Infinite Mana In The Apocalypse-Chapter 5082: Knowledge And Access II

Noah gazed at Naldine as they remained within that Infinite Temporal Perception.

It was only their perception living in this moment of an instant stretched toward infinity, and the idea of such a thing alone was ridiculous. That at any point in time, he could stretch his perception of one instant into days, months, or even years. That he could exist within a single heartbeat for as long as he wished while the external world continued at its normal pace, unaware that those within this expanded awareness were experiencing spans that objective time could not measure.

So right now, even though the situation was perilous and the adversity was high, he basically did not have to worry about it for as long as he remained in this perception.

He could stretch his perception, which now included Naldine, for days if necessary. Weeks. Months. And whenever he ended it, things would continue unfolding as if the light that Ozymandias had released had only flashed for a brief instant and nothing else had occurred. Grimvault’s brutal smile would resume. The confrontation would continue. But Noah would have lived through whatever span of subjective time he required to prepare.

So at this time, as everything around them appeared frozen even though it was not, his perception and Naldine’s perception looked at each other across distances that had nothing to do with physical space.

It was as if their spirits had departed their bodies and their illusory perceptions were communicating in a realm that existed between moments rather than within them. Naldine’s form shimmered with the same blue gold brilliance her physical body radiated, though here it seemed softer, less aggressive, more contemplative. Her singularity-dotted eyes observed him.

"You could do more of something like this."

Her voice emerged without sound, perception communicating with perception.

"Of sitting down and not getting into any conflict. I could share with you all the knowledge that I know, and even though I still do not believe it will be possible for you, I will tell you all I know about THE Pulses of The Scales."

She gestured toward the frozen landscape surrounding them, toward Grimvault’s suspended smile and the motionless wings of swords and the serpentine coils held in stillness.

"You are young and you have just begun on your path, while others have had millions or billions of years. It would not hurt you to take a few months or a few years before you invite adversity."

Noah smiled at such words.

Yes, he sought adversity. Yes, he deliberately provoked confrontations that should have ended him. Yes, he broadcast his actions across Observable Existence specifically to draw enemies who would force him to grow or die trying.

But he could also never only sit still.

He thought about why that was true, examining his own motivations with the clarity this expanded perception granted. There was always that healthy fear residing somewhere in his foundations, not the kind that made him shiver or go pale, but the practical awareness of a massive and undeniable boot that could descend from above at any moment. While he was just relaxing, while he was taking his time, while he was enjoying the peace that sitting still would provide, that boot could fall. And he would only be a minor tiny ant that would not be able to do anything to change his fate because he had been sitting around relaxing instead of growing.

THE Deliverance existed somewhere out there. That was a boot.

THE Primeval classification existed above THE Gilded. A massive set of boots.

Any one of these could decide to step on him. Any one of them could erase him while he was taking a few months or years to learn in comfort rather than under fire.

He realized he really could not sit still.

But a moment like this, where he was stretching an instant toward infinity, where his perception existed outside the flow of time that external threats operated within, he could relax in such a space for as long as he required. Here, within this expanded awareness, nothing could reach him. Nothing could interrupt. Nothing could crush him like an ant beneath a descending boot.

But because this was only perception, he would not be able to change anything regarding his Civilization or Existence. He could not cultivate here. He could not transform Proterozoic Bones or Hadean Bones. The only thing that would count was his mind, his understanding, his comprehension of concepts that might later be applied when perception returned to normal flow.

So he simply nodded to Naldine.

She sighed with a breath that existed only in perception rather than physical reality.

Then she began to speak slowly, methodically, with the patience of someone who understood they had as much time as they wanted within this stretched moment.

"Okay, so to really understand Pulses, you have to know about the limitations all of us are trying to break."

As she spoke, her perception waved its hands through the frozen air around them. Illusory diagrams began to form, configurations of light that represented concepts too complex for words alone to convey.

The first diagram showed a Civilization as a sphere of infinite depth, with a small percentage at the surface illuminated while the vast majority remained dark and inaccessible.

"Most existences at THE First Scale and THE Second Scale utilize less than one percent of what their Existence and Civilizations actually represent."

The diagram pulsed, that illuminated surface percentage seeming insignificant compared to the darkness it failed to touch.

