RUIN/EDEN’s voice appeared in Noah’s consciousness.

"Master, the Wandering Territories are the only regions we know remained relatively stable when the First Folds eventually split into all the Transcendent Folds and Minor Folds. They exist in the gaps, the spaces between structured existence."

"The First Farmer hid there for eons," RUIN/EDEN continued, her analysis flowing naturally. "He was eventually found and tracked down by THE Living Emotive, but his sanctuary itself was not hidden, and he brought in Living Existences which included Living Emotive- he was asking to be found."

"If we place this tribe deep enough in the Wandering Territories, establish proper isolation protocols, and ensure they follow instructions precisely... the probability of discovery drops to manageable levels. Not zero...never zero when dealing with THE Living Existences, but low enough to justify the risk."

Noah steered the bubble of blue Mana containing the village through the tear in space, guiding it into regions that existed between existence.

The Fold Dwellers watched in awe as structured reality gave way to something more fluid, more chaotic, more free.

Inside the protective bubble, Noah floated down to where Kael and the others had gathered. His hands moved with precise gestures, and suddenly dozens of Sparks materialized in the air before him.

Each Spark was a condensed node of pure blue Mana, pulsing with potential that made the air around them hum with recognition of power waiting to be claimed.

They matched exactly the number of Fold Dwellers present.

His voice rang out grandly.

"Take the Sparks, and follow my Way. Be part of my... Civilization."

...!

Kael stepped forward first- of course he did, the leader taking the first risk as leaders should. His hand reached out, trembling slightly from anticipation, and touched the Spark floating before him.

The moment contact was made, the Spark ignited.

Blue Mana surged through Kael’s existence like rivers discovering they were meant to be oceans. His body lit up from within, transforming at a fundamental level as The Way of Mana integrated into his very being!

HUUM!

His eyes widened in shock and wonder as he felt something crystallizing within his existence...a Mana Locus, budding and growing, establishing itself as the foundation of power he had never imagined possible.

The other Fold Dwellers watched their leader transform, saw the power flowing through him, saw him stand taller and straighter as strength replaced the weakness that had defined their entire existence.

One by one, they stepped forward. One by one, they took their Sparks. One by one, they were remade!

|CIVILIZATION SEEDING: INITIATED|

|Status: Unknown variables detected|

|Assessment: Hidden in gaps between spaces of The Earliest Folds, an isolated Civilization has begun formation|

|Participants: 47 Fold Dwellers (23 male, 19 female, 5 children)|

|Initial Complexity Average: 847,000 (Scrubs)|

|Projected Growth Rate: Calculating...|

|WARNING: Results highly unpredictable|

|Note: Eons of isolated cultivation along Master’s Way could produce... interesting outcomes|

|Note: Generational advancement patterns unclear|

|Note: Mutation possibilities due to Mana saturation over extended timeline cannot be calculated|

RUIN/EDEN’s voice carried a mix of fascination and concern.

"Master, we’re in completely uncharted territory here. Fostering a Civilization in the past to emerge in the present violates a great deal of things..."

Noah smiled as he watched the transformations, his gaze sweeping over each Fold Dweller as they were initiated into his Way.

When all had taken their Sparks, when all were standing with Mana flowing through them like lifeblood they’d been missing their entire lives, he spoke again.

"Your safety and mine is now in your hands."

He let that sink in.

"If you wish to survive and prosper, isolation is critical until I call upon you. Nobody will find you. Nobody will even know to look for you. You will live here in peace while following The Way."

His expression grew more serious.

"A tumultuous and chaotic time is coming in the First Folds. Wars between powers you cannot imagine. Conflicts that will reshape existence itself. You will be isolated from all of it. And you need to continue to be so."

The finality in his voice made it clear this wasn’t suggestion but fundamental requirement.

"No contact with the outside. No exploration beyond your territory. No demonstrations of power where others might see. You exist in secret. You cultivate in silence. You prosper in isolation."

He paused, then added with emphasis that carried genuine warning.

"The moment you break isolation, the moment you interact with forces beyond your territory, the moment you reveal what you’ve become... that is the moment you all die. And I die with you, traced back through the connections between us."

...!

Well...he had to scare them and himself a little. THE Living Existences were that terrifying after all!

Kael listened, his newly awakened Mana Locus pulsing within him as he processed these instructions. The other Fold Dwellers did the same, their faces showing understanding mixed with determination.

Finally, Kael spoke, his voice pulsing with resonance now that Mana flowed through him.

"Sir... just who are you?"

It was the question they all wanted to ask. This being who had appeared from nowhere, saved them from death or worse, offered them impossible power, and was now seeding them as a secret Civilization in the gaps between existence.

Who was he? What was he? Why was he doing this?

Noah’s smile widened, and when he spoke, his words carried across the bubble of Mana with the force of declaration.

"I will be your Ancestor. The Architect of Mana, Osmont."

BOOM!

The name resonated through existence itself!

Noah continued guiding the isolated Civilization deeper into the Wandering Territories, his mind already working through everything that needed to be established, all the protocols that required implementation, every safeguard that could mean the difference between survival and discovery.

As he worked, RUIN/EDEN’s prompts flashed before his vision.

|LIMITATION ASSESSMENT:|

"Master, I need to outline some constraints. The Chamber of Blood cannot be forged here in The Earliest Folds. Apart from it being impossible,the temporal displacement and signature of Civilization it carries would create existential signatures that THE Living Existences could potentially track and discover."

"This means we cannot transform the Fold Dwellers into Mana-Born Early Creatures using the standard process. The elevation from Fold Dweller to Early Creature requires resources and methods we don’t have access to in this time period."

Noah nodded, already expecting this limitation.

RUIN/EDEN continued.

"However, you could infuse them directly with your blood and concentrated Mana. Not enough to trigger immediate transformation, that would and may still create detectable signatures, but enough to alter their fundamental composition over time."

|POTENTIAL OUTCOME:|

"Given eons of isolation, with your essence integrated into their cultivation, mutations could arise among them. Beneficial ones, hopefully. Their children, and their children’s children, cultivating in an environment saturated with your Mana..."

"There’s a non-zero chance that by the time you call them forth in the current era, some may have naturally evolved into something approaching Early Creature status. Not through forced transformation, but through generations of cultivation along your Way."

"You also cannot leave permanent Mana structures that pulse with your signature," RUIN/EDEN added. "No towers, no grand constructions, nothing that broadcasts your presence across time. Everything must be subtle, integrated, hidden within the natural flow of the Wandering Territories."

"You have limited time before your Temporal Traversal ends. Enough time to establish basic protocols and seed initial cultivation methods."

Noah absorbed all these limitations with characteristic calm, his smile never wavering. If anything, the constraints made the challenge more appealing.

"Understood," he said simply, and continued preparing his isolated Civilization with meticulous care.

He would give them everything they needed to survive. Everything they needed to cultivate. Everything they needed to remain hidden while growing strong enough that when he finally called them forth...

The smile on his face suggested he was very much looking forward to that moment!