Noah felt his Weavings become clearer. He did not increase in purity or complexity, and yet he felt even more powerful. His mind brimmed with indescribable clarity as he gazed around him, eyes that seemed to see through everything and himself all at once. And in that moment, he arrived at a critical understanding about what was happening across the Wheel of Existence. He could always prepare. He could always ensure no mistakes were made or correct them if they were. Because he was…human, wasn't he? He...was human, right? If he made mistakes, he would amend them. But even after all that, even with all the planning, all the foresight across the vast stretches of existence, even after calculating for countless variables… Sometimes… "Shit happens." WAA! Yes. Along this endless path he walked, he had encountered this truth more than once. He had planned. Prepared. And yet something utterly unfathomable would occur- something that would have derailed any other man. But he always overcame it. His sheer explosiveness in short bursts of power shattered obstacles others couldn't even comprehend. Bob had been the most recent example. A lot of shit had happened with him- situations that would've left anyone else floundering. But Noah prevailed. This time, it was the Mawbearers of the Hollow Concord of Nullity. And it could be argued that even this…was somehow tied to him. His presence in the Infinite Ravines had drawn the gaze of a Dead Thing. That creature had reported directly to Veltraxis, setting off a chain of consequences. Sometimes, events spun beyond one's wildest control. And when they did, all one could do was adapt. If Noah couldn't overpower the present threat now, he would do so later. Because his path would not end here. And while he was here, while he endured and continued, he would do everything he could for those bound to him by fate and Weavings. So. The Eldritch Expanse stretched outward, spreading across the Wheel of Existence. Countless Channelers became his, merging into the budding Spokes of the Infiniverse Wheel of Existence. He was preparing for the worst-case scenario, but it remained only that. A possibility. Nothing more. And he would continue onward. Advancing regardless of the eventual results. On his Infinite path! |You have gained a slightly more advanced understanding of your nature.| |From the core of your Living Wheel, the Autognosis Living Engine blooms.| |An Engine to generate Living Paradoxes that autocorrect their internal contradiction via endless growth.| |You have advanced from an Administrator of the Absolute Complex Atlas Living Wheel to become its Developer.| |Within your Living Wheel, the Autognosis Living Engine brings up the Paradox of Amalgamation of Existence that you entirely skipped.| |Your Autognosis Living Engine poses the first Living Paradox and asks…just what is a True Source?| HUUM! Noah closed his eyes. In the depths of his Weavings, a Living Wheel began to spin- and at its core, by answering the Why of Veritarch, the Truthborne Continuum...his Aspects of Existence became its foundation. He understood himself- if only slightly- more. And from that, the Autognosis Living Engine was born, at the very center of the Living Wheel. Spokes formed and stretched from its heart to the Rim. Autognosis. Self-knowledge. An understanding of one's own dynamics, character, and peculiarities. And in this moment, it birthed a Living Paradox for him to solve. The Paradox of True Sources. How had he obtained any of them without undergoing Amalgamation-.like everyone else? To solve such a Living Paradox, of course he would need… "O Paradox." In the gray brilliance of Hell Terra Firma- colorless sea below, cerulean sky above- he spoke the words aloud. And… |The True Source of Paradox has always been born.| …! A confounding statement bloomed into existence. Noah regarded it calmly, then looked inward. What was a True Source? To find the answer, he would witness and participate in the Weavings of fantastical, living, and dead True Sources alike. His why was certain. He would seek the answer, and he would live. No matter what happened, he would endure. Those he now faced wielded a complexity he might not match today. Or tomorrow. Or even next week. But through them, he would learn. And he would see further along the Infinite Path that he refused to abandon. So… "Lead the way, Paradox." He spoke to another blooming part of himself. |Paradox, the recursive heartbeat of contradiction that fuels evolution and possibilities beyond limits, begins to move.| …! At this moment. BOOM! As the Infinite Ravines tore and Weavings of Dead Things spread across the Frequencies of the Wheel. Suddenly, the glee on Veltraxis' face halted. His smile faded as he frowned, glancing around. Something had shifted. He could feel it, but not define it. He wasn't alone. The surrounding Mawbearers stirred, uneasy. Something was…off. Even the 9th Mawbearer of the Dissonant Echo furrowed his brow. Beside him, Veltraxis muttered. "I feel as if something has changed, but I cannot quite place my Weavings upon it." …! His grin remained horrific, but behind it, unease flickered. By now, the Harmonized Sourcebound Icon Complexity Dead Things had already been sent forth, diving into exposed Frequencies, ready to feed. "Yes, I wonder what has changed." Veltraxis heard a voice, right beside him. A man stood there in golden Emperor's robes. Veltraxis appeared calm until his dead eyes sharpened. His fist dropped, releasing a shockwave of collapsing Weavings of Nullvein Gravewake Folds toward a figure that had appeared midair! 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚 Noah. BOOM! The devastating Weavings struck, dispersing the image instantly. But a heartbeat later, the figure reformed—calmly—before the gathered Mawbearers, as if he'd never vanished. Veltraxis' eyes flared as he turned toward the distance of a vast gray-ash sea painted with blood. The Living Defenders were tattered, broken. There, the original Noah remained, flanked by a gravely wounded Arthur and the Witness. And yet…he was also here. The Mythic True Signatures once locked down by the 9th Mawbearer had somehow vanished. Now… Veltraxis' grin widened. "What is this? I can sense that you are no threat to me—and yet…I cannot touch your Weavings? How absurd must you become, O Favored Living Thing?" …!