Ethan always found Old Ba’s aspirations much easier to understand than those of other Old Gods. Just like now, when he proposed the concept of the trial, the red-haired woman across from him straightened her posture, and seven eyes simultaneously shone with a dazzling light.
—Alright, let’s go with what you said!
Countless whispers came from all directions.
If judging by the number of followers alone, Bazatous is one of the main Evil Gods in this world. However, due to His overly lax management style, the structure within His followers is extremely chaotic, so much so that the vast majority could not comprehend their "Heavenly Father’s" true intentions.
Ethan had encountered several different "varieties" of Bazatous followers on his journey.
Some are obsessed with large-scale sacrificial rituals, represented by Yakwell, the first director of the Reception Bureau. They believe "Heavenly Father" desires more souls and make this the goal of their actions. This bizarre artistic style also attracted many bloodthirsty and brutal enthusiasts to Bazatous. Their behaviors are unrelated to "art," purely an outlet for the beast within, or they inherently have antisocial personalities. These individuals roam from place to place, committing heinous crimes.
According to Ethan’s observations, most operatives in the Nightmare Eclipse belong to this type.
Lindong was once about revenge against the Empire, Rowena for money, but they did mention that many colleagues were merely enjoying the pleasure of slaughter.
The most numerous Bazatous followers are ordinary residents persecuted by the church and old aristocracy.
Life became unbearable for them, and having lost faith in the righteous gods, they could only hopelessly wish that the Old Gods could fulfill their desires. They often possess a strong motive: to gain power to avenge those who have persecuted them. They are willing to go to any lengths to achieve their goals.
Therefore, in terms of results, Bazatous’ true thoughts have never been well implemented.
In the eyes of His followers, "Heavenly Father" is a symbol of evolution, yet very few realize He is actually a fervent art enthusiast.
To this day, the only one who can comprehend some of Bazatous’s intentions is Lady Nightmare Witch.
She was the first follower to actively engage with "Bazatous-style" art.
This is likely the reason Old Ba holds her in high regard, and she can still hear the whispers. Another follower who could satisfy Old Ba was the darkened Saint Mary, although she has now taken refuge with the Goddess of Life, abandoning her pursuit of art.
"First, we need to confirm one thing, that ’death’ and ’soul sacrifice’ aren’t necessities, right?"
Faced with Ethan’s question, the red-haired woman hesitated for a moment.
Death isn’t important, but souls are like batteries to each Old God, a unique type of battery for this world. The seals prevent their powers from intervening in this world, and they can only exert influence through locally-produced "batteries." Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✦𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚✦𝕟𝕖𝕥
To promote Bazatous-style art, the energy reserve is essential.
Ethan noticed Bazatous’s hesitation and said, "I think these two are your biggest obstacles at this stage. Even your followers find it hard to genuinely embrace them, not to mention the ordinary residents."
Due to the Scarlet Plague, Ethan carefully studied the history of the Third Epoch, leading to a subtle discovery.
Human historians often consider the late Third Epoch as the darkest era, with the Scarlet Plague being one of the most severe disasters recorded. After the Red King ascended, the casualties were countless.
However, in history books, "death" is a kind of mutation.
Infected individuals transformed into twisted flesh constructs; they could still move, and even their life force grew stronger, with lifespans surpassing human limits.
The Reception Bureau internally also has relevant investigation data showing that "limb masses" and other Bazatous constructs have longer lifespans; theoretically, they can live indefinitely unless they suffer fatal injuries.
But due to the limited history of the Reception Bureau and an incident of containment failure during which most research data was destroyed, there have been no formal research data to show how long these mutated flesh constructs can survive.
This gave Ethan another idea.
What if Bazatous wasn’t a "avant-garde art" enthusiast?
What if His art form could align with the general public’s aesthetic, replacing the blood and flesh modifications with a cool exterior? After the transformation, one would gain a longevity surpassing humans and power beyond ordinary people. Surely many would crave to become followers of Bazatous.
In fact, many people in this era have already made similar choices, with werewolves and vampires being the representatives.
According to investigations by the Reception Bureau, these mutants are no longer considered human. To gain greater power, they are willing to abandon their human identity, choosing to become mutated creatures with severe negative effects.
And now, Ethan is endeavoring to implant this idea into Bazatous.
"Old Ba, humans are a non-renewable resource."
He is attempting to view humanity from Bazatous’s perspective. To the Old Gods, this race’s life is insignificant and fleeting; equivalent to them taking a nap or being momentarily distracted, and that might as well be a human lifetime.
Bazatous was listening attentively; He had never discussed such topics with anyone other than Ethan.