Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

1706 Witches' Sabbath

'Hmm. so it's like a do-it-yourself fiend transformation.'

Eren thought to himself as he processed Roza's words. He could guess that such fiend transformation would allow its users to wield their demonic powers with greater efficiency and effectiveness than before.

The reason why the den dwellers were conducting the demonic rituals was to make themselves more attuned to their demonic nature. This way, they would be better prepared to receive the blessing they could get from the Hvergelmir Springs.

The demonic ritual Eren had thwarted by raiding the den was not an isolated incident. Such rituals were taking place all across Labh Salem as the legend about the Hvergelmir Springs grew.

These preparations were out in the open when it came to the continents governed by the demonic entities. For example, on the continent of Epas where Alephee was, the covens of witches were congregating and conducting demonic rituals en masse.

The coven of witches had named this period in Labh Salem as Witches' Sabbath. They wanted to grow their influence in Labh Salem more than ever before as they sensed the day of Hvergelmir Springs drawing near.

The witches had initiated confrontations with their primary adversaries, the Amazonians, to ensure the success of the Sabbath. Simultaneously, they began infiltrating other continents to extend their demonic influence, all in preparation for the approaching Hvergelmir Springs.

As the Hvergelmir Springs approached, demonic entities found themselves reaching peak strength. The impending event accelerated their progress, granting access to a broader and more potent array of Skills.

Labh Salem seemed to lean towards the demonic faction in anticipation of the Hvergelmir Springs, presenting the faction with an opportunity to claim the entire realm. Sensing this advantageous moment, the demonic faction aimed to seize control.

Contrastingly, the divine side opted for a cautious approach. Preferring to maintain their positions until the conclusion of the Witches' Sabbath, the divine side understood the cyclical nature of the cosmos. They anticipated that the laws governing the boundless cosmos would create an opportune moment post-Hvergelmir Springs, when the demonic faction would be at its weakest, allowing for a decisive strike.

In the boundless cosmos, a natural ebb and flow dictated that what rises must eventually face a decline, and what rests at the bottom will ascend to great heights.

'I sure chose an apt time to be here,' Eren smiled to himself as he understood the undercurrent flowing in Labh Salem. 'Or perhaps, the reason Hvergelmir Springs is going to appear in Labh Salem is because of me? Am I important enough for something like that? Or is it just a coincidence?'

In the end, Eren concluded that it was nothing but a coincidence. This was because the demonic faction had already started acting on its intentions even before he landed in Labh Salem. It meant that the appearance of the Hvergelmir Springs was bound to happen one way or the other whether he came to Labh Salem or not.

'I don't believe in destiny crap. My choice to come to Labh Salem was purely driven by my desire to obtain 'that' Elder Seed Artifact. I shape my reality. If I believe this to be a coincidence, it will stay as a coincidence for me,' the butcher clenched his fists and decided.

Bang!

Roza ran into Eren as they both were lost in their chain of thoughts. Roza's head was buried in his chest and the latter was scared for life. She thought that she had done something unforgivable and disrespectful.

"Ma… ma… my liege… I… I am sor.."

"It's fine. It was my mistake too," Eren cut Roza off before she could convey her apology in a shaken voice.

'Damn. Is this the same demon who had possessed Reva Rain– the Paladin of Pain?'

Eren questioned himself as he read the fearful expressions on Roza's face. He had to say that he wouldn't have imagined Vepar's demonic incarnations would be so different from each other.

Reva Rain was a cruel and sadistic Ranker who took pride in torturing people for her own benefit or fun. Or both. She was as cunning as a hyena and as ruthless as Eren himself. In fact, one could say that Reva Rain contributed significantly to making Eren who he was at this point by torturing him in his previous timeline.

'Perhaps the demons can only act as augmenters for something that already exists in one's heart. Reva was already rotten before she was possessed. Or because she was already rotten did she become a demonic Ranker, allowing Vepar to possess her easily?

'Or perhaps I scared her so much while she was possessing Reva that it changed her,' Eren chuckled as he remembered what he had done to Reva Rain before finally claiming her life.

'I guess I need to learn more about demons and how they possess someone. I also need to learn what happens to the demons after a successful possession.'

Eren had already been fascinated with how demons possessed living beings, turning them into demonic entities willingly or through coercion. He wanted to mimic their possession technique and use it to his advantage.

After all, he had Shallot's Mirror, an Elder Seed artifact that could allow him to cast his soul's shadow without having to split his soul. So he didn't have to split his soul to achieve similar results.

'A lot of my projects can start here while I'm in Labh Salem. I just need a quiet place and a steady supply of resources to get started. It's good that I have one of 72 Ars Goetia demons under my command. I can learn a lot from her,' Eren concluded as he decided to make use of Roza even more thoroughly.

'It would have been a bit easier for me to do things in Labh Salem if Alephee was here with me, providing me with the right information from the start. I guess I'll have to do things the hard way.'

Eren sighed dramatically before bringing Roza closer to him once again. He brought her face closer to his before planting his lips on hers. The latter was startled by Eren's approach. But after her initial hesitation and trepidation, Roza was able to reciprocate.

AN: Technically speaking, this chapter marks the final upload for the year 2023. Wishing all VEH readers a happy new year. See you in 2024. Cheers. :)