As Noah bellowed such declarations into his own fundamental Existence, his eyes snapped open wide.
He gazed at Khor, who was watching him with mounting concern.
What she saw made her ancient composure falter as she knew about Ways of Existence a great deal. She knew about their critical singularity!
At this moment...
One of Noah’s eyes radiated blue-gold tendrils of light...Primus Mana given visual form, cascading from his pupil like liquid brilliance.
The other pulsed with crimson-obsidian light...Hunger manifesting as darkness that devoured surrounding illumination while somehow remaining visible.
Mana. Hunger.
Two fundamental forces operating through single existence, and somehow not destroying each other in the process.
At this moment, those impossible eyes locked onto Khor as Noah spoke.
And his voice...
Oh!
His voice boomed with unnatural depth and weight, as if it was emanating from a being that far exceeded everyone present.
Not louder, but heavier, carrying existential mass that made reality itself vibrate!
"Tell me of the Doctrines of Hunger I have not heard," he commanded, each word resonating across multiple dimensional frequencies.
"Tell me of the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Doctrines."
HUUM!
The declaration made the surrounding Mana and emerging Hunger ripple in immensity.
Khor looked at him with immense concern, her ancient eyes recognizing something profoundly dangerous in what he was attempting.
"Outsider," she said seriously, "are you sure of this? What you’re attempting..."
She asked, but Noah only gazed at her calmly with his mismatched eyes...one Mana, one Hunger, and spoke again with that impossible depth.
"Tell me of the other Doctrines of Hunger."
...!
The repetition carried finality that clearly stated he would not be dissuaded.
After such unwavering affirmation, Khor nodded slowly, recognizing stubborn determination that mirrored her own ancient nature.
She began to recite.
"The Fourth Doctrine of Hunger states that Hunger thrives on impossibilities. We do not hunger for what is easily obtained...such consumption provides no satisfaction. We hunger for what should be beyond our reach, for what reality claims we cannot devour. The more impossible the target, the more our Hunger sharpens. Impossibility is not barrier but invitation. When existence declares something cannot be consumed, Hunger hears only challenge."
Noah’s existence buzzed with recognition as he nodded, understanding settling into his Existence!
Khor continued without pause.
"The Fifth Doctrine of Hunger states that Hunger enables infinite growth. There is no ceiling to what can be consumed, no limit to how vast Hunger can become. Where other Ways encounter barriers and plateaus, Hunger simply devours those limitations and continues expanding. We grow not despite obstacles but through them, consuming every ceiling until nothing remains to constrain our appetite. Growth is not gradual, it is ravenous."
WAA!
Again Noah nodded, his mismatched eyes blazing brighter.
"The Sixth Doctrine of Hunger states that Hunger finds pleasure in consumption itself, not merely results. We do not devour solely for power gained, we devour because the act of consumption brings profound satisfaction. The journey of Hunger matters as much as the destination. Every bite, every absorption, every integration carries its own joy. This makes Hunger sustainable where pure ambition burns out."
Khor’s voice gained intensity as she approached the final teachings.
"The Seventh Doctrine of Hunger states that Hunger transforms everything it touches into itself. We do not simply accumulate, we convert. Everything consumed becomes Hunger, everything devoured adds to our nature rather than diluting it. A thousand different essences consumed do not create chaos but unified expansion. Through Hunger, diversity becomes singular magnificent appetite."
She paused before the penultimate doctrine, her crimson eyes meeting Noah’s impossible gaze.
"The Eighth Doctrine of Hunger states that Hunger must be shared to reach ultimate heights. Solitary consumption creates powerful individuals, but shared Hunger creates Civilizations. When multiple beings hunger together, when appetites align and consumption becomes coordinated, the resulting force transcends individual capability. We do not compete for food, we feast together, and in that communion, become greater than any lone devourer could achieve."
BOOM!
Their backs faced each other, two bodies sharing single consciousness, and both began to spin.
The pressure Noah radiated was immense, the weight of someone forcing reality to accommodate what shouldn’t be possible.
"My Way of Mana is unbreakable. Infinite resources, endless refinement, systematic elevation...it cannot be diminished or destroyed. My Way of Hunger is inevitable. All things can be consumed, all limitations devoured, all growth enabled through appetite. These truths are...fundamental."
"So my Existence...will simply have to make way and accept it."
BOOM!
The declaration hit reality like hammer striking anvil, and existence complied.
HUUM!
Noah’s body pulsed and radiated resplendent blue-gold brilliance...Primus Mana elevated to such concentration it became nearly solid, painting half the sky in radiance that made observers squint.
Simultaneously, Ozymandias’s body blazed with obsidian-crimson Hunger...darkness that devoured light while somehow remaining visible, creating shadows that moved independently of their sources.
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