Chapter 4594: 25 Seconds To Midnight I

Within THE Loom.

In an unfathomably terrifying region of pure paradox, where seas of paradoxical authority seemed to stand above even the Weavings of Existence themselves.

Here, in this place where logic came to die, THE Living Paradox had stood straight.

He was no longer lounging around in casual repose, no longer affecting the appearance of relaxed confidence.

And just because of this single change in posture, just because he had chosen to sit up rather than recline...

WAP!

In the next moment, a flutter of chaotic emotions emerged in the space as a multicolored feminine figure appeared without warning.

The entity spoke immediately upon manifestation, her voice carrying layers of conflicting feelings that somehow harmonized into coherent speech.

"You know, I was more than happy to continue my emotions of self deception and delusions that I held some form of control, some meaningful role or actual power over THE Loom’s operations. Such emotions are so wonderfully strong and all consuming that they put me in a state of mind where I can more easily study The First Tongue without despair overwhelming me. But when you go and do things like this, when you activate critical functions of THE Loom without even sending me a single word beforehand, when you so freely demonstrate that I absolutely have no control whatsoever over anything that truly matters... well, my precious emotions of delusion and grandeur are so easily lost."

The humanoid female entity said all of this while smiling brightly, as if discussing something amusing rather than expressing genuine grievance.

Waves of manic emotions surrounded her form, colors shifting rapidly through the entire spectrum and beyond. Joy mixed with rage, contentment blended with desperation, confidence merged with terror, all cycling through her presence simultaneously.

This was none other than THE Living Emotive.

In his seated figure, the visage of THE Living Paradox turned over to regard her as he actually smiled with what might have been genuine warmth and spoke with unusually forthcoming honesty.

"Would you have preferred if I came to you first and we continued keeping up the elaborate act? You have known about all of this for many, many years already. Unlike all of the others who serve under me in THE Loom, you are the one that I have been the most honest with from the beginning."

She truly was the one that he had lied the least to over their long association.

The others he had either collapsed their entire Civilizations and forcibly taken their Hearts of Civilization for his purposes, or he had lied to them extensively and made countless promises that would never be kept once his true plans came to fruition.

But with Emotive, there had been a different relationship from the start.

The figure of THE Living Emotive, whose true form could barely be observed beneath the brilliant light of multicolored manic emotion wrapping all around it like protective armor, floated closer with that bright smile still fixed on her features.

When she spoke, her voice carried the weight of profound understanding mixed with genuine curiosity.

"Emotions are pervasive across all of Existence. They touch every conscious being, influence every decision, color every perception of reality. This is why you kept me so close all these eons, is it not? Because you could utilize my Weavings that cover such a vast expanse of observable Existence to strike against THE Creature. To influence emotions across territories he controls."

"I still have my uses, which is precisely why I do not truly fear for my life despite knowing how expendable everyone else is to you. But should you not fear for your own life? Because if you are activating core functions of THE Loom now, ahead of your original timeline, then it means you are accelerating your ultimate battle against THE Creature. Bringing the confrontation closer. Making it more imminent."

She paused dramatically before asking the critical question.

"Are you actually ready to face THE Creature?"

WAA!

At such pointed words, THE Living Paradox smiled with an expression mixing dark amusement and grim acceptance before responding.

"Would anyone genuinely be ready to face the absolute monster that imprisoned every single life form with even an ounce of Civilizational Authority in The Infinite Unfurling? The monster that truly put all of Existence in The Infinite Unfurling under his complete dominion as he enjoyed and reveled in countless Sovereignties flowing into him constantly? He consumed countless Everythings while giving us such meager amounts of scraps and pretending it was generosity."

His voice carried the accumulated bitterness of eons.

"Of course I had to rebel eventually. Of course I had to plan and scheme and build THE Loom as a weapon against him. But no, I will paradoxically never be truly ready to face THE Creature. Which is precisely why I must do absolutely everything that I can possibly do to prepare, to create advantages, to stack the deck in whatever small ways are available to me."

"THE Loom is a blade that will strike at The Belly of the Beast, at The Belly of Existence itself where THE Creature has gorged himself. THE Creature has eaten so much, consumed so many Civilizations, oppressed so many entities across so many eras. Just how much time and attention will he have specifically for me when everything I have prepared is finally unleashed simultaneously? When attacks come from directions he did not anticipate, from weapons he did not know existed?"

THE Living Paradox shook his head as he continued speaking with building intensity.

"And even now, even with all these elaborate plans spanning eons, I still have to prepare additional countermeasures and backup strategies. That is the fundamental reason why I have activated a few critical functions early, ahead of the original schedule. That is the reason why The Fallout can now be considered to officially be on a timer, on an active countdown rather than merely a theoretical future event."

"It was always inevitable. It was paradoxically certain to occur. It was existentially required. The Fallout will always arrive regardless of what specific actions anyone takes or does not take. But now, by activating these functions, I will simply be able to release Agents of The Fallout earlier than planned. Nothing too crazy or dramatic. Just... insurance."

THE Living Emotive listened to all of this extensive explanation with expression of genuine surprise coloring her features beneath the swirling emotions.

She spoke with a voice carrying uncharacteristic seriousness mixed with her natural manic edge.

"You would have never talked to me this much before about your actual plans and concerns. Hell, it has been who knows how much time since you said that many consecutive words to me about anything of substance. The power of THE Creature is really getting to you now, is it not? Now that the time to truly face him after your countless eons of meticulous preparations are finally drawing near? Now that theory is about to become terrifying reality?"

She continued with words that seemed designed to probe and taunt.

"Are you experiencing doubt? Fear? Second thoughts about whether THE Loom will actually be sufficient? Wondering if you calculated everything correctly or if you missed some critical variable that will doom everything?"

"Or perhaps you are simply lonely, isolated at the peak of your conspiracy, unable to truly confide in anyone because trust is a luxury you cannot afford? Are these words to me simply because you need to speak your concerns aloud to someone, anyone, before the final battle begins?"

THE Living Paradox laughed at her questions, the sound carrying genuine amusement rather than defensive dismissal.

When he replied, his voice held the weight of hard earned wisdom.

"If any entity actually held complete confidence and absolute surety while preparing to face against THE Creature, then they have already lost before the first blow is struck. They have fundamentally misunderstood what they are facing. When confronting a true monster, one needs to maintain a careful balance of sufficient confidence and appropriate fear. One needs to have access to their Everything, all aspects of themselves including the parts that doubt and worry."

"If one is missing any of their Everythings, if they have locked away their fear or their doubt or their capacity to adapt when plans fail, then they have already lost. Overconfidence is death. But paralysis from fear is equally fatal. The balance is everything."

The words carried heavy weight that settled over the paradoxical space!

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