Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Eren contemplated Argo's words and couldn't help but see an opportunity.

'Hmm. I could put this to good use,' he mused to himself, mentally processing the implications of Anfang's World Will's move.

He recognized that harnessing the considerable power of Anfang's World Will could become a valuable part of his strategy. After all, there was no harm in utilizing the support of one's benefactor.

If Anfang's World Will was determined to bestow the God Spark upon him, then Eren saw no reason to decline. He was unfazed by the underlying motives behind this offer. What mattered most was that acquiring the God Spark would ultimately serve his interests, regardless of the potential challenges it might bring.

Anfang's World Will faced a significant challenge in cultivating the Origin Force due to the perpetual presence of the world-encompassing array. These restrictions, often referred to as shackles, prevented Anfang from freely engaging with the vast cosmic forces surrounding it.

To truly assimilate with the Origin Force and achieve self-evolution, it was imperative for Anfang's World Will to liberate itself from these constraints. Paradoxically, this liberation required Eren to possess the God Spark, even if it meant disrupting Anfang's fundamental essence.

Anfang's World Will's approach mirrored that of someone prioritizing survival by amputating a limb to prevent the spread of poison. By willingly bestowing the most valuable possession it held upon someone it trusted, Anfang's World Will effectively deterred potential threats, akin to a homeowner donating their most precious item to dissuade burglars.

As a collective consciousness of the world, Anfang's World Will was committed to safeguarding its native inhabitants, ensuring that its quest for freedom did not come at their expense to a large extent. In essence, it had ingeniously devised a strategy to reconcile its seemingly contradictory objectives.

Indeed, this operation initiated by Anfang's World Will was akin to a crucial, self-administered remedy for a long-standing ailment. It was an inevitable process, one that would inevitably bring pain to both the world and its inhabitants.

The World Will possessed full awareness of the impending discomfort but remained resolute in its decision to proceed with the plan.

For Eren, this presented a unique opportunity to serve as the skilled hands performing this critical procedure on his home world. As the infamous "Osan Woods' Butcher," he had executed numerous surgical strikes on his adversaries, resulting in the severing of their connections.

'Keke. It wants me to operate on and remove a tumor at the cost of bleeding profusely in the process. Good thing it came to the right guy for this kind of operation.'

Eren couldn't help but smirk as he drew parallels between his past actions and Anfang's World Will's current needs, recognizing the symmetry in the tasks they had undertaken.

***

The landscape was transformed into a realm of pristine white, where snow blanketed what had once been lush and vibrant greenery. The biting cold permeated to one's very bones, and the frigid air had the uncanny ability to congeal each breath, casting visible clouds of mist as people vigorously rubbed their hands together in search of warmth amidst the desolate cold.

The typical bright morning of the season was cloaked in an unusual gloom, a result of an unexpected overnight snowfall that had cast a pervasive influence on the region's climate. As the day unfurled, the blizzard's fury intensified, its relentless winds sweeping across the vast expanse that marked the border between two kingdoms, Edinburgh and Layos.

It appeared that a momentous event had unfolded overnight. It was as though an immensely powerful entity had consumed the very essence of Elemental Attainments associated with fire and wind, leading to the abrupt freezing of regions within Anfang.

One such affected area was the southern duchy of Edinburgh, known as Lionhearts, where even during the winter season, snowfall had been a rarity. Yet, the land now seemed to have exchanged its typically warm climate for the frigid winds more commonly encountered in the northern reaches of the Nightshade duchy.

This very region was the battlefield for the armies of the both kingdoms.

Two formidable armies, each hailing from one of these rival realms, stood in a tense standoff, maintaining a calculated distance of a mere three miles. This seemingly modest gap held profound significance in the context of their battle-hardened experience, as it was akin to having a foe poised right before them for the seasoned Rankers involved in this impending conflict.

