Arcanum: Chaos Path

Chapter 354 The Tacit Understanding Between Amon and Bethel

Bethel, in the past, paused for a moment upon hearing this, then said with some doubt, "I can open a one-way door to ensure we can go in, while I won't come out from inside. But..."

Bethel paused here, his expression becoming more serious, and said, "To prevent my future self from coming out, the seal on the alternate dimension is very clever. It can basically only be opened from the outside. If you go in without preparation, even I would have difficulty opening the passage from the inside. So I need to prepare some things in advance."

To prevent his corrupted self from wreaking havoc on Earth, Mr. Men had made thorough preparations, so even he himself found it difficult to open the seal on the alternate dimension from the inside.

Of course, this is based on the premise of being completely unprepared. If the corresponding ceremony and materials are prepared in advance, it is not particularly difficult for Mr. Men to open the passage from the inside to the outside.

Rowling was not surprised by this. He simply asked Mr. Men what he needed and then had someone prepare it.

During the preparations, Bethel, seemingly having thought of something, looked at Rowling and asked, "Has something changed?"

He had known Rowling for so long, and Rowling had never intended to "visit" him in another dimension. But today, he suddenly had such a plan, so Bethel was naturally curious about what had happened.

Rolin made no attempt to hide anything and quickly revealed his plan to use Nyarlathotep's power to counteract the Outer God's corruption. To reassure Bethel, he added, "I already have a successful example: the Black Emperor Roselle of later generations. You should know him."

“Besides that, I also know a little trick to use my power to suppress the will of the Celestial Venerable, but…” Roland hesitated for a moment, then said, “Considering Bethel’s ability to bear it, let’s forget it. Bethel, you should rely on yourself for now!”

Balancing pollution and suppressing the will of the Celestial Venerable, Rolin was genuinely afraid that Bethel wouldn't be able to withstand it.

Bethel was visibly taken aback when he heard this. He obviously did not expect that the pollution that had troubled him for so long would actually be resolved one day. Even if it was not completely eliminated, but it could balance the pollution and give him freedom so that he would no longer be interfered with by the outer gods, what difference would that make from a complete elimination?

As for the other thing Rolin mentioned, Bethel didn't care. He wasn't Antigonus, and Bethel's will wasn't weak. Although the Celestial was also a problem for him, it hadn't really reached the point where he needed external intervention.

"Also, let me give you a heads-up: although I have experience, pain during the treatment process is still unavoidable. Bethel, you should be mentally prepared." Rowling added, which was the truth. Although his technique was certainly more proficient than when he treated Rosell, some pain and madness were unavoidable. Even Rowling could only slightly restrain it, but could not fundamentally change it.

“I understand, I will be mentally prepared.” The past Bethel nodded. Although He had not yet undergone surgery, He had already removed the contamination several times, so He naturally knew that this would not be an easy process.

But no matter what kind of suffering He could endure, He could endure it all, as long as He could truly gain freedom.

"Alright then, shall we set off now?" Rowling didn't say anything more, just asked.

Bethel nodded.

At this moment, Amon spoke up: "Perhaps you will need my help? Like, holding Bethel down when he is struggling or something."

Having participated in numerous surgical treatments, Amon was clearly very familiar with the procedure.

Rowling thought about it and agreed; they did need someone to help restrain Bethel, so he nodded. Since Amon had already gone over, Rowling naturally looked at Antigonus beside him and asked, "Do you want to come along?"

Antigonus hesitated slightly, but after glancing at Bethel, he nodded.

Unlike Amun, Antigonus had a fairly good relationship with Mr. Men back then. Although they weren't particularly close, they were still somewhat colleagues. So, on such a major issue concerning whether Bethel could break free from the control of the Outer Gods, He naturally wanted to join in the fun.

Bethel glanced at his two colleagues who were enjoying the drama, but didn't object and nodded.

He believed that with Rolin around, neither Amon nor Antigonus could cause any trouble.

So once Bethel had everything he needed, the group set off immediately. With the Angel King of the Gate Passage present, they quickly arrived near Mr. Seal Gate's alternate dimension.

The past Bethel asked Rowling to wait a moment while he set up outside the alternate dimension. A few minutes later, the past Bethel completed all the preparations and looked at Rowling and the others, saying, "It's ready."

As soon as He finished speaking, a huge door appeared beside him.

“Then let’s go save the Tower Princess!” Roland joked. He pushed open the door and found himself in a completely unfamiliar space. However, the space was filled with corrupting forces that made Roland frown.

Not far away, there was a familiar figure to Rowling. The man's face was exactly the same as Bethel's in the past, only more haggard, with the vicissitudes of life in his eyes. He was clearly sober. After seeing Rowling, he smiled and said, "Should I say it's a pleasure to meet you, Lucifer?"

“I think ‘long time no see’ is more appropriate.” Luo Lin smiled and then sensed several figures behind him, namely Amon and the others.

“Bethel, long time no see.” Amon raised his hand to adjust his monocle, looked at his old friend, and gave a slightly nostalgic smile, saying:

"I never imagined that we would meet again in such a setting. I thought we would reunite when you passed away."

Amon understood Bethel, so He knew very well that the other would never yield to an outer god, and given that the external corruption could not be resolved, there was only one possible reason for Bethel's reunion with Him:
Bethel will return to its polluted state, thus completing the ascension ritual. However, He will not become the god who brings disaster to the world. He will willingly allow Amon to steal the ascension ritual, sacrificing His life to fulfill Amon's goal and becoming Amon's assistant in becoming the Lord of Mysteries.

This is a tacit understanding between them, a tacit understanding between two angel kings who have worked together for many years, which exists without any prior agreement.

Although Bethel knew that Amon might not be the most reliable candidate, Amon was Bethel's only choice given that he was unaware of Klein's existence.

But clearly, none of that will happen now.

"Regret?" Bethel could clearly see what Amon was thinking, and he asked with a faint smile.

(End of this chapter)