Jon watched as Ariel and Lydia sprinted towards the front door, extending a thread of weave natured spiritual energy into his Resonance-Protection Key and allowing his younger sisters to enter the house. Neither bothering to take off their shoes, standing in the entrance to their older brother’s house.

  Their eyes widening in shock mere upon seeing the enormous living room, and the stairs that seemed to lead up towards the second floor.

  “Oh my-.” Ariel muttered.

  “God.” Lydia finishing her sentence.

  Their mouths dropped, a feeling of startling realization settling within the pits of their stomachs. Lydia glancing towards the enormous dark-grey couch placed in the corner of his living room, a direct line of sight from said could towards an equally large flat-screen television placed up on the wall opposite it.

  A frosted-glass table placed in between the couch and television; one intricately designed and seemed to somehow emanate both a feeling of coolness and growth all at the same time.

  Ariel on the other hand, just stared at the dozens upon dozens of pot plants that lined the corridor leading towards the kitchen and dining room. Even in the living room, everywhere she looked she could see some sort of plant growing from ornate-looking pots.

  Some were flowers, with petals bearing colours she had no names for.

  Others were herbs, releasing scents that seemed to clear her nostrils and incite hunger within her stomach.

  While a small handful she recognized as carnivorous plants; flytraps, sundews, and even a couple pitcher-plants. Most of which seemed larger, and much more vibrant than any plant species she had seen before.

  “Holy-.”

  Lydia and Ariel glancing towards one another, neither one needing to say anything in order to describe what the other was feeling. The sound of the door softly closing behind them caused the two girls to lift their heads towards the visage of their older brother, who just smiled at them, placing both their bags on his Soothing-Comfort Couch.

  His hands gesturing towards the stairs leading up towards the second and third floors.

  “Feel free to look around.”

  “Although, leave my bedroom alone please. The last thing I need is you two going through my closet and bathroom.” Jon said, watching as his two younger sisters sprinted upwards towards the second floor, giggling and laughing while ascending the stairs.

  The sound of thumping footfalls accompanying them through the house.

  Through his [Bestial Intuition] Jon was able to hear their voices clear as day as the two of them entered room after room, walking from one spare bedroom to the adjacent bathroom next door. The wonder in their voices after discovering the house library on the third floor was only exceeded by the sheer giddiness and excitement after finding out that his backyard contained an enormous twenty-metre-long pool.

  “Look at all these bedrooms Ariel! All the space! And so close to Melbourne as well!”

  “This library… this is literally my dream home. All these empty shelves, just waiting to be filled.”

  “Two of the other bedrooms have private bathrooms! Alongside walk-in-wardrobes! Think of all the instruments I would be able to put in here! I would be able to put my keyboard here, and my guitar there. My violin and cello on the left, both of which would face my…”

  “Just how much would all of this have cost? Nine bedrooms and five bathrooms alongside the library-room and downstairs living room. The pool in the backyard takes up most of the space, but there is a quaint-looking pagoda at the rear of the property surrounded by a series of small flowerbeds…”

  Ariel did some quick calculations in her head.

  “Considering how close it is to the CBD and how much square footage the property possesses a rough estimation of the house should be around…”

  Ariel froze, turning her head towards her twin sister. Lydia was still relishing in the view of the Melbourne Central Business District from the third-floor terrace. Her eyes shining, leaning forward as though to peer closer towards the neighbouring suburbs.

  “Have you seen this view Ariel!”

  “It’s incredible!” Her eyes shining as she turned towards her twin, grasping onto her hands while jumping up and down.

  “This place is amazing! All the rooms and the décor! Not to mention the pool and how close it is to the city! Do you think that Jon will mind if I claim a room or two! We could stay over on weekends or whenever Jon isn’t working over the school holidays!”

  “We might even be able to have our birthday parties here! Do you think he’ll say yes!? I hope he does!” Lydia almost forgot to breathe with how many words she was firing out, her oversized black hoodie flapping around as she bounced around the library.

  Ariel, on the other hand, just stared towards the vast empty library all around her, gazing upon the bookless walls with a strange, but curious expression on her face. Her eyes noticing one bookshelf in particular, the only bookshelf, that seemed to possess a modicum of books for her too read.

