I Can Assimilate Everything-Chapter 666: A Glimpse of Scales

Lamashtu continued devouring his finding, satisfaction radiating from his burning features as authority flowed into his existence.

A female Absolute floated up from among those surrounding this area protectively, her obsidian garments and broken chains marking her as one who had served him. Her eyes shone with curiosity she rarely displayed, admiration beneath the deference she always maintained.

"Master, how close are you to grasping THE Second Scale?"

Lamashtu paused his consumption to consider the question. He enjoyed these moments where his servants sought wisdom only he could provide, reminding him of the heights he had once occupied and would occupy again.

"THE Second Scale."

His voice pressed against the surrounding crystalline structures, making them hum in response.

"The difference between THE First Scale and THE Second Scale could be as tiny as atoms. A hair’s breadth of separation that some spend eternities trying to cross and never manage. I have seen Absolutes cultivate for billions of years, accumulating power that would make lesser beings weep with envy, and still fail to take that final step."

He settled back, posture comfortable as someone discussing familiar territory.

"The foundation of one’s Civilization is critical beyond anything else. A weak foundation will never grasp THE Second Scale regardless of how much power one accumulates afterward. It would be like building a palace upon sand and wondering why it collapses when you add the final tower."

His burning eyes grew distant with memory.

"I had friends who attained THE Second Scale alongside me. THE Sovereign of Crystalline Depths, whose Civilization of Structured Chaos allowed her to impose order upon chaotic aspects of existence itself. THE Undying Paradox, who claimed a facet of Paradox so profound that his contradictory nature made him nearly impossible to destroy. THE Tongue of Existence, who grasped portions of THE First Tongue and could speak realities into being."

He smiled, nostalgia beneath the arrogance.

"All of their Civilizations were variations of the Four Aspects of the Oldest Paradox of Existence. Chaos. Paradox. Existence. THE First Tongue. You must understand, these four spawn countless derivatives and combinations that can each form the foundation of a Civilization capable of reaching THE Second Scale."

His chained hands gestured expansively as he warmed to the subject.

"Take Chaos alone. From it springs Primordial Chaos, which is the raw unformed potential. Then there is Structured Chaos like THE Sovereign possessed, imposing patterns upon randomness. Entropic Chaos consumes and breaks down all differentiated things. Generative Chaos births new possibilities from nothing. Each variation holds enough depth to build an entire Civilization upon."

The female Absolute listened with rapt attention.

"Existence itself fragments into equally profound variations. Void Existence, which is mastery over the spaces between things, the nothing that allows something to be defined. Bounded Existence concerns itself with limits and definitions and the edges where one thing ends and another begins. Unbound Existence, my own Civilization, deals with breaking those limits and expanding beyond constraints. Prime Existence touches upon the fundamental substrate from which all other forms emerge."

He laughed, the sound echoing through The Existential Lattice.

"THE First Tongue similarly branches into countless paths. Prime Tongue deals with the original words spoken at THE First Cause. Silent Tongue concerns the meanings between words, implications and subtext given form. Naming Tongue grants power over things through perfect understanding of their true designations. Each branch could occupy a being’s entire existence to master."

His expression shifted to something approaching wistfulness.

"Our group even made connections with a Primordial Architect belonging to THE Primordial Collective. A being whose existence predated the current age, who had emerged from the union of differentiation and undifferentiation during the formation of our Observable Existence."

His smile faded slightly.

"We just didn’t know it would mean being wrapped up in their war. Ah."

...!

He shook his head with something like genuine regret before his expression transformed into something devilish. Laughter erupted from his burning form.

"Bahaha! But it was worth it. In the end, Civilization cannot be built individually. On the higher Scales, you will find many more working together than working alone. The truly complex Civilizations harmonize with others, weaving advancement into weavings of mutual elevation." 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

His chained hands spread wide.

"A Civilization that cannot cooperate is a Civilization that will eventually stagnate. We are social creatures at our core, even those of us who have transcended what social once meant. And for many at THE Second Scale who chase Infinity, being alone is akin to suicide."

His expression darkened, making even his Absolute servant lean backward slightly.

"There is nobody to pull you back from THE Encroaching Imperiosus. THE Gamaidjan. Ah."

The female Absolute’s eyes widened with curiosity overcoming her deference.

"Master, what is THE Gamaidjan?"

Lamashtu’s burning gaze fixed upon her, warning beneath his willingness to explain.

"THE Encroaching Imperiosus. THE Gamaidjan. It is the madness that comes from touching Infinity too deeply, too quickly, without proper anchoring from those who can remind you of what you were before you touched it."

His voice dropped lower.

"Infinity is endless. Boundless. Without limit or constraint. When beings at THE Second Scale begin perceiving it, when they start drawing upon its power for their Civilizations, something happens to their consciousness. They begin believing they are superior to everything else. Not in the way someone confident in their power believes themselves strong. This is far more insidious."

He leaned forward, remembered horror beneath the arrogance.

"They begin believing nothing else matters. That all other existences are beneath consideration. That they alone possess meaning in an existence existing solely to serve their imperious nature. THE Gamaidjan creeps in slowly at first, a whisper suggesting your perspective is the only valid one. Then it grows louder, insisting others should recognize your supremacy. And finally, it consumes entirely."

His burning eyes narrowed with painful memory.

"I watched a Second Scale Claimer utilize far too much Infinity too quickly once. Her name was THE Radiant Sovereign of Endless Light, and her Civilization had seemed stable for millennia. But she pushed too far in a single moment, drew upon more Infinite authority than her anchors could compensate for."

He paused, demanding attention through silence alone.

"Her eyes became glazed blue. Not sadness or cold. The blue of something that had disconnected entirely from what made existence meaningful. She smiled without recognizing anyone around her and shouted words I will never forget."

His voice dropped to mimicry, horror beneath the theatrics.

"In all of existence, nobody compares to me."

The female Absolute shuddered.

"She then turned to her own allies, beings she had cultivated alongside for eons, and attacked them to exert her imperious nature. She believed even those who loved her were beneath her, obstacles to be removed rather than companions to be cherished. Her allies had to kill her to stop the rampage."

Lamashtu settled back, grim satisfaction on his features.

"THE Gamaidjan is a deadly thing. But only those at THE Second Scale even have to worry about this. They can start perceiving Infinity there, can begin drawing upon its power for advancement. Nobody at the lower Scales will ever come close to grasping anything regarding Infinity."

He smiled with absolute certainty.

"It is simply beyond them."