Jon observed the manifestation of the four Knight-Ranked summoned companions. His Seir-Perpetual Heart pounding within his chest, drowning out the sounds of skittering legs and high-pitched squeals. The familiar appearances of Jibril, Ortlinde, Xuanyuan, and Rhidian had undergone a subtle shift, each of their new fragments imbuing them with a wellspring of new concepts.

  A soft, slightly calloused hand brushing up against his own, reaching for the Fragment Of Spear in his hands.

  “I’ll be borrowing this for a few minutes. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to give it back,” Ortlinde said, grinning as she wielded the Spear Of Cedarwood Transformations with a flourish.

  Assail, which was once held tightly within his grip was now placed in the hands of a certain lightning-spirit fey. The corners of her mouth curving upwards into a grin as her brightly, yellow-coloured hair was tied back into a ponytail, swishing confidently amidst the howling insects.

  Lightning natured spiritual energy emanating from the Fragment Of Spirit within her.

  [Ortlinde; Three Monarchs Of Spirit And Destruction] manifested herself first, accompanied by the sounds of screeching lightning and roaring thunder. The lightning-spirit fey launching herself forward in a blur of spiritual energy, leaving nothing but pale yellow-afterimages, thrusting Assail forward and striking through the reinforced-carapaces of armoured-flesh beetles.

  Ortlinde wielded Assail was though it was a mace rather than a spear. Despite possessing advanced martial-techniques that accompanied her after becoming Avahni’s summoned companion, the lightning-spirt fey merely grinned, feeling the weight of her weapon shift as Jon transformed it into a rather unwieldy-looking halberd.

  “Now that’s more like it Jon!”

  Dumah-Monarch Spirit surging from deep within her greater Source. Condensed willpower and focused desire enveloping Assail in a crackling haze of lightning natured mana, transforming the summoned spear into a-.

  “Oh how I miss you so dearly, my faithful hammer!” Ortlinde roared, slamming Assail downwards. The moment the tip of the spear contacted the hardened biomass-floor beneath her, the world around her was engulfed in a thunderous yellow light, rippling outwards in a burst of lightning natured spiritual energy.

  The Second Monarchs Of Spirit And Destruction grinning while placing Assail on her shoulder, other hand on her hip and her head tilted back.

  “Ancestors above! Mortality is annoying! Knighthood… that is where things start to get somewhat interesting.” Her gaze flickered in the direction of a certain fire-souled messenger-.

  Or rather, a certain fire-marrow messenger.

  Knight-Ranked Swirling Inferno Shield manifested in one hand, Knight-Ranked Golden-Sun Sword manifested in the other. Four red-dyed wings menacingly sprouted from her back; stride calm and collected as Jibril walked closer and closer towards the oncoming swarm.

  [Jibril; Phantasmal Marrow, Surging Creation] clanging her two Knight-Ranked spiritual items together in an effort to attract their attention. Sanguine-coloured fire enveloping her right arm, golden-coloured light softly embracing her left.

  “For once we are in agreement… Ortlinde.”

  Jibril punching the hungry-maw termite closest to her, shattering its reinforced mandibles using nothing but pure physical strength. Bone and brain matter crushed beneath her single punch, wings brushing its corpse to the side as she greeted her next opponent.

  Unarmoured leg raised in an elegant and graceful manner, striking forward with a powerful front-kick. The armoured-flesh beetle that tried to swallow her whole had the entirety of his momentum halted, screeching loudly in pain as its front leg snapped cleanly in half.

  Marchosias-Creation Marrow surging beneath her flesh and muscles, filling the fire-marrow messenger with a strength that seemed unnatural in a woman of her size and stature.

  Golden-Sun Sword interrupting its pain-filled screeches, Jibril thrusting the summoned echo straight through the skull of the flesh construct. Pale-red irises glancing in the direction of several dragonfly and hornet-type flesh constructs, wings flapping as the Phantasmal Marrow, Surging Creation took to the skies.

  Sword and shield returning to the Throne-Creation Fire, replaced with a Knight Ranked Luminous-Flare Wand. Jibril pointing it in the direction of the insects, grinning as she finished chanting one of her Spell effects.

