The entity that Achilles t at this ti was an imnsely powerful and unique one, and before he could even formulate proper greeting or question about the purpose of this eting, she actually told him to Assimilate her Civilizational Authority as if such offering was completely casual!
...!
It made him all that much more cautious rather than eager, because offers that seed too generous usually concealed complications or ulterior motives.
The overwhelming need that drove him to want to consu this unique authority saturating everything around him in concentrated waves, he actually reigned in through conscious effort and discipline.
He did not begin Assimilating endlessly just because she said he could do so.
His voice when he spoke carried a calm asured quality that revealed nothing of the internal struggle occurring.
"My hunger for authority is sothing that I control rather than sothing that controls . The vibrant Civilizational Authority surrounding in such abundance will not be a distraction that would prevent from focusing on whatever it is you wanted to discuss."
...!
His words were delivered with certainty that suggested absolute confidence in his discipline, and they seed to surprise THE Endless Dream imnsely based on the shift in her expression.
She smiled even brighter with what appeared to be genuine delight at his response, and she waved her hands with casual gesture.
In the next mont, a terrifyingly potent golden glow covered everything as the environnt transford dramatically around them.
Imnsely concentrated seas of liquid Dreams appeared stretching toward infinite horizons, and rivers of silver-gold light flowed through valleys carved from compressed consciousness.
The concentration of Civilizational Authority in the surroundings seed to multiply by more than tens of tis, perhaps even hundreds of tis what had been present monts before!
Oh!
The density was so overwhelming that the very space trembled from containing such power.
Achilles’s entire existence responded to this abundance with trembling need and unfathomable want that transcended rational thought.
His cells scread for him to consu what surrounded him, and he felt his weavings of Assimilation activating almost involuntarily in response to such overwhelming stimulus.
It was like a man who had been starved for hundreds of years suddenly finding himself standing before endless seas of fresh water and mountains of delicious food. Every instinct demanded imdiate consumption, every part of his being insisted he should devour everything within reach before this opportunity disappeared.
But he controlled himself with every ounce of willpower his existence possessed, clenching his taphorical fists and forcing his power to remain dormant despite how much easier it would be to simply let go and feast.
THE Endless Dream watched this internal struggle with an expression that revealed she could perceive exactly what he was experiencing.
"In existence, there are many different types of authority that beings wield with varying levels of effectiveness and understanding." Her tone was asured.
"There is the Civilizational Authority that normal mbers of Civilizations possess through their affiliation and cultivation within established fraworks. This represents significant power compared to those with no organizational backing, but it remains fundantally limited by the scope of what their Civilization grants them access to."
She gestured broadly at the transford environnt.
"And then there is THE Civilizational Authority that leaders of Primordial Civilizations command. This represents sothing qualitatively different from what mbers wield, not rely greater quantity but different nature entirely."
Her jewel-like eyes blazed with intensity as she explained the distinction.
"THE Civilizational Authority allows one to warp and distort existence itself to their bidding in ways that transcend normal manipulation of reality. It is not simply imposing will upon stubborn material that resists change, but rather rewriting the underlying code that determines what is possible in the first place. Those who command THE Civilizational Authority do not fight against existence but rather speak with voice that existence recognizes as legitimate source of commands."
She paused to let that profound difference sink in before continuing.
"If you had hungrily devoured everything I initially offered and showed that you held no real control over your consuming nature, I would not have revealed THE Civilizational Authority to you at all. You would have received only what common mbers access, which while useful would not fundantally change your position." Her smile carried approval.
"But you demonstrated discipline, and so I make you this offer. If you can maintain that control and not attempt to devour what surrounds you now as we continue this conversation, you will have effectively passed another one of my tests."
Her voice took on more formal quality as she articulated the stakes.
"And upon successful completion of this demonstration of willpower, I will freely give you access to THE Civilizational Authority of Dreams without requiring anything in exchange except your attention to what I need to explain about our situation. How does that sound as arrangent?"
Achilles looked at this terrifying entity who operated at scales he could barely comprehend while simultaneously offering him power that could dramatically accelerate his advancent.
He gritted his teeth against the overwhelming desire to consu everything around him and forced words out despite the difficulty.
"That is more than doable. Why did you bring here? What is this alliance you ntioned?"
At such questions delivered through obvious strain, THE Endless Dream appeared satisfied and began explaining her actual purpose for initiating contact.
She waved her hands with grace to cause the silver-gold sands and seas surrounding them to move according to her will while she spoke, and the environnt shifted in response to her gestures as if reality itself was canvas for her artistic expression.
"Do you know what fundantally distinguishes a Primordial Civilization from a common Civilization?"
"Common Civilizations are based on Ways of Existence that don’t make up a core part of reality itself. They represent valid approaches to cultivation and aningful philosophies about how beings should conduct themselves, but they are ultimately optional additions to existence rather than fundantal requirents."
She gestured at the flowing dream essence around them.
"Soone following the Way of the Sword has created powerful thodology for advancent, but if every practitioner of that Way suddenly ceased to exist, reality would continue functioning normally. Existence does not require swords or sword techniques to maintain coherent structure."
Her expression beca more serious.
"Primordial Civilizations are different because they make up core parts of existence itself to extent that even when their leaders are killed or collapsed, they don’t really die in permanent sense. Life continues as principle even when THE Slumbering Genesis falls. Death persists as inevitability even when THE Corpse Hierophant is defeated. Dreams remain as fundantal aspect of consciousness even when I am brought low."
She paused before asking the critical question.
"But why is that? Why do they not experience true death when beings of comparable power from common Civilizations would be permanently ended? What within the nature of Primordial Civilizations keeps the weavings of their existence alive despite the collapse of their leadership?"
...!
Being asked such philosophical question that cut to the heart of existential chanics, Achilles had no imdiate answer to provide.
And he recognized he wasn’t actually supposed to give an answer at this mont, so he simply waited and listened while continuing to suppress his desire to Assimilate the authority surrounding him.
THE Endless Dream smiled and continued her explanation.
"The reason why Primordial Civilizations persist despite catastrophic defeats is because since they connected with core parts of Existence when they were first established, they actually beca part of existence itself rather than remaining separate organizations operating within reality’s frawork." Her tone was heavy!
"So even if the entities who lead these Civilizations are destroyed or collapsed or reduced to shadows of their forr power, the part of them that connected to existence is not destroyed because that would require destroying existence itself."
She gestured at the dreamscape around them.
"Which ans that Existence cannot be destroyed through conventional ans. Observable Existence as totality cannot be collapsed or ended as long as the Primordial Civilizations. That represents the true distinction between what makes sothing Primordial versus common in nature."
Her expression shifted toward sothing more complex.
"But now here cos a Heretical Devourer, and I have seen through dreams that peer into possible futures that you possess a truly unprecedented capability. You not only devour the Civilizational Authority that mbers wield, but you consu even the connections that Civilizations have laid claim to within Existence itself." Her voice carried mix of fascination and concern.
"I have dread futures where you give a big taphorical middle finger to the fundantal idea that Primordial Civilizations cannot be entirely and completely collapsed, because you apparently just eat everything up including the pieces that should be inviolate."
She looked at him calmly.
"So the question becos, what is one to do with you? How should Collapsed Civilizations respond to entity who could theoretically consu not just their mbers or their accumulated authority, but the very foundations that keep them tethered to existence and capable of eventual resurrection?"
...!
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