Alaric wasn't surprised by this. Using one form of pollution to purge another was bound to be a painful process. So, he merely monitored the situation on the other side, and when it reached its limit, he swiftly severed the connection between the Nyarlathotep fragment and the other party.
Once the screams from the other side faded, Alaric turned to Bethel beside him and said with a smile, "It seems to have worked."
"..."
As the same being, past Bethel could naturally confirm that Alaric's recent action had some effect. The pollution had been partially covered and erased by another force.
The problem, however, was that the pollution Alaric unleashed seemed even more overpowering than the Outer Deities' influence, laced with a madness that could unsettle the mind. Had Alaric delayed even a few minutes longer, He might have been looking at a future of losing His sanity entirely.
So, was He really not just trading one Outer Deity's grasp for another's?
Bethel was deeply skeptical.
"But in truth, losing your mind is better than dying or becoming a plaything for the Outer Deities, isn't it? At least if you lose your mind, there's still a chance to recover." Alaric said, clearly reading His thoughts. He added abruptly, "Trust me, I'm well-versed in both temporary and permanent madness. I can offer you some top-notch psychological analysis."
"..."
Do you even hear yourself?
Past Bethel gave him a look and said, "I believe you. Really."
"Alright, alright, I'll admit there was a slight mishap, but what can you do? It was my first try, so it's normal to be a bit rusty." Alaric said, spreading his hands with an innocent grin. He continued, "Trust me, though the first attempt was a bit rough, once I get the hang of it, I'll definitely be able to clear your pollution without turning you into a lunatic."
"Let's hope so." Past Bethel replied, left with little choice but to sigh.
At that moment, Alaric heard Mr. Door's faintly weakened voice in his ear again: "Who are you?"
"I'm Alaric Zoroast. Sure, I told a few fibs to your polluted personality earlier, but this one's the truth." Alaric replied smoothly, knowing full well that the one speaking to him now was Mr. Door himself.
Though the process of purging the pollution had been somewhat crude, Nyarlathotep's power had indeed helped suppress the contamination within the other party, restoring temporary clarity.
All in all, the strategy of fighting poison with poison was largely a success... it just needed to be handled carefully. Otherwise, Nyarlathotep's power might genuinely drive Mr. Door into permanent madness.
Mr. Door, on the other side, seemed unsure whether to believe him and said, "I don't think I know you."
"You don't know me now, but your past self does." Alaric replied with a cheerful grin, stating a fact that sounded utterly contradictory. "In truth, Mr. Door, I made a deal with your past self. What just happened was a sort of trial run."
Mr. Door was likely a bit dazed. Until Alaric released the summoning, He wouldn't inherit the memories of the shadow of time, so naturally, He knew nothing of the deal Alaric spoke of.
At that moment, past Bethel spoke up. "I'll help you create the alternate space you want, but it'll take time. You probably can't summon me for long, can you?" His last words carried a hint of probing.
"No need to test me, Bethel. I indeed can't summon you for long. Going against the flow of time isn't exactly a walk in the park, even for me." Alaric said openly. Some things couldn't be hidden, so he might as well be upfront.
Past Bethel wasn't surprised. If such a reality-defying ability could be used without limit, He'd be more worried about the safety of this world.
After a moment's thought, past Bethel said, "Beyond that, I'll need some materials. Some I can craft myself, but others will require raw resources…" He then listed a slew of items, mostly spiritual materials, precious metals, gems, and the like.
Alaric listened quietly, mentally noting each item, planning to fleece some resources from the True Creator's boss next time. When Bethel finished, Alaric asked with curiosity, "I thought you'd need something higher-grade, like high-sequence characteristics of the Apprentice pathway…"
"If there were high-sequence characteristics of the Apprentice pathway, that would be ideal, but I suspect there aren't many Secrets Sorcerers left in this world, let alone anything higher." Past Bethel said, shaking His head. If such characteristics existed, He could fulfill Alaric's request more effectively, but He could guess there were likely few high-sequence Apprentices left.
"How about I pay a visit to your family?" Alaric asked, stroking his chin with a seemingly constructive suggestion.
"…I'll do my best to meet your needs without those characteristics." Past Bethel replied tactfully after a brief pause.
The unspoken message was clear: My descendants are already struggling enough; please don't make things worse for them.
"Fair enough, I respect your wishes." Alaric said, not pressing the issue. He could, of course, raid the Abraham family, but that would clearly antagonize Mr. Door... why bother? The Abraham family's best assets were merely Level 0 Sealed Artifacts, which came with severe drawbacks. It'd be far easier to cozy up to Mr. Door later and borrow his power or convince him to do the work.
Seeing that Alaric seemed to genuinely drop the idea of visiting His descendants, past Bethel couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Truth be told, Bethel's view of Alaric was complicated. The man was mysterious, powerful, and daunting, yet he seemed to be trying to save Him. He didn't appear to harbor ill will toward this world, but just when Bethel started to feel at ease, Alaric exuded that familiar trickster vibe.
That was precisely why Bethel wasn't keen on letting his family descendants cross paths with Alaric.
It was obvious: even sealed, the Abraham family still had its foundation. If His descendants were even slightly competent, they wouldn't have fallen to the point of being practically nonexistent.
... In that brief minute earlier, Bethel had deliberately searched for information on the Abraham family and found nothing. That was the real issue.
With His descendants in such a state, what could Bethel expect from them? If they recklessly engaged with Alaric, they'd likely be devoured without a trace.
"That's just a stereotype." Alaric said, as if reading past Bethel's thoughts. "Sure, I'm a trickster, but I'm not like Amon, that menace. I'm a trickster with principles." He insisted earnestly.
***
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