"He used his power to balance the corruption in me, but I went through the toughest hours of my life for it," Roselle said, the painful memory resurfacing, twisting his expression.
It took him a few seconds to compose himself. He looked at Aucuses with pity. "I don't know how he'll help you suppress the Primordial God Almighty's will, but I bet it involves that power. As someone who's been through it let me warn you... it's a different kind of madness, nothing like what you're used to. Don't try to understand it. It's terrifying."
"Thanks for the heads-up," Aucuses said, noting Roselle's genuine concern. His expression grew graver, but he couldn't help asking, "Why did you try to understand the madness?"
Alaric, too, looked at Roselle curiously. Though he wielded the Nyarlathotep fragment adeptly, this was the first time he'd heard such a review of its power.
"Well, that madness isn't just madness. It's packed with… stuff. Knowledge, secrets, power… When you face it, beyond the danger, the first thing you feel is its deadly allure," Roselle said with a bitter smile. "Let's just say I learned my lesson the hard way."
Aucuses's face turned even more serious, nodding. "Got it."
Alaric, unusually hesitant, gave Roselle a look. As someone from a proper Lovecraftian world... Nyarlathotep's domain... he understood what was going on.
In his world, knowledge tied to the supernatural was "toxic." The greater the entity, the more they embodied knowledge itself. Surviving an encounter with such a being without losing your mind often meant gaining knowledge and power.
The Nyarlathotep fragment carried this trait, its power brimming with infinite knowledge.
But Alaric hadn't expected Roselle to try deciphering it.
Talk about balls!
Did Bethel and the others ever pull something like that? Alaric wasn't sure, but seeing everyone unscathed, he relaxed.
As long as no one got themselves killed, it was fine!
Alaric turned to Aucuses. "I won't hide it... the experiment will be painful. I can only guarantee your life and that you won't truly go mad. Even so, are you still willing?"
Aucuses hesitated for less than half a second before nodding firmly. "I'd rather be awake in pain than a puppet of the Primordial God Almighty."
"Good. That's the spirit," Alaric said, satisfied, musing that if he could perfect a method to suppress the Primordial God Almighty's will in Aucuses, he could apply it to Mr. Door, giving him more breathing room.
Countering the Celestial Worthy was no easy feat either.
Alaric set a time with Aucuses, then turned to the God of Steam and Machinery. "Since we're done here, we won't linger in your divine kingdom. For advancing the tech tree, talk to Roselle. He's still handling that under me, and you'll probably work better with him."
The God of Steam and Machinery's eyes lit up, clearly eager for the collaboration.
Alaric looked at Roselle. "You've got three days off. Report back after, and we'll discuss setting up the mechanical lab."
"Got it!" Roselle nodded, then grumbled, "But only three days, boss? Isn't that a bit short?"
"Short? I'm splitting my days in half to keep up, and you're complaining about three days?" Alaric shot him a look, completely unapologetic.
He'd been swamped lately, juggling countless tasks. While he delegated plenty to Medici and others, many still required his direct involvement.
"Ahem, not short, not short! Three days is plenty!" Roselle backpedaled, waving it off. "Forget I said anything."
Alaric's gaze shifted to the Ancient Sun God, expectant but silent, as if saying everything without a word.
"I'll have Sasrir prepare," The Ancient Sun God said, catching his meaning with a helpless smile, half-curious, half-probing. "But can you sustain him for long periods now?"
He was genuinely curious about Alaric's spirituality cap.
"Summoning him for a few hours to handle work is no issue," Alaric said with a shy grin.
As for his current spirituality? Back when he was mortal, he could barely summon the Ancient Sun God for a minute. Now, half an hour was effortless.
The Ancient Sun God wasn't surprised but added, as if struck by a thought, "If you just need Sasrir for work, maybe try summoning his avatar?"
Alaric blinked, surprised. "That's some broad thinking. Does Sasrir even have avatars?"
"Sasrir doesn't, but creating a low-Sequence avatar isn't hard for him," The Ancient Sun God said, shaking his head.
Unlike pathways like Error or Fool, which specialized in avatars, crafting one wasn't challenging for beings of that level.
"The only question is, is that alright?" The Ancient Sun God asked, looking at Alaric.
"I'm guessing this idea didn't just pop up," Alaric said, giving him a knowing look.
The Ancient Sun God didn't deny it. "I need better control over this era's dynamics. More than power, what I lack now is intellect and emotion."
"Sounds like you're not thrilled with either of your current selves," Alaric said, glancing at him. After rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he added, "But it might work. Worth a try, at least."
The Shadow of Time didn't mandate summoning the true body. Sasrir's summonability already proved avatars could be called independently.
So, theoretically, Sasrir's avatar could be too.
"Understood. Thanks for the insight," The Ancient Sun God said, seeming relieved.
Alaric smiled, a spark of anticipation in his eyes.
He really needed a Sasrir to tackle his growing workload.
***
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