Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil - Chapter 1936

The Artifact Spirit naturally fought back against the sea monster’s impudence.

While the beast had grown stronger and managed to not only survive but thrive inside the barrier, the Artifact Spirit had invaded its mind, chipping away at its rationality one decade at a time.

This was why the sea monster possessed the strength of an SS-Rank creature but the mind of a six or seven-year-old mortal child.

If the seal had remained unbroken, the Artifact Spirit would have eventually taken full control, forcing the sea monster’s consciousness into an eternal slumber.

One had to admit that the Immortal Conch’s Artifact Spirit was rather ruthless.

It could have stopped the sea monster from forcefully merging with it if it really wanted to. It could have even disappeared from Labh Salem when the beast failed to gain its approval.

But instead, it chose to stay and let the sea monster make its mistakes.

Some might say the Immortal Conch’s Artifact Spirit did this to make the creature pay for its arrogance, but the truth was far simpler—it was bored and wanted some entertainment.

Like Shallot Mirror’s Artifact Spirit, the Immortalwood Conch’s Spirit had spent millennia waiting for a worthy inheritor. Since it had nothing but time, it decided to amuse itself by toying with the proud and arrogant sea monster.

Although a great deal of information was exchanged between Eren and the Artifact Spirit of the Immortal Conch, the entire conversation took place in just a split second.

This was the power of the soul-based communication that Shallot’s Mirror granted Eren.

Unfortunately, he could only use such a form of communication with capable beings like the other Immortal Artifact Spirits as only they had the capability of establishing such a connection with the Shallot’s Mirror.

Most of Eren’s companions and comrades didn’t have sufficient Spirit Force to form such a connection. Otherwise, Eren’s group battle might have reached a new height.

In theory, Shallot’s Mirror had unlimited potential in terms of its versatile uses. However, the limits of the Elder Seed Artifacts, like always, came from their users. Just like the sea monster, Eren was no exception to this general rule as well.

Thanks to this soul-based exchange, Eren quickly grasped the sea monster’s state of being. And it had all happened right after he shattered the barrier with his own two hands.

With this newfound understanding, Eren formulated a no-brainer strategy. He didn’t need brute force to deal with the sea monster. He simply had to ensure that everything made sense to the beast’s childlike mind.

As long as the creature accepted him as its younger brother, there would be no need for a battle.

It was like tricking a child. No elaborate schemes were necessary. As long as the deception made sense in the child’s little mind, they would be more than willing to believe it.

Eren was an old sinner when it came to tricking people.

Forget tricking a child—he had managed to fool Eliza Samael, who had spent thousands of years in her peculiar limbo, as well as the Demon Soul Fragment of an actual Demon Prince.

Convincing a "big brawn, no brain" creature like this sea monster was almost like a walk in the park for him.

***

When Marina and Azurea saw Eren transform into a Titan, they were shocked once again. If they had been manaless mortals, they would have drowned by now, given how many times their mouths had fallen open in surprise during complete sea submersion.

"He… he still had such a trump card up his sleeve," Marina murmured to herself as she stared at Eren’s gigantic form, her eyes filled with astonishment and disbelief.

She wondered why Eren hadn’t used this Titan Transformation to fight against her true dragon form during their earlier battle. Did he… did he seriously think I wasn’t worthy? she thought, frowning as she looked at Eren with a hint of grievance.

"No way… A denizen from Allansia? He… he is one of those lunatic invaders?"

Azurea, on the other hand, regarded Eren with a mix of confusion and suspicion. She murmured the words to herself, unwilling to believe the conclusion she had reached.

The denizens of Allansia were notorious for trying to conquer other worlds, but they always acted in groups. They were like greedy bandits who never worked alone.

Besides, Labh Salem wasn’t defenseless like other, weaker worlds. Any being from Allansia who dared to come unprepared would have their sweet bottoms handed to them by the various divine and demonic factions.

Moreover, Azurea found it hard to believe that an Allansian would appear in Labh Salem when the Witches’ Sabbath was so close.

This was the day when divine and demonic factions gathered, and nearly every major pantheon had a grudge against the Allansians and the Titan God they worshipped.

It was possible the Allansians would attempt to fish in troubled waters on the day of the Sabbath, but they would never risk a preemptive strike beforehand. Why would someone from Allansia dare to show up in Labh Salem at such a crucial time?

And if Eren was from Allansia, why had the special arrangements placed throughout Labh Salem to detect and apprehend Allansian invaders failed to catch him?

***

Questions swirled in the minds of Eren’s observers, but the butcher didn’t care to answer them. Instead, he fixed his gaze on the sea monster and spoke.

"Elder brother, are you alright? I came to save you as soon as I could. Do you have a headache? Do you feel any discomfort?"

His voice carried a genuine concern, his eyes radiating a warmth he had never even shown to his own mother.

Eren’s trick of transforming into a Titan finally worked, and the sea monster’s child-like mind unconsciously released its hostility toward Azurea and Marina. In his psyche, Eren was bigger, which meant he posed a greater threat and demanded immediate attention.

"Why do you call yourself my brother? We… we have never met," the sea monster said in a threatening tone. The only reason he hadn’t attacked Eren at this point was because he knew that it was he who had smashed the barrier. It subconsciously made him consider Eren as his temporary ally, or at least not an enemy for the time being.

Although his mind had been altered by the Artifact Spirit, the sea monster’s memories as a relatively ancient sea creature remained intact. He might have had a naive way of thinking, but that didn’t mean he was a fool who would believe anything Eren said.

It didn’t take long for him to conclude that Eren was not a good person and was trying to trick him. To the sea monster, anyone who lied was not a good person.

His reasoning was childish, but strangely enough, he wasn’t wrong.

After all, Eren truly was not a good person in anyone’s eyes—not even in the eyes of his female companions and comrades.