Infinite Mana in the Apocalypse

The Hollow Cascade of Reversed Causality was shaking with interminable brilliance.

Noah's eyes were luminous as he scanned the surroundings, the words of the Great Beyonder echoing in his mind.

The Wheel of Existence could only be accessed through the Infinite Ravines, and the Ravines themselves were composed of countless doors known as Gateway Domus.

Depending on the intricacies of existence protecting a given Door, the Wheel could merge two Domus into one—for no reason other than one being on the verge of collapse, or the Defender of that Door no longer being able to hold the line.

His arrival at this particular Gateway Domus—the Hollow Cascade of Reversed Causality—had caused the Wheel to reevaluate its strength.

And now, it was likely that another Gateway Domus was being merged into it.

The Great Beyonder observed the shaking space and slowly shook her head, weariness and sorrow in her expression.

"The only reason the Wheel would act this aggressively, merging different doors, is if either the exodus of the long-standing Defenders has increased, or the Dead Things hammering at those Doors are growing stronger."

"I've remained in these Cascades of Reversed Causality for eons without change. So I suppose I should thank you—for being the catalyst of all this right now. I only hope we survive it. Until now, I've been defending against a few Dead Things, attacking in sequence. But they've sensed the shift after all of this. They will come in full force now. And with another Gateway Domus merging here, we'll also face an unknown number of Dead Things from that doorway. I just hope it's one that had a protector—someone simply deemed not strong enough—rather than an empty Gateway Domus. Because if it's empty...their burden falls entirely on us."

Two scenarios.

It wasn't clear which would become their reality. But as the trembling of the Hollow Cascade reached its peak, a sharp crack echoed through the void—existence itself splintering to their right.

Light-years away, it looked as though reality was folding in on itself. The silver-purple stellar weavings that defined this space of reversed causality began to darken—interwoven with dim black seas.

Seas filled with obsidian vines, writhing outward and snaring everything in their reach.

Two Gateway Domus were merging, with the new one burning with tenebrous radiance as its vines looked vile and filled with horror.

Noah's role as the Weaver of Existence surged to life, sensing the identity of the new doorway forming.

|The Gateway Domus blooming ahead has been deemed the Absolute Fear of Existence…|

His weavings spun rapidly, decoding its nature as he spoke to the Great Beyonder—who now stood rigid while trillions of Runes were spiraling from her being to verify the aura of the new Domus being integrated.

"The merging Gateway Domus is the Absolute Fear of Existence. It carries the Wild True Source of Fear. Within its scope, every True Source will bear fruit to the user's deepest existential fear—and manifest it. Anyone inside will face their own worst nightmare…endlessly amplified by the Source."

…!

A dreadful Domus.

The manifestation of the worst fear of True Source Entities!

Just what fear could a being like the Great Beyonder have, and what manifestation of fear would be expressed for Noah?

The Great Beyonder, analyzing it with her entire being, turned toward Noah in stunned silence. She had only just identified the Domus, and not even begun to understand its inner workings—yet Noah had already discerned the Wild True Source it housed.

Her Complexity was far greater than his—yet he saw it first.

Her gaze narrowed sharply.

"Yes, and—…!"

But her words faltered.

Because the shaking intensified, growing more violent. Both Noah and the Great Beyonder turned their heads—not to the right, where the Fear Domus merged—but to the left.

Another weaving of existence was descending.

Another Gateway Domus was being merged.

"No…"

The Great Beyonder went pale.

Noah's eyes hardened.

"This... this shouldn't be happening. My Complexity is far higher than yours. Why the fuck would the Wheel merge not one but two additional Gateway Domus just because you stepped in?! What the fuck?!"

The Great Beyonder's fury rose as realization dawned—three Gateway Domus were converging into one.

To their left, pure white bled into everything.

Endless white corridors emerged, hallways blooming outward into a maze-like structure as Noah observed it with grave intensity, his distinction as the Weaver of Existence going to work once more!

"This is the Pale Verbum Labyrinth. It's suffused with the Wild True Source of Verbum. Within its walls, no one can unleash their True Source through traditional means—only through their words. Every word must carry intent. Every sentence must be structured. Speak recklessly, and your power withers. Speak with precision, and you may command a thousand times the strength of your True Source. In that Domus... silence means annihilation."

…!

Even Noah's eyes pulsed at the thought. The Great Beyonder's full attention swung to him now, unreadable emotion behind her tired gaze.

"I've been here for millions of years," she whispered. "And nothing changed. Then you step in, and within minutes, the Wheel decides to merge two more Domus into this one? Every Domus is a path. That means we're about to face an influx of Dead Things from three different fronts! And we haven't even seen another Defender yet—!"

Her voice cut off once more.

Both she and Noah turned—gazes locking onto the twisting white corridors still forming.

From one of them, a vibrant True Source bloomed. Not wild. Controlled. Ancient.

Footsteps echoed. A figure in white robes emerged, his eyes shimmering with the brilliance of endless stars. And as the Great Beyonder saw him, she trembled—her voice cracking with recognition and slight easing as if she felt their weight lessen somewhat.

"Veyl'Aethra!"

…!

A name.

A legend.

She spoke it like a memory.

He looked nothing like a warrior—just an old man with kind eyes and a smile, protected by a unique True Source that wrapped him like a cloak of existence.

And he came to stand, calmly, at the junction between the Hollow Cascade of Reversed Causality and the Pale Verbum Labyrinth.

A legend Noah had never even heard of—yet one who now stood as the second Defender of the Infinite Ravines that he had met here!