"This is not a limitation of power or cultivation. It is a limitation of perception, of comprehension, of the capacity to interface with the totality of what Existence contains."

She waved her hand again, and the diagram shifted to show a being establishing their Civilizational Anchor, threads of affirmation connecting to that infinite sphere.

"When a being establishes their Civilizational Anchor through affirmations of self-knowledge, they are not creating something new. They are touching something that already exists, a framework of authority that extends infinitely in directions most minds cannot perceive."

Her singularity-dotted eyes met his with intensity that demanded complete attention.

"Consider what a Civilization actually is."

A new diagram formed, showing the Civilization of Armed Existence as an impossible construct containing multitudes beyond counting.

"The Civilization of Armed Existence, for example, does not merely mean ’I am a weapon.’ It means connection to every concept of armament across all of Existence. Every blade ever forged. Every arrow ever loosed. Every fist ever thrown in anger. Every defensive posture, every offensive stance, every methodology of violence that has ever been conceived by any mind in any Observable or Unobservable realm."

The diagram expanded to show weapons beyond number, techniques beyond cataloguing, concepts of violence that had never been expressed.

"All of it exists within that Civilization, waiting to be accessed by one who possesses the capacity to perceive it."

She gestured toward the frozen form of Beowulf, still anchored by nine spears while Alexander’s frozen hands remained positioned within his opened chest.

"Beowulf, at his peak, accessed perhaps 0.7% of Armed Existence."

The diagram shifted to show Beowulf’s connection to his Civilization, that 0.7% illuminated while 99.3% remained in darkness he could not perceive.

"He thought himself powerful. He thought his Proterozoic Bone and his hammer made him formidable among Second Scale entities. He could not comprehend that 99.3% of his own Civilization remained beyond his reach, concepts and capabilities and weavings that would have made his current power seem insignificant."

Noah observed this diagram with eyes that shone with understanding pressing against his awareness.

"This is true for all Civilizations."

New diagrams formed rapidly, each one showing different Civilizations and the beings who accessed them.

"The Civilization of Paradox contains every contradiction that has ever existed or could exist. THE Living Paradox, despite his eons of cultivation, accesses and utilizes less than 1% of what Paradox truly represents."

A diagram showed Erwin’s connection to Paradox, that 1% seeming even more insignificant given the infinite contradictions that remained unexplored.

"The Civilization of Chaos encompasses every instance of disorder across all Existence. Abaddon, before losing his Claim, accessed approximately 0.2% of Chaos."

Another diagram, showing Abaddon’s former connection to Chaos, that 0.2% representing power that had seemed overwhelming while remaining a fraction of what Chaos actually contained.

She gestured toward Grimvault’s frozen form, that wolf skull helm suspended mid-mockery.

"He is powerful by the standards of those who cannot perceive these depths. But he should only have a few percentages of acess, despite all his cultivation, despite all the eons he has dedicated to advancement."

The diagrams shifted to show what happened when access increased.

"When one accesses more of their Civilization, more of their Existence, everything changes."

A progression appeared, showing how each percentage point transformed what was possible.

"At one percent access, weavings that seemed impossible become merely difficult. At two percent, the nature of those weavings transforms entirely, revealing depths that sub-one-percent users cannot perceive. At three percent, entirely new categories of expression emerge."

Her expression became grave as she formed the next diagram.

"THE Pulse of The Scales exists at approximately five percent Civilizational Access. 5% Absolute Existential Utility."

The diagram showed that five percent threshold, a line that most beings would never cross regardless of how much power they accumulated.

"This is why it remains beyond the reach of most Proterozoic Scale entities. Because they cannot perceive deeply enough into their own Existence to find where THE Pulses reside, waiting to be channeled by those who can access what most cannot imagine."

She paused, letting the implications settle across Noah’s expanded awareness.

"THE Silurian Light is not learned."

Her voice emerged with emphasis that pressed against his perception.

"It is found."

The final diagram showed THE Silurian Light as a thread existing within Existence, connecting to THE Silurian Cause that had formed Observable Existences across the vastness of reality.

"It exists, a thread connecting to THE Silurian Cause that formed Observable Existences across the vastness of reality. But finding that thread requires perception that sub-one-percent access cannot provide."