Chapter 5051: Vengeance II
Chapter 5051: Vengeance II
Noah acknowledged this truth to himself and finally directed his attention to the completing process of Ozymandias’s transformation.
His other self had spent the latter half of the Civilizational Eon attempting to form a Proterozoic Bone, and according to the prompts, the process had commenced.
However, when he examined Ozymandias’s body more thoroughly, he realized something had actually been accomplished.
THE Proterozoic Bone resided in his right leg.
Noah elevated the limb and examined what his other self had forged during that eon of isolated cultivation. The bones of his right leg, from knee to toes, shimmered with multicolored brilliance unlike anything the remainder of Ozymandias’s body contained.
The patella gleamed at his knee, transformed into something beyond normal bone. Below it, the tibia and fibula ran parallel down his shin, both blazing with light that pressed against perception. The tarsals of his ankle, the metatarsals of his foot, and the phalanges of his toes had all been converted into Proterozoic configurations that declared their nature to anyone capable of perceiving it.
They were unfathomably heavy!
Oh!
It was actually his right leg that contained the Proterozoic Bone? No wonder THE Living Elemental had appeared near death when Noah believed he was exercising tremendous restraint. Those kicks had not been casual discipline. They had been strikes from a limb forged at THE Second Scale landing upon a body still anchored at THE First!
Noah observed that leg as terrifying pressure emanated from it, force similar to his Spear of Civilization radiating outward with each movement. When he exerted pressure deliberately, channeling authority through the transformed bones, something emerged.
Two rivers of misty light began swirling around his leg.
The first river was clear and nearly invisible, moving like smoke given purpose as it coiled around his shin and ankle. This was the force of Unobservable, that vast darkness beyond perception now flowing through bones that had learned to channel it.
The second river blazed with golden luminosity, a misty current of power wrapping around his leg in patterns opposite to its clear counterpart. This was the force of Observable, the accumulated acknowledgment of everything witnessed now integrated into his transformed limb.
When they swirled together around his right leg, Noah felt as though he could crush anything!
Prompts bloomed before his vision.
|Proterozoic Bone Formation Detected|
|Collective Designation: THE Hadean Limb of Infinite Hunger|
|Components: Patella, Tibia, Fibula, Tarsals, Metatarsals, and Phalanges of the right leg, all transformed through Proterozoic methodology during Civilizational Eon of Development.|
|Description: THE Hadean Limb of Infinite Hunger has been forged through the integration of Infinity, Observable, and Unobservable weavings into bone structure prepared by the Civilization of Infinite Hunger. This Proterozoic Bone contains THE Civilizational Instinctus and Autonomous Existential Response infused and elevated within its marrow.|
|Civilizational Instinctus: The limb will react to threats before conscious awareness processes them. Attacks launched against the bearer will be countered by autonomous responses from the transformed bones.|
|Much of this Proterozoic Bone’s weavings and capabilities remain unknown. Field testing against appropriate opponents is recommended before relying upon this transformation in genuine conflict at THE Second Scale.|
...!
It required testing.
Noah’s eyes, or rather Ozymandias’s eyes, shone with tyranny as he considered the prompt’s recommendation. He required a test subject. Someone who could provide genuine resistance while not being so overwhelmingly powerful that the test became meaningless. Someone strong enough to compel this Proterozoic Limb toward revealing its capabilities.
Who precisely would be sufficient to permit him a satisfactory confrontation while also not being defeated in a one-sided manner?
"..."
His eyes shone brightly moments later as a smile spread across Ozymandias’s obsidian features.
He already knew.
---
Noah’s eyes flickered back to the Early Veiled Shore as he permitted his other body within his Organ of Civilization to continue as it was.
The transformation of Ozymandias could proceed without his direct attention. THE Hadean Limb of Infinite Hunger required testing, and his other self possessed sufficient autonomy to pursue that objective initially. The connection between his bodies allowed information to flow in both directions, ensuring he would know immediately if anything significant occurred within THE Hadean Desmoterion.
He breathed out and sensed his Organ of Civilization more thoroughly than he had before.
