What had just occurred was almost too much to bear- one of the Legends had their Weavings decimated, granted True Death before their very eyes! And no one understood why. Arthur turned toward Noah, his voice sharp. "Why?" Noah didn't speak right away. He simply raised his hand, pointing toward the sky. Toward the havens that shimmered with fractured remnants of the True Frequencies of Entropy, Continuity, and Manadynamics. TING! From the heart of the massive infinity symbol, pulsing like a living vein in Existence, a scream tore through the air. And then something dropped from it. Hurtling down. Landing inches away from where the Omnifather had just perished! BOOM! A radiant lotus bloomed in that space, glowing a deep, verdant green as it pulsed with the force of Continuity. At its center, a battered, dazed Omnifather gasped for breath, clutching at his chest, hands frantically tracing the Weavings of his existence. "This… You…! What?!" He could barely get the words out. His Weavings had truly died. He had felt the nothingness. Felt his soul unmake itself. And yet, after what could have been seconds, or centuries, he was back. His True Source, once torn apart, was restored. No, more than restored. It pulsed with newfound complexity. With purity. Arthur stepped back. The other Legends stood frozen, eyes wide with shock. Even the Great Beyonder, who rarely questioned Noah, was watching him now, something bright and knowing glowing in her eyes. "You killed him… truly killed him. And yet, he returned, stronger, more complex and pure?" She said it as if hoping to understand, needing confirmation. Noah smiled faintly and pointed at her. "Exactly. The Infiniverse Crucible is a unique region in this Wheel of Existence. Anyone who steps into it has their signature marked. Anyone who dies within its bounds… will face True Death. The real kind. No illusions. No shortcuts." Silence stretched around them. "But," he continued, "after death, their Weavings are reborn, through Continuity, powered by infinite Mana." A pause. Weighted. Sharp. "In this place, you will be battered. Torn apart. Your True Source will either evolve, become more complex and pure, or you will die again. And again. That sensation?" Noah looked toward the Omnifather. "It's not pleasant. He can tell you." All eyes turned. The Omnifather scowled, fury and residual terror clashing in his expression. His now-empowered Source burned like wildfire. "You… You were in my Tresoverse Primaltree, you benefited from my weav-...!" Noah's figure flickered, an impossible blur. He was beside the Omnifather before the sentence finished, fingers lightly pressed forward. And with a calm grace, he struck. Ember Eternum blared. The force that even Primarchs could not hold down. It unraveled every possibility the Omnifather held, every thread of survival was extinguished in a breath. His body shattered again. Gone. Noah exhaled. And said softly, "Infiniverse Crucible Raids." HUUM. "I, the True Severed Origin Osmontian will be your Raid Boss." Even the Great Beyonder flinched. Noah's Weavings now radiated with dominance. "If you can't withstand me, you will die. And in here, True Death awaits. But Continuity won't let you stay dead. You'll return, your Weavings reborn. Infused with Entropy, Manadynamics, and the gentle cruelty of Continuity." He tilted his head. "Dying, over and over, is its own kind of power. Just ask the Omnifather." TING! "AHHH!" Another cry tore the air as the Omnifather fell again, his Weavings cascading down into the lotus of green. His body unraveled and bloomed anew. "See?" Noah's voice was quiet now. "It's not pleasant." When the Omnifather returned a second time, he didn't speak. He just backed away, breath ragged, hands shaking as he touched his newly reforged Weavings. More complex. Stronger. But the pain… unforgettable. Noah smiled, turning to the Legends. "The Crucible, this design born of me and the Infiniverse, is uniquely bound to the core True Sources. Death is real here. Ninety-nine percent of your Weavings will be destroyed. Only the last one percent clings to life, held by Continuity, fueled by Manadynamics. Entropy ensures it feels like a complete death." And every death? Every revival? Rewrites everything! Infused with new threads of Entropy. Of Continuity. Of Manadynamics! Noah looked over each of them. "By the time you survive me, you'll be Primarchs of Complexity and Purity. But until then, I hope the Legends of the Wheel are ready to die. Many, many times." Silence thickened. Then they stepped back. Tension rippling through them. But Noah only smiled, radiant and cruel. "To be fair," he said softly, "I'll abide by the same rules. The True Raid Bosses, Infiniverse and Ruination, will hunt me too. No holding back." WAA! He turned toward her. The Infiniverse. She shimmered with a thousand colors. Her very form birthed new True Frequencies of Existence every passing moment-each more chaotic, more beautiful, more dangerous than the last as her Complexity and Purity surged constantly. She met his gaze, light blazing. |Are you certain, Master?| Her voice rang out, not from lips, but from the very fabric of the Crucible. Noah gave a slight nod. Every clash. Every test. Every bit of strain against his True Sources would forge him stronger and allow him to be more in line with his True Sources. And Ruination? She had grown, but still couldn't match him. They both held forged Wheels, and she was still less complex than him currently. But the Infiniverse…held access to multiple True Sources, and then her sheer weight and complexity as a Living Wheel was added on top of it! He drew a deep breath. "Don't hold back." HUUM! The Crucible trembled. The Infiniverse's form surged with Complexity. A white mask bloomed over her face, veiling her eyes. As if she couldn't bear for her master to see her as she tore him apart. |Ember Eternum is transient.| WAA! |And when it fades… I hope Master is still alive.| Her voice was steel now. Cold. Ready. Noah turned back toward the Legends. His True Sources snapped loose like coiled serpents, lunging into the air with murderous grace. Legends scattered. And so, it began. The Infiniverse Crucible, domain of infinite deaths and rebirth, unfolded in full. And elsewhere… Outside this hellish battlefield… Within the True Frequency of Entropy… Another version of Noah sat still, suspended in a sea of endless purple, waves of decay and unraveling life lapping around him. Across from him sat his son. Henry. Kneeling on the still waters of entropy. Watching his father in reverent silence. At that moment, something else stirred. Not a True Source. But a part of Noah all the same, his lineage. And it began to burn. To evolve. Its Complexity and Purity rising toward something beyond imagining!