Around 350 Rankers accompanying Adam Stone assumed their positions and prepared for battle.
They decided to attack Eren's allies in groups, leveraging their numerical advantage.
Adam had even kept two Master Rankers as backup in case the renowned Grimdawn played any trump cards. Despite his bold claims, Adam had no intention of underestimating Eren.
Initiating a conversation with him was a way to analyze Eren's reactions and assess his strengths. He could tell that he needed to be wary of Naya and Alephee who were with Eren at the time.
Even then, he was only concerned about their surekill moves and forbidden spells. Beside these two, there was no real threat for the Berserker.
Only after confirming that everything was under control did Adam decide to confront Eren directly.
***
"Haah! You've let success go to your head, Eren."
Adam Stone said with a contemptuous voice. Disregarding Eren's cold and callous gaze, he continued.
"What the fuck are you looking at? Listen here now… The title of Grimdawn is ill-suited for you. It's meant for those who will usher in a new dawn for the Kingdom of Edinburgh when it's shrouded in its darkest hour.
Let me kill you and take it for myself. That title will be better suited for me in the future, now that I ensure you get killed in this ground.
May your treacherous blood be offered as a sacrifice to this earth, that it may bless our lands."
The Grandmaster-ranked Berserker declared with a chilling resolve.
Adam Stone declared, tightening his grip on his dual weapons. He wore a confident smile, and his aura surged with excitement at the prospect of facing someone like Eren. He wanted to assert his dominance as a Grandmaster Ranker over Eren and bully him.
He believed that killing Eren on the battlefield might grant him new insights into Elemental Attainments, considering Eren's versatility with elemental spells.
Eren couldn't help but smack his forehead with his palm upon hearing Adam Stone's words. He slowly brought his hand down, revealing a weariness in his expression. He had many arguments to counter Adam's claims, but in the end, he decided it was futile to explain and instead tapped into his bloodline powers.
"Alright! Rejoice, Adam. You got yourself a deal. Let's settle this in a more violent way."
Eren replied in a neutral, emotionless tone as he locked eyes with the Grandmaster Ranker. He was cautious of Adam's Rank, but not intimidated by the man himself.
The presence of 350 Rankers on Adam's side was also a concern, but it didn't mean he would alter his plans due to these obstacles. It was time for him to reveal another trump card that would change the tide in his favor altogether.
The butcher had prepared many measures against any potential obstacles like these. He wanted to keep them hidden as much as he could so as not to alert Eliza anymore than he already had.
But that didn't mean he wouldn't ever use them.
Amidst the rapidly shifting battlefield, as he prepared to confront Adam Stone and his forces, Eren underwent a transformation, adopting his Potion Expert Class.
Until now, this class had been primarily employed for crafting potions, offering little advantage in combat compared to his other classes. Moreover, Eren had concealed his unique ability to alter his Classes on the fly using his bloodline.
After all, it was something that was too unbelievable for the Rankers of Anfang to grasp. For years, he had kept these powers hidden, but now, he was willing to reveal some of his cards to gain the decisive edge in battle that he sought.
As Eren shifted into his Potion Expert Class, a peculiar mana surge coursed through him. His hair threatened to turn white, and his entire aura underwent a sudden transformation. His very essence appeared altered, making him appear an enigmatic entity in the eyes of both factions' Rankers.
Despite the gasps and astonished expressions of his enemies, Eren remained undistracted. He brushed aside their threats and labels, keeping his focus firmly on the impending confrontation with Adam Stone.
While the Grandmaster Ranker was momentarily taken aback by Eren's transformation, it did not deter him from his purpose as he advanced towards Eren. And this battle awareness was about to cause him a lot of harm.
Eren's allies followed closely behind him, ready to engage their respective adversaries. Adam's comrades mirrored this approach, moving in groups to confront Eren's subordinates with the aim of swiftly overpowering them.
However, just as Eren's forces and Adam's forces stood on the brink of a collision, something unusual and unexpected occurred. Shadows among the Rankers from Edinburgh's side seemed to come to life, separating themselves and casting an area-of-effect shadow-element spell.
Grimdawn was the source of this spell.
With a wave of his hand, Eren tapped into his powers as a Potion Expert, summoning a cluster of potion vials. With a simple snap of his fingers, these vials vanished into thin air, just as they had appeared.
Adam and his allies soon realized that the potion vials had been absorbed by the shadows, causing the once inert shadows to stir with an eerie restlessness.
Swoosh. Swoosh. Swoosh.
Myriad Potioneering!
This was a power Eren acquired by devouring Sebastian Slughorn, who bestowed it upon him. The potions Eren employed were the very ones he had acquired with the help of Jiana Jihang from the Brewmaster's Bounty.
Sebastian Slughorn intended to use Brewmaster's Bounty, his ship, to reach the kingdom of Layos and start a new life there. However, Eren intercepted him before he could do so and ultimately killed him.
Eren absorbed Sebastian's knowledge over the years, finally unlocking Sebastian's signature Ability Myriad Potioneering, granting him the title of the Myriad Potioner.
Along with this newfound power, Eren also confiscated the potions Sebastian was carrying as collateral for his stay in the kingdom of Layos. These potions could be used against Edinburgh Rankers in the battle after all.
Layos was very interested in acquiring these potions from Sebastian. That's why it had offered the Myriad Potioner and his clan with such a life-rebooting offer in the first place.
At this point, these potions revealed themselves on the bloody battlefield.
AN: Eren destroys Brewmaster's Bounty and acquires Ranker-specific debuff potions concocted by Sebastian Slughorn in chapter 1282.