  Ignoring Lydia’s cries to come play with her next to the pool, Ariel reached towards this singular bookshelf, softly pulling out one of the hardcovers that caught her eye.

  “Hmm? What language is this?” Ariel muttered to herself, flicking through the pages, not recognizing a single word throughout the entirety of the book. Her eyes turning towards the rest of the books placed on the shelf, reaching towards another one, furrowing her brows at it too was written in a language she did not understand.

  The third book that she reached for was somewhat familiar, albeit still written in a language that she was incapable of understanding.

  ‘Since when did Jon learn Korean?’ Ariel thought to herself, placing all the books back up onto the shelf.

  Her eyes moving to scan the rest of the room, before noticing something on the floor, just behind one of the tables that sat in the centre of the library. Between a rather luxurious-looking leather chair and an ordinary-looking wooden chair, sat a single unassuming little-.

  “Gemstone?”

  Bending over to pick up the green-coloured jewel, Ariel hummed in confusion as she cradled the emerald-looking gemstone in the palm of her hand. Looking down at the fingernail-sized jewel, she almost thought that she could see the faint vein-structure of a leaf within said-.

  “What do you have their Ariel?” A voice not-so-quietly whispered towards her, prompting her to let out a small, high-pitched squeal. Her figure practically jumping backwards, eyes swiftly moving towards the owner of said voice.

  Jon leaning against the door to the library, arms crossed.

  His usual smile marring his face.

  “Lydia came downstairs asking if I was willing to give the two of you your own rooms. Before letting her claim one, I thought it best to ask you if you wanted any room in particular?” Jon said, striding into his third-floor library with a smoothness in his gait that Ariel had never seen before.

  His eyes glancing towards the dozen-or-so hardcovered books that he had placed on the wall, all written in languages that he had picked up within the System Introduction. Although a handful were Earth-born languages, there were several that he had learnt from Avahni, Wilheim, Sariel, and the others.

  Hades-Draconian Shadow maintaining its original shape and form, mimicking his movements rather than constraining itself to laying beneath the soles of his feet.

  Naturally, Jon noticed the Fragment Of Leaf that Ariel had in her hands but pretended not to notice it before gesturing for Ariel to follow him, stepping out of the library and back down the hallway towards the second-floor.

  Her eyes drifting towards the prosthetic wooden limb that had replaced the flesh and blood of his right arm.

  “C’mon. The quicker that the two of you can decide what rooms you want, the quicker the two of you can get to decorating them.” Jon grinned, waving at her with his Tabitha-Cedarspear Arm. The moment that Jon disappeared around the corner and started descending towards the second-floor was the moment that Ariel noticed the distinct lack of any sound coming from each of his footsteps.

  If it was not for the fact that she was observing Jon with her own two eyes, she never would have guessed that he was standing right in front of her.

  ‘I’ll ask him about the gemstone latter I suppose. It’s too pretty to be anything that belongs to Jon anyway…’

  Ariel stood alone within the empty library, before shaking her head, placing the Fragment Of Leaf in her pocket before racing back down towards the second floor. She sounds of Lydia and Jon discussing the possibility of moving all her instruments into the second primary suite.

  “But Jon! Ariel doesn’t even have that much stuff to begin with!”

  “She can put all of her books and whatnot into the library you have on the third-floor! Why can’t I put all of my instruments and equipment into the bedroom with the walk-in-closet!?”

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  Ariel scoffing, descending down the stairs with an expression that best mimicked the sought that she had seen Jon give others before.

  “Because “I” am the older sibling, dear younger sister! And as the older sibling I should get first priority on…”

  Jon watched as Lydia and Ariel argued against one another, Three Seas Of Knowledge collecting the memory and placing it with all the others deep within his Sea Of Guf. All of the core memories and experiences relating to Lydia and Ariel was reflected in an enormous iceberg-shaped glacier that dipped between his Sea Of Guf and Sea Of Tehom.

