Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil
chapter-1884

In the dimly lit underground facility of Siren's Sanctuary, multiple stone platforms stood in organized rows, each etched with intricate runic details.

These platforms served as the operational stage for Eren's experiments. Using the fiends' help, Eren arranged for every prisoner to lay flat on the platforms before shackling their limbs to it using the runic details.

"Here goes nothing."

With a swift gesture, Eren activated the Array Formation, the runic symbols on the platforms glowing with a faint light.

"Ugh!" Ugh!" The gagged prisoners tried to register their protests. However, they were forced to lay on the stone platform by Ashton and Hilda.

As the prisoners, their faces etched with fear and resignation, were ushered onto the platforms by Ashton and Hilda one after the other, Eren's expression remained neutral. He raised his hand, and glass vials filled with a crimson liquid levitated from a nearby table, positioning themselves above each prisoner's head.

"Drink."

With a silent command, the vials emptied themselves, forcefully pouring the liquid into the open mouths of the prisoners. Their bodies jerked involuntarily as Eren took control, manipulating their movements with precision using the Array Formation.

Once the prisoners had ingested the concoction, Eren began the experiment. He channeled his mana into the array, the runic symbols pulsating with power as they interacted with the prisoners' mana cores.

A surge of magical energy enveloped the platform, causing the prisoners to convulse as their mana cores were subjected to intense manipulation.

Eren's brow furrowed in concentration as he monitored the intricate process.

Eren wanted to harness the power of seven mana cores into one using the experimental results he had obtained so far.

Within the confines of his underground laboratory, he meticulously arranged the prisoners, positioning one at the center of each small circle, with seven others encircling them. The runic patterns etched into the ground around them resembled the intricate orbits of celestial bodies revolving around stars within planetary systems.

Each prisoner within the central circle served as the focal point for the manifestation of the sevenfold mana core. Drawing upon his years of experience, Eren adeptly transformed the surrounding prisoners into pseudo-avatars of their central counterparts.

Just like that, two days passed in the experiment.

The experiment was about to reach its conclusion. And there were not many mishaps observed.

Though Eren had honed the technique to near perfection, he hesitated to subject himself to its final stages without thorough testing. Instead, he subjected three designated targets and their corresponding pseudo-avatars to harsh and merciless experiments.

As the experiments unfolded, the prisoners' bodies convulsed in response to the surge of energy, their faces contorted in agony as their mana cores were agitated to their limits.

By this point, the experiment started to take its toll on Eren's Spirit Force and mana reserves as well. The support provided by the Array Formation was limited after all. And there were many things that Eren needed to regulate manually in the experiments.

Eren uncorked several potions and gulped them down one after the other. He had already prepared these concoctions to aid him in his experiments. Eren had already made the three targets drink potions of various kinds to stabilize their conditions.

One could say that Eren's experiments relied on his mastery over multiple fields. From the Array Formations, and Hex Artifact forging to potion-making, Eren had used every single of his expertise he had gained over the years to make these experiments a success.

Towards the end, Eren started to feel some exhaustion. His helpers Ashton and Hilda who had manned two of the Array Eyes also felt some troubles continuing ahead. Yet, the experiment was at its peak and needed to be completed as soon as one could.

Undeterred, Eren pressed on, his determination unwavering as he pushed the boundaries of magical augmentation to unprecedented heights.

However…

Swooh. Zoom. Boom.

A muffled blast of flesh. The cracking of bones and spilling of blood.

One of the three target prisoners and the seven pseudo- avatars surrounding him succumbed to the overload of the mana core, resulting in their untimely demise. The death of the central figure triggered a chain reaction, causing all seven pseudo-avatars to meet the same fate, resulting in the loss of eight lives simultaneously.

Eren gained an epiphany from this death.

"I understand now. I must compensate for the variance in mana concentration among the individuals, using those with higher levels to balance out the lower ones, with myself acting as the mediator. This way, I can achieve a uniform sevenfold mana core without encountering as many complications in maintaining its operability.

Basically, I can find a median mana core by averaging out the mana core concentrations of all seven mana cores. Then I can use my original mana core as a base for hosting the seven uniformed mana cores," Eren reflected inwardly as he surveyed the grim aftermath, the lifeless forms of the eight prisoners serving as a stark reminder of the risks involved.

Eren didn't try to forcefully change the results of the abnormal values he found in the experiment. Instead, after a certain threshold was hit, he let the prisoners meet their eventual fate. After all, he could also learn many things from his failures.

'Haa! Time to take a breather.'

Taking a moment to regroup, Eren paused the experiment, providing a much-needed respite for Ashton and Hilda. After a brief interlude, he resumed the trial with renewed determination and a wealth of knowledge gained from the previous setback.

As the experiment resumed, the second target and their accompanying pseudo-avatars met a similar fate, their bodies succumbing to the overwhelming force within. The barriers erected around each circle contained the resulting carnage, ensuring that the repercussions of one circle's failure did not affect the others.

However, the prisoners in the third circle survived the process. In the end, a sevenfold mana core was harnessed within the target surrounded by seven pseudo-avatars of himself.

"Finally!" Eren's gaze swept over the scene, a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes as he observed the results of his experimentation.

"I guess there's no reason to hesitate anymore," Eren looked at the eight surviving prisoners and thought to himself, his hands clenched into fists in determination.