If that's truly the case… could such a method be applied to the Ancient Sun God?
Alaric felt there might be some potential in this idea. After all, the Ancient Sun God's predicament was quite similar to Azik's... both had their souls split in two, both plagued by the threat of something awakening within them.
The difference lay in the human aspect: Azik had, through repeated soul sacrifices, washed away all madness and restored his true nature, while the True Creator lacked such conditions and could only endure.
As for the divine aspect… Alaric thought of the Artificial Death and then of Adam, a smile flickering across his face as he mused to himself, "Beyond whether they possess self-awareness, what difference is there between them? Even…"
Did Adam truly still possess what could be called self-awareness?
A being devoid of emotions, indifferent to itself and those around it, acting solely for the survival of the world… Alaric's gaze settled on the Death Consul, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
"They're practically the same, aren't they?"
If the Death Consul was a hollow puppet crafted by the God of Death, wasn't Adam much the same... a hollow puppet forged by the former Ancient Sun God?
The former was made a vessel for revival, a diligent tool to govern a nation; the latter, a pure machine of salvation.
The Ancient Sun God... what a noble yet cruel existence, even toward himself… Alaric sighed inwardly.
"What's practically the same?" The Death Consul asked, looking at him with curiosity.
"No need to dwell on it. I just thought of a friend who's a lot like you... a hollow puppet without a sense of self." Alaric explained with a smile.
The Death Consul's expression betrayed a hint of curiosity. "Does he have a sense of self now?" He asked.
"I hope he does, but it's hard to say." Alaric replied, shaking his head. Though he had placed a mask on Adam early on and tried various ways to guide his emotions, Adam's current state still barely qualified as having a sense of self.
In terms of progress, he might even lag behind the Death Consul.
"That sounds unfortunate." The Death Consul said, a trace of regret in his voice.
Though he himself had only begun to develop a sense of self, the Death Consul still hoped that a similar being could achieve the same, finding some comfort in the thought.
"I think so too." Alaric said with a smile, then turned to Azik. "While you were merging your memories, I asked the Death Consul to handle some matters…"
Alaric briefly recounted how the Death Consul had delivered divine punishment to the Numinous Episcopate's non-recyclable trash. Looking at Azik, he continued, "The Numinous Episcopate is now in great turmoil. If you can step forward before the chaos settles, reclaiming the cult should be far less difficult."
"Azik, do you want to move against the Numinous Episcopate now?"
Azik's expression turned thoughtful. He neither agreed nor refused immediately, instead saying, "Though I've recovered about ninety percent of my strength, I'm still only Sequence 2… Even with the backing of oracles and divine punishments, others might hesitate to challenge me, but Sia will never yield easily. Even if I fully integrate the Uniqueness of the God of Death, she won't simply bow."
"That's fine, Azik. I'll provide support to help you reclaim the Numinous Episcopate. Leave Sia to me. You just need to leverage your identity as the Death Consul to handle the rest of the cult." Alaric said with a smile. He knew Sia wouldn't kneel to Azik easily, but that didn't matter. Even the most stubborn would fall in line after a few beatings... a truth proven in the original fate.
"Then I have no objections." Azik said, nodding. His only concern was the Pale-White Empress. Others, even a Sequence 2 like Haiter, wouldn't be too difficult for him to handle.
After all, he was once the Death Consul, the Underworld Emperor's most favored heir. Though that identity brought him much suffering, it wasn't without its advantages.
"When do we act?" Azik asked.
"No rush. Let the chaos within the Numinous Episcopate simmer for a couple more days. We also need to prepare for a complete takeover." Alaric replied.
Taking over an ancient organization with over a thousand years of history was no simple task. Even with Azik's legitimacy and the option to subdue dissenters by force, the remaining members would likely comply, but that didn't mean the rest would be easy.
On the contrary, with sufficient strength and Azik's presence, reclaiming the Numinous Episcopate was the simplest part. The real challenge lay in reshaping the recyclable members and assigning them suitable roles.
After all, Alaric didn't want to eliminate them all... he wanted capable tools.
"And we must guard against the non-recyclable troublemakers. While this round of purges has made an example of some, keeping most in line, once Azik takes over, some might try to break away from the cult. That's fine, but if they cause trouble after leaving, that's a problem…"
Alaric turned to the Death Consul. "Azik, I may need to trouble you with a few more tasks later."
Alaric couldn't monitor every member of the Numinous Episcopate himself, but the Death Consul was different. With the ability to wield the Uniqueness of the God of Death's power, he could, to some extent, exploit a loophole to act in the God of Death's name, allowing him to oversee anyone connected to the deity.
Thus, the Death Consul was the ideal choice to suppress the initial chaos.
"Alright." The Death Consul replied, nodding without asking for details.
Alaric considered a few more possibilities and made some arrangements, then sighed inwardly, "In a way, the Numinous Episcopate really pales in comparison to the Aurora Order. At least those fanatical beauties never stray... when the True Creator says east, they don't go west. When he says to do good, they'd become saints overnight. The Numinous Episcopate is far more complicated."
Though the Numinous Episcopate ostensibly revered the God of Death, and most members likely did, the fact that Sia, as the Pale-White Empress, could openly lead the Royal Family Faction showed their faith was lukewarm at best.
This was both good and bad. It was good because someone like Azik, with his credentials and strength, could easily rise to power without fierce resistance from traditionalists.
The downside was that a cult with impure faith inevitably harbored opportunists who prioritized personal gain. When their interests were threatened, they'd become trouble.
"Fortunately, it's not a big issue. And having ambitious people isn't entirely bad... at least there are more usable ones. The fanatical beauties… well, they're a bit too fanatical." Alaric thought, shaking his head. Then, a new thought struck him, and he smiled.
"Compared to the Numinous Episcopate, I'm actually more curious about how Amanises will react once this is over…"
Alaric was quite eager to meet the Evernight Goddess... not just for the sake of it, but to discuss potential cooperation with this master of intricate schemes.
Friends, after all, were something Alaric never had too many of.
***
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