In the end, the most critical role of the Calamity of Destruction was to combine with Eternal Darkness to form the Fourth Pillar, serving as a mutual destruction guarantee against the Outer Deities. Coincidentally, Alaric alone could fulfill this role.
No one would think that unleashing the power of Nyarlathotep within Alaric would merely destroy the Earth, would they? Moreover, Alaric wasn't particularly keen on this mutual destruction guarantee. He was more interested in ascending to the Great Old One status of "Chaos," wielding the new Lord of Mysteries in his left hand, the new Almighty in his right, and trailing a string of Sequence 0s behind him to deliver a mini Nyarlathotep shock to the Outer Deities.
Alaric had a feeling that his status as an Great Old One would carry significant weight.
So, after rubbing his chin in thought for a few seconds, he turned to Medici and said, "Actually, I could try to remove the corruption affecting the Red Priest's uniqueness."
Logically speaking, if he could cleanse the corruption of an Outer Deity, there was no reason he couldn't handle the corruption of a source quality. Especially since he was currently the Death... what better alignment of fate, opportunity, and harmony could there be?
Alaric felt ready to give it a shot.
After all, he wasn't afraid of breaking something as trivial as a uniqueness.
Medici froze for a moment at his words, then looked at Alaric, his mind flashing through the series of feats his companion had already accomplished. A sudden thought struck him...
Maybe Alaric really could do it?
"Then… give it a try?" Medici said, his tone uncharacteristically hesitant.
"Go for it! I haven't dealt with any source quality besides the Sefirah Castle yet. This is a perfect chance to study it! If I wrap things up here quickly, I can still handle Azik's issue afterward," Alaric replied, his enthusiasm sparked as he nodded eagerly.
The two didn't waste time. Soon after, they appeared in the divine kingdom of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.
"You can remove the corruption from the Red Priest's uniqueness?" Herabergen asked, slightly surprised. Then, as if realizing something, he added with a hint of understanding, "Well, it makes sense. You've already managed to cleanse the corruption of an Outer Deity."
"I'm not entirely sure I can do it, but I think it's worth a try. That stuff definitely can't corrupt me," Alaric said with a casual shrug. Then, as if remembering something, he handed a bubble-like object to Medici.
"Hold onto this. It should protect you from the source quality's corruption," Alaric explained. The bubble, naturally, stemmed from the power of Yog-Sothoth within him.
Medici took the translucent, iridescent bubble that seemed to shimmer with infinite mysteries just by looking at it. For once, he didn't retort with his usual bravado. Though confident, he knew the dangers of source quality. The former Red Angel had been corrupted by the City of Calamity, only freed from it in death.
Herabergen's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the bubble, his eyes glazing over for a moment as he felt an instinctual pull and the allure of boundless secrets.
But before Herabergen could stare any longer, Alaric pulled Medici behind him, completely blocking the god's line of sight. Then, Alaric snapped his fingers.
Snap!
Herabergen snapped out of it, blinking in confusion at Alaric before furrowing his brow. "Just now…"
"Sorry, I forgot you're somewhat connected to Him," Alaric said with a slight apology in his tone. "You alright?"
"…I'm fine," Herabergen replied after a brief pause, shaking his head. He hesitated, then asked, "May I know what that was?"
"A great existence, perhaps above the Oldest One?" Alaric said in an uncertain tone before chuckling. "But it doesn't really concern you. Barring any surprises, you'll likely never encounter Him."
Herabergen's expression betrayed his shock. It was clearly the first time he'd heard of such an entity. But given the unexplored depths of the Beyonder world and Alaric's own enigmatic nature, he didn't question it. Instead, he cautiously asked, "…And if there's a surprise?"
This time, Alaric fell silent, visibly hesitant. After a moment, he said, "I'm not sure."
Herabergen was clearly taken aback.
Medici turned to him as well. Unlike Herabergen, who held back his questions out of propriety, the Red Angel, being close friends with Alaric, had no such reservations. "There are things even you're unsure about?"
"Come on, it's not like I'm some omniscient, omnipotent god," Alaric said with a shrug. "I genuinely don't know what His arrival would bring. In theory, He harbors no malice toward this world. In fact, among the many entities out there, He's one of the few with no ill intent toward humanity. The last time I summoned Him, He saved my world."
"But…" Alaric paused, gazing into the distance. "This world isn't only destroyed by intentional acts. When the Oldest One awoke, He didn't aim to destroy the world, yet He obliterated the one that existed before. And that entity… even if He doesn't intend it, His mere unintentional actions could be enough to plunge this world into ruin."
Herabergen and Medici fell silent, fully grasping his words. After all, this world had similar phenomena... mythical creatures, for instance, could bring catastrophe to ordinary people just by revealing their true forms, even without meaning to.
Herabergen and Medici were more preoccupied with digesting the implications of Alaric's words. Herabergen, in particular, was unsettled, as he didn't know much about Alaric, least of all his origins.
Medici, however, was far calmer. He'd long had suspicions about certain things, especially since Alaric hadn't exactly hidden them. After a moment of surprise, he asked thoughtfully, "Sounds like you're pretty familiar with that entity?"
"Well, let's just say He picked me up and raised me for a while…" Alaric said with a playful wink.
It was the truth. After his recent ascension, he'd recalled more of his past, including his connection to Yog-Sothoth.
The story wasn't particularly complex. In simple terms, a mini Nyarlathotep, overwhelmed by nihilism, decided to end it all but failed. A passing Yog-Sothoth picked him up and took him in, teaching him some peculiar things.
As for the Goat Mommy Shub-Niggurath, she was someone mini Nyarlathotep met during this time. She was persistently trying to convince Yog-Sothoth to produce more offspring, frequently pestering him and occasionally bothering mini Nyarlathotep as well. Naturally, her efforts were repeatedly rebuffed.
In the end, mini Nyarlathotep completed his training and returned to his origins. After eons of mutual trickery with his true self, he finally reached an agreement with Nyarlathotep. Under the witness of Yog-Sothoth and Shub-Niggurath, a just separation was performed.
After this separation, mini Nyarlathotep set out alone on a journey to find meaning in his existence.
And that was the whole story.
***
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