  Over the course of just two hours the iceberg had grown immensely, Jon memorizing each of the words and interactions the two had with each other, tightening his grip over his Fragment Of Mind.

  ‘Two years was a long time to wait…’

  ‘But it was definitely worth it.’

  Break.

  Jon through the streets of North Melbourne, accompanied by the presence of his two younger sisters. Lydia and Ariel walking along several metres in front of him, glancing down at their phones while muttering things about “colourful décor” and “desks” and other miscellaneous pieces of furniture.

  His plan was working out quite well if he was being completely honest.

  Lydia and Ariel both bought the hospital story, along with the “settlement” lie that he had given them. Jon did feel tempted to use Lethe in order to improve the believability of his lies but prevented himself from doing so.

  ‘There is no way in hell that I am going to use abilities on my family. Even against Mum and Dad, that is where I draw the line.’

  It was not an idea, or even a concept that Jon would consider again. He felt no need to push down such urges or thoughts, knowing that he would never act on them, regardless of how Ariel, Lydia, Cain or his parents felt about him.

  His eyes momentarily glancing towards his two sisters, hearing them continue to discuss possibilities on how to style each of their new rooms before turning towards his status page.

  Jonathan Randall Guilliman

  Age: 20

  Rank: Knight

  Tier: Third-Vein

  Title: [Princeps Of The Wandering Mutation]

  Title Fragments: [Forerunner] [Journeyman] [Specialist] [Polyglot] [Dungeoneer] [Logos Eidos] [Construct Dominus] [Lonesome] [Wonderchild] [Wonder Dominus] [Adeptus Bellum] [Memento Rex] [Thieving Dominus] [Mind Chevalier] [Mind Killer] [Dual-Pathway Dominus] [Lord Of Violent Transformations] [Ethos Of Alnus Viridis] [Blessed Of Verdant Night] [Lordslayer] [Blood-Soaked Pride] [Mentis-Mutare Sanctus]

  [Vanquisher] [Green-Desire-Transformation Anathema] [Returnee] [Luminous Shidonai Acolyte]

  Mana Core(s):

  [1]: Knowledge

  [Fragment Of Instinct]

  [Bestial Intuition]

  (Knowledge, Passive, Ability, Enhancement, Sensory, Perception)

  (Beast)

  [Fragment Of Mind]

  [Mine Is The Three Sea Of Knowledge]

  (Knowledge, Mind, Passive, Ability, Enhancement, Resistance, Self)

  (Trinity)

  [Fragment Of Tree]

  [Ashvattha Rana Devi; Earth Reincarnation Womb]

  (Summon, Knowledge, Tree, Spell, Buff)

  (Bodhisattva)

  [Fragment Of War]

  [Cometh Thy Red Horse Awaits]

  (Knowledge, War, Spell, Enhancement, Buff)

  (Conquest)

  [Fragment Of Draconian Shadows]

  [Thou Is Mine Shadow, Born From Dragons And Knowledge]

  (Knowledge, Shadow, Dragon, Mutation, Ability, Enhancement, Construct, Self, Debuff)

  [Fragment Of Eyes]

  [Eyes Through The Looking Glass]

  (Knowledge, Eyes, Mutation, Enhancement, Ability, Spell, Perception, Sensory)

  (Infiltration)

  [2]: Wood

  [Fragment Of Regeneration]

  [Green Is The Flesh, As Red Is The Blood]

  (Wood, Regeneration, Passive, Recovery)

  (Hydra)

  [Fragment Of Carnivorous Alnus-Viridis]

  [Alnus-Viridis Wood Art; Vast-Mouths Of Thorned Green]

  (Wood, Eruption, Carnivore, Spell, Ability, Construct, Debuff)

  [Fragment Of The Cedarspear Mutation]

  [Behold Thy Wooden Metamorphosis, Clad In Cedarwood Spearlight].

  (Wood, Spear, Transformation, Mutation, Enhancement, Construct, Debuff)

  [Fragment Of Alnus-Viridis Protection]

  [Alnus-Viridis Wood Art; Majestic Towers Of Springtime Green].

