The core ability of "Disciple of Delight" was called the "Dice of Delight." Its effect was simple: every 24 hours, the dice would automatically roll, granting Alaric a random ability from one of the 22 pathways in the world, ranging from Sequence 0 to Sequence 9. The ability would last until the next roll.
In short, it was a power with godlike highs and abysmal lows, leaving everything to chance.
"This is straight out of a certain fantasy novel," Alaric muttered, incredulous.
Still, he knew the "Dice of Delight" was more reliable than it seemed. Unlike a certain character who might randomly regress to a weaker state, the dice only granted abilities without stripping his existing ones. Even if he rolled a Sequence 9, he'd still have enough power to protect himself.
"No wonder it's called the Dice of Delight. It's thrilling," Alaric said, shaking his head. He wasn't dissatisfied. Rolling a Sequence 9 would be a letdown, but a Sequence 0? That'd be exhilarating.
He then checked the digestion progress of his "Disciple of Delight" potion and frowned. "The potion's already mostly digested. Why?"
Pondering, he considered the nature of "Disciple of Delight." It was clearly an advanced form of a trickster. If the acting method for a trickster was stirring chaos, was "Disciple of Delight" just about chasing thrills?
"No, it's more than that. Disciple of Delight... disciple and delight. The 'delight' part is about seeking thrills, following my heart's desires. But 'disciple'?" Alaric rubbed his chin. "Am I my own disciple?"
He thought of his "Lord of Chaos" persona. Though it kept a low profile and many knew it was a facade, Alaric had subtly promoted it. After all, when he reached Sequence 0, he planned to establish a church under that name.
"Is that why?" Alaric raised an eyebrow, recalling how Klein digested his Attendant of Mysteries potion instantly by "serving himself," the parallel seemed likely.
Given his connection to Nyarlathotep, Alaric fit the trinity model perfectly. The Sequence 0 of the Chaos Pathway was "Ecstasy," so his rapid digestion wasn't surprising.
"No, the main reason I've digested so much is because I've embraced the principle of delight. I haven't fully acted as a disciple of the Lord of Chaos, which is probably why it didn't digest instantly," Alaric mused, raising an eyebrow. "Looks like it's time to push forward with founding the Church of the Chaos."
To secure enough faith anchors for the future, a church was essential.
It wouldn't be hard. Unlike others who competed with the Seven Gods or hidden entities for believers, Alaric faced no such hurdle. Others would likely support his church's creation.
"Hmm, this is a job for Lil' Red. He's familiar with the process," Alaric decided.
Sasrir might be more suited, but he was swamped. Medici, with the Rose School settled, the border cities handled by Sasrir, and assistants easing his load, had time to spare.
With the church plan set, Alaric turned to his next goal: advancing to Sequence 3, "Memory of Time."
The auxiliary material for the "Memory of Time" potion was abstract: "A memory spanning at least a thousand years, encompassing all significant historical events, pieced together from different individuals, with longer spans yielding better results."
"Talk about tailor-made," Alaric said, raising an eyebrow. For others, gathering such memories would mean scouring records and unearthing secrets. For him, it was trivial. His "Shadow of Time" ability let him pull memories directly from the source.
"Still, all significant events? That's tedious, if not difficult," He said, shaking his head, then focused on the Sequence 3 ritual.
The ritual was straightforward, at least for him: create an event significant enough to be recorded in history, impacting at least one million people.
For others, this might be daunting. For Alaric, it was practically a side task.
"Perfect. When the spark of revolution truly ignites, I might complete the ritual and reach Sequence 3," Alaric said, rubbing his chin. He speculated on "Memory of Time's" abilities, considering possibilities but avoiding hasty conclusions.
Stretching, he felt a shift. With a flick of his hand, an ornate die appeared in his palm... the Dice of Delight.
It spun on its own, beyond his control.
As it turned, names of sequences flashed in the air... Seer, Scribe, Abomination, and more.
Watching them, Alaric felt a rare twinge of nerves, like drawing gacha in his past life. Even knowing the odds favored duds, he couldn't help hoping for a legenday gold draw.
The dice slowed, and under Alaric's gaze, it settled on a name... Catastrophe.
What?! He'd forgotten the 22 pathways included the Demoness pathway!
His heart nearly stopped. But, as if fate took pity, the dice flipped once more, landing on a new name... Death.
"Phew…" Alaric exhaled, collapsing into a chair. He'd never felt such a rollercoaster of emotions. The Dice of Delight truly lived up to its name.
***
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