  “[Virtuous Extinction].”

  A horrifyingly potent beam of fire natured spiritual energy penetrating through layer after layer of chitinous flesh and hardened muscle. An explosive heat causing the barriers that Jon manifested to ignite under sheer pressure, carving its way across the Hive-Womb Capital, empowered through the spiritual item that laid within her hands.

  Dragonflies had their wings burned up. While hornets were cleaved cleanly in half, their wounds cauterized the moment the fire tore through their organs and viscera.

  Jibril and Ortlinde alone were both more than enough to deal with anything that the Voracious Swarm Mother was capable of throwing at them. The Three Monarchs Of Spirit And Destruction, alongside the Phantasmal Marrow, Surging Creation now possessed their own inherent mutations, further enhanced through Avahni’s Tree Of Mutative Rebirth.

  Jon able to do nothing but watch on in awe as the lightning-spirit fey and fire-marrow messenger carved their way through insect after insect. Although he was undoubtedly capable of something similar, it was still an incredible sight.

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  The raging emotions within his Three Seas Of Knowledge had calmed down slightly, allowing him a moment of repose amidst the conflict and bloodshed. His legs unable to sustain his own weight as he collapsed onto one knee-.

  Only to be caught by the Imaginary Princess Of The Wandering Mutation. Her Dumah-Sun Spirit blossoming within her, imbuing him with her own reserves of fire-natured spiritual energy.

  [Thou Art The Monarch Of Ash And Life].

  Jon opened his mouth to speak but found himself rather stumped for words. Even with four different Fragments Of Mind enhancing his mental faculties, he seemed to be lost for words right this moment, unable to think of the right thing to say in the moment.

  He did nothing but watch as Avahni smiled at him, brushing her long green-hair behind her knife-esque ears.

  “It seems that this time, I am the one saving you.”

  “Jon.”

  The sudden comment caught Jon off guard, hearing the familiar-tone in her voice. It was completely unlike their previous encounter, less guarded, a more reminiscent of their first encounter.

  Jon smiling beneath Lethe and Glaucus.

  “… I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He responded, watching as Avahni smiled back at him. The Imaginary Princess Of The Round Table, who had just ascended to the Rank of Veinless-Knight, felt her gaze linger on Jon’s armoured face before noticing the wounds that covered his limbs and chest.

  Her hand softly pressing against the half-torn Spirit-Protection Shirt that clung to his upper body, activating her Fragment Of Breath and borrowing the abilities of her Fragment Of Spawn.

  [Drowning Amidst The Sea Of Life].

  [Alba Juno; Spirit-Leech Flesh Rejuvenation].

  [Fragment Of Breath]

  [Drowning Amidst The Sea Of Life]

  (Water, Breath, Spell, Buff)

  (Moon)

  Effect (Mortal): Chant, then bless a target with the benevolent grace of the azure ocean. This Spell will grant an instance of [Waters Blessing] and [Azure Grace] to a willing target. These effects cannot be refined.

  [Waters Blessing]: Temporarily grant the target the ability to breathe underwater. Temporarily increase resistances towards all water-related damages, afflictions and debuffs.

  [Azure Grace]: Temporarily increase mana regeneration. Temporarily increases physical agility and stamina.

  Effect (Knight): The effects of [Drowning Amidst The Sea Of Life] are now capable of affecting two willing targets with a single cast. This Spell will now grant an instance of [Water Reflection Moon] and [Aqua-Lunar Mercy] to a willing target. These effect cannot be refined.

  [Water Reflection Moon]: Temporarily increases the maximum mana capacity of a single Mana Core. Increase resistances towards water-related damages, afflictions, and debuffs.

  [Aqua-Lunar Mercy]: While underwater, become invisible until your first ability activation. Increases the effectiveness of abilities with the Concealment Trait or Stealth Trait.

  The Vanishing Spirit Leech, or rather the now newly ascended Spirit-Leech Flesh Rejuvenation appeared on the palm of Avahni’s hand, crawling its way up along her fingers before making its way towards his chest. Roughly the size of a human finger and lightning-yellow in colour, the Fragment Of Spawn possessed a somewhat unnatural looking appearance.

