Aleph could discern that Eren was deep in thought, mulling over his words.
He could sense Eren's skepticism, particularly regarding the prospect of harnessing the other facet of his bloodline any time soon.
Eren appeared to believe that his already impressive affinity with the myriad elements was challenging enough to fully utilize. How could he possibly wield the powers of a fallen god while still holding the Status of a Master Ranker?
Aleph, aware of Eren's concerns, emitted a soft chuckle before explaining.
"Eren, your capability to wield my powers isn't dependent on your Ranking Status. You've already demonstrated the ability to harness my bloodline's aspect in the past. Do you remember your encounter with my sister and how you dealt with her attacks during your sparring session in the Oni Dungeon?"
Eren's eyes widened with sudden realization as Aleph's words brought back a hazy memory. He could vaguely recall the incident the fallen god referred to. It had taken place within the confines of the Oni Dungeon.
Back then, Alephee and he had engaged in a heated battle, with Alephee seeking to demonstrate the more refined usage of his spells and abilities.
During that confrontation, Alephee had recently gained control over her homunculus vessel, yet she had managed to utterly overwhelm Eren in their sparring match. However, towards the bout's climax, something extraordinary had occurred.
Eren had been plunged into a State of Epiphany, which allowed him to deal with Alephee's moves subconsciously. It had rendered him impervious to Alephee's spells. Astonishingly, he had taken command of her spells with remarkable ease, effectively nullifying their effects on him.
At the time, Eren had manipulated Alephee's spells as though he had cast them himself, and Alephee had been so caught up in the heat of battle that she hadn't initially realized she had lost control.
***
Aleph went on to elaborate on the profound distinctions between Eren's utilization of Elder Ichor's bloodline powers and Aleph's own mastery of the Elemental Edicts.
Aleph's control over the Edicts had always been a matter of dominance, seizing command over his opponents' elemental abilities through sheer force. In contrast, Eren's method was an entirely novel approach to harnessing the Elemental Edicts of Elder Ichor.
Eren had effectively employed Echidna's powers as a conduit to access and manipulate Aleph's Elemental Edicts—a feat that even the fallen god himself had never contemplated. Aleph's affinity with the elements had always been innate, rendering his Edicts absolute and unwavering during his use.
In contrast, Eren's approach allowed him to wield Elder Ichor's bloodline abilities while still merely an Adept Ranker, even though he did it subconsciously under the effects of the State of Epiphany. Instead of wrestling control away from his adversaries, he had ingeniously altered his Mana Signatures to disrupt their spell effects.
Aleph found Eren's technique intriguing, possessing far more potential than Eren had likely realized. Rather than overpowering opponents through brute force, Eren could potentially exert control over their elemental abilities by manipulating the Elemental Edicts in this manner.
Furthermore, Aleph explained that Edicts were divine powers that enabled an individual to govern the manifestations of mana, intimately tied to the corresponding Edict. An Edict wielder could freely employ all the powers associated with their chosen Edict, with the environment responding to their will. They didn't need spells or Abilities to manifest these powers.
Within the boundless cosmos, the laws of Creation allowed Edict wielders to remain immune to negative consequences tied to mana manifestations related to their Edict. They could also dominate all manifestations in their vicinity, even if cast by someone other than the Edict wielder themselves.
For instance, during Eren and Alephee's spar within the Oni Dungeon, Eren harnessed the Edict of Fire to nullify spell effects and gain control over Alephee's spells. This was the power of an Edict that Eren had instinctively wielded on that occasion, allowing him to emerge unscathed from Alephee's dual-pronged attacks.
Aleph highlighted that wielding Edicts typically required the possession of a God Spark.
Without one, individuals could only manifest a lesser form of Edict known as Authority.
Authority was essentially an advanced level of control over Elemental Attainments, a manifestation of one's Individuality. However, under ordinary circumstances, lacking a God Spark meant Authority could not ascend to the status of an Edict.
Another distinction lay in the scope of usage. While Authority was limited to an individual's homeworld and could be contested by another Authority wielder, an Edict could be exercised anywhere by its wielder, regardless of their location or progress in the Paths to Power. Once established, an Edict remained unchallenged.
In essence, Authority represented the culmination of one's honed Ability, the natural evolution of their control. It then advanced to become an Edict—the next stage of this evolutionary progression. This was considering the wielders met the required criteria to advance them.
***
Aleph allowed Eren a moment of reflection before extending his guidance.
"Eren, I understand that your previous experience wielding my powers was largely subconscious, leaving you with only vague memories of it. So I don't expect you to wield the Edicts at the snap of your fingers. You see, this was what I meant when I said you are the least talented among all the Elder Seed inheritors. A lot of Elder Ichor's potential is still dormant within you.
However, this also demonstrates your inherent capability to flawlessly harness my Elemental Edicts, which you did by accessing my aspect of the Elder Ichor's powers. In the future, I want you to actively devote yourself to mastering the Elemental Edicts.
I recognize that doing so while remaining in Anfang may present challenges, but as you venture into other worlds, you'll find numerous opportunities to refine your proficiency with my abilities.
Actively seek out these chances, for they will pave the way for you to consciously wield my Edicts. This marks your initial step towards fully embracing my legacy.
As of now, you are yet to unlock the true might of the Elder Ichor."
AN: Eren subconsciously wields Aleph's Edict for the first time in "Chapter 740: Groundbreaking Bloodline Powers." The term Edict was first used in the same chapter as well. Authority was first mentioned in chapter 1213.
