Infinite Mana In The Apocalypse novel Chapter 4414

Chapter 4414: Never Meet Your Heroes III

His voice became heavier, and he coughed again.

White cloth appeared in his hands through act of will, and when he pulled it away from his mouth, crimson stains marked the fabric with undeniable evidence of internal collapse.

He continued while gazing out at his grand Sanctuary with eyes that saw not what existed but what might have been.

"I tried to conduct myself properly. I genuinely attempted ethical approaches to every challenge. I forged this Sanctuary, preserved as many beings as capabilities allowed, fought against tyranny with every particle of my existence. I dedicated Everything..every resource, every moment, every fragment of accumulated power, all of My Everythings...toward righteous purposes."

His hands clenched the bloodied cloth.

"And in conclusion... what precisely did I receive as compensation for such dedication? Collapse. My carefully constructed path decimated. Failure cascading upon failure like waves against eroding shore. It manifested repeatedly, cyclically, as if existence itself conspired against virtuous endeavors."

His voice carried something approaching mania now.

"So this time, I contemplated joining the victorious side just once. Aligning with those who accomplish their objectives through any necessary means. Those who seize what they desire without constraint of conscience. I wanted Perpetual Harvest returned to my possession, and so I formulated plan to reclaim it through whatever methods proved necessary."

He laughed...the sound mixing bitterness with despair.

"But it seems even that pathway was foreclosed to me! Even abandoning principles brought only additional failure! Haha! Being supposedly good accomplished nothing for me. Being deliberately corrupt yielded identical result. My entire existence... amounted to precisely nothing!"

The scene that followed carried weight of tragedy.

The First Farmer laughing with maddened edge while simultaneously coughing, body wracked by dual expressions of psychological breakdown and physical deterioration.

Noah observed this display with calm that suggested neither judgment nor mercy, merely acceptance of what was unfolding.

As The First Farmer wheezed, struggling to draw breath past fluid accumulating in damaged respiratory systems, Noah voiced out an observation.

"Ironically, all you required was adherence to your original path. You needed to be supposedly good just one final time. Instead of constructing plots and machinations directed against me, you simply needed to ask...to genuinely propose collaboration without hidden agendas or manipulative subtext."

Noah paused, letting those words settle.

"Do you comprehend what constitutes genuine irony here, First Farmer? I possess capability through another Principle...Existential Rollback, that can restore something to its previous state of being. Unlike other authorities that would merely accelerate your deterioration, this mechanism may possess capability to return you to earlier, more vital configuration. If you had simply maintained your Way, sustained your principles through just one more critical juncture... you may have found yourself on genuine path toward restoration. Toward recovering what was lost when THE Living Emotive shattered your foundations."

BOOM!

His words caused The First Farmer to tremble violently, gaze snapping upward to meet Noah’s with expression mixing desperate hope and agonized realization.

"You... you possess capability to heal me? To restore what was taken?"

At such question, Noah remained silent for extended moment before moving to sit down beside The First Farmer on the blue-gold platform.

When he spoke again, his tone carried different quality...that of storyteller.

"Let me tell a story about a Farmer and their Farmhand...their dedicated Farm Laborer who served faithfully across extended duration."

Noah’s voice took on a unique cadance.

"There existed a Farmer who was an Early Creature, possessing unique capabilities but limited understanding of agricultural practices. This Farmer hired a Fold Dweller Farmhand to assist with tending extensive cultivation plots. The Farmhand proved remarkably industrious and dedicated."

"For fifty consecutive years, that Farmhand arrived every morning without fail, tended to the farm with meticulous attention, and departed at day’s conclusion. The Farmer and Farmhand developed close relationship across those fifty years...bonds forged through shared labor and mutual respect."

"The theft itself wasn’t catastrophic...merely a few Sacred Carrots, nothing that would significantly impact the Farmer’s overall prosperity. But the Farmer experienced profound dismay nonetheless. Why hadn’t she simply approached him with request? He would have willingly provided ten times that quantity plus additional herbs...even his rare specimens, if she had merely asked. If she required resources for any purpose, he would have extended loans from his own accumulated wealth after collaborating so extensively."

"But she didn’t approach him. She stole instead."

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