  (Wood, Barrier, Tower, Spell, Ability, Construct, Buff, Debuff)

  [Fragment Of Incarnation]

  [With Thou In Hand, Wood Shalt Live Forever]

  (Wood, Incarnation, Ability, Technique, Spell, Construct, Buff)

  (Twin)

  [Fragment Of Prana]

  [Green Shall Become The Ode To Eternity]

  (Wood, Prana, Mutation, Ability, Passive, Enhancement, Buff)

  (Mudra)

  [3]: Ice

  [Fragment Of Spellfrost Destruction]

  [Frosted Requiem Of The White Spellstar]

  (Ice, Destruction, Spell, Technique, Spell, Ability, Enhancement, Debuff)

  [Fragment Of Heart]

  [Lamentations Of A Frozen Affection]

  (Ice, Heart, Mutation, Ability, Passive)

  (Perpetuity)

  [Fragment Of Hunt]

  [Rhapsody Of The Cold Star]

  (Ice, Hunt, Technique, Buff)

  (Phantom)

  [Fragment Of Marrow]

  [Ours Is The Blood That Births Winter And Ice]

  (Ice, Marrow, Mutation, Ability, Enhancement)

  (Arhat)

  [Fragment Of Summon]

  [Schwarz Eis Seir; White Devil Of The Ninth Circle]

  (Summon, Ice, Spirit, Spell, Defensive, Shield, Spell, Memento, Debuff)

  (Devil)

  [Fragment Of Annihilation]

  [Frozen End Art; Ice Mountain Annihilation, White Sea Cataclysm]

  (Ice, Annihilation, Spell, Technique, Ability, Curse, Debuff)

  (Cataclysm)

  [4]: Spear

  [Fragment Of Spirit]

  [Thou Art The Monarch Of Spears And Truth]

  (Spear, Spirit, Mutation, Ability, Spell, Curse, Debuff)

  (Rune)

  [Fragment Of Trap]

  [False Spear Art; Multiple Spear Detonation]

  (Spear, Trap, Spell, Technique, Debuff)

  (Preparation)

  [Fragment Of Eradication]

  [Imperial Spear Art; Vajra-Spear Extinction]

  (Spear, Eradication, Technique, Spell, Ability, Debuff)

  (Vajra)

  [Fragment Of Weapon]

  [Behold Thy Phantasmal Spear; Enveloped In Thulian Grace]

  (Spear, Weapon, Summon, Ability, Spell, Debuff)

  (Rain)

  [Fragment Of Ira]

  [Wrath Is The Paradise Whispered On Thou Lips]

  (Spear, Ira, Spell, Technique, Buff, Debuff)

  (Courage)

  [Fragment Of Superbia]

  [Helel]

  (Spear, Superbia, Mutation, Ability, Spell, Technique, Enhancement, Buff, Debuff, Self)

  (Star)

  [5]: War

  [Fragment Of Battle-Deception]

  [Inverted Fool, Advancing Against Life And Death]

  (War, Stealth, Illusion, Spell, Technique, Sensory, Debuff)

  [Fragment Of Avaritia]

  [With Thou In Hand, Even War Will Be Dyed Yellow]

  (War, Avaritia, Ability, Technique, Spell, Construct, Buff)

  (Treasure)

  [Fragment Of Armour]

  [Behold Thy Heretical Armour, Adorned In Chalk Light]

  (War, Armour, Summon, Ability, Defensive, Shield, Buff)

  (Helm)

  [Fragment Of Thieving Envy]

  [Writhing Worms Beneath Spirit And Flesh]

  (War, Invidia, Parasite, Spell, Curse, Ability, Technique, Construct, Debuff)

  [Fragment Of Contract]

  [Thy Name Shalt Be Written In Blood And War]

  (War, Contract, Spell, Ability, Binding, Buff, Debuff)

  (Permanence)

  [Fragment Of Library]

  [Red Archives Of Mars Quirinus]

  (War, Library, Ability, Spell, Technique, Storage, Construct, Self)

  (Lock)

  [6]: Weave

  [Fragment Of Slash]

  [Spring Weave Art; Ten Thousand Flower Threads]

  (Weave, Slash, Technique, Spell, Ability, Debuff)

