Infinite Mana In The Apocalypse

Chapter 4540: Merely Different Flavors!

Far from the current Era.

Even further past The Earliest Folds.

In The Infinite Unfurling, in a region where space itself had been shattered by conflicting authorities, a battle of apocalyptic proportions raged.

Tor, THE First Hunger, stood at the epicenter of devastation with seas of obsidian-crimson hunger radiating from his form in all directions. The authority pushed back against radiant purple waves of time manipulation emanating from THE Time Surfer.

But shockingly, she was no longer his only opponent.

Three more entities had arrived to surround him on all sides, each one radiating overwhelming waves of power at THE Surface Depth of Absolute Sovereignty. Their combined presence created a formation designed to completely eliminate any possibility of escape.

Four THE entities surrounding the lone figure of Tor!

And yet despite the overwhelming numerical disadvantage, Tor appeared utterly magnificent in his defiance. His form stood tall and unwavering, showing not even the slightest hint of fear or concern. His eyes pulsed with genuine brutality and anticipation, as if he was looking forward to the challenge.

The three new arrivals were impressive in their own right, each representing a different fundamental aspect of existence.

To Tor’s left stood a crystalline entity that seemed to be composed entirely of compressed space itself. Its body constantly shifted dimensions, appearing simultaneously near and far, large and small. Brilliant cyan light emanated from its form as it wielded The Way of Space with terrifying mastery. Space bent and folded around it automatically, creating layers of compressed reality that could crush anything caught within.

To his right floated a being wreathed in emerald flames that burned without consuming. Its form was vaguely humanoid but composed entirely of verdant fire that represented pure vitality and life force taken to absolute extremes. This was one who walked The Way of Vitality, having achieved Sovereignty over life itself. The flames pulsed with regenerative power so intense that the surrounding collapsed existence was actually beginning to heal and reform.

Behind him descended a shadow that was somehow darker than the void around it. This entity had no fixed form, constantly shifting between shapes that hurt to observe directly. Tendrils of absolute darkness extended from its core, and wherever they touched, light ceased to exist entirely. This was a master of The Way of Darkness, having claimed Sovereignty over the absence of illumination itself. The darkness was so complete that it seemed to devour not just light but the concept of perception.

Combined with THE Time Surfer’s purple temporal authority, it felt like four terrifying bubbles of concentrated power. Four distinct domains of Sovereignty were simultaneously seeking to impose themselves and systematically crush the obsidian-crimson light of Hunger that Tor represented.

The pressure was immense enough to collapse entire Primordial Folds!

THE Time Surfer’s voice cut through the tension with cold calculation.

”Do you truly understand the nature of the thing you are protecting?” she asked with measured intensity. ”It is an entity from another time entirely. A thing that should not possibly be capable of arriving in this era through any conventional means.”

Her eyes gleamed with certainty.

”The only power in existence that possibly has the capability to influence temporal placement to such a degree is none other than THE Creature itself. And anything dealing with such a being is absolute taboo, a lost cause that brings nothing but destruction to all who touch it.”

She gestured toward where Noah had disappeared.

”If the anomaly you hide possesses power relating to or derived from such a being, you would benefit immensely from studying it as well. So why fight against us when cooperation would serve your interests far better? We could all study and benefit from understanding that temporal impossibility.”

Her proposal was delivered with false reasonableness, as if she was offering genuine partnership rather than thinly veiled threats.

Tor laughed with cold amusement that echoed across the shattered landscape.

”My Way is more than sufficient to carry me across all the Depths of Existence that matter,” he said with absolute conviction resonating through every word. ”I have walked the path of Hunger for longer than most civilizations have existed. I have devoured many, many Sovereignties and integrated their understanding into my own.”

His smile became predatory.

”Why would I possibly need to study some temporal anomaly or worry about THE Creature when my own path leads to heights you cannot even comprehend? Your offer reveals weakness and not strength. It shows that you believe external sources are necessary for advancement.”

He paused for emphasis.

”I do not share such limiting beliefs.”

At these dismissive words, THE Time Surfer’s expression transformed from negotiation to absolute fury. Her composure shattered as rage flooded through her.

”Then it seems like Hunger will collapse here today!” she roared with voice amplified by temporal authority. ”Your arrogance will be your end!”

The four Ways of Existence erupted simultaneously around Tor’s position with coordinated precision.

Purple temporal waves sought to slow his perception and movement to a crawl. Cyan spatial compression attempted to fold Existence around him until he was crushed into nothing. Emerald vitality flames paradoxically tried to force his existence into uncontrolled regeneration that would consume itself. Absolute darkness moved to erase his presence from perception entirely.

The combined assault was designed to leave no possibility of survival or resistance!

HUUM!

And yet, Tor laughed with genuine delight as his own Hunger erupted in response.

”You bring four Sovereignties to bear against one and believe this gives you advantage,” he said with voice carrying across dimensions. ”But you fundamentally misunderstand the nature of what you face.”

Obsidian-crimson authority exploded outward with devastating force.

”Time is consumed by Hunger because all moments eventually end, devoured by the progression of existence itself. Space is consumed by Hunger because emptiness demands to be filled. Vitality is consumed by Hunger because all life requires sustenance to continue. Darkness is consumed by Hunger because the absence of light still represents something that can be devoured.”

His eyes blazed with terrifying certainty.

”Hunger stands above all of your Sovereignties because Hunger is the fundamental truth that underlies existence. Everything that is will eventually be consumed. Everything that exists serves as potential sustenance. Your Ways are merely different flavors of the same inevitable meal.”

He took a single step forward with deliberate intent.

And Decillions upon Decillions of obsidian-crimson jaws and teeth bloomed all around him with ravenous fervor. Each jaw was large enough to swallow omniversal systems whole. Each tooth was sharp enough to pierce through Sovereignties themselves.

They opened wide with hunger that had been refined across eons, ready to devour absolutely everything before them without discrimination or mercy.

The four THE entities found their attacks being systematically consumed before they could even reach Tor’s actual position. The jaws intercepted temporal manipulation and ate the concept of altered time.

They caught spatial compression and devoured the folded dimensions. They engulfed vitality flames and consumed the life force as fuel. They swallowed darkness and fed on the absence itself.

THE Time Surfer’s expression became increasingly sour as she witnessed her coordinated assault being nullified with such apparent ease.

But something else was wrong as well.

All of a sudden, she found herself completely unable to perceive the immediate future that she had always been able to see with crystalline clarity. The temporal threads that normally extended forward from any given moment were becoming murky and dark.

Why...would the future be becoming obscured at this critical moment?

She did not like such a sensation at all. The loss of her greatest advantage filled her with instinctive dread.

Before she could process this development or adjust her strategy, seas of obsidian-crimson Hunger crashed down onto her position with overwhelming force!

The attack was not something she could see coming because the future itself had been devoured before it could arrive.

...!

Oh!

Sometimes, existence demonstrated truths that were uncomfortable to acknowledge.

Even if one possessed the capability to see the future with perfect clarity, if a power sufficiently terrifying existed in the present, they would not be able to evade or meaningfully change that coming future regardless of what they could perceive.

Because some forces were simply too overwhelming to resist.

Because some appetites could not be denied.

Because Hunger, when refined to its absolute peak, consumed not just matter and energy but possibility itself.

THE Time Surfer had made the mistake of believing that seeing the future meant controlling it.

She was learning otherwise.

And the lesson would be written in blood, gore, and collapse!