Infinite Mana In The Apocalypse

Chapter 4026: Do Nothing! II

The air around them began to shimmer with patterns. Silvara’s form began to glow with inner light that had nothing to do with illumination and everything to do with the weight of existence acknowledging what she had accumulated.

Streams of that light began to flow from her into Noah, each strand carrying compressed years, condensed experiences, distilled existence itself!

|Receiving Authority Transfer. Source: Silvara - Guardian of the Contemplation Groves. Transfer Amount: 100,000,000 Authority Units expended.|

|Received: 50,000,000 Complexity Quotient. Received: 50,000,000 Purity Quotient.|

HUUM!

The sensation was overwhelming. Noah felt decades flowing into him, centuries of accumulated existence compressed into moments. His cells drank in the authority like desert sand accepting rain, each particle of his being growing denser with significance!

For Silvara, expending a hundred million units of her accumulated authority seemed to be nothing more than a casual expenditure.

She didn’t even pause in her ritual, the streams of light continuing to flow.

|Additional 300,000,000 Authority Units expended. Received: 150,000,000 Complexity Quotient. Received: 150,000,000 Purity Quotient.|

Noah’s astonishment grew as he felt himself transforming at a fundamental level!

|Additional 500,000,000 Authority Units expended. Received: 250,000,000 Complexity Quotient. Received: 250,000,000 Purity Quotient!|

When Silvara finally stopped and breathed out slightly, having casually expended nine hundred million units of authority as if giving away pocket change, Noah stared at her with undisguised astonishment.

In seconds, she had granted him advancement that would have taken others yeats to achieve through conventional means.

The wolf-woman laughed at his expression, the sound warm and genuine. ”Why do you look like that? We Fold Dwellers have to take care of each other.” Her expression grew more serious, amber eyes reflecting depths of experience.

”There are terrifying Early Creatures out there, horrific Inevitabilities, the prideful Living Existences who look down on us as if we’re insects, and more threats than can be counted. We only have each other, so- ”

Her words cut off instantly.

BOOM!

From above, a bellow erupted that made existence itself recoil. It wasn’t a sound but the concept of command given voice: ”EVERYONE DEFEND! IT’S HERE!”

...!

The mad Early Creature...had arrived.

Noah barely caught a glimpse of it, his enhanced perception managing to process perhaps a fraction of what descended upon them.

It looked like what primitive humans might have imagined their ancestors to be...a tribal figure wrapped in hides that might have been skinned from concepts themselves. But its eyes... its eyes were crimson suns that burned with madness that transcended simple insanity.

Those eyes focused on the groves, and from them erupted beams of red light that covered everything.

Everything.

The attack was too fast for anything below Duke level to even perceive, let alone react to.

Even Noah, with all his enhanced capabilities, managed only to bring the Goad up in front of him...a futile gesture against something that transcended physical or even conceptual defense!

But Silvara moved.

Without hesitation, without thought, operating on instinct older than consciousness, she threw her massive form over Noah!

Her body became a shield, her very existence a barrier between him and the crimson light.

|A concept devouring attack has been detected. Attack Type: The Devouring of Life Itself. Effect: Complete cessation of all life-related concepts in affected area. Contact Result is death in all its meanings!|

WAA!

Noah was forced to watch, and could only watch...as fear bloomed in those ancient amber eyes of Silvara.

But beneath the fear was something else...determination. Acceptance. The knowledge that this was a choice worth making.

In her fear, she smiled towards Noah as her lips opened and voiced out.

”I’ve...used my time rather than wasted it. You are young, so you...should move forward while trying your best.”

...!

Noah’s weavings buzzed as this woman...repeated the words he just said to her!

BOOM!

The crimson light hit Silvara’s form, and immediately, horrifically, she began to drain.

It wasn’t death in any conventional sense. Her very existence began to fade, life itself being torn from her in streams visible to Noah’s enhanced perception.

Her fur went from gray to white to colorless. Her eyes, those warm amber depths, became flat and empty. Her body, which had radiated warmth moments before, became cold in ways that transcended temperature.

She curled tighter around him as she died, ensuring that not even a strand of the crimson light could reach him through gaps in her protection. Her last expression, frozen on lupine features that were becoming nothing more than a husk, was fear mixed with a smile!

Because even though she did all this, she still felt fear! She still had dreams!

Within seconds, the very life of Silvara was gone, leaving nothing but an empty shell that had once housed centuries of experience, wisdom, and warmth.

|Entity: Silvara - Guardian of the Contemplation Groves. Status: Complete Cessation of Existential Circulation.|

...!

From far above, a roar of rage and sorrow erupted...a Fold Dweller of terrifying power engaging the Early Creature in combat that shook the very foundations of this domain.

The impacts of their collision sent shockwaves through dimensions, each blow containing enough force to unmake lesser Folds

The battle raged for five minutes that felt like hours as in this time, Noah stared at the sunken lifeless face of Silvara. He could do nothing else as a glimpse of that crimson light would destroy him!

Booms of complexity clashing against madness echoed through the space, making the air itself uncertain about whether it should exist. Then, suddenly, there was only sorrowful silence.

Noah’s expression was heavy as stone that had witnessed the death of mountains.

Throughout the entire battle, he had been looking at Silvara’s face....that fearful but smiling expression that would be carved into his memory. Someone who had known him for less than minutes had given everything to preserve his existence.

All because she was a Fold Dweller, and she believed him to be so as well!

A moment later, her body began to crumble.

Not decay...even decay required life processes.

This was simple dissolution, existence forgetting that she had ever been. The husk that had been Silvara became ash, then less than ash, revealing the devastation beyond.

|Environmental Warning- Area Devoid of Life Concept. Effect: Existence degradation at 1% per second. Time until complete dissolution is 100 seconds.|

...!