Alaric's idea wasn't baseless; it stemmed from combining the concept of "Avatara" with the core abilities of the Sequence.
"So, the day I fully construct Lucifer, the Avatara potion might be completely digested?" Alaric mused, rubbing his chin. "That's going to be tricky, though."
To turn a fictional persona into a real avatar, it wasn't enough for people to simply know the persona's name. They needed to be familiar with the persona's general appearance, personality, or deeds... enough to form a vivid mental image and genuinely believe in their existence. Only then could the minimum threshold for transforming a persona from fiction to reality be met.
Moreover, the more someone knew about the persona, the greater their belief contributed to the transformation, much like the difference between casual believers and fervent devotees.
The reason "Jack Jones" could shift from fiction to reality so easily was that Alaric had been actively using this persona. He'd spent two months as a teacher in Tingen, amassing plenty of "casual believers." Plus, people like Klein and Azik, who knew the persona well and firmly believed in its existence, acted as "fervent devotees." Since Jack's setup wasn't particularly powerful, it met the transformation criteria effortlessly.
In contrast, "Lucifer" was known by many in the Church due to a few appearances, but most didn't meet the minimum threshold to contribute belief. Plus, Lucifer's setup was far more powerful, making the transformation a distant goal.
"There's also the fact that Lucifer's setup isn't as clear as Jack's." Alaric thought, his fingers lightly tapping the desk before a smirk curled his lips. "For instance, Jack is straightforward... a Sequence 8 Clown of the Seer Pathway. But for Lucifer, while I've set him as a high-sequence of the Error Pathway, I haven't pinned down an exact sequence…"
"So, I've got two options." Alaric continued, his smirk widening. "First, for the sake of quickly digesting the Avatara potion, I could set Lucifer as Sequence 4. That'd speed up the transformation, but even if I fully digest the potion, I'd only get a Sequence 4 avatar."
"The second option…" Alaric's smile grew brighter, his decision already clear. "Set Lucifer as a Sequence 2 Trojan Horse of Destiny."
The abilities of a Sequence 5 Playwright were intriguing, no doubt, but an Angel-level avatar was far more enticing.
Besides, with the foundation already laid for Lucifer, settling for Sequence 4 felt like a waste.
Alaric's ears twitched, catching a sound. With a swift but casual motion, he swiped his hand across his face. The Thousand Masks activated, and Lucifer reappeared in the world, complete with a thoughtfully changed outfit.
Alaric tilted his head, flashing a smile at the "Jack Jones" figure across from him.
"Jack Jones" blinked, then tugged at "Lucifer's" Sleeve. "Teacher, what sequence are you, exactly?"
"Didn't I tell you already, Jack? Is your head only good for gossip?" Alaric ruffled "Jack Jones'" hair, locking eyes with those green pupils and giving a helpless smile, like a parent exasperated by their child.
He sighed. "Fine, I'll tell you again. I'm a Sequence 2 Trojan Horse of Destiny. Got it?"
"Oh…" "Jack Jones" blinked again, then suddenly said, "So you're only Sequence 2, old man? Can I request a teacher with a higher sequence? I hear the Angel of Fate Ouroboros next door is still quite charming... ow, that hurts!"
"Jack Jones" clutched his head, yelping.
Alaric hadn't held back, even with himself, delivering a sharp knock to "Jack Jones'" Skull.
Just then, a knock came at the study door, followed by Klein's voice. "Jack, you okay? I thought I heard something…"
Alaric wasn't surprised. He exchanged a glance with the "Jack Jones" shell, finding the sensation oddly fascinating. His will hadn't truly split; it was more like controlling two game characters at once. Everything just now had been his own performance.
For a normal person, simultaneously controlling two "accounts" would be challenging, but for Alaric, it was second nature, as instinctive as breathing. Considering his true identity as a Mini Nyarlathotep, this wasn't surprising.
"Not going to open the door?" Alaric adjusted his glasses, smiling at "Jack Jones." "I may have some issues with him, but I'm not about to pick a fight the moment we meet. Otherwise, you wouldn't even see him anymore."
"Who knows what you're scheming, old man? I'm onto your twisted sense of humor." "Jack Jones" muttered but hurried to the door and opened it.
Outside, Klein had clearly overheard something. His movements were stiff as the door opened, his gaze landing on "Lucifer" in the study. He forced a smile. "Mr. Lucifer, what are you doing here?"
Klein's unease stemmed from overhearing "Lucifer" mention having issues with him, which left him sweating.
"Can't I visit my student?" Alaric shot back with a smile.
"Of course not." Klein said quickly, shaking his head. "It's just… didn't you say before it wasn't convenient to meet Jack?"
"That was then, this is now. There were some minor issues before, but they're resolved now." Alaric replied calmly, pausing to look at Klein before adding, "Mostly, I'm here to stop my idiot student from getting himself killed."
Getting himself killed?
Klein's eyes caught the pile of glass shards on the study floor... likely a broken beaker. The desk was cluttered with spiritual materials and an open bottle of blood.
What was Jack up to?
Klein instinctively glanced at "Jack Jones." who, for once, looked guilty, turning away to whistle and avoid eye contact.
Klein had a bad feeling.
Alaric, smiling, said, "He just used the Angel of Fate Ouroboros's blood to concoct some shady potion and had the nerve to drink it, nearly killing himself."
***
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