Chapter 4224: Dessicated!

As Schrodinger and Leonore Rureaux touched down, a figure emerged from a nearby, half-tended field.

It was Duke Valen, the blind Duke of Origin, his wizened, bearded face etched with a deep, abiding concern.

He moved forward to help Schrodinger, who was supporting the frail, trembling form of Leonore. Behind him, other figures paused in their work.

Dukes of Living Temporals, their forms flickering in and out of the present. Living Elementals, who seemed to be trying to coax warmth back into the dead soil.

Even other Living Paradoxes, their expressions a mixture of surprise and wary respect.

Schrodinger waved a hand, a gentle, dismissive gesture. "It is okay," he said, his voice carrying a quiet authority that sought no argument.

"I will tend to her without an issue."

...!

Duke Valen and the others nodded, their gazes lingering on the woman Schrodinger supported.

Her right arm was wrapped around his shoulders, her form so weak and feeble it seemed a strong breeze could unmake her.

And yet, the Dukes were astonished to see that between these two beings of Paradox, no Inevitabilities formed!

The air remained stable, calm. It was a violation of a fundamental law, a paradox within a paradox. Why was that?

Their curiosity piqued, Duke Valen and a few others allowed their own authorities to gently reach out, to try and perceive a little more of this new entrant.

But the moment their senses brushed against her, her head lifted. Her crimson eyes, which had been half-closed in exhaustion, opened fully and glanced at them.

It was a look devoid of malice, of anger, of anything at all. And yet, in that empty gaze, they felt a weight so profound, so absolutely terrifying, that they all trembled and instinctively averted their own senses, a cold, primal dread flooding their beings!

Schrodinger led Leonore across the Desiccated Sleeping Shore, his movements filled with a tenderness that was a stark contrast to his usual, chaotic nature.

His arm was a firm, steady support around her waist, his pace measured to match her faltering steps.

Everywhere they passed, whether by the struggling farmlands or the grand, silent structures, the powerful beings of this hidden sanctuary would pause and offer a nod of profound respect.

Dukes who could have commanded Folds, Royals whose very presence was a law, all acknowledged Schrodinger not as a peer, but as a leader!

They eventually arrived at an Abode that stood before a clear, blue pond, a single point of vibrant life in this otherwise desolate landscape.

Schrodinger waved his hand, and a paradoxical golden film of light, both transparent and opaque, covered the entire area, isolating them from all outside perception.

He tenderly set Leonore down at the edge of the pond, her legs submerged in the cool, clear water. The moment her skin touched the water, it began to shine with a unique, healing energy that flowed into her body.

For a long moment, there was silence. Then, Leonore spoke, her voice a dry, cracked whisper.

"Any luck?"

Schrodinger shook his head, a gesture of profound, weary disappointment. He waved his hands, and a collection of terrifyingly complex herbs and items...a crystallized tear of a weeping Wheel, the powdered heart of a concept that had died of loneliness, and more materialized and floated towards Leonore, fusing into her body and bringing a faint, vibrant glow back to her pale complexion.

"In all these years, not much progress has been made," he said, his voice heavy. "More forces were gathered here, as you saw. But THE Loom... it remains impenetrable. It was designed that way... as you told me yourself."

HUUM!

An immense, suffocating silence descended.

Leonore said nothing, her gaze lost in the shimmering waters of the pond. Eventually, Schrodinger finished his work and came to sit beside her.

Her eyes, which had been vacant, began to blaze with a defiant, burning light.

"At this point," she said, her voice a low, venomous hiss, "I just want to prove them wrong. Even if they deemed me defective, not up to par to enter with those permitted entry into THE Loom. Even if the one I looked up to the most left me behind... I just want to do it to spite them. To show them that they were wrong."

She paused, the fire in her eyes dimming slightly, replaced by a deep, aching vulnerability.

"But... it is hard."

The words were a quiet confession of a pain that had festered for eons. Schrodinger looked ahead, his gaze calm, yet filled with a confidence that seemed to defy the very reality of their situation.

"We will find a way," he said, his voice a steady, unwavering promise. "Before the clock runs out, we will find a way. You will not experience any collapse or Fallout. This, I promise you."

...!

At his words, Leonore smiled, a sad, beautiful, and utterly heartbreaking expression.

She shook her head, and as she did, her body began to brim with a terrifying purity, a power that easily reached into the dozens of Quadrillions!

"There you go again," she whispered, "making promises you cannot fulfill."

After her words, a comfortable silence settled between them. They simply sat, their feet in the glowing water, two ancient beings against an impossible doom.

It was Leonore who spoke up first, her voice a little stronger now. "What is next?"

Schrodinger’s gaze sharpened, his mind, ever the strategist, turning to the new variables on the board.

"First, we have to get you acclimated to a few changes. Some new players. There are the forces from the Sanctuary of The First Farmer, who may have something. And there is also this... Osmont. Someone that is likely an Early Creature, or maybe not."

"Oh?" Leonore blinked, a flicker of genuine interest in her crimson eyes.

Schrodinger smiled and nodded. "There are many possibilities," he said, his voice a low, thoughtful hum. "We simply need to see which ones will help us find the solution to survive what is coming."

...!

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