Noah’s eyes lit up with interest as he considered the possibilities. An abode...a private space within his Shore where certain activities could occur without observation.
Yes, this was necessary!
He looked down at the six corpses of Honored Dead Existences that Moiraine had provided, his mind already calculating distributions. "Evaluate and devour," he commanded the Shore itself.
The response was immediate:
|Six Honored Dead Existence Corpses Evaluated|
|Total Nutritional Value: Equivalent to 1500 Eminent Early Living Marine Lifeforms|
|Distribution Parameters Set: 35% to Moiraine for Kleos Glyph formation, 25% to Early Abode construction materials, 40% to personal advancement|
|Distribution Commencing...|
The golden sands beneath the corpses began to shift and churn, drawing them down with the patient hunger of something that knew how to savor its meals. As they disappeared, Noah turned his attention to the broader Shore.
"Henry! Kazuhiko! Emperor Penguin! Liora!..." His voice carried across the expanded territory with crystalline clarity. "Come here and help me build something..."
The named individuals emerged from their meditative positions, their bodies still buzzing with the complexity and purity they had been absorbing. Henry’s features had taken on an almost crystalline quality, while Kazuhiko’s hand rested on a katana that now hummed with barely contained authority.
The Emperor Penguin waddled forward with dignity that transcended his somewhat ridiculous form, and Liora moved with the fluid grace of someone whose connection to primal forces had deepened, her eyes filled with purpose as she thought of her father!
They converged toward the center of the Early Veiled Shore, where something unprecedented was beginning to manifest.
Stone-like materials began to materialize from thin air, emerging gradually like thoughts becoming solid. Each block was unique yet clearly part of a greater whole, inscribed with patterns that suggested function beyond mere structure.
"We can always use more people," Noah mused, his gaze turning toward the mist that marked the Shore’s boundaries.
As if responding to his unvoiced invitation, the mist began to part, revealing something like a doorway...a threshold between the Shore and the greater Infiniverse that contained it. The first figure to emerge made Noah simultaneously smile and question his decision.
The Queen of Matter burst through the opening in an explosion of enthusiasm that seemed to reshape reality around her presence. Her white dress was adorned with jewels that weren’t merely decorative...each one was a crystallized concept, a thought given form.
Books and grimoires orbited her form in complex patterns, their pages fluttering with winds that carried whispers of Fables.
"I HAVE BEEN MADE RELEVANT AGAIN!" she screamed with joy that could have powered small civilizations.
Her eyes locked onto Noah with the intensity of someone viewing their personal idol. "Sir! Thank you for putting me in the main story once more! Even though I was having ridiculous fun observing the transforming Infiniverse Wheel of Existence...did you know how crazy its becoming?!"
...!
She spun in place, taking in the Early Veiled Shore with eyes that seemed to catalogue every impossible detail simultaneously.
"By the way," she continued without pause for breath, "do you know what-...oh my word, is that an aquarium?!"
...!
Noah shook his head with exasperation, wondering if bringing her here was brilliant or catastrophic.
Behind the Queen of Matter, more figures began to emerge through the doorway. Dr. Hall stepped through with his white coat. Erikson followed, his massive frame having to duck through the opening. Ayame, Romulus, the Great Beyonder, the Great Mother, Lilith...and dozens of other beings who had been part of his journey but had faded into the background as powers escalated beyond their ability to participate.
Now they entered the Early Veiled Shore with expressions of wonder that reminded Noah why he had brought them. They deserved to be part of this, to witness and participate in the glory!
"Everyone," he called out, his voice carrying warm authority, "energize yourselves by drinking droplets of the Early Sacred Water from the shores, then come help build an Abode."
The assembled beings nodded with various expressions of amazement. The Queen of Matter, predictably, was the first to act. She bounded toward the crystalline waters with the enthusiasm of someone who had just been offered unlimited access to a library of forbidden knowledge. She cupped the Sacred Water in her hands, drinking deeply, and the transformation was immediate...her entire form began to pulse with newfound vitality.
She returned with her mouth still full of Sacred Water, her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk’s as she tried to speak around the liquid. Her eyes were wide with excitement, practically vibrating with readiness for whatever came next.
Noah reached out and ruffled her hair with genuine affection. "Let’s get started."
---
As his primary body organized construction in the Early Veiled Shore, another version of himself navigated the twisted passages of the Doorway to the Loom in the Transcendent Paradoxical Folds.
The crimson obsidian halls stretched in different directions, their surfaces reflecting possibilities rather than images. In a relatively stable pocket of space, Noah faced the massive form of Titano.
"I have something to show you," he said, raising his hand to project an illusory scene into the air between them.
The memory played out with perfect clarity...Duke Gwendolyn in her garden, her voice carrying that diplomatic certainty as she spoke the words: "Titano is released from all debt to me and is now under your supervision."
...!
Altheon and Thessaly watched the projection with expressions of shock that bordered on horror. Their enhanced perceptions were calculating furiously, trying to determine what Noah could possibly have offered to make Duke Gwendolyn release such a valuable asset.
The Duke never gave up anything without receiving something of greater value in return...it was fundamental to her nature.
Titano watched the scene with eyes that dimmed noticeably. His massive frame seemed to shrink slightly, the hurt visible in every line of his simple, honest face!
He had genuinely believed Duke Gwendolyn cared about him beyond his utility, that their relationship transcended mere debt and service!
After several long seconds of silence, he looked at Noah with those dimmed eyes and asked, "Does this mean Titano is okay to come work under Brother?"
Noah shook his head firmly, reaching up to pat the giant’s massive arm. "You won’t work under me. You’re my brother, right? We’ll simply move together, and as your Older Brother, I’ll help you out and make you rich just like me."
...!
The transformation in Titano’s expression was immediate and complete. Joy erupted across his features like sunrise over mountains.
"Brother!" he boomed, sweeping Noah up in a bear hug that would have crushed anyone below Honored Living Existence level to paste.
Noah’s body creaked audibly under the embrace, his enhanced durability the only thing preventing immediate structural failure.
When Titano finally released him, the giant’s expression had shifted to thoughtful confusion.
"Brother," he said with unexpected seriousness, "I might be older than you, though?"
Noah waved his hands with equal seriousness, his expression suggesting this was a matter of grave importance. "Being richer and more experienced makes me older. Age is not just time, Brother. It’s about wisdom, wealth, and the ability to provide guidance."
Titano’s eyes widened as if he had just received profound enlightenment. He nodded slowly, filing this information away with the same care he applied to all of Noah’s teachings. "Titano understands! Brother Noah is older because Brother Noah is richer!"
...!