Alaric didn't ask what they had discussed. He simply informed the True Creator of his chosen site for the biological laboratory, asking for assistance in its construction, then led his group toward Moon City.
He hadn't forgotten that his primary purpose in the Forsaken Land of the Gods was to bring out its people.
When Alaric arrived at Moon City, the residents were clearly prepared, having been notified in advance.
Wasting no time, Alaric gathered them into his pocket dimension and returned to City of Silver.
"Your Excellency Lucifer, you're back," Colin Iliad said, clearly having waited for some time. He approached immediately upon noticing Alaric's return.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Colin," Alaric said with a smile, skipping excessive formalities. Together, they headed to the assembly point for City of Silver's departing residents.
The number of people leaving City of Silver was roughly equal to Moon City's, around a thousand each. But with City of Silver's residents averaging over two meters tall... each worth two or more ordinary people in size... they formed an imposing crowd.
Fortunately, Alaric's pocket dimension was spacious enough to accommodate all thousand with ease. He even thoughtfully arranged for Colin Iliad, City of Silver's Chief, to calm everyone's nerves. He had prepared fruits, food, and books introducing the outside world within the dimension.
After loading City of Silver's people, Alaric's group didn't linger in the Forsaken Land. They soon brought the two thousand residents to Loen.
Having coordinated with the Church of the Evernight Goddess beforehand, Alaric had already arranged a place to settle the two thousand. Upon reaching their destination, he released them from the pocket dimension.
Warm sunlight bathed the people from the Forsaken Land, prompting them to look up. They saw a brilliant blue sky and a dazzling, radiant sun.
In that moment, many felt a surge of fear, yet they didn't look away. They gazed greedily at the sky, the sun, and everything so different from the Forsaken Land.
No words or paintings could capture this. It was what every soul in that forsaken place had pursued their entire lives.
Only now did they feel a surreal sense of reality... they were truly saved!
Emotions ran high... excitement, joy, agitation. Many, towering over two meters, knelt and wept like children.
Amid this fervor, Alaric calmly produced a freshly prepared potion and drank it in one gulp.
In a fleeting daze, he seemed to see countless overlapping phantoms... countless versions of himself, each representing a possible fate.
From a detached, godlike perspective, he watched these phantoms rush toward their destinies. He saw countless deaths and myriad other outcomes. In one, he even saw himself usurping his original body, becoming the sole Nyarlathotep.
In his haze, he heard laughter... familiar yet alien.
"Why not try this fate? We both know you could do it, easily."
Alaric's muddled mind instinctively wondered who was speaking. Then he realized.
It was himself.
He frowned, wanting to argue, but his foggy brain left him at a loss for words.
"Why not choose me? It's the best outcome, isn't it?" The voice continued, laced with an almost irresistible allure, urging Alaric to nod.
Suddenly, a crimson moon rose in the space, its cold light washing over him. He jolted, his mind clearing.
In that moment, another layer of phantoms overlaid the first. These were no longer versions of Alaric but the people of City of Silver and Moon City he had just seen... manifestations of their altered fates.
The intense emotions of over a thousand souls enveloped him, fully waking him.
Alaric took a deep breath and faced the phantom that had devoured Nyarlathotep. "But if I did, would you be me or Nyarlathotep?"
The phantom laughed, a grin unlike Alaric's, full of dark amusement and a hint of regret. "Such a pity. I thought I could trick you back this time, my black sheep, my child. Yog-Sothoth is such a spoilsport, keeping our family apart."
Alaric's mouth twitched. He looked at the phantom without fear, saying earnestly, "Thanks, but I'm not keen on a literal family reunion. Bye!"
With his words, the phantoms vanished, and Alaric opened his eyes.
"Good grief, that scared me!" He patted his chest, still shaken.
Though unafraid of his original body, Nyarlathotep, Alaric had little desire to deal with Him.
Who would want to deal with that guy?
"Good thing I've already cut ties with Him, under Bubble Daddy and Goat Mommy's witness. Phew!" Alaric recalled, breathing a sigh of relief.
This encounter with his original body stirred some fragmented memories, confirming he had indeed severed ties with Nyarlathotep long ago, under the witness of two other deities.
But… what was going on back then? How was I connected to all of them?
Alaric pondered for a few seconds, found no answers, and decided not to dwell on it.
The past was the past, and Alaric never lingered on it.
Instead, he eagerly began exploring his new abilities.
The Playwright potion further enhanced his spirituality. Alaric felt that if it kept strengthening, he might one day summon the Sun God daily without issue.
Something to look forward to!
He smiled at the thought, then continued examining his abilities. As with past advancements, his existing powers had been enhanced. The Thousand Mask, for instance, now allowed transformation from human to beast forms... Alaric could even become a kitten if he wished.
The Persona Mask gained a new function: immersive memory experience. It could record someone's memories and emotions, allowing the wearer to relive them vividly.
***
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