As expected—
After confirming the Ancient One's true purpose,
Though Eren was tempted by her offer, he ultimately shook his head.
"Sorry, but I'll have to disappoint you, Sorcerer Supreme. I came upon this array by chance—I don't actually know how to construct it."
The Byron Conversion Array was something Eren had exchanged for using the fragments of the Destroyer at the Scales of Fate.
Not only did he lack the knowledge of how to build it, he didn't even understand the principles behind its operation.
So how could he possibly trade a method he didn't possess?
"…I see."
The Ancient One stared at him for a few seconds in silence.
Her tranquil expression didn't reveal much—perhaps she had expected this answer, or perhaps she was reconsidering her next move.
But with her silence, a strange aura began to spread from her body.
At the same time, a terrifying pressure—seemingly from all directions—descended upon Eren, suffocating him.
Cold sweat soaked his back instantly, and his mental field—still in its meditative state—screamed warnings.
It was as if death itself stood before him, about to rip him apart in the next breath.
Under this immense pressure, Eren's vision even began to warp and twist.
For a moment, within his distorted field of vision, it looked like something was trying to break free from behind the Ancient One.
And beneath her golden robes, thin cracks were forming—dark slits filled with squirming crimson eyes pressing outward—
Then, suddenly—
That crushing pressure vanished without a trace.
"Hah… Hah…"
Eren gasped for breath like a drowning man, finally breaking the surface. He greedily sucked in fresh air, shaken and pale.
Meanwhile—
The Ancient One had once again returned to her gentle, serene demeanor.
She turned slightly, looking toward the ceiling of Eren's room at the Byron Conversion Array and sighed regretfully.
"What a pity…"
With a soft exhale, she turned back to Eren and said, "Although it's unfortunate I can't get the construction method, this marvelous array is still of great importance to me. If possible, I'd like to trade for the array itself. Of course… you may refuse."
Refuse…?
Do I really have that choice?
Eren met her smile—which was just as warm and calm as before—
But deep inside, a chill crept up his spine.
That moment of pressure had contained a trace of killing intent.
And it was that single, fleeting flicker of killing intent that had triggered his mental field's panicked warnings.
It was then that Eren clearly understood—
The Sorcerer Supreme before him was far from the harmless monk she appeared to be.
He had already brushed against her threshold for tolerance. If he pushed further—
Would she really hesitate to kill him?
Could he, in his current state, resist her at all?
From the small glimpse of her strength earlier, Eren knew he didn't stand a chance.
If she decided to eliminate him—
Even if he used everything at his disposal, he likely wouldn't escape. Not from someone who possessed the Eye of Agamotto.
Worse, given her mastery over time—
She might even trace faint clues in the timeline and uncover his connection to his alternate self, Joker.
And if she decided to erase his clone as well—
That would be the end.
For the first time,
Eren felt death looming this close.
And with it came a crushing sense of powerlessness.
In that moment, his thoughts raced.
His mind whirled at lightning speed, and one phrase from earlier surfaced:
"According to the teachings passed down by the Sorcerer Supremes, when encountering an anomaly like you, I should erase you before you disturb the balance of the world…"
Now that he thought about it—
Had the Ancient One already predicted this scenario?
If he refused her again—
Would she carry out that duty?
Countless thoughts surged through his mind—but none showed on his face.
Thanks to his meditative discipline and the control granted by his potion-infused body, Eren kept his expression utterly composed.
After a long pause, he looked up at the Byron Conversion Array with reluctant eyes and said,
"As someone who lives on this planet, of course I don't want to see otherworldly horrors descend and destroy everything. If this thing can help you…"
He forced a smile. "Then take it."
With a gesture—
The array, previously hidden in the void, reappeared.
The golden chains that had pierced through space quickly retracted, shrinking into lines of golden runes.
Soon, the entire Byron Conversion Array compressed into a palm-sized sigil, resting in Eren's hand.
