Even if Tolzna didn't "lose control," Bethel would have acted the same way. The Ancient Sun God was undoubtedly powerful, but the Mother Tree of Desire of Desire was no pushover either. With the Mother Tree of Desire's blessing, Tolzna could hold out against The Ancient Sun God for a time.
This made it nearly impossible for either side to fully contain their destructive power during a clash. To avoid a tragedy like the Forsaken Land of the Gods, the existence of a separate space was essential.
The will of the Mother Tree of Desire, descended upon Tolzna, stared at Alaric and suddenly smiled. "My goal was merely to keep you occupied, and from that perspective, I've already succeeded."
"I know!" Alaric nodded without a hint of surprise, casting a puzzled glance at the Mother Tree of Desire. "But how can you be sure I haven't sent someone to deal with Suah?"
"To be honest, handling your lackeys is quite a hassle. Even Bethel couldn't simultaneously transfer Lil' Tolz and Suah to another space. The others under my command, while some are stronger than Suah, would struggle to minimize collateral damage. It's a real challenge."
Alaric spoke with sincerity. Suah was a Sequence 1, bolstered by the Mother Goddess of Depravity's power. Even an ordinary King of Angel would find it difficult to subdue them. If Antigonus and Medici teamed up, containing the battle's scope would still be tricky, and a single misstep could lead to catastrophic casualties.
With The Ancient Sun God present, dealing with Tolzna shouldn't take long, allowing quick support for the other fight. But at the angelic level of destruction, even a few seconds could spell disaster for ordinary people.
This was one reason Earth's forces hadn't yet dealt with these Outer Deity lackeys. Fighting on their home turf, facing enemies of considerable strength, failure to achieve an overwhelming victory would result in massive losses.
Especially now, when deities couldn't easily leave the Astral World, achieving such a decisive victory was even harder.
Even if they managed to handle Tolzna and Suah, the remaining Rose School members scattered across the Northern Continent remained a significant issue. Not everyone had avatars spread worldwide like Amon or the mobility of Mr. Door. If the other Rose School members weren't dealt with swiftly, their desperation could unleash tremendous destruction.
Only Alaric could perfectly resolve these troubles.
"Ah, by my reckoning, it should be about time." Alaric suddenly pulled a pocket watch from somewhere, glanced at it, and smiled.
As his words fell, the Mother Tree of Desire's expression darkened. Having kept tabs on Suah, it knew exactly what had happened.
Just moments ago, Suah, on the verge of breaking through the encirclement, encountered Antigonus. Together, they were transported to a strange, fog-shrouded town.
There, Suah faced a woman... the Evernight Goddess, who had briefly left the Astral World.
"Looks like you've been keeping an eye on that side too!" Alaric's smile grew even brighter.
It was common knowledge that Outer Deities differed from Earth's evil gods. Dealing with Outer Deities was everyone's responsibility. Alaric wasn't the type to prioritize pride and suffer in silence, refusing to call for help. Upon realizing their forces were insufficient, he decisively called for reinforcements.
His choice was the Evernight Goddess, Amanises. With The Ancient Sun God's help, the rift in the Evernight Goddess's divine kingdom was temporarily sealed, freeing Amanises to deal with Suah.
The Mother Tree of Desire, still manifested in Tolzna, fell silent for a moment before speaking. "I don't understand why you'd choose Earth. You should be on our side... we are your kind. If you're willing, we could fully support you as the new Creator. You're far more qualified than the Mother Goddess of Depravity."
Its words seemed sincere, its tone not quite humble but certainly respectful, laced with potent persuasion. "If you like Earth, we can relinquish it as your plaything. Killing and destruction mean nothing to us. From start to finish, we only wish to reclaim what we've lost."
Hearing this, Alaric chuckled, his golden eyes meeting the Mother Tree of Desire's gaze, betraying no emotion. "Sounds tempting."
Nearby, Bethel and The Ancient Sun God glanced at Alaric, their eyes free of much tension. They knew the kind of person Alaric was. Their only concern was the faint, yet real, possibility that Alaric might "lose control."
After all, a trickster's actions could be hard to predict.
"If you don't believe me, I can sign a contract under the witness of The Ancient Sun God beside you. He's currently the most powerful acknowledged figure. Though not yet a God Almighty, his notarized contracts still carry significant binding power for us." Seeing Alaric's lack of outright refusal, the Mother Tree of Desire pressed further.
"Heh, you've thought this through." Alaric let out a laugh, glancing at his companions with a teasing tone. "Tempted? Theoretically, if the Outer Deities backed me as their leader and Earth became my plaything, we probably wouldn't have to worry about the apocalypse anymore."
"A little," The Ancient Sun God admitted with a nod, then continued, "But I know compromise doesn't bring true peace. I'd never entrust Earth's safety to anyone's mercy, even yours."
"Such a merciless accusation!" Alaric raised an eyebrow, adding, "But theoretically, even if we defeat all the Outer Deities, Earth's safety would still be tied to me!"
The Ancient Sun God glanced at him, not refuting, and said, "At least after defeating the Outer Deities, we'd only have to deal with you. Without that, it's true despair."
"Fair point. Eliminating potential enemies does bring peace of mind." Alaric nodded, unbothered by The Ancient Sun God's words. He turned to Bethel. "What about you, Bethel? What's your take?"
Bethel met his gaze, his eyes gentle yet resolute. "I trust you haven't forgotten that, beyond grand causes, I have a personal vendetta against the Outer Deities."
He didn't bother with lofty ideals... The Ancient Sun God had covered that... nor did he state the obvious untrustworthiness of Outer Deities. Bethel simply stated a fact.
He knew Alaric was fiercely loyal. More than saving the world, helping a friend exact revenge would sway him.
"True. You suffered so much at the Mother Goddess of Depravity's hands. You've got to pay her back, or all those years of pain would be for nothing." Alaric nodded, then turned to Tolzna with a smile. "Same goes for Lil' Tolz. He's my subordinate, after all. If I don't avenge his sorry state, I'd be a pretty lousy boss. So, if you really want my cooperation, how about you two just die? Then I might actually consider it."
The Mother Tree of Desire, so confident moments ago, froze.
What a joke! It had made the offer precisely to avoid death!
"It seems you've chosen Earth," The Mother Tree of Desire said coldly, finally seeing Alaric's stance.
"No surprise there. Earth is way more interesting than you lot. As for being some Creator? Pfft!" Alaric dropped the act, letting out a chuckle before saying slowly, "If I wanted to be some ruler or Creator, I wouldn't be here at all!"
***
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