After the Spear of Civilization and THE Hadean Desmoterion, he knew the transformation was not yet complete. The Organ continued pulsing against his chest, multicolored light radiating outward in waves that suggested additional capabilities waiting to be revealed. Something else remained.
"What is the last surprise you have for me?"
He spoke such words with a smile, addressing his own existence as though it were a separate entity capable of responding. In some ways, it was.
The spinning Organ of Civilization on his chest released a multicolored pulse in response to his question.
Waves of information bloomed before his vision as prompts materialized with brilliance that pressed against his awareness. The golden sands of the Early Veiled Shore trembled beneath his feet as his Organ communicated what it had become.
|Final Transformation Stage Detected|
|THE Hadean Organ of Civilization has culminated all weavings of your Existence and Civilizations into unified expression.|
|The integral weavings of your Archai, Mundi, Atlas, Grimoire, and everything you stand for have stepped forward to affirm a singular truth: through your Organ of Civilization and weavings of Infinity, you possess the capability to emulate any Civilization in Existence.|
|This capability exceeds simple mimicry. You do not merely copy but you comprehend, integrate, and express Civilizations as though they were always part of your foundations.|
BOOM!
The prompts were substantial ones, and Noah’s eyes spun gloriously as he processed their implications.
Around his body, the clear and golden misty forces of Unobservable and Observable began to swirl without his conscious direction. The clear river coiled around his left side, that vast darkness beyond perception responding to his Organ’s transformation. The golden river wrapped around his right side, the accumulated acknowledgment of everything witnessed declaring its presence alongside its counterpart.
Both forces recognized that something significant had just been unlocked within his existence!
The prompts continued their disclosure.
|Weavings of your Cheats, Loot, Quintessence, and Protagonist among all others have guided the Organ of Civilization to allow for the emergence of THE Hadean Coalescence.|
|Primary Function: Your Organ of Civilization will act as a magnet to passively multiply by ten and elevate by an exponent of three all incoming harvests. Resources, authority, and cultivation gains directed toward your existence will be amplified through this methodology before integration into your foundations.|
|Secondary Function: You may now pull Hadean Civilizational Singularities from any entity you are actively observing. These Singularities represent compressed expressions of their Civilization’s fundamental nature. After pulling and absorbing a sufficient number of Hadean Civilizational Singularities from a target, you can freely express their Civilization as it will be recorded into your Organ of Civilization.|
|Tertiary Function: All Recorded Civilizations will be broken down and analyzed for weaknesses you can utilize. Understanding an enemy’s Civilization grants understanding of how to dismantle it.|
|Quaternary Function: The Weavings of Loot and Cheats have advanced further to permit selection of a maximum of three targets possessing strong enough connection to your Existence. From these selected targets, you may siphon Hadean Existential Singularities.|
|Hadean Existential Singularities can include: understanding regarding the usage of Observable and Unobservable forces, Infinity comprehension, progress of cultivation, musings on Proterozoic Organs or Bones, and any other miscellaneous aspects relating to their existence.|
|The more powerful an existence is compared to you, the less effective the extraction of Hadean Existential Singularities becomes.|
...!
Noah’s eyes shone brilliantly at the set of prompts flashing before him.
He breathed in deeply as he contemplated the many implications cascading through his awareness. He could observe enemies and extract understanding of their Civilizations. He could select enemies and siphon their existential progress directly into himself!
His body in Nakatsukuni presented immediate opportunities.
He would be able to siphon Hadean Civilizational Singularities from Naldine and the Singular Cognizance to comprehend their Civilizations and eventually emulate them. The Primordial Architect who had been teaching him about THE Proterozoic Scale could become a source of knowledge beyond what she consciously shared.
The ancient Sadakar could provide understanding of Singular Cognizance methodology simply by being observed.
And if he selected grand enough targets for the three slots permitting Hadean Existential Singularity extraction...
Well, even powerful enemies would contribute to his advancement however slowly.
"Hmm..."
Noah rose up with bright eyes, his mind already racing through potential selections. Three targets with strong connections to his existence. The criteria suggested beings he had interacted with significantly, entities whose fates had become intertwined with his own through conflict. Several candidates presented themselves immediately.
