Alephee filled in the gaps for Eren, supplementing the initial information received from Rodrick's classified reports.
The homunculus conjectured that the Elder Seed Artifact allowed Shallot to cast reflections of her intent upon her opponents in the form of Soul Reflection and Intent Reflection. As such, her opponents were forced to follow her intent when she reflected her will onto them using the artifact's powers.
Her Soul Sense merely augmented the artifact's powers, granting her the ability to wield them even against a formidable Titan, earning her the illustrious title of a Titan Slayer.
Moreover, Shallot could even create Soul Imprints with the artifact's powers, generating additional versions of herself without risking harm to her own soul. This logic-defying ability bestowed sentience upon her elemental clones obtained from her elemental powers as an Elementalist. This very sentience allowed Shallot's clones to dominate the battlefield using their own abilities, independent of her direct intervention.
Alephee noted that, by her standards, Shallot's usage of the Elder Seed Artifact was still considered primitive. The artifact's powers were bound only by the capabilities of its wielder. The stronger the wielder, the more they could draw upon the immortal artifact's powers.
Shallot had only scratched the surface of the artifact's potential. Had she survived and progressed further in her ranks, she would have undoubtedly been recognized as an Elder Seed Inheritor by powers beyond the confines of Anfang.
Eren's understanding of the Elder Seed Artifact deepened as Alephee conjectured the unique capabilities of Soul Reflection granted by the immortal artifact. This soulful power could be transformed into Soul Imprint, akin to the way demons used their soul fragments to infiltrate other worlds.
The true advantage of possessing an immortal artifact was apparent— the mirror allowed its owner to inhabit the bodies of beings with weaker Spiritual Force without harming either soul. It also allowed them to command their actions to some extent by merely reflecting their intent onto them.
Learning this peculiar aspect of the artifact from Alephee sparked a tremendous desire within Eren to possess Shallot's Mirror. He had long been captivated by the concept of demons infiltrating worlds with their soul fragments. His mind swirled with numerous plans, all of which would come to fruition with the acquisition of Shallot's Mirror.
Unlike demons, Eren did not wish to jeopardize his soul to obtain fragments. His mortal soul was far more vulnerable to damage, and recovering from such an endeavor would be perilously slow.
However, Shallot's Mirror offered him a way to bypass these risks, providing an unprecedented opportunity to possess others even more effectively than demons could. Of course, these were plans for the future and not something Eren wanted to partake in while he was in Anfang.
Rankers had a basic understanding of forming clones using elemental manifestations and mana bodies for battle. However, this strategy was often disregarded due to its inefficiency. The spell-generated clones crafted by Rankers lacked stability and intelligence, making them poor decoys and imposing significant burdens on the casters. As a result, no sensible Ranker adopted this strategy to confront their foes, as it would only diminish their powers.
Nevertheless, for Eren, owning Shallot's Mirror would change this narrative entirely.
Alephee's conjecture hinted that Eren could utilize mana bodies in a manner similar to Shallot's elemental clones. By employing the powers of the artifact, he could reflect his soul onto these replicas, engaging opponents with various Ranking Classes and spells.
However, Eren knew that he was not an Elementalist like Shallot, and thus, he might not be able to utilize the mirror's powers in the same way as her, at least not immediately. He recognized the need to discover his unique approach to harness the mirror's potential, enabling him to maximize the benefits of his multi-class Ranker abilities.
With this newfound revelation, Eren was determined to unlock the full extent of Shallot's Mirror and wield its incredible powers in ways that would set him apart as an unparalleled force.
****
Equipped with newfound knowledge about Shallot's Mirror, Eren recognized the golden opportunity presented to him in Baelin's temporary absence from the secluded confines of the smithy. Here, he stood alone with the enigmatic artifact, a chance he had eagerly anticipated.
Though the Sage-level runic binding barred Eren from physically relocating the mirror, he understood that he didn't need to touch it to engage with its powers. The artifact's secrets could be unraveled through other means.
Eren hastened towards Shallot's Mirror, disregarding Baelin's instructions to experiment with creating spiritual weapons. Instead, he chose to smear his blood on the artifact, seeking to awaken its dormant powers.
While common sense dictated that nothing should happen due to the powerful runic bindings, the immortal artifact defied expectations. It absorbed Eren's blood, recognizing the unmistakable Elder Ichor bloodline that flowed within him. The genesis of the artifact, the Elder Ichor, could not remain oblivious to its own origins, even amid the strongest restrictions.
In an instant, Eren's consciousness was drawn into an ethereal space, immersed knee-deep in a lake that mirrored the blue night sky without a single star. The lake's thick, mercury-like waters reflected the ethereal aurora lights, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.
Surprisingly, the lake's reflection revealed different facets of Eren's being. First, he saw himself as an old man from his previous timeline, followed by his white-haired transformation form with radiant blue eyes and runic tattoos adorning his body, symbolizing his Elder Ichor lineage. The mirror delved deeper, showing his current form, leaving Eren entranced by the artifact's ability to peer into his past, present, and even glimpses of his future.
Amidst this extraordinary encounter, a powerful lady materialized before Eren, exuding a commanding aura reserved only for the highest echelons of Anfang. Eren immediately recognized her as Shallot's residual Soul Imprint, her essence lingering within the artifact even after her demise. Unconsciously, he grasped her purpose for appearing before him.
With a resolute expression, Eren addressed Shallot's replica, asserting his claim to the artifact without undergoing any tests to prove his worthiness.
"Yeah. no offense to you Miss Ghost but I don't want to be subjected to any form of test to prove my inheritance. My bloodline alone gives me the right to claim ownership. So let's go with nepotism this time.
Miss Artifact Spirit, reveal yourself and acknowledge your new owner." In a bold proclamation, Eren awakened the artifact's spirit without partaking in any conventional trials, relying on the undeniable connection borne of his Elder Ichor heritage.
AN: Eren's plans to use demons' way of traveling to other worlds were first discussed in chapter 850.
