Chapter 4452: Duty V When Protos observed this deterioration, he knew the time had come for next phase. His words rang out to his Brothers and Sisters. "The enemy’s defenses falter. His paradoxical barrier consumes itself. Be ready for a response. Maintain formation. Maintain duty!" And in the next instant... The Avatar opened his mouth and roared grandly with a sound that made surrounding existence tremble. Protos analyzed the grandeur of 3 Grand Principles shining from this being...Paradoxical Manifestation, Reality Inversion, and Quantum Superposition overlapping on top of each other. They amplified his Civilizational Authority of Paradox exponentially, each Principle feeding into the others to create multiplicative effect rather than additive. And the product that came out... BOOM! The attack was cataclysmic in scope and devastating in intent. Millions of golden paradoxical pillars of light surged upward toward the Primus Inevitabilities like forest of death growing instantly from below. Each pillar crackled with concentrated Civilizational Authority of Paradox...golden light that seemed to burn reality itself with its passage. Half of them shockingly directed and concentrated toward Noah’s and Ozymandias’ positions specifically...as if the enemy knew exactly who he wanted to eliminate. Time felt like it moved unfathomably slow as Protos gazed at this attack approaching. Through the Master, he understood it! In the span of single instant, he spoke to all Primus Inevitabilities present through their exclusive communication channel. "Brothers and Sisters, observe the enemy’s counter-assault. Designation: Schrodinger’s Strike. Each golden pillar of paradox carries more than 1 Sextillion worth of damage, far exceeding our individual capabilities to withstand." His voice remained steady despite the apocalyptic attack approaching. "If touched by even one of these pillars, your existence will be forced into quantum paradox. You will become simultaneously ’dead’ and ’alive’ in the same state until reality is forced to choose one outcome. The forced choice will almost certainly result in harmful resolution, your existence unraveling as paradox resolves against your favor." His crimson eyes blazed with unwavering conviction. "This attack is lethal. This attack is devastating. This attack seeks to eliminate us before we can fulfill our purpose. But I ask you now, Brothers and Sisters: does this attack exceed our duty? Does this assault surpass our purpose? Can paradoxical death prevent us from serving our Master?" ...! In that instant as the attack was coming, as the millions of golden pillars were racing toward them with lethal intent, in the communication channel only for the Primus Inevitabilities, all those present roared their reply with unified conviction! "NEGATIVE! Our duty is absolute! Our purpose is infinite! We do not falter! We do not fear! We devour all obstacles! Death itself cannot exceed our duty to the Master!" Protos then looked at the deadly attacks directed toward his Master with expression carrying protective fury. "Then fulfill your duty. Activate Void Appetite!" ...! Void Appetite. This terrifying capability represented one of the most devastating aspects of Infinite Hunger given tangible form. At this moment, the 100,000 Primus Inevitabilities, alongside those in form of Civilizational Armor fused with Master’s people, pulsed with obsidian-blue-and-gold-crimson light that erupted from their combined existence. Brilliant stellar tentacled jaws manifested in the surroundings...and they were not physical constructs but conceptual weapons that could consume abstract concepts including damage itself! Their hunger overlapped and resonated, creating zone of absolute consumption where anything that entered would be devoured. These jaws crushed and bit down on the surging pillars of Paradox...the golden light that could deal 1 Sextillion damage each being met by Infinite Hunger that had no upper limit. The glorious scene that unfolded was breathtaking in its significance. The light of Paradox was being devoured by the jaws of Infinite Hunger. Golden pillars that had been racing toward them with lethal intent were intercepted by stellar tentacles that wrapped around them and consumed their essence. Many of the jaws shattered and broke under the intense light of Paradox, unable to fully contain power that exceeded their individual capacity. But even more replaced them instantly, Infinite Hunger regenerating faster than it could be destroyed. In single nanosecond that felt like eternity, the millions of golden pillars of Paradox... were devoured by a gloriously endless appetite! The attack that should have devastated their forces, that should