"…" Aldrich took in these revelations with a hand to his chin. This was groundbreaking information that practically nobody knew about.
One thing that immediately came to his mind was that this confirmed that it was not just Vanguard that had an 'Irregular' power that did not belong to this world, but Zahak as well. And Zahak had a power from the 'Outer' - the very same source that Aldrich derived his Elden World powers from.
At the same time, the knowledge just broke open the seals to a complex chamber of questions.
"This one senses you hold many questions, Kindred, but this one advises against it. The connection this one holds with you is short. There will be no time to answer your thirst for knowledge," said the entity.
"The Altering seeded an egg into the planet's core, and Lyanna filled it in using her power to transfer her consciousness," said Aldrich. Though he did note that Lyanna's power had not shifted her consciousness but instead created a new entity entirely.
"But that begs the question: who or what was the egg originally for?"
"…" The entity did not answer again. But after a pause, it did elaborate a little. "This one cannot answer that. For this one does not know. This one holds no memories from before it filled the emptiness of the vessel.
All this one truly knows and follows is the will left behind by Lyanna, this one's 'mother.'"
"That will being?" asked Aldrich.
"The will of Zahak was to consume all life into One. The will of Lyanna, on the other hand, was to protect life," said the entity. "This one seeks to enforce the will of Lyanna."
Aldrich almost laughed at the absurdity of the statement. This entity, by controlling Okeanos and dozens of other Locuses, had killed over a million people worldwide in just two days.
Preserving life seemed to be on the last of its priorities. "I'm beginning to connect the dots here.
Scientists have observed that variants have an instinctive 'trigger' to follow a leading creature, a Locus.
And they determined that from Locus energy signatures during battle, especially regeneration, that they receive energy from an outside source.
This led to the idea of a hivemind theory.
The center of that hivemind, it's you, isn't it?"
"That is so."
"Then how is it that you are protecting life?" said Aldrich. "To me, it seems like you've waged active war on humanity already, and that's involved killing countless people.
Not to mention the Monstering. The Titans. That killed billions."
"Humanity is not 'life'" said the entity. "It is a disease. It is a self-destructive parasite that leeches until its host is dry. It will be the inevitable end of all true life upon this world.
All life that grows to gather together and amass the might and will to take over their host planet is no true life at all."
"I see. So your solution is to wipe all of humanity out," said Aldrich calmly.
"That is so, Kindred," said the entity with its characteristic lack of inflection. Despite having a will born from Lyanna, who likely had been a compassionate woman, this entity was far from human.
It truly did not consider humanity anything more than a pest to get rid of.
"And this one senses you do not hold true anger over such a statement, Kindred. You protect the humans, but even now, in speaking of their annihilation, you hold no strong emotion.
Do you truly care about them?"
"Reasonably so."
"Disappointing, Kindred. This one has sensed that you have taken care of one of this one's children, and yet you have corrupted her to be more human. To embrace a nature that leads to the inevitable end."
Aldrich understood that the entity talked about Chrysa. "My parenting is none of your business."
"This one understands that. That is why this one has called you here, Kindred."
"To discuss Chrysa?"
"So that is what you have named her. No. Not her. She is fully yours, Kindred. She no longer holds any connection to this one.
This one wishes to discuss the fate of humanity."
Aldrich crossed his arms. "Tell me what you have to say."
"If you, Kindred, truly wish to protect humanity, then this one will not stop you," said the entity. "Take humanity and make it yours. But rid yourselves of this world. Take your scourge and spread it elsewhere."
"And if I disagree?"
"Then this one shall unleash the Titans once more."
"…" Aldrich figured that the entity would go to that. If the entity was a nation state, then the titans were the 'nuclear option'. Unleashing them now, especially now, would doom humanity to extinction.
The only way Aldrich saw a way for humanity to survive was if everyone banded together to kill a Titan, at which point, Aldrich could try to raise it.
But that was impossible.
First off, it was unclear whether Aldrich could even raise a Titan to begin with. It seemed that raising undead overwrote the hivemind control that the entity placed on its variants, but it was hard to tell whether the same would apply to Titans.
And Aldrich knew that in his current state, with how he lost mana and health with stronger 'boss' type beings, would not be able to raise a Titan.
The Titans were simply on another scale of power entirely.
Of the original twenty titans, humanity could handle exactly eight of them.
Each of those eight could total countries in a matter of days, but a coalition of the strongest heroes and villains could stop their ceaseless march of destruction.
The remaining twelve titans were not just much stronger, but they were almost completely immortal.
Not even Vanguard could kill them.
In the end, the twelve titans, weakened but unable to die, returned to their personal lairs where, according to energy scans and readings, they lay dormant in unreachable pocket dimensions.
"But the Titans are still resting. And this one does not wish to rouse its children when they are not ready to wake. But make no mistake, Kindred, if this one is pushed, this one shall not hesitate to wake its children once more."
"You seem confident that you can win. Even when my powers can override your control," said Aldrich.
"That is because there is simply no other alternative, Kindred. Look-," The entity pointed to the ball of white in the distance, the faint white light surrounded by hungry, approaching dark. "That is a manifestation of this world's life force.
If you defeat the Titans, then that meager light dies.
This one dies.
But so too does this world. It will rot and shatter, leaving mankind to face extinction.
Whether at the hands of this one's children or planetary destruction, the end is the same."