  Alba Juno, as one of Avahni’s more recent summoned companions was a spirit-storing leech that possessed excellent ‘transferring’ capabilities in addition to acting as a minor battery for lightning natured spiritual energy.

  Now as a spirit-rejuvenation leech, Alba Juno possessed regenerative-capabilities, allowing her to act in a similar role to Ru Luan Di, albeit lacked the same mana manipulation capabilities that could transcend Tiers and Ranks.

  Jon did not resist as he watched the Spirit-Leech Flesh Rejuvenation wormed its way into one of his open wounds. Suppressing the urge to wince as Albo Juno writhed its way into a cut on his left shoulder, burrowing into his flesh before settling somewhere in his trapezius muscle.

  The corner of his vision then blurring within System notifications.

  [Thunder-Spawn Blessing]: Temporarily grants one specified ability the Lightning Trait. Additional stacks do not have an additive effect.

  [Spirit-Vanishing Cleanse]: Lightning natured spiritual energy cleanses a single debuff or affliction from a willing target. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  [Flesh Rejuvenation Blessing]: Inflicts a lightning-natured recovery-over-time-effect. Lightning natured spiritual energy surges within the flesh and spirit, regenerating natural lifeforce. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  [Spirit-Leech Regeneration]: Increases mana regeneration. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  Lightning natured spiritual energy filling his bones and muscles, stimulating his natural lifeforce and regenerating some of his wounds. The debuffs and afflictions which wreaked havoc on his organs and spirit were similarly cleansed, as his Mana Cores started to swell with spiritual energy.

  Jon and Avahni stared at each other, both feeling Alba Juno’s effects take root within him.

  The green-haired lutin opening her mouth to speak, pausing for several seconds, biting her lip in hesitation.

  “Jon… there is something that you need to know. My ascension to Knighthood… there is a chance that something will try and interfere with-.”

  “Asherah-Life Hair… what a beautiful-looking mutation.” Theodore’s voice interrupting the conversation between Jon and Avahni. The human and lutin narrowing their eyes at the Murder Of Temperance And Humility, mouths dropping in horror as they observed the blonde-human standing atop the Voracious Swarm Mother.

  Trails of blood, trickling down from his eyes and ears gave Theodore a somewhat ghastly-looking appearance. The maniacal grin on his face seemed accentuated by the pearly-white teeth of his Eris-Thieving Grin.

  The sclera of one of his eyes transformed into a blood-red colour. Vessels surrounding the eye bursting, dyeing half of his vision with a pale-crimson tint.

  “You… you kept the Voracious Swarm Mother alive!?” Jon shouted, glaring at Theodore and the Grandmaster Of Wind And Flesh. Regulus and Raflea standing several metres behind them, watching on in disgust as the Sixth-Honoured Lord continued to produce flesh-constructs using her own blood and lifeforce as a medium.

  Insects with Lord-level physical qualities produced en masse, gathering at the only entrance of the chamber, preventing Jon and Avahni from leaving.

  Theodore shrugging his shoulders, expression somewhere between delirious and nonchalant.

  “Well of course I did silly!? How else was I supposed to gain another System Acknowledged Feat!? Ler Setanta died before finishing you off, so I had to figure out some other method to kill you Jon!”

  “So what if Avahni is now a Knight? A Sixth Honoured Lord with more than a dozen fragment pathways is an existence that even Ler Setanta or Xochitl could not touch. It took me, alongside Regulus, Raflea, Shamael, and Nicolai in order to knock her unconscious.”

  “And that was after I sent a dozen other Knights to their graves in an attempt to clear a path for us.”

  “What could the two of you possibly hope to-.”

  Voracious Swarm Mother screeching as several arms protectively embraced Theodore close to her chest. A tremendous burst of rose-natured spiritual energy piercing through its shoulder, manifesting an illusory, crimson flower from said wound.

  [Malicious Rose Art; Blooming Thorn Arrow].

  The Archon Of Reigning Dragons drawing back the threads of her Seven-Stringed Reignbow. Eyes narrowed in disgust as transparent draconic horns sprouted from her forehead.