Avalon laughed, breaking the formality of his rank, and patted Piper's back in encouragement.
Eren found some comfort in knowing that even the esteemed Avalon had experienced the same daunting feeling when first exposed to the dead Titan's aura. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he sought clarification from Avalon.
"So the legends were true. That corpse over there is what they call a Titan, right, Guild Master?" Piper inquired, and Avalon confirmed his question with a nod.
"Indeed, Piper. Remember the oil painting you were admiring in the grand hall? The Titan depicted in it is the very same one lying on that platform. The figure facing off against the Titan in the painting is our ancestor, Shallot Lancelot.
She single-handedly defeated that giant and earned the title of Titan Slayer. Knowledge of Lady Shallot and her accomplishments is considered privileged information, and House Lancelot takes great pride in our legendary hero of the past," Avalon spoke with evident pride in his voice.
Eren nodded, genuinely acknowledging the awe-inspiring feat. He couldn't help but recall Eliza's even more remarkable accomplishments—defeating an entire squad of Titans in a single battle, while they were in their battle formation. If Avalon took pride in Shallot's victory over one Titan, Eren knew that Layla, upon learning about Eliza's achievements, was bound to be even more devoted to resurrecting her.
Observing Avalon's nostalgic expression as he looked at the raised platform, Eren understood the lingering impact of the dead Titan's presence.
"So much time has passed, but the intensity of that wretched Titan's aura remains undiminished. It can strike fear into the hearts of mortals and make them drop dead on the spot. It can make lesser entities question their very existence. These fuckers were called Walking Calamities for a reason." Avalon said, his hands resting behind his back.
After a brief pause, he turned to Piper and teasingly proposed, "Would you like to get a closer look? If you're not too scared, that is." Avalon expected a refusal, and he had good reason to anticipate it.
"Let's go. I want to see that fucking Titan with my own eyes," Eren remarked boldly, mirroring the informal tone set by Avalon. Without waiting for guidance, he confidently strode towards the raised platform.
"Hahaha. Be careful what you wish for, young man. Merely glimpsing those Titans is enough to keep you sleepless for nights on end," Avalon teased, following closely behind Eren.
'Nightmares? Fuck them. Who cares about mere nightmares when I can become the nightmare itself? Merely looking at the Titan won't satisfy me anymore. I... Kekeke... I must thank House Lancelot for this revelation. Because NOW...'
Now, I will have the opportunity to devour a fucking Titan!'
A spark of greed ignited in Eren's eyes as his ambitions soared. Instead of succumbing to dread, his body now hungered for the chance to devour the colossal creature.
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AN: VEH punches in 1400 chapters with this release. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the dedicated readers and a special shoutout to the top contributors. We have a new book cover to celebrate this milestone. Check it out. The artwork offers you a glimpse into the soul-stirring charisma of Titans. I think it perfectly captures their dreadful grandeur.
Thank you all for being a part of this incredible journey so far and stay tuned. ;)
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