Both the Edinburgh and Layos armies adhered to a similar hierarchical structure. At the core of this structure were squads composed of five to seven skilled Rankers, each under the leadership of their respective squad captains. Five to six of these squads were grouped together, forming a team that was commanded by a team captain selected from among the squad captains. Three such teams were further organized to constitute a company.

For the past decade, both kingdoms had only deployed their companies, each under the command of a company commander, to vie for control of the disputed territory within the Anfang Alliance's vigilant purview. This controlled conflict from the past resembled lingering embers of a war, preventing it from either extinguishing or escalating beyond a certain threshold.

However, a full-scale war surpassed the confines of mere company deployments.

In this scenario, both sides united three of their companies to establish a battalion, which was led by a lieutenant colonel. Three of these battalions were then combined to form a brigade, overseen by a colonel chosen from the ranks of the lieutenant colonels. Similarly, the combination of three brigades resulted in the creation of a division, commanded by a major general.

In a similar fashion, merging the three divisions resulted in the establishment of a corps, a formidable force comprising approximately 10,000 individual Rankers. The leadership of the corps was entrusted to a lieutenant general chosen from among the three major generals.

Each of the kingdoms, Edinburgh and Layos, commanded three such corps, amounting to a total of six active corps. This meant that roughly 60,000 Rankers from both sides were actively engaged in this large-scale conflict.

The consolidation of three corps gave rise to a field army representing both kingdoms, overseen by a general. This position was honorary and traditionally reserved for the respective kings of both nations.

These corps, each loyal to their respective kingdoms, confronted one another at three distinct borderland locations between the two realms. Every corps from both sides had been meticulously organized into a disciplined army formation, poised for potential engagement with their adversaries at a moment's notice.

At this particular location, where one of the three corps was deployed on Edinburgh's side, an exceptional Grandmaster Ranker, who served as the major general of his division, received an urgent long-distance voice communication.

"What... what did you say?" Grandmaster Avalon Lancelot, the division's major general, exclaimed as he absorbed the information contained in the personal message. His astonishment was entirely justified, as he had just learned that someone had managed to infiltrate the secure facility located within House Lancelot's territory and absconded with something of immense significance.

They had seized the opportunity presented by the ongoing war and the deployment of most of House Lancelot's clan members to breach this highly secure facility.

'This... this is unbelievable. And at a time like this... damn it. Who could be audacious enough to steal that ancient Titan's remains from our territory?'

Grandmaster Avalon cursed the audacious Ranker who had dared to affront the entire House Lancelot just before the commencement of the full-scale war between the two kingdoms.

Simultaneously, as Avalon grappled with the audacious theft that had unfolded within his clan's territory, a deafening blast of an instrument's call resonated throughout the expansive snowy landscape. This sound, amplified by the intricate sound element runes, proved potent enough to stir the very essence of the Rankers present, imbuing their faces with flushed determination. Even the snow beneath their feet quivered and yielded to the mighty sound waves.

'Fuck! What at the worst possible time! I… I can't do anything but fight.'

Just as Avalon contemplated relaying decisive orders to address this audacious heist, the war cornet blared, signaling the commencement of the conflict between the two kingdoms.

AN: Avalon Lancelot was first introduced in chapter 1398.

For those interested, here's a concise breakdown of the army formations employed by both kingdoms:

Squad: Comprising 5 to 7 Rankers, led by a squad captain.

Team: Combining approximately five to six squads, totaling around 30 Rankers, and led by a team captain. These captains are typically Expert Rankers or Adept Rankers with at least a solid stage mana core status.

Company: Formed by combining around three teams, with about 100 Rankers in total, and under the command of a company commander, typically a Master Ranker.

Battalion: Assembled by combining around three companies, involving around 300 Rankers, and led by a lieutenant colonel, who is typically a Master Ranker with at least a liquid core mana core status.

Brigade: Formed by combining around three battalions, with roughly 1000 Rankers in total, and led by a colonel, usually a Master Rank with at least a solid stage mana core status.

