‘This thing is…’

  ‘Incomprehensible would be an understatement,’ Jon thought to himself, pushing the emotions and desires that bubbled to the surface of his Three Seas Of Knowledge back down into the lightless depths of his Fragment Of Mind.

  His Longinus-Rune Spirit and Helel-Star Pride unconsciously moving in unison with his imaginary mental construct, suppressing the poisonous heat that surged through his chest. Wrathful hunger and a desirable haze obscuring the effects both his Fragment Of Eyes and Fragment Of Instinct.

  There was no sign of any debilitating effects in the corner of his vision.

  Nor any traces of spiritual energy that lingered within his Knight-level form.

  Just the presence of the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ alone was enough to amplify and pervert the natural desires within his heart. Concepts so far beyond his understanding saturated the air around him, imbuing him with a sinful corruption.

  “Don’t respond verbally. She will hear the lingering ‘desire’ within your voice and act accordingly. Don’t bother assisting the Murder Of Temperence And Humility, he will serve as a distraction while I continue to explain everything to the two of you.”

  “You see… the Voracious Swarm Mother has been taken over…”

  “By an existence beyond Thronehood. Something that has stepped beyond the gates of divinity. An existence called…”

  Jon bit down on his tongue, suppressing the urge to speak out loud.

  ‘Angel…’

  ‘What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?”

  For the first time since obtaining Princeps Of The Wandering Mutation, Jon had wished that he could not sense the ambient mutations around him. Flesh-mutations, voice-mutations, lust-mutations, sloth-mutations and even greed-mutations could all be discerned even without activating a single fragment.

  Their presence both illusory and perversive, as though ink that had been spilled into water. Corrupting the Source of the original Voracious Swarm Mother dyeing her marrow, heart, spirit and even desires with the essence of the Tenth Sin Of Desire.

  Minerva-Infiltration Eyes not daring to even so much as glimpse at the dozens of eyes that grew symmetrically across the form of the Voracious Swarm Mother.

  He could hear the sinister curiosity that tinged ‘her’ voice.

  He could feel the creeping concepts that ‘she’ wove around Jibril, Xuanyuan, Rhidian, and Ortlinde.

  Avahni was protected through the combined effects of Cian Aengus and Auberon, while Miyoung herself seem somewhat unfazed by the corruption. Her eyes appearing clear and unaffected as though the sinful desires brushed right past her, ignoring her presence completely.

  “Male homo-adonis subspecies containing natural concepts relating to ‘mutations’ and ‘mutability.’ What an interesting combination. ‘Transformation’ would certainly love to get his hands on you, boy.”

  “While a female homo-adonis subspecies containing with her natural concepts relating to ‘desire,’ ‘beauty,’ and ‘femininity.’ You do not even feel it do you? The suppressive effects of my Wrathful-Lust Of Lingering Admah and Hungering-Avarice Of Violent Sodom. Two triple-fragment pathways that just… brush right over you.”

  “How… enviable.” Words dripping with unconcealed malice, causing Miyoung to furrow her brows, not daring to voice even the barest of retorts. Compound eyes lingering on the Archon Of Reigning Dragons for a few moments before sweeping across towards the woman behind her, green-coloured hair both visually striking and releasing traces of wood natured spiritual energy.

  “And ‘you’.”

  Her voice raised several decibels as her desire-twisted form inched closer and closer towards them.

  “The Memento-Blessed.”

  “How long has it been since the integrated universes birthed one of your kind? Ten-billion years? Thirty-billion years? The last time that someone with your natural concepts were born, it signified the birth of the Tenth Truth.”

  “The one who borne the Title of Treasure.”

  “The one who had been granted the honorific name of The Wealth Of Despair.”

  “Even if this is a System Introduction, I am sure that your summoned companions would have taught you the names of the Twelve Grands that exist above the System? How each one of them rose to power? What Authorities and Domains each of them govern? The Concepts that each of them used to ascend to Grandness?!”

  The sound of skittering legs and rippling scales grew silent as the ninety-metre-long Lord came to a halt a mere three-dozen metres from Jon, Avahni, and Miyoung. Eyes observing the reactions of each Knight, alongside the occasional movements from Itsumade and Theodore.

  “If you do, then you should know why it is I have come here.”

  Ortlinde; Second Monarch Of Spirit And Destruction stepped forward, channelling lightning natured spiritual energy through her Dumah-Monarch Spirit, replying to the flesh-corrupted ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ on behalf of her master and summoner.

  “Entering the System Introduction without the approval of the System itself is a dangerous endeavour. Why is it that you think the System will not retaliate against you for your actions… ‘Desire’?’

  The Tenth Sin Of Desire felt the corner of its mouth-mutation curl upwards, hearing the name of her claimed authority.

  “Oh? You have heard of me little lightning fey? I cannot say that the name Ortlinde rings a bell.” The ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ responded.

  Ortlinde glanced in the direction of the Earth Father, Wine Incarnation before shaking her head.

  “I was born before the integration of the twenty-third universe. One of the other summoned companions in my master’s service had heard of your ascension to Thronehood in the years before his passing. The Blackened Princess Of Virtue And Grace, the honoured ancestor of the Court Of Decadence.” Ortlinde spoke, watching as the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ hummed, circling around the carefully woven barrier of spiritual energy she and the others had formed.

  The flesh-constructs around her growing still under the influence of her lust-mutation and sloth-mutation. Without Fragments Of Mind and Fragments Of Spirit to help resist their effects, it was no wonder these flesh constructs grew inert, relishing in their newfound desires.

  Some even growing reproductive organs and enhanced sensory glands, flesh warping under the mutative influence of the Tenth Sin Of Desire.

  Said ‘Desire,’ observing Ortlinde and her fellow summoned companions with a smile.

  “If you think that name-dropping will somehow prevent me from acting upon my desires, then I assure you little lightning fey, that it has not once stopped me before.”

  ‘Desire’ lifting her gaze