have eliminated dozens of their number through paradoxical death, was consumed as fuel for their growth instead. ...! HUUM! All the Primus Inevitabilities shone with glorious light of increased power as down below, Aurelius Paradoxus looked up with blazing eyes of absolute lividity. From his powerful attack, his Schrodinger’s Strike that should have been devastating, none of these weak creatures 15 times less powerful than himself had even perished! In fact... the light around them seemed to be getting stronger? His expression shifted from anger to something approaching concerned recognition as he realized his attacks were feeding their growth rather than diminishing their numbers. At such moment, Protos raised his sword commandingly as he...bellowed out. "What is our duty?!" All Inevitabilities raised their swords in synchronized motion as they replied with unified voices! "Our duty is to our Master! Our duty is absolute! Our duty is Infinite!" Protos then boomed out his words with commanding authority. "Then give the Master what you devoured! Channel all gained essence toward the Civilization!" Prompts flashed before Protos. |Cataclysmic attack designated Schrodinger’s Strike has been devoured by grand collective of Infinite Hunger.| |Distribution parameters established by The Master:| |All Primus Inevitabilities present on the battlefield gain +.1 Quintillion Complexity and Purity each through the grace of the Master’s framework.| |Only .01 Quintillion Complexity and Purity has been accepted by the Master himself.| |Remaining essence flows across the Civilization’s Foundation Palisades for collective advancement.| |The Master demonstrates generous leadership by prioritizing his forces over personal gain.| ...! Protos turned around to gaze at the still armored visage of the Master as his crimson eyes shone with blinding light of duty fulfilled. The Master could have taken all of it for himself. Could have absorbed the entire consumed attack to further his own power. Instead, he distributed it among his forces while taking only modest portion for himself. This was why Protos would serve until his existence ceased. While looking at the Master with reverence that transcended simple loyalty, he bellowed out with commanding authority. "Advance upon the enemy. Close the encirclement. Do not give him...even a moment to recover! Fulfill. Your. Duty!" ...! The moment he issued this command, the silence that had fallen over the battlefield ended. A new symphony bloomed across existence...not the melancholic melody from before, but something far more aggressive. The beat was high-paced, as if drums of existence were pounding to the beat of rapid heart preparing for decisive confrontation. And this time, there wasn’t grand chorus with flowing lyrics. There were only two words that began to echo out with booming fervor as the Primus Inevitabilities’ encirclement closed in tighter around the Avatar. "INFINITE!" WAA! "HUNGER!" BOOM! Infinite. Hunger. Such words blazed across existence like alarm that could not be ignored...a declaration of what they were and what they intended to do. In the next moment, the shields of all Primus Inevitabilities and the Civilizational Armored forces raised their defensive implements in synchronized motion. From their shields, Primus Mana Arcana Glyphs activated with concentrated power. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶 In the next instant, more than 100,000 Primordial Primus Mana-Flame Wyrms emerged from the activated Glyphs! These were not simple manifestations or temporary constructs. They looked unfathomably real...creatures of concentrated authority given permanent form through the quality of Primus Mana. Each Wyrm possessed nine heads that pulsed with interminable grandeur, and each head bore jaws capable of releasing molten Civilizational Authority. The glorious sense of power and honor these Wyrms emitted was palpable...ancient creatures summoned to serve The Primordial Civilization of Mana and Hunger! They... could remain active for a whole hour! The Primus Mana quality made such grand thing possible! And 100,000 of them were called out at this moment as they encircled the Avatar alongside their summoners. Each of their many jaws...more than 900,000 heads total, opened simultaneously as they roared out molten Civilizational Authority of Mana and Hunger toward the enemy! BOOM! "INFINITE!" "HUNGER!" The Symphony and Chorus picked up with increasing intensity as on the ground, Aurelius Paradoxus roared angrily with a voice that made surrounding existence crack. "I bear the light of a glorious Civilization! You all... cannot compare to what THE Loom has cultivated across eons! ONTOLOGICAL ANCHORING!" BOOM!