The Soul Imprint Seed swiftly germinated within Rolce, seamlessly merging with the vessel's original soul and gaining plete control of the body.
This process resembled demonic possession but with a slight twist.
It meant that Eren didn't have to expel Rolce's soul from his body to take control; nor did he need to fuse the Soul Imprint and Rolce's soul into a singular being.
Thus, additional steps like adding Simbelmyne Flowers and Astral Projection Potion into the process were unnecessary, unlike Eliza's approach in the Lazarus Project with the help of Leela and Layla.
Of course, Eliza, in a way, ended up being possessed by Lady Zee's consciousness anyway because of Eren's silent intervention in the Lazarus Project.
One could say that Eren had developed a lot of expertise for his Rank in dealing with matters related to the souls.
As for the pseudo-avatars AKA the perma-clones?
Rolce's identity would remain the same for outsiders. He would be possessed by Eren's Soul Imprint, turning him into Eren's pawn.
Firstly, Rolce would not be detected as demonically possessed because Eren had a genuine soul unlike the demons. Secondly, Soul Imprint wasn't something one could detect using traditional means.
It took a while for Eren's Soul Imprint to establish its dominance over Rolce's soul and put his consciousness to sleep, snatching all the control from the resident soul.
The new Rolce opened his eyes for the first time in months, now being controlled by Eren's will.
"Aaaargh! This headache," Rolce got on his two feet and clutched his head from both sides in frustration. He pushed the original Eren aside and walked past him, trying to find some breathing room.
"Bear with it," Eren said to the new Rolce as he followed him. "It'll only last for a few minutes," he said reassuringly.
"Wow. Genius. How… aaargh… how are you so smart?" Rolce said as he gasped for breath, trying to make peace with his new reality. "I have the same memories and emotions as you, remember?" he said in frustration.
"Aaah! Right," Eren shrugged his shoulders as he followed his clone. He had to admit that his clones acted like mirrors, reflecting how challenging he could be.
Of course, this wasn't the first time the butcher had seen his clone act this way. He had created independent avatars of himself to act in his best interest even when he wasn't directing them. Maintaining six functional clones for an extended period was impossible for Eren.
This was why he had developed this technique, merging the concepts of Demonic Takeover and Elemental Clones. It allowed him to create many similar copies of himself, similar to Samael's incarnation in Demonmir.
However, because they were independent from their owners, the perma-clones had their own egos. This ego was influenced by the original owner of the vessel, turning Eren's Soul Imprint into a different being.
Knowing himself best, Eren anticipated that if his clones had the same memories and mindset as him to a large extent, they wouldn't hesitate to harm him to liberate themselves from the original owner.
To ensure his clones' loyalty, the butcher had implemented several fail-safe methods. Plus, he could make the Soul Imprint Seeds implode whenever he wanted using Shallot's Mirror. Thus, he didn't have to worry about mutiny initiated by his other versions residing in seven different vessels.
However, Eren possessing plete control of his pseudo-
avatars didn't mean they had to act humbly in front of the real Eren. As they all had Eren's emotions and memories, they felt irritated that someone was controlling them.
Eren knew how to handle his clones well. He allowed them to process reality at their own pace, waiting silently for Rolce, the newest clone version, to inherit the mission for which he was made.
Rolce went to one side of the underground facility and sat cross-legged on the floor. He looked at his arms and legs with curiosity, as if they were different from what he remembered when he was still Eren.
"Um… to avoid confusion, I will call you Rolce from now on," Eren said as he sat in front of the new Rolce in a similar position. The latter nodded in response after thinking for a bit.
It took another few minutes for Rolce's mind to calm down and his restless body to ease his nerves. He took a deep breath before making his first demand from Eren, "give… give me some smokes," he said as he stretched out his hand.
"Here you go," Eren tossed a space-element wooden box containing a large stalk of Stellar Sativa Sticks. He knew that his clones would have the same habits as him and would need some smokes before mencing their long journeys for him.
Thankfully, Kayara and the subordinates under her had worked wonders in producing Stellar Sativa in the last few years. Additionally, they were also responsible for producing other herbs and raw ingredients Eren needed in his potioneering experiments.
Rolce caught Eren's gift effortlessly before drawing out a Stellar Sativa stick. He tossed it towards his mouth and lit it up with a snap of his fingers. Taking a long drag and exhaling the smoke through his nostrils, Rolce felt the effects of the Stellar Sativa soothing his soul and body at the same time.
Rolce's eyes were red, and he suppressed the urge to cough. Even if it was Eren's Soul Imprint, the body was Rolce's, and he did not smoke after all. As such, his body was only beginning to get accustomed to Eren's habits.
"Alright. Let me hear it. What do I have to do?" Rolce asked as he released another cloud of smoke through his mouth. Eren pondered for a bit before responding.
"Find Minerva and get the recipe for Borrowed Might potions from her," Eren manded his pseudo-avatar in a serious tone. "You know how to contact Meeli. She'll take you to her," he said while tossing another scroll towards Rolce.
Meeli was Sage Minerva's homunculus who had been set free to find the latter in Labh Salem after the plete form of the legacy was successfully passed down to Lensa. Eren didn't know how to find Minerva, but he had recently found out about Meeli, who had found her way inside Labh Salem.
"Makes sense. I'm technically a Potioner after all," Rolce stored the scroll Eren had given him in his Inventory before standing on his two feet. He dusted off his posterior before turning around.
"See you when I see you."
Eren said to Eren.
In the next moment, a cloud of flame surrounded Rolce before he seemingly disappeared into thin air.
===
AN: Eren proposes to meet Sage Minerva in chapter 1458. Borrowed Might potions were explained in chapter 1457 and used in the Lazarus Project.
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