"This... took me quite by surprise."
Eren muttered to himself as he observed the Titan's corpse. In the distance, Alephee and Naya worked diligently, setting up a runic array formation based on the instructions from Alephee's grimoire.
Eren found himself uncertain about whether to still consider what lay before him as a Titan, given its now human-like size. He bent down for a closer examination of the Titan's corpse, now that the immediate threat from House Lancelot had passed.
Something truly extraordinary had occurred after Eren dismantled the ice-element formation that had preserved the Titan's corpse for so long. As Shallot Lancelot's powers dissipated due to the destruction of the runic array formation, the Titan's corpse rapidly shrank within the span of a few heartbeats, reverting to what seemed to be its original form.
Eren might have panicked and believed that something had gone horribly wrong in his mission to steal the Titan's corpse, were it not for Alephee's timely clarification. She had informed him that the denizens of Allansia, for the most part, were similar to regular humans.
Their colossal forms were bestowed upon them by their Titan god, which they worshiped. This blessing allowed a select few to transform into the dreaded Titans that struck fear into the hearts of humans and other races.
Alephee assured Eren that he could still consume the Titan's corpse to obtain its genetic imprint. This imprint was the key to harnessing the power of the Titan's blessing.
Although the blessing had been dispelled to some extent, it still lingered within the corpse and could be accessed a few more times if correctly harnessed. In essence, as long as Eren followed Alephee's guidance and devoured the Titan's corpse, he would gain access to the genetic essence of the privileged Allansian race.
This genetic imprint, combined with the residual blessing, would enable him to transform into a Titan for a few times.
"No time to waste. Let's get to work," Eren said to himself before taking a deep breath. Devouring a Titan's corpse wasn't easy. And he certainly couldn't depend on his bloodline powers alone to do this job. Not to mention the almost insurmountable difficulties he would face because of the large power gap he had with the Titan's corpse, he didn't have time to take things slowly either. Thankfully, he could depend on Argo's demonic abilities to perform this job for him.
Beelzebub's Authority: Domain of Gluttony!
Eren cast a relatively smaller Gluttony domain for himself using the rune given to him by Argo along with the drop of his blood. Beelzebub's Gluttony Domain was going to devour the Titan's corpse and convert it into digestible essence for him. That essence will in turn get devoured by his bloodline powers, allowing him to finally assimilate with the Titan's powers and obtain its genetic imprint.
***
Forty hours.
That's the duration it took for Eren to completely consume the Titan's corpse, even with the assistance of Beelzebub's Authority. Upon awakening, Eren activated his Titan bloodline heritage.
There were no immediate physical changes; he appeared just as he did before. However, a runic image of a blood-red sun materialized between his eyebrows, signifying his newfound Titan bloodline and the accompanying blessing's power.
Eren had little time to acclimate himself to this new Titan genetic imprint. Shortly after his successful consumption of the Titan's corpse, Alephee and Naya successfully opened the entrance to Eliza's Purgatory.
"Eren," Naya began to call out, but she soon realized that Eren had already positioned himself before the forcefully unsealed entrance. Without any hesitation, Eren stepped into Eliza's Purgatory, with Alephee and Naya closely trailing behind him.
It didn't take long for Eren to navigate his way to a familiar area within Eliza's Purgatory. Like the icy battlefield that mirrored the conflict between the two kingdoms, this region was also blanketed in snow. However, the frosty energy here was much more intense, instantly immobilizing anyone of Adept rank or below who ventured into it.
"Hmm? It was cold the first time I came here, but not this cold," Eren muttered to himself as he used Blitz Steps to traverse the frigid plains. Alephee, closely tailing him, chimed in.
"It seems she's cranked all the runic formations within the Purgatory to their maximum. I'm not sure if she anticipated your visit in her absence, Eren, but we should exercise caution." Eren nodded in agreement with her words.
Several changes had occurred within Eliza's Purgatory since Eren's last visit. Instead of the array of Rankwise towers designed for individuals to test their abilities based on their respective Ranking Status, there stood a colossal tower before him.
This ancient, towering structure dwarfed Eren and the two women accompanying him. Its walls were adorned with various mystical runes that periodically lit up, making their presence known.
Eren entered the tower, with Naya and Alephee following closely. Unlike his previous visit, there were no inspection runic formations to assess their aptitude before entry. As soon as they stepped inside, they were instantly transported to the tower's interior.
Eren glanced upwards and saw a starry night sky devoid of the moon. Then he surveyed the surroundings and realized they were standing on a desolate platform above a mountain. It seemed as if the mountaintop had been sliced off with a single, precise strike, leaving an unnaturally flat expanse above the peaks.
The breeze felt chilly, but it lacked the influence of snow. Moreover, it was remarkably stable for natural winds, considering the height at which they seemed to be situated.
Eren chuckled, recognizing this familiar setting. "She must have known I'd come here and decided to make it easier for me. All so that I don't waste her time," he mused, realizing he was standing on the same mountaintop that had been severed by a powerful entity's sword slash.
"Screeeeeeeee!"
A wave of grim nostalgia washed over Eren as he heard the haunting cries of creatures he had battled within Purgatory to claim Eliza's legacy. Before long, Eren found himself, along with Alephee and Naya, encircled by formidable wraiths that seemed to materialize from thin air.
These spectral entities closed in on the trio from every direction, poised to launch their assault.