  (Blossom)

  [Fragment Of Creation]

  [Threads Through The Loom]

  (Weave, Creation, Spell, Technique, Ability, Enhancement)

  (World)

  [Fragment Of Ward]

  [Spiritual Weave Art; False Faerie Ward]

  (Weave, Ward, Defensive, Sensory, Spell, Technique, Construct)

  (Lies)

  [Fragment Of Door]

  [Violet Doors Of Janus Quirinus]

  (Weave, Door, Spell, Ability, Technique, Movement, Construct)

  (World)

  [Fragment Of Shapeless-Carcosa]

  [Shapeless Kingdom Of Horrors And Yellow]

  [Weave, Horror, Shapeless, Mutation, Enhancement, Spell, Construct, Debuff, Self)

  [Fragment Of Dragon]

  [Song Lian Yu; Threaded-Heart Of Terminus Est]

  (Summon, Weave, Dragon, Aura, Ability, Technique, Debuff)

  (Heart)

  [7]: Lies

  [Fragment Of Facelessness]

  [Lethe; Shapeless Mask Of Thieving Lies]

  (Memento, Lies, Facelessness, Mask, Smiling, Ability, Technique, Enhancement, Buff, Self)

  (Theft, Truth, Scale)

  Spiritual Items

  [1]: [Knight Ranked

  [2]: [Knight Ranked

  [3]: [Knight Ranked

  [4]: [Knight Ranked

  [5]: [Knight Ranked

  [6]: [Knight Ranked

  ‘It’s gotten quite long, with all the Title Fragments I have accumulated…’

  The sound of his footsteps amplified due to the dress shoes that he had decided to wear out tonight. Although he almost didn’t quite catch it, Jon realized that Ariel was listening to his footsteps, or rather, his Hades-Draconian Shadow observed her listening to his retreating figure.

  The habits and techniques that he had picked up over the course of the System Introduction had been ingrained into his flesh and bones. Hours upon hours of training and practice so as to achieve a perfect synergy between thought and action.

  He had long since realized that his strength and physical capabilities vastly exceeded that of everyone else around him. The control that he had nurtured over the past two-ish years prevented him from hurting anyone, whether by accident or on purpose.

  Uninitiated humans were literally incapable of defending themselves from him.

  Even if they were in possession of a firearm or some other form of anti-personnel device.

  It made Jon worried.

  Worried about the safety of Lydia, Cain, and Ariel, but also about his fellow returnees that had also come back to Earth with him. Although Springtown had quite a large population in comparison to Mountain Craig Pass and Lakeriver Valley, it did not encompass the entire population of small realm designation “732-GFS.”

  No doubt other humans would have returned to Earth alongside him.

  In addition to a vast number of lutins, undyne, nadians, and other alien races.

  It was only a matter of time until someone, somewhere filmed something that they were not supposed to. Posting it on social media and catching the attention of local law enforcement or nearby military personnel, prompting a widespread crackdown on any strange or magical activity.

  The moment that happened-.

  ‘No. It might not necessarily go like that.’ Jon thought to himself, following Lydia and Ariel across a wide-intersection.

  ‘There must have been at least a handful of military personnel within my System Introduction. It might even be possible that one, or even some of the humans within Springtown were current military or even former military.’

  ‘If that is the case then governments definitely know about our existence. They are just doing everything they can to keep it under wraps until they know more about the situation or can even perform the rituals to awaken Mana Cores within their other soldiers.’

  ‘Fragments would become a key strategic resource until Wonders and Dungeons can be produced all across Earth. And those of us that participated within the System Introduction would become targets, hunted for the fragments contained within us.’

  Jon scratched the back of his ear, humming for half-a-second.

  ‘Making sure that Lydia, Ariel, and Cain are safe are my top priorities.’

  ‘Song is still watching over them, while Eis is continuing the search for other participants in the System Introduction. I know I agreed with Delila to meet her in Edinburgh, but she will have to settle for meeting Eis instead…’

  Everything was going according to-.

  “Jon! Jon! This is the place right!?”

  “The Albion Hotel!?”