Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Time possessed a transformative power capable of altering the very fabric of any world, given a sufficient duration.

It was ironic that some Hexers, originally tasked with combating the insidious presence of demons, succumbed to the lure of personal gain and strayed from their noble purpose.

In their quest for power and wealth, they exploited their Hex magic, betraying the essence of its creation. As a consequence, these wayward Hexers became entangled with clandestine underground organizations, participating in ethically questionable activities that tarnished the reputation of the entire Hexer community. The resulting internal conflicts among the various Hexers' Creeds further eroded unity and trust, leaving the prospect of establishing a united front increasingly elusive.

During this tumultuous period, Anfang descended into chaos. Matters worsened when the Titans invaded the world, intensifying the already dire situation. As a result, the credibility of the Hexers in Anfang was significantly diminished, prompting many kingdoms to rely on ordinary rankers in large numbers to combat the threats within their borders. The use of multi-class-based squads became prevalent, allowing for more efficient handling of various challenges.

The creation of Hex gear was a direct response to the demonic forces. As such, it was designed to be incompatible with demonic rankers. However, a peculiar discovery occurred when the half-blood forces acquired Hex gear. They found themselves exceptionally compatible with the Hex gear, experiencing a significant Hex amplification of their powers compared to regular rankers.

The half-blood forces, while not being true demons, had bloodline connections to these demonic beings. Their unique status as demonkin allowed them easy access to both divine and demonic magic, as their mortal vessels were receptive to both forms of power. This dual compatibility granted the half-bloods tremendous advantages and the potential to tip the scales in any conflict, leading to resentment from regular Rankers within Anfang.

The half-blood forces, despite being relegated to the shadows by the Anfang Alliance following the Calamity War, held on to their knowledge of Hex gear creation.

But after Edgar showed himself out in the open, their struggle against oppression started once again. It propelled them out of the shadows and into the forefront of the battle. Naturally, they saw fit to place mass production orders for Eren to fulfill.

The time for concealment had passed, and they were determined to utilize the power of Hex gear to confront their oppressors directly. There was no longer any reason to refrain from employing Hex gear in their fight for freedom.

***

The similarities between Elder Seed Artifacts and Hex Artifacts lay in their shared classification as spiritual artifacts, operating on the principles of intent-based magic.

Hex Artifacts, often referred to as pseudo-Elder Seed Artifacts, were created by deities and their followers in an attempt to replicate the essence of the true Elder Artifacts. While Hex Artifacts possessed significant growth potential, they were limited by the absence of a crucial component in their creation—the Elder Ichor blood.

Eren's curiosity led him to inquire about producing Elder Seed Artifacts, considering his own Elder Ichor bloodline. However, Alephee cautioned him, explaining that crafting Elder Seed Artifacts was a far more complex endeavor than creating Hex gear.

Even crafting Hex Artifacts required substantial skill and experience, which Eren currently lacked. Alephee humorously remarked that Eren would need to be reborn just to learn the basics of such high-level artifact forging and gain the necessary experience.

Instead, Alephee advised Eren to focus on honing his skills in crafting Hex artifacts first. She emphasized that mastering the creation of transcendent-grade artifacts would be a crucial step in his journey.

While transcendent-grade artifacts didn't rely on intent-based magic, they had the unique ability to grow alongside their wielders through the bonding of a mortal soul residing within the weapon. This bond was solidified by the wielder's blood.

By employing traditional methods and materials, a skilled weaponsmith could bind souls of various origins to the artifacts, transforming them into weapon spirits. This integration of weapon spirits and the transcendent-grade weapons allowed both the weapon and the embedded beast soul to evolve in tandem with the wielder's progression.

Baelin's decision to create transcendent-grade artifacts before attempting Spiritual Artifacts was deliberate. He ensured that the weapons he crafted were capable of hosting a soul through the use of Soul Seed Insertion. Baelin then bound the soul of a recently slain wyvern to the transcendent-grade weapon, utilizing Shallot's Mirror in the process.

Through careful adjustments to the magical runes and meticulous fine-tuning, the dormant soul within the weapon was awakened, transforming it into a spiritual artifact.

Transcendent-grade artifacts could be seen as a bridge between regular artifacts and spiritual artifacts. While Hex Artifacts represented failed attempts at creating Elder Seed Artifacts, transcendent-grade artifacts could be regarded as an outcome of incomplete Hex Artifact production, possessing unique qualities and characteristics.

The majority of transcendent-grade artifacts housed dormant consciousness, which remained inactive most of the time. However, their unique connection to spiritual energy allowed these artifacts to accommodate Rankers of various statuses.

Take, for instance, Eren's acquisition of the transcendent-grade artifact, Ogre Lord's Labrys, during the Titus tournament. Within this weapon resided the slumbering soul of a formidable entity. As Eren advanced in rank and entered the Expert Rank, the runic details etched upon the Labrys spontaneously shifted, aligning the weapon with his current level.

This transformation not only enhanced Eren's proficiency in wielding the artifact but also personalized it to suit his specific needs, courtesy of the weapon spirit's subconscious adjustments.

While alternative weaponsmith techniques existed to bypass the creation of transcendent-grade artifacts in order to derive Hex artifacts, their success rate remained considerably low. Crafting transcendent-grade artifacts provided a more viable path for Eren as an aspiring artifact forger compared to directly producing Hex artifacts.

By commencing with the crafting of transcendent-grade artifacts, Eren gradually accumulated the necessary expertise, allowing him to advance step by step. Ultimately, he achieved a level of mastery where he successfully forged Hex artifacts out of every ten attempts, which was considered a remarkable success rate.