He explained how to use it—
Then handed it over.
If he had already decided to "pay to avoid calamity," then there was no need for hesitation.
Even his expression, aside from a touch of reluctance, remained composed.
...
The Ancient One took the array and, following Eren's explanation, quickly learned how to activate and control it.
After testing it briefly, she tucked the now-tiny formation into her wide golden sleeve.
Having gotten what she wanted—
Her mood clearly improved.
Even the oppressive presence Eren had sensed earlier faded significantly.
After a few moments of thought—
She twirled her left hand, and a small portal laced with golden-red sparks opened beside her.
Reaching into it, she withdrew a shimmering golden stone.
She held it out to Eren and explained,
"This is the Philosopher's Stone. Created by Grandmaster Lemay at the peak of his alchemical mastery, inspired by the legendary Reality Gem. It holds the power to transmute matter."
"After Lemay's death, the stone passed through many hands—until it came to mine."
"Though there are limits to its power, especially for transmutation, it's still a priceless artifact. In the mundane world, its value is unimaginable."
"In some ways, it may even surpass your array. I believe this is a fair trade."
Eren raised his brows in surprise.
"The Philosopher's Stone… I never thought it actually existed."
He studied it with interest, then accepted it.
The Ancient One demonstrated how it worked briefly—
Then, finding an excuse, opened another portal and left.
...
But she didn't return to the ruined Sanctum in New York.
Nor to the central stronghold of Kamar-Taj.
Instead, she arrived at an ancient temple perched atop a mountain peak—
Shrouded in eternal mist, the temple was invisible to the eye, impossible for satellites to detect, cloaked by powerful illusions.
As she stepped inside, fires lit themselves along the walls, casting warm flickers through the shadowy hall.
At the heart of the chamber—
The Ancient One raised her hand.
The Byron Conversion Array, compressed in her palm, burst into light and expanded a thousandfold, filling the room.
Bathed in golden brilliance, she sat cross-legged at the center of the hall.
A stone platform rose, lifting her into the air.
Then—
With a swift movement, she formed a seal with her hands.
The massive formation pulsed.
Golden chains shot out—
And pierced directly into her body.
Crack—crack—
With the ringing of the runes, thick black mists began pouring from within her.
They twisted and fought, trying to return—but the golden chains held firm, dragging the darkness into the core of the array.
A massive golden millstone began to grind—
And the black energy was crushed, shattered, transformed.
If Eren were there—
He would've noticed something crucial.
The dark energy being extracted from the Ancient One was far more potent than anything previously pulled from the void.
Faced with such power—
Even the chains and millstone of the formation were pushed to their limits.
But as it worked—
The once-black energy began to fade and purify, taking on a golden hue.
Meanwhile, the Ancient One's expression revealed traces of pain, followed by relief.
Though her aura dimmed with every ounce of darkness removed—
Her face showed a rare lightness.
As if a heavy burden had finally been lifted.
Within that ancient hall—
To stop the Dark Dimension's corruption from consuming her, the Ancient One continued extracting it using the Byron Conversion Array.
Then—
A chill wind swept through the mountain temple.
The flames flickered.
And in their shadows…
A strange figure appeared.
Just for a second.
In the Ancient One's shadow.
...
Long after the portal vanished—
Eren, blank-faced, finally looked away.
He patted Oddball's head to soothe its frustration.
Then turned and returned to his room.
Once inside, he closed his eyes.
And began to visualize the Cosmic Brain Meditation Technique.
Using that link to the natural laws of the universe—
His spiritual perception expanded several times.
After three hours of silent meditation, sensing no prying eyes—
He moved.
In a flash, his spirit slipped into the Scales of Fate.
And only then—
Did the tension he'd been holding since the Ancient One's arrival finally release.
Like peeling away a false shell, he allowed himself to relax completely.
Holding the Philosopher's Stone—which he had taken with him—
Eren's expression darkened.
"…Ancient One…"
(End of Chapter)
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