The Ancient Sun God paused, looking at Aucuses before letting out a sigh. Then, as if struck by a thought, he turned to Alaric.
"Why're you looking at me? Expecting me to fix the Eternal Blazing Sun's condition?" Alaric met the Ancient Sun God's gaze unflinchingly, spreading his hands. "Sorry, but while my powers are decent at suppressing external corruption, I'm not much help against mental imprints tied to Beyonder characteristics themselves. To suppress the Primordial God Almighty's will, you'll have to rely on yourselves."
The Ancient Sun God's expression flickered with regret, though he wasn't surprised.
He'd long known Alaric wasn't omnipotent, but the extraordinary feats he'd accomplished had sparked a faint hope.
"However…" Alaric continued, his eyes studying Aucuses as if he were a fascinating new puzzle. "While I can't fully suppress the Primordial God Almighty's will, if you let me study it, I might find a way to temporarily hold it at bay."
The will of primordial beings reviving within Beyonder characteristics wasn't entirely immune to external suppression. For instance, in the original story, the Evernight Goddess used a drop of water from the River of Eternal Darkness to temporarily suppress the Celestial Worthy's will within Klein. But such suppression was fleeting, limited in use, and came with side effects.
If a drop from the River of Eternal Darkness could briefly suppress the Celestial Worthy's will, Alaric reasoned that the fragment of Nyarlathotep within him... higher in status than the River... might also offer a way to temporarily restrain the Primordial God Almighty or Celestial Worthy's will.
He had some ideas but no concrete plan yet.
And Alaric was certain that even if Nyarlathotep's power could temporarily suppress an primordial being's will in someone like Aucuses, it would only work briefly. Prolonged use was risky... not only might it fail, but it could also contaminate the soul with Nyarlathotep's will.
This was different from using Nyarlathotep's power to balance external corruption. Corruption was an external force, separate from the soul, so Alaric could control it carefully to avoid true contamination, though some influence was inevitable.
But mental imprints from Beyonder characteristics were, to an extent, inseparable from the individual. Using Nyarlathotep's power to counter them would mean allowing it to invade the soul's deepest recesses.
That was far from ideal. Roselle's case was proof... not everyone could withstand Nyarlathotep's power. In fact, Alaric was likely the only one in the world who could endure its deep intrusion long-term.
If it went too far, it was unclear whether the survivor would still be the original person or another Nyarlathotep.
Nyarlathotep's power was immense, and its very strength demanded utmost caution. Mortal souls were too fragile before it, at risk of collapse with the slightest misstep.
With this in mind, Alaric looked at the Ancient Sun God and Aucuses, his expression unusually serious as he spoke candidly, "I can try to help Aucuses suppress the Primordial God Almighty's will, but I can't guarantee success. Even if it works, the method will carry significant risks and can only be used briefly. If you truly want to suppress the Primordial God Almighty's will, you'll need to rely on your own strength."
The Ancient Sun God seemed to exhale in relief, nodding. "Thank you, Lucifer. That's already more than enough."
Even a temporary suppression would give Aucuses breathing room, more time to gather humanity and anchors to truly combat the Primordial God Almighty.
As for whether Alaric could pull it off... perhaps it was blind faith, but the Ancient Sun God had considerable confidence in him.
Aucuses, meanwhile, stared at Alaric in shock, his lips moving as if to speak, yet unsure what to say.
He was bewildered. The problem that had tormented him for millennia… could it really find hope of resolution?
"But I'm not one to work for free," Alaric said, his tone shifting as he smiled at Aucuses. "If my treatment works, Mr. Aucuses, you wouldn't mind paying a price, would you?"
"What do you want?" Aucuses asked, startled.
"Haven't decided yet. Let's call it a favor owed," Alaric said with a grin, refraining from suggesting the Eternal Blazing Sun Church join the reformation.
After all, the reformation wasn't his alone, and with the Ancient Sun God present, why waste his own leverage?
Aucuses was different from the Evernight Goddess or Earth Mother. While those two had good relations with the Ancient Sun God, their personalities meant they wouldn't join the reformation just because he asked. Alaric also preferred they not grow too close to the Ancient Sun God... what if they teamed up against him?
But Aucuses was a staunch member of the Sun's camp, untainted by betrayals like Medici's complicated history with Adam. Alaric could see Aucuses's deep guilt toward the Ancient Sun God, making it clear he'd never join Alaric's side. So, Alaric didn't bother trying.
Whether the Ancient Sun God could convince Aucuses to join the reformation… Alaric glanced at him, confident in his moral compass and drive.
And Alaric was sure the Ancient Sun God wouldn't pass up an ally like Aucuses. Relying solely on the True Creator to oppose him in this era would be too tall an order.
The Ancient Sun God trusted Alaric but remained wary, so he'd never overlook a loyal ally like Aucuses.
Alaric didn't mind. He turned to Aucuses with interest. "Mr. Aucuses, mind if I examine your soul?"
"Uh…" Aucuses hesitated visibly, glancing instinctively at the Ancient Sun God. Seeing his approving nod, Aucuses agreed, looking at Alaric. "Alright."
Alaric extended his power, eagerly studying Aucuses's condition, focusing on the Sun pathway characteristics within him.
Throughout the process, Aucuses's brow remained furrowed. The sensation was bizarre... like baring his vulnerabilities to another. Even knowing Alaric was trusted by the Ancient Sun God, it felt unsettling, as if the Primordial God Almighty itself were crawling over him.
This was just too strange!
***
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