The soft rhythmic thumping of a heartbeat pounded within her chest.

  Thoughts. Emotions. Desires. Dreams and memories all flowing outwards through the streams and rivers of her Mental Aquascape. Filling oceans and lakes with enough experiences to last someone an entire lifetime.

  Knighthood was somehow exactly as Avahni imagined it to be.

  And more.

  Her muscles coiled with an incredible strength, far exceeding anything that her Mortal flesh was capable of producing.

  Her thoughts flowed with a level of ease that surpassed anything that she thought was possible; feelings, emotions and desires cleanly separated between ideas, beliefs and conceptual knowledge.

  Her spirit was seemingly boundless in the breadth and depth. Willpower was something that Ru Luan Di had stressed developing upon her ascension to Knighthood and beyond, something that would benefit her summoned companions in the long run.

  Everything about her ascension just felt-.

  ‘Perfect.’

  Avahni smiled, bright green eyes flickering open; eyelashes batting several times as waves of upon waves of System notifications almost blocked out her vision. The length of her Asherah-Shamrock Hair had grown even longer, bangs brushing against her eyes and strands of hair pooling on the leaves of Athirat beneath her.

  The sound of high-pitched screeches caused her brows to furrow but were ignored in favour of her System notifications.

  Increasing Rank and Tier from that of a Sixth Initiated Mortal to a Veinless Knight!

  Increasing all base physical capabilities.

  Increasing all base mental capabilities.

  Increasing all base spiritual capabilities.

  Increasing inherent lifeforce and natural longevity.

  Increasing maximum spiritual energy capacity.

  Increasing rate of spiritual energy regeneration.

  Increasing sensitivity towards spiritual energy.

  Increasing sensitivity towards compatible concepts and laws.

  Congratulations [Imaginary Princess Of The Round Table]!

  On your ascension to Knighthood!

  Her connection with her summoned companions growing stronger and more developed. Jon, Shamael, and Sariel had all informed her of their newfound ability to detect the emotions of their own summoned companions, regardless of whether they wanted them to or not.

  Her focus turning inwards as she felt a myriad number of feelings flow into her from her various fragments. Even her newly integrated Summon Mana Core seemed to contain a veritable wellspring of emotions, courtesy of Grendel, Lenatus, and Acalan.

  Fragment Of Sword communicating emotions such as loyalty, trust, and an unmistakable pride in his summoner. Xuanyuan charged forward, clothes drenched in blood and brain matter.

  Fragment Of Alcohol conveying feelings of worry, expectation, and rage as he battled against the Son Of Wolves And Hunger. Rhidian, similarly, overflowing with pride, refusing to back down even when fighting against a Third-Veined Knight.

  Fragment Of Moss unconsciously channelling emotions such as fear, anxiety, and uncertainty, continuously activating and deactivating her shield effects in an effort to protect Jon and Xuanyuan.

  Fragment Of Fey…

  Fragment Of Dragon…

  Fragment Of Bamboo…

  Fragment Of Coral…

  Fragment Of Hydra…

  Fragment Of Lilypad…

  Even Ler Setanta and his Fragment Of Ichthyosaur transmitted feelings of begrudging acceptance and loyalty to her cause. Even while enveloped in a haze of lies and deceit, the Incarnation Of The Hunt still accepted her as his one and only master.

  All of them willingly allowed their emotions to flow into her, knowing that she would accept them.

  Accept all of them.

  ‘If that is the case then-.’

  Dozens of fragments appearing in the palm of her hand. Each one of them carefully and cautiously decided by the Imaginary Princess Of The Round Table and her summoned companions. Fragments that would allow them to grow even stronger, transforming their fragile mortalities into something… much stronger.

  ‘Then why would I keep holding all of them back when it is clear they all want to fight!’

  More than a dozen fragments integrated in a single moment, filling her flesh, mind, and spirit with an extraordinary amount of potent concepts. Mana Cores twitching in response to her actions, each one transformed into the shape of immature saplings.

  Xuanyuan paused, enveloped in a glowing cocoon of pure white light.

  Rhidian and Ortlinde returning to their respective Mana Cores, abandoning the fight with Regulus and Raflea. Both grinning as they felt the fragments Avahni had chosen for them layered atop their original concepts.

  It would be irresponsible to elevate all her summoned companions at once, knowing that Jon was still out there fighting against a horde of growing insects for her. Grendel and Lenatus abandoning their defensive position around her Tree Of Mutative Rebirth, moving forward to assist the Princeps Of The Wandering Mutation.

  ‘This time…’

  Eyes glancing in the direction of a certain blonde-haired human.

  ‘I am the one rushing to your aid.’