Division: Comprising around three brigades, involving approximately 3000 Rankers, and commanded by a major general, who is typically a Grandmaster Ranker.

Corps: Formed by combining around three divisions, totaling around 10,000 Rankers, and led by a lieutenant general, typically under the command of a Sage.

Field army: Assembled by combining three corps, encompassing around 30,000 Rankers, and overseen by a general. This position is honorary and reserved for the kings of both kingdoms.

Can be skipped.

The 7th volume of "VEH: The Lazarus Project" concludes with this chapter. We will start the 8th volume with the release, simply titled "Liberation," which is a significant turning point in the narrative of VEH. In One Piece terms, it'd be like Luffy entering the New World. :D

As of now, VEH has a word count of approximately 1.69 million words across nearly 1500 chapters. This month, on the 22nd of September, we will celebrate its second anniversary. So what we have here is the culmination of almost two years of pure world-building.

I guess a little self analysis is in order. When I embarked on my writing journey, I was an avid reader of Webs. My primary goal when starting "VEH" was to create a lead character who would stand apart from the usual heroes, anti-heroes, and villains. I wanted to create something interesting and unique out of the usual setting and troupes. The feeling was same as wanting to create a unique dish from regular day-to-day ingredients.

I aimed to write about a protagonist who could reflect a wide spectrum of characteristics without being confined to either the light or dark side, displaying various traits from goodness to wickedness depending on the circumstances. And not sticking to such conventional traits was supposed to make him defy the conventional mold and become the enigmatic "vile evil" character, capable of shrouding himself in a veil of complexity.

My vision for VEH was to paint a picture of a grimdark world founded on the bedrock of absolute control, yet steeped in cruelty and brutality at every turn. I recognized that thrusting a lead character with an ordinary background into this harsh world would be an even greater challenge. No usual protagonist, strictly good or strictly evil, would survive/thrive here.

Therefore, I placed adaptability at the core of Eren's character.

Writing this story has been a profound learning experience for me. While they say, "Find a job you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life," I've found the reality to be somewhat different. In my view, one should avoid turning their hobbies into a job, lest they lose their hobbies altogether. However, don't take this too seriously. Regard it as the musings of a somewhat seasoned writer, perhaps akin to a wise old grandpa, sharing insights born not of age, but of experience, and seeking release from the weariness of the craft. A metaphorical puff of a pipe and a cloud of contemplative smoke might accompany these stray thoughts as I let them wander on their own. ;)

While some naturally gifted authors can effortlessly create immersive worlds, my journey with VEH has been a deliberate one. I planned this stage in the storyline two years ago, with only minor detours along the way.

I'll be honest. While I have key plot points carefully mapped out, the path beyond the 8th volume remains somewhat flexible. And I believe that's a good thing. While planning unquestionably has its merits, excessive planning can become a creative hindrance.

My premeditated approach acted as a safety net, preserving my motivation and guiding my writing direction. As a result, I never suffered from the so-called writer's block, and for the most part, I knew exactly what I needed to write every day.

Yet, this approach meant letting go of opportunities to incorporate some interesting insights gained along the way, so as not to stray from our intended destination.

However, once Eren departs from Anfang, I will have the freedom to explore new dimensions of VEH's narrative. So, in a sense, the title of the 8th volume, "Liberation," signifies not only the freedom of the characters and Anfang but also my own liberation as the author of this tale.

Rest assured, the 8th volume will be packed with action and more action. For me, it will be akin to reaping the long-awaited fruits of a tree I've nurtured for years.

I apologize for not responding to comments for an extended period as I was preoccupied with concluding this volume while juggling my daily life, including my day job and routine tasks. I will strive to be more active here as well as on Discord now that I have completed this volume.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to all the readers of "VEH," with special appreciation for our top contributors. That's all for now. Stay tuned and enjoy your reading.