He was about to begin the selection process when something caused him to pause.
Astonishment crossed his features as he looked out across the Early Veiled Shore.
His gaze traveled further, extending past the vast and nigh endless Infiniverse into the outside landscape where rivers and seas of the Pluvial Epoch of Existential Infinity spread through Observable Existence. The multicolored rain continued falling across regions his authority had touched, transforming everything it contacted while declaring his influence to anyone capable of perceiving it.
And there, projected across the transformed skies, he observed something unexpected.
The illusory image of THE Creature holding the lifeless Eyes of Horus blazed against the backdrop of existence itself.
That massive titan wreathed in flames sat upon a makeshift throne, posture radiating dominion over everything within sight. In both hands, he gripped crimson eyes that had terrorized regions for eons, now bloody and torn and ruptured beyond repair. The message being broadcast required no words to comprehend.
Horus had fallen.
THE Creature had claimed victory and was now displaying the proof to all of Observable Existence.
Noah’s eyes shone brilliantly as he observed this declaration of supremacy. He could not help but nod in appreciation of what this being had accomplished. His hands came together in applause that echoed across the Early Veiled Shore, genuine respect expressed through the simple act of clapping.
"Well done..."
He spoke the words aloud even though THE Creature could not hear them from this distance. Props were deserved when props were earned, and eliminating Horus while Noah had been focused on his own transformations demonstrated exactly why THE Creature remained the most dangerous entity in Observable Existence!
The warning being broadcast was clear.
Behave, or face the same fate.
Noah smiled at the image before returning his attention to the selection of his three targets. THE Creature’s display had reminded him of something important.
Power in Observable Existence was not merely accumulated. It was demonstrated. It was declared. It was shown to those who might otherwise forget that certain beings should not be challenged.
His Hadean Coalescence would permit him to grow through methodology his enemies could not perceive.
By the time they understood what he was doing, he would have already extracted everything he required from them.
---
<The Parable of THE Hollowing Witness>
In Prima Indifferentia, there exists a creature known as THE Hollowing Witness.
It does not hunt or chase. It does not announce itself through roars or displays of dominance that might alert its prey to approaching danger. THE Hollowing Witness simply watches from distances its targets cannot perceive, observing through senses that operate outside the boundaries of normal awareness.
While it watches, it feeds.
Not on anything the observed entity would notice missing until far too late. THE Hollowing Witness consumes potential.
It devours futures that have not yet occurred, digesting possibilities its targets would have otherwise achieved. Every moment of observation removes something from the prey that they never knew they possessed.
A being observed for a single day loses nothing significant. A being observed for a year loses opportunities they would have dismissed as bad luck. A being observed for a century begins to wonder why their cultivation has slowed, why breakthroughs that should have arrived remain perpetually out of reach, why existence itself seems to resist their advancement.
A being observed for an eon discovers they have become hollow without ever understanding how.
There is a tale told among the Undivided Ones of Prima Indifferentia regarding a Formless Terror who grew suspicious of his stagnation. He had cultivated diligently for millennia. He had consumed resources that should have elevated him beyond his current state. Yet he remained precisely where he had been when his efforts began, as though running in place while believing himself to be sprinting forward.
He searched for enemies. He found none.
He searched for curses. He discovered nothing.
He searched for parasites feeding upon his foundations. His existence was clean.
Only when he was moments from dissolution, his potential entirely consumed, did he finally perceive THE Hollowing Witness observing him from a distance his weakened senses could barely register. The creature had been watching for longer than the Formless Terror had been aware of his own stagnation. Every future he might have claimed had already been digested. Every height he might have reached had already been stolen.
The Formless Terror screamed a single question before his existence collapsed into nothing.
"Why me?"
THE Hollowing Witness did not answer, for it had already turned its attention toward new prey.
The parable concludes with a truth that those in Prima Indifferentia understand intimately: the most dangerous predators are not those who face you in battle. They are those who have already won before you realize the conflict has begun. By the time you stand before them, you have already lost everything that might have permitted victory.
You simply have not noticed yet.