  Name: Avahni Rudras

  Age: 34

  Rank: Knight

  Tier: Veinless

  Title: [Imaginary Princess Of The Round Table]

  Mana Core(s):

  [1]: Wood

  [Fragment Of Mother]

  [Hold Thy Hand Child, Green Is The Colour Of Our Lineage]

  (Wood, Mother, Passive, Mutation, Ability, Spell, Aura, Enhancement, Buff)

  (Life)

  [Fragment Of Concealment]

  [Silence Is The Verdant Flowers Daydream]

  (Wood, Concealment, Ability, Technique, Passive, Sensory, Buff)

  (Hunt)

  [Fragment Of Mouth]

  [Xochitl; Green Mangrove Of Mindful Thorns]

  (Summon, Wood, Memento, Mouth, Seed, Buff, Debuff)

  (Mind)

  [Fragment Of Vine]

  [Totlechatl; Stellar-Turquoise Parasite-Vine]

  (Summon, Wood, Vine, Buff, Debuff)

  (Star)

  [Fragment Of Moss]

  [Metzli; Shade-Seeking Shield Moss]

  (Summon, Wood, Moss, Shield, Buff)

  [Fragment Of Chrysanthemum]

  [Atzi; Spell-Chrysanthemum Of Red Transformation]

  (Summon, Wood, Chrysanthemum, Spell, Debuff)

  (Transformation)

  [2]: Water

  [Fragment Of Clam]

  [Cadhla Medb; Vanishing Rune-Shield Gigas]

  (Summon, Water, Clam, Defensive, Buff)

  (Rune)

  [Fragment Of Breath]

  [Drowning Amidst The Sea Of Life]

  (Water, Breath, Spell, Buff)

  (Moon)

  [Fragment Of Mind]

  [Mine Is The Rivers And Oceans, The Seas And Rain]

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

  (Confluence)

  [Fragment Of Ichthyosaur]

  [Ler Setanta; Incarnation Of The Hunt]

  (Summon, Water, Ichthyosaur, Memento, Shadow, Incarnation, Buff)

  [Fragment Of Coral]

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  [Annwn Boann; Water-Annihilation Staghorn]

  (Summon, Water, Coral, Debuff)

  (Annihilation)

  [Fragment Of Lilypad]

  [Cualli; Armoured Lilypad Of Carnivorous Thorns]

  (Summon, Water, Lotus, Buff)

  (Armour)

  [3]: Fire

  [Fragment Of Ginseng]

  [Ru Luan Di; Liver Of The Ginseng King]

  (Summon, Fire, Ginseng, Recovery, Buff)

  [Fragment Of Beetle]

  [Titus Claudius; Fire-Veined Behemoth-Beetle]

  (Summon, Fire, Beetle, Aura, Debuff)

  (Behemoth)

  [Fragment Of Fish]

  [Huo Liyu; Nine-Tailed Vermillion Dragon-Carp]

  (Summon, Fire, Fish, Ability, Debuff)

  (Dragon)

  [Fragment Of Spirit]

  [Thou Art The Monarch Of Ash And Life]

  (Fire, Spirit, Mutation, Spell, Enhancement, Buff)

  (Sun)

  [Fragment Of Transcendence]

  [That Which Is Born Through Fire]

  (Fire, Transcendence, Ability, Spell, Technique, Enhancement, Buff, Debuff, Self)

  [Fragment Of Seraph]

  [Jibril; Phantasmal Marrow, Surging Creation]

  (Summon, Fire, Seraph, Memento, Throne, Creation)

  (Marrow)

  [4]: Wind

  [Fragment Of Marrow]

  [Ours Is The Blood That Breathes Through The Skies]

  (Wind, Marrow, Mutation, Passive, Ability, Enhancement, Buff)

  (Reinforcement)

  [Fragment Of Heart]

  [Sadness Of A Broken Wind]

  (Wind, Heart, Mutation, Ability, Passive)

  (Duality)

  [Fragment Of Bee]

  [Lucia Zenobia; Twelve-Coloured Brood-Mother]

  (Summon, Wind, Bee, Ability, Buff)

  (Fecundity)

  [Fragment Of Nightmare]

  [Auberon; Shadow Beneath The Sea Of Dreams]

  (Summon, Wind, Nightmare, Debuff)

  [Fragment Of Sword]

  [Xuanyuan; Windless Heart Shadow, Formless Void Scripture]

  (Summon, Wind, Sword, Technique, Ability, Memento, Sword, Severance, Enhancement)

  (Heart)

  [Fragment Of Bamboo]

  [Acalan; Spirit-Abundance Bamboo]

  (Summon, Wind, Bamboo, Recovery, Buff)

  [5]: Earth

  [Fragment Of Wisdom]

  [Cian Aengus; Right-Hand Of Wisdom, Left-Eye Of Knowledge]

