"If anything goes wrong, I'll summon The Ancient Sun God," Alaric said decisively. "The Dark Angel Evil Spirit isn't the Primordial One, after all. Even if it can harness some of the Chaos Sea's power, it can't possibly surpass The Ancient Sun God. Worst case, I'll let the Primordial One handle it himself. He's clever enough to know what to do."
"Then I have no objections," Adam nodded, pausing before adding, "It'd be best to bring Klein along. With Sefirah Castle, we can prevent some accidents."
"I was thinking the same, so I've already notified him," Alaric said with a smile. He wouldn't overlook bringing Klein into something like this.
Adam wasn't surprised. After a moment, he asked, "Since Roselle's resurrection was successful, it means you've perfected a solution for Outer Deity corruption. So, when do you plan to let Bethel ascend to godhood?"
Bethel had long completed the ritual for godhood and could become a Sequence 0 at any time, but he'd been holding back for various reasons... first because of the Celestial Worthy, and later due to Outer Deity corruption.
"Soon. I've refined the treatment several times, and the side effects are now minimal. In a few days, I'll perform the procedure on him, and he can ascend," Alaric replied candidly. "As for becoming the Lord of Mysteries…"
He paused, then continued, "It's complicated. My power is too close to the essence of the Lord of Mysteries. If I interfere too much, things could go wrong."
Just as the God of Wisdom and Knowledge, Herabergen, nearly fell into madness from a single glance at Bubble Daddy's concentrated power, an existence like the Lord of Mysteries... aligned with Nyarlathotep in occult terms... could easily trigger unpredictable reactions with Nyarlathotep's power.
It wasn't a good thing. Just as the Primordial One's madness would affect all high-sequence members of the five pathways, if Alaric drove the Lord of Mysteries insane, it would be a massive problem.
Adam wasn't surprised by this either. He looked at Alaric and said, "Perhaps you should trust him."
Alaric blinked, caught off guard.
Adam continued, "If you trust Bethel's humanity, then you should trust him. He'll overcome the Lord of Mysteries, even without your help."
Alaric fell silent. After a long moment, he smiled. "You're right. I should trust him."
"But worrying is inevitable…" Alaric sighed.
"Is this what they call caring too much?" Adam asked.
"Maybe?" Alaric chuckled, thinking of Bethel's recent hesitations, always on the verge of speaking but holding back. "Perhaps it's what he wants, too."
With everyone around him ascending to godhood and the apocalypse drawing closer, could Bethel really remain unfazed?
He was likely anxious.
But given Bethel's personality, he wouldn't express it as openly as Roselle unless absolutely necessary.
"Looks like I need to have a talk with him," Alaric murmured, then set the matter aside for now. Turning to Adam, he said, "But first, let's deal with the Dark Angel Evil Spirit."
…
Ever since Alaric arrived in this world, the Forsaken Land of the Gods had grown livelier.
But no matter how lively, it was confined to a small area. The Giant King's Court, far from human habitation, remained as silent as a graveyard.
Until today, when its stillness was shattered by a group of uninvited guests arriving at the long-abandoned ruins.
"…This is the Giant King's Court?" Klein, trailing behind a group of heavyweights, looked up at the palace clearly built for giants, his expression tinged with curiosity.
He'd heard of this place long ago but was seeing it with his own eyes for the first time.
"The court is truly gone…" Beside Klein stood Groselle, a giant who Alaric had brought along.
Alaric had once promised to help him return home.
Now, facing the ruins of the Giant King's Court, Groselle's expression was heavy with grief. Though he'd heard of its fate from others, seeing the reality before him, the towering giant couldn't hold back, collapsing to his knees and weeping.
Also brought along to help with the God of Combat's funeral, Colin Iliad gazed up at the palace, his expression complex.
This palace, recorded only in City of Silver's ancient texts, held special significance for the people of City of Silver, who once revered the Giant King.
Alaric, meanwhile, studied the palace with an appreciative eye, mentally grading the Giant King's aesthetic before turning his gaze toward a specific direction... the heart of the Giant King's Court, where the Dark Angel Evil Spirit resided.
"Colin, you and Groselle stay here. Klein, Jack, Lil' Amon, you three can come along. True Creator, keep an eye on them," Alaric instructed, then glanced at Adam. "Let's go."
No one objected to the arrangement. Colin Iliad stayed to comfort the distraught Groselle, while the three youngsters tagged along behind Alaric's group, heading toward the sealed location of the Dark Angel Evil Spirit.
They encountered some dangers along the way, but with a team boasting Kings of Angels and true gods, no obstacle posed a threat.
"…You're still alive?" A voice tinged with doubt emerged as the Dark Angel Evil Spirit's form materialized from the shadows. Its gaze fell on Sasrir, its expression clearly puzzled.
It then looked at the True Creator, its confusion deepening.
"I'm alive, more or less," Sasrir said, offering no further explanation. He gazed at the evil spirit, whose appearance mirrored his own, and said gently, "You could live, too."
The Dark Angel Evil Spirit froze, then said, "But I'm just a lingering obsession of yours, an evil spirit doomed to fade."
"We can help you become whole, help you truly become a person," Sasrir continued, naturally taking the lead in negotiating due to his connection to the entity.
"Help me?" The Dark Angel Evil Spirit was visibly surprised. It glanced at Adam, seeming to understand something, then looked back at Sasrir. "You might be able to make me whole, but if you're hoping to use me to control the Chaos Sea, you'll likely be disappointed."
"You're unwilling?" Sasrir's expression remained gentle.
"It's not about unwillingness. As your lingering obsession, helping you is only natural," The Dark Angel Evil Spirit said, shaking its head. "But you're overlooking something. I'm not you. This shell contains more madness and chaos than your obsession, and I can't suppress them."
As soon as it finished speaking, the clarity in the Dark Angel Evil Spirit's eyes faded, and the madness within took over.
***
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