Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

'So I need the God Sparks related to other elements as well to become a true god, huh? Or at least as true as the rest of them I found there?'

Eren mumbled to himself as he thought about the experience he had when his soul was inside the celestial court.

Usually, the forging of a single God Spark was enough to complete the deification process and make one ascend to the level of gods. For some gods who had achieved this feat in the past, it was a huge success for them, turning them into immortals. Even though their divinities were limited, these gods were fine with just enjoying their divine status.

Even though they could be termed as the weakest gods in the celestial court, the gods with a single God Spark in them couldn't be underestimated by mortals.

Eren could have become one of the weakest gods in the celestial court as well with the feat he had achieved. However, he had chosen a grand and an all–encompassing divinity for himself. Alephe's throne also required him to choose such a divinity in the first place.

Thus, to remove the label of the demi-god and become a true god, Eren needed to acquire more God Sparks like the one he had acquired in Anfang. Only then could he sit on the divine throne he had claimed for himself.

'So this is why Aleph told me to focus on refining my Elemental Attainments to their finest. The Edicts over the Elements, huh?

Acquiring a single God Spark was already this challenging. How many worlds will I have to scour and possibly destroy to get my hands on the remaining ones?'

Eren wondered as he looked around to see the destruction. He couldn't help but sigh at the work that was laid in front of her to make the divine throne he had claimed completely his.

'No point thinking about those things now. I must focus on the present. Reen needs me. With her by my side, things would become a lot easier for me in the future,' Eren thought to himself and smiled before stepping forward.

Step. Step. Step.

Instead of approaching Eliza, Eren walked confidently in a specific direction, unconcerned about Eliza's potential reactions. As Layla's potions mended her injuries, Eliza watched Eren's movements attentively.

'That bloodline is truly exceptional. It's a pity I can't obtain it.'

Eliza pondered to herself as she observed Eren. Despite her shock at Eren's calculated actions and detailed planning, she wasn't afraid of him. Or, it was that she didn't want to allow herself to be afraid of him.

She kept her emotions in check to maintain control of her situation, despite the precarious position Eren had placed her in. Her physical injuries could mend. Her Soul Space was also trying to stabilize itself. A part of her wanted to leave the place to heal her injuries. The world was in chaos after all. There was nobody capable and free enough to stop her when the entire world was splitting into various continents.

However, Eliza knew that the enmity she had created with Eren was bound to stay. If she let Eren grow unchecked, he may come for her on his own after surpassing her.

No matter how confident Eliza was, she didn't want to underestimate Eren. he had given her a lot of reasons to feel this way.

Eliza still held an unplayed trump card, which she was in no hurry to use prematurely. She preferred getting in peak condition first, courtesy of Layla's care, before confronting Eren.

***

"You've had this planned from the start, haven't you?" Eliza chuckled, then added, "It eases my conscience for breaking our initial deal," as Layla's potions healed her wounds and her reattached arm was being tended to.

"Perhaps," replied Eren without glancing at Eliza. Continuing his advance toward his intended destination, he elaborated.

"Or maybe things would have transpired differently if you hadn't cornered me. At least I would have done a few things differently.

Either way, does it truly matter now? My current actions are free from any past regrets, even if people blame you or me for what I've done to Anfang. My mind is at peace.

I assume the same goes for you." Eren spoke calmly, a faint smile adorning his face.

"Why do you feel different now? What did Anfang's World Will do to you?"

Eliza inquired further, intrigued by the transformation Eren's soul had undergone. Her Soul Sense detected that Eren's soul was entirely distinct from that of regular Rankers.

While a regular Ranker's soul resembled a small earthen lamp in the dark of the night, Eren's soul was akin to the first ray of the sun piercing through the twilight darkness, painting the entire world in vivid colors. Despite her potent Spiritual Force, Eliza couldn't discern the changes occurring within Eren's soul.

Eliza wasn't aware of the deal Eren made with Anfang's World Will, nor did she possess extensive knowledge about the deification process. While familiar with God Sparks, her understanding of how to convert them into divinities was limited.

Nevertheless, Eliza recognized that Eren had accomplished a feat unprecedented in Anfang's history. He transformed a significant portion of Anfang's population into half-bloods, breaching the World-encompassing Divine Array Formation. By summoning Anfang's World Will and causing his soul's ascension, Eren evaded Eliza's trap entirely, granting him the freedom to oppose her.

"You'll find out soon enough. I have an important task at hand right now. We'll settle our differences later," Eren announced, coming to a halt. Eliza then realized that Eren was searching for the Mana Essence of the 40,000 Rankers that Layla had extracted and stored for her advancement to the Sage Rank.

The protection of the Mana Essence sphere was part of the secondary Birdcage Barrier, preserving it despite Eliza and Demonmir's intense battle within the isolated domain. Their spells and physical attacks could not harm the intangible Mana Essence.

Eliza's gaze turned cold as she comprehended Eren's intentions. "Are you attempting to take what's rightfully mine, little kitten?" she queried in a low, threatening voice. "I might have expected this from someone like you. But remember, I'm still here," she warned, poised to intervene at any moment.

"Steal?" Eren turned to Eliza, appearing puzzled. "What do you mean by 'steal'? It's not stealing when something's taken right in front of you. I'm sure there's a word for that. I'll let you figure it out.

So yeah. I'm taking this Mana Essence sphere. The real question is: what will you do about it? What CAN you do about it?"