"So, what's next? What will Sequence 4, Disciple of Delight, bring me…" Alaric mused, chewing over the name of the Chaos pathway's Sequence 4: "Disciple of Delight."
It sounded somewhat disconnected from the previous five sequences, yet not entirely. After all, Sequence 9's "Joker" didn't exactly align with the vibe of "Actor" or "Avatara" either. In a way, "Disciple of Delight" felt like it belonged to the same quirky vein as "Joker."
"Sounds like it'll be something entertaining," Alaric thought, a few guesses flickering through his mind.
"And…" His expression turned peculiar as another thought struck him. "The auxiliary materials needed to concoct the Disciple of Delight potion are just… bizarre."
Unlike the materials for the prior five sequences, those for Sequence 4 were truly abstract. The description read: "Tears of joy, memories of despair, and emotions of sorrow, sourced from angels of the Seer, Marauder, or Apprentice pathways, with each material coming from a different individual."
"Tears of joy, I get... crying from happiness. But memories of despair and emotions of sorrow… Do I use the Persona Mask to record and experience them?" Alaric found it hard to imagine how these could be blended into a potion.
"And there are only so many angels in the three pathways. The materials have to come from different people, too. Let's see… tears of joy might be possible from Bethel, but where do I get memories of despair? Amon? Has He ever felt despair? Maybe Pallez…"
Alaric felt a headache coming on. Angels' emotions were rarely intense. Aside from Bethel, tormented by the Mother Goddess of Depravity, it was hard to say if other angels had experienced despair.
Even Pallez, despite his rough life, was a question mark. Had he truly despaired? That was uncertain.
And even if Pallez had and Alaric could extract those memories, where would he find the emotions of sorrow?
"Wait, how could I forget? There's Antigonus!" Alaric's eyes lit up, recalling the long-forgotten "puppy."
He wasn't sure about others' despair or sorrow, but Antigonus? That poor soul had likely felt both, having lost control and everything he cherished.
"That solves the materials. The ritual, though, isn't too tough…" Alaric muttered internally. Compared to the abstract materials, the Disciple of Delight ritual was straightforward: orchestrate an event involving ten thousand people, with at least a thousand developing strong emotions toward you, and ensure at least a hundred thousand know of the event.
For others, this might be daunting, but for Alaric, it was child's play. He was already stirring revolutions.
Once the spark was ignited, involving ten thousand, a hundred thousand, or even millions was feasible. Alaric was certain countless people would love him, hate him, worship him, or want him dead.
Plus, saving City of Silver and Moon City already counted as an event involving thousands. Both cities had plenty of Alaric's devotees, easily meeting the second condition. The only issue was visibility... fewer than a hundred thousand knew of it.
"As expected of me, nailing the ritual with ease," Alaric praised himself internally, smugly. Then he remembered to check the digestion progress of his Playwright potion.
Like the previous potions, the Playwright potion was tough to digest, equivalent to six or seven regular Sequence 5 potions. But when he sensed it, he was surprised to find it had already progressed slightly.
"Let's see… a Playwright writes scripts, so combining the potion's abilities, the acting method is clearly about interfering with others' fates…" Alaric reflected on his actions since arriving in this world and wasn't surprised.
He'd meddled in countless people's fates lately.
He even suspected the slow digestion was because Playwright acting required not just physical fate interference but also establishing rules in reality.
"Though it can't resurrect the dead or affect Uniqueness, this ability has plenty of uses…" Alaric's mind buzzed with ideas, a grin spreading across his face. "Like shaping the order of the future world."
If everyone believed in a rule where evildoers were punished and good deeds brought rewards... like increased luck... wouldn't that curb bad behavior and foster a better society?
Theoretically possible, but enforcing a global rule was near impossible.
No matter. Alaric knew big goals required small steps. Starting with a border city was feasible, and as he advanced to higher Sequences, the requirements would ease, making it more achievable.
His eyes sparkled as he turned to Sasrir.
"What?" Sasrir asked, tense. He knew Alaric had just advanced and never hid his pursuit of godhood.
"I've got a brilliant idea!" Alaric said, smiling. "If it works, we might actually create a world that never decays!"
Sasrir froze, his surprise tinged with caution. "What idea?"
"What crazy scheme are you cooking up now?" Medici shot him a look, his heart sinking at Alaric's excited expression.
Medici knew Alaric too well... when that look appeared, big things followed.
Adam, meanwhile, listened quietly, like a wisp of air.
"It's not a crazy scheme!" Alaric retorted, then grinned. "You know how Arbiters can set rules in a limited area, enforcing compliance through punishment."
He smiled at them, continuing, "What if a rule could take effect worldwide?"
Even the mightiest couldn't monitor the world 24/7, and no system, however perfect, was foolproof without enforcement. Even the Sun God couldn't ensure a new order wouldn't decay.
But a rule binding everyone indiscriminately… Sasrir instantly grasped Alaric's meaning and its implications.
Medici's gaze sharpened.
Adam's expression turned curious.
"Can you do it?" Sasrir asked, his voice tight with tension, heart pounding for the first time.
"Of course… I can't," Alaric said, pausing for effect. Seeing Sasrir's mix of relief and disappointment, he chuckled. "Not yet, at least."
***
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