  (Summon, Earth, Wisdom, Spell, Buff)

  (Knowledge)

  [Fragment Of Dragon]

  [Grendel; Stone Mountain Bulwark]

  (Summon, Earth, Dragon, Debuff)

  [Fragment Of Cypress]

  [Toci; Black-Space Empty-Water Cypress]

  (Summon, Earth, Cypress, Spell, Buff)

  (Space)

  [Fragment Of Physique]

  [Hers Is The Earth That Births Mountains And Valleys]

  (Earth, Physique, Mutation, Ability, Enhancement, Passive)

  (Metal)

  [Fragment Of Hydra]

  [Lenatus; Slithering-Armour Orochi]

  (Summon, Earth, Hydra, Technique, Debuff)

  [Fragment Of Alcohol]

  [Rhidian; Earth Father, Wine Incarnation]

  (Summon, Earth, Alcohol, Spell, Memento, Wine, River, Buff)

  (Incarnation)

  [6]: Lightning

  [Fragment Of Libra]

  [Fragment Of The Amber Scales]

  (Summon, Lightning, Libra, Ability, Enhancement, Construct)

  [Fragment Of Fey]

  [Ortlinde; Three Monarchs Of Spirit And Destruction]

  (Summon, Lightning, Fey, Memento, Trinity, Reflection, Spell)

  (Spirit)

  [Fragment Of Reflex]

  [Thunderous Echo Of Flashing Instincts]

  (Lightning, Instinct, Mutation, Ability, Enhancement, Self)

  (Foresight)

  [Fragment Of Wisteria]

  [Tlaloc; Trinity-Souled Thunderous-Wisteria]

  (Summon, Lightning, Wisteria, Spell, Buff)

  (Trinity)

  [Fragment Of Spawn]

  [Alba Juno; Spirit-Leech Flesh Rejuvenation]

  (Summon, Lightning, Spawn, Debuff)

  (Regeneration)

  [Fragment Of Immortal]

  [Yu Huang; Lightning-Jade Divination]

  (Summon, Lightning, Immortal, Spell)

  [7]: Summon

  [Fragment Of Rebirth]

  [Athirat; Tree Of Mutative Rebirth]

  (Memento, Summon, Rebirth, Life, Tree, Construct, Enhancement, Self)

  Avahni flashed a smile in Jon’s direction. Even while his face was obscured beneath the Heretical Chalk Protection and Shapeless Mask Of Thieving Lies, could she see the shock and awe on his face as her Asherah-Life Hair exploded with an unfathomably potent wood natured spiritual energy.

  Furfur-Duality Heart.

  Marchosias-Reinforcement Marrow.

  Dumah-Sun Spirit.

  Tierra-Metal Physique.

  Astrape-Foresight Nerves all bursting with an abundance of spiritual energy. The Knight-Ranked limitations placed on her various Mana Cores rescinded with her successful ascension to Knighthood, filling her with a level of strength and spiritual energy that she could once only dream of possessing.

  ‘I am… finally a Knight…’

  Her hand softly wrapped around one of Athirat’s branches, pushing herself upwards as she looked down from atop the Tree Of Mutative Rebirth. Her hand extending forward as wisps of multicoloured spiritual energies flashed through her eyes.

  “All shall serve… beneath the banner of this Imaginary Princess.”

  Break.

  Jon wiped away another bead of sweat off his brow, manifesting another instance of his Fragment Of Slash. Fingers rippling through the space in front of him, producing illusory-thread shaped constructs of weave natured spiritual energy.

  [Spring Weave Art; Ten Thousand Flower Threads].

  Each one capable of rending flesh from bone. Cleaving through reinforced wood and tempered steel.

  Knight-level poison-thorn ants and Knight level stomach-acid termites initially resisting the effects of his ten thousand flower threads. It took the repeated activation of his spring weave art in order to slay a handful of flesh constructs.

  The aftermaths of [Helel], reducing the effectiveness of all his abilities with the Spell Trait.

  ‘Why the hell is the Voracious Swarm Mother waking up right now!? I thought that Theodore had killed it or was at least going to wait until Avahni or I were dead before waking it up and allowing it to continue its rampage unhindered!’

  ‘It doesn’t make sense!? Regulus and Raflea are both still present!? Would the flesh constructs not just kill them both before moving onto Theodore and Itsumade? Setanta is dead, also no longer under his control.’

  ‘Did he retreat somewhere? Is he hiding and waiting for the next best available moment to strike?’

  ‘Should I look to take Avahni and retreat somewhere? The effects of my Knight-Ranked spiritual items should still be affecting the Hive-Womb Capital, so holes produced by my vajra-spears should still be present.’

