"Is this difference because the story hasn't ended, or because we're not welcome here…" Alaric raised an eyebrow at the tightly shut bronze door, undeterred by the minor change. He stepped forward eagerly, placing his hand on the door.
His power seeped through, subtly and swiftly exploring the world within.
Soon, his eyes lit up. He raised his hand, knocked a few times, and said with a smile, "Anyone home?"
The Will of the City of Calamity on Medici's shoulder gave a subtle look, perhaps recalling a not-so-distant memory.
No response came from within, only silence.
Knock, knock, knock...
Alaric knocked again. "If you're there, make a sound. Otherwise, I'll call The Ancient Sun God to kick the door down."
Finally, a voice stirred from within:
"The Ancient Sun God fell long ago. As for Adam or the True Creator, I don't consider them The Ancient Sun God."
The voice was ethereal and eerie, as if countless voices merged into one.
The moment it spoke, Alaric felt a force probing his soul, likely aiming to spawn a second persona. But, predictably, it failed to ripple his defenses.
Unsurprised, Alaric glanced at Medici, confirming Lil' Red was unaffected, before addressing the door. "You know about Adam and the True Creator? I thought a sealed shut-in dragon like you would've been offline for millennia."
The voice replied, "I've been sealed here for ages, but every visitor to this world brings me information."
"You Spectators, always disregarding privacy," Alaric said, shaking his head. Then, a thought struck him, and he asked with interest, "Since you don't see Adam or the True Creator as The Ancient Sun God, I'm curious... what are you? Are you Ankewelt, the Dragon of Imagination?"
"…I don't know."
"I am Ankewelt."
"I am Primordial One."
"I'm a mix of both…" The voice grew chaotic, as if countless entities answered at once.
Knock, knock, knock!
Impatient, Alaric knocked again, smiling. "If you're going to lose it, wait till we're gone."
The voice fell silent.
Alaric continued, "So, you're the Chaos Sea-tainted part of Ankewelt, your will mixed with both Ankewelt and the Primordial One. Tsk!"
He grimaced before adding, "I won't ask who you think you are. I roughly know your revival plan. You want to resurrect through the Quill of Alzuhod, return as an alt, and use this negative persona to control the Chaos Sea, becoming the ultimate King of Angel. Gotta say, it's a solid plan in theory."
After a few seconds of silence, the voice said, "Sadly, it's no longer possible."
"You know quite a bit," Alaric said, smiling. "Of course, I know that's not your only plan. The King of the North was interesting. If I'm not mistaken, it's a key... not to Liveseyd, though you almost fooled me. Close, but not quite."
The icy blue scale reappeared in Alaric's hand. He grinned. "Think I could use this to find your other hidden consciousness? You Spectators love slicing yourselves up... aren't you afraid of cutting yourself silly?"
Another pause, then the voice asked, "What do you want from me?"
"Typical Spectator... smarter than a Hunter," Alaric said, chuckling. He'd guessed right: the King of the North was tied to Ankewelt's second revival contingency.
He had no real urge to sabotage Ankewelt's resurrection... it wasn't necessary. Even if Ankewelt revived via this second plan, it'd likely only reach Sequence 2, posing no threat to Adam or the others.
With so many lunatics and monsters in this world, one more Sequence 2 Ankewelt wasn't a big deal.
Still, that didn't stop Alaric from using it as leverage. "What I want is simple. I just want to discuss your revival plan."
"You don't approve of The Ancient Sun God's revival method. So, I'm curious... if you resurrect through the Quill of Alzuhod, would you still be Ankewelt?"
…
As a dominant Spectator of the Second Epoch, an ancient god who once ruled, Ankewelt had unique insights into resurrection.
Particularly on persona preservation, Ankewelt scorned The Ancient Sun God's method of splitting humanity and divinity, calling it heretical.
"That kind of revival produces something that's barely a person... more like a mad husk with memories," The voice said.
"I agree, but…" Alaric rubbed his chin, raising a key issue. "Isn't your plan also a split?"
"How's it the same? If I revive through the Quill of Alzuhod, I'd drop to Sequence 1, but my persona would remain intact. My existence here is akin to Sasrir's," The voice retorted, offering an analogy:
"Think of a complete persona as a cookie. I'm like a corner of it dusted with dirt. Break off that corner, and it's still a cookie. But The Ancient Sun God's revival? That's like splitting the cookie, soaking half in water, and roasting the other half. Is it still a cookie after that?"
"Vivid metaphor," Alaric said, nodding. "So, how do you keep the cookie's core intact?"
…
Alaric and the voice discussed at length, delving into resurrection, personas, and the balance of humanity and divinity.
After thoroughly grilling the entity, Alaric stood, satisfied. "I don't know who you really are, but thanks for sharing. It's given me some inspiration."
The voice paused, then chuckled. "You know, don't you?"
***
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