"That's good to hear," Alaric said, picking up on Bethel's thoughts. He flashed a smile, then added, "Your contamination is balanced for now and won't affect you, but it's not fully cleared. To avoid any accidents, you'd better hold off on advancing to Sequence 0 for a while. Uh, you can manage that, right?"
Alaric's tone grew uncertain toward the end. He knew Mr. Door had been capable of ascending to godhood back in the Fourth Epoch but had used his sealing authority to prevent it due to the Celestial Worthy's influence. Still, Alaric wasn't entirely sure if Bethel could restrain himself now.
"It's challenging, but I can hold off on advancing for now," Bethel replied with a nod, then asked, "How long will I need to wait? I'm not in a rush to reach Sequence 0, but with only a dozen years left before the apocalypse, I need to prepare."
He was speaking truthfully. While Bethel desired strength, he'd waited centuries and could handle a few more decades. But with the Earth's barrier set to collapse in just over a decade, a Lord of Mysteries had to emerge before then to ensure enough power to face the Outer Deities.
"Don't worry, it won't take that long," Alaric said, waving a hand with a smile. "A few more procedures, and I'll have this figured out completely. Then you'll be fine. And while you can't ascend to Sequence 0 yet, we can keep working on cleansing the contamination. Even without new methods, at the current pace, we'll clear it all in a few years. Just sit tight!"
Bethel relaxed at this, nodding. "Alright, I'll wait for that day."
Then, with a gentle smile, he looked at Alaric. "Until then, is there anything I can help with?"
"Now that's the spirit! Bethel, you really are my favorite. Your awareness is on another level," Alaric said, his eyes lighting up as he gave Bethel a thumbs-up. Without hesitation, he continued, "There's plenty you can help with. For instance, I'm planning to head to the Mother Tree of Desire soon to retrieve Tolzna. If you lend a hand, it'll save a lot of trouble."
Bethel paused, surprised by the scale of Alaric's plan. But given Alaric's usual style, he quickly accepted it.
Without any excuses, Bethel nodded. "I'm in, but I doubt I alone can wrest Tolzna from the Mother Tree of Desire."
"Don't worry, The Ancient Sun God will be the main force. You just need to seal off the space, provide mobility, and make sure the Rose School's bunch doesn't scatter," Alaric said, waving dismissively.
Bethel wasn't surprised by this arrangement and felt reassured.
"And one more thing…" Alaric said, blinking as he looked at Bethel. "Bethel, do you want to make the Abraham family great again?"
Bethel froze, caught off guard by the sudden shift in topic. Alaric's words stirred memories of the Abraham family's golden days and its current decline.
Bethel sighed. He didn't regret his actions over the past millennium, which had led to the family's downfall. If he hadn't acted, his contaminated self might have been released by the Abrahams, bringing disaster not just to the world but to the family itself, likely wiping them out entirely.
Still, while he knew rationally he'd done the right thing, emotionally, he couldn't help feeling guilty.
But guilt aside, Bethel knew Alaric well enough. He looked at him, a mix of curiosity and resignation in his voice. "What are you planning?"
"Don't be so wary, Bethel. I'm not going to eat them," Alaric said with a smile, speaking unhurriedly. "I just need some beyonders of the Door pathway. It's an incredibly useful pathway, but its members are too few... a real shame. Now that you're back, it's time to fix that."
In Alaric's view, the Door pathway was among the most valuable, with its high mobility and spatial abilities shining in both warfare and daily life. If a mechanical lab could mass-produce Door pathway Beyonder items, even if limited to specific fields, the impact would be immense... whether for "travel" or widespread spatial storage.
Such a treasure of a pathway, yet aside from Bethel, there were barely any Sequence 5s. Most of its characteristics sat unused, a complete waste.
Of course, Alaric wasn't unreasonable. He wouldn't force the Abraham family to sacrifice their characteristics to train outsiders. But training their own? That was fair game.
Alaric didn't care if they were Abrahams or not... he just needed capable people.
Bethel glanced at Alaric, guessing his intentions, and gave a wry smile. "Since I'm back, the Abraham family won't lack Beyonders anymore. They'd be happy to contribute to your cause."
Bethel knew that once Alaric had his sights on the Abrahams, evasion was futile. Better to train their people openly and have them work for Alaric, who might then show the family some favor.
And honestly, working for Alaric wasn't a bad deal. Countless people would kill for such a powerful ally. For the Abrahams to catch Alaric's eye meant a future of stability, if not prosperity.
Even if something happens to me in the future, they won't fall into ruin again, Bethel thought silently.
He trusted that, even if he died, Alaric would still be standing strong.
Alaric was clearly pleased with Bethel's response. Then, as if struck by another thought, he asked, "So, Bethel, do you want to go home and take a look?"
Bethel fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I should go home."
As he spoke, his expression grew distant.
He'd been away from home for far too long... so long that he'd once thought he'd never return.
Yet now, in this lifetime, he truly had the chance to go back.
***
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