  ‘I could retreat through them and then regroup with Wilheim and Sariel. If Shamael could just transform back into his human form then I would even be able to store him within the [Red Archives Of Mars Quirinus] …’

  Jon gritted his teeth, letting out a small tsk.

  ‘The moment I ascend to Lordship, I will be looking for a method of removing that annoying effect from [Helel]!’

  Shadow-mutation and fear-mutation swirling around the soles of his feet, striking anything that dared to approach him. Carcosa-Form Horrors transforming its limbs into spear-talons that could cleave straight through Knight-level flesh and armour. Hades-Draconian Shadow sprouting two additional heads and three-tails, chomping down and thrashing about in a bout of controlled malice.

  Minerva-Infiltration Eyes flickering towards the figures of Grendel and Lenatus, both the stone-mountain dragon and slithering-armour hydra utilizing their enormous physical mass and strength in order to overpower the weaker Knight-level insects.

  Other than the Spirit-Abundance Bamboo and the Shade-Seeking Moss Shield, all of Avahni’s other summoned companions had retreated back within her. The moment that he had felt her manifest more than two dozen different fragments in the palms of her hands did Jon realize just what it was that Avahni was attempting to do.

  Jon fought even harder, pushing every last iota of strength his weakened form possessed continuing to activate ability after ability. Wood Mana Core and Spear Mana Core were both temporarily out of the question, leaving him only able to activate his Fragment Of War.

  [Fragment Of War]

  [Cometh Thy Red Horse Awaits]

  (Knowledge, War, Spell, Enhancement, Buff)

  (Conquest)

  Effect (Mortal): Chant, then imbue oneself with the horrifying heraldry of blood and war. Knowledge relating to concepts of war, violence, and combat become easier to comprehend while under the effects of this Spell.

  Dramatically increases physical strength and speed for the duration of this Spells activation. Dramatically increases physical stamina and endurance for the duration of this Spells activation. Once ended, reduce all physical capabilities for an equal duration.

  Effect (Knight): The effects of [Cometh Thy Red Horse Awaits] now expand to concepts relating to conquest, victory, and honour.

  Dramatically increases the effectiveness of all abilities with the War Trait for the duration of this Spells activation. Dramatically increase resistances towards harmony-related and serene-related damages, afflictions, and debuffs. Once ended, reduce the effectiveness of all abilities with the War Trait for an equal duration.

  A powerful and potentially game-changing effect to be sure. Although one that came an at equally disadvantageous consequence. Spiritual energy flowing into his Fragment Of War, enhancing his physical capabilities back up to the level of an ordinary Knight.

  His Fragment Of Battle-Deception activated moments after, enveloping him in a thick haze of dark-red war mana. Spear Of Cedarwood Transformations thrusting forward without any additional effects imbued into it, piercing through the gaping maw of an approaching thousand-leg beetle.

  Devoid of the physical strength that he prided himself in, Jon was forced to rely solely on his learned techniques and martial prowess in order to fight against the growing horde. Spear thrusts, which he had performed thousands upon thousands of times before now caused his arms and hands to ache in overuse.

  Blisters and wounds that could have been healed through his Fragment Of Regeneration remained untreated as he slashed forward with Assail, retreating backwards several steps in order to maintain distance between himself and his opponent. Blood dripping from his Spirit-Protection Shirt and Metal-Thread Pants, soaking the clothes that clung to his body.

  The Heretical Chalk Protection similarly dyed red, blood splatters covering almost the entirety of his Fragment Of Armour. The taste of blood and sweat filling the insides of his mouth.

  ‘I have to keep fighting!’

  ‘I have to keep going!’

  ‘If I end up stopping now, then what good am I!?’

  Muscles screaming at him to stop. His flesh growing weaker and weaker with every thrust and slash of his spear; spirit more than willing to continue fighting, overflowing with desire and willpower.

  [Bestial Intuition].

  Fragment Of Instinct screaming at him to swing Assail in multiple directions all at once. More than half-a-dozen Knight-level insects sneaking past the defensive line that Lenatus and Grendel had formed, rushing towards him without any regard for their lives or injuries.

  His eyes widening in response to the sudden attack, unconsciously channelling what miniscule reserves of wood natured spiritual energy he possessed into the Spear Of Cedarwood Transformation, urging it to extend so as to strike all the insects at once.

  His dominant foot stamping down on the hardened biomass-floor beneath him, arms poised and ready to strike down the approaching swarm. [Bestial Intuition] causing him to scrunch up his face in annoyance as the familiar scent of ash and ozone filled his nostrils.

  Lightning natured and fire natured spiritual energy surging above him.

  “Let us handle it from here Jonathan.”

  Eyes widening in shock as the sound of Avahni’s voice echoed throughout the innermost chamber of the Hive-Womb Capital.

  “All shall serve… beneath the banner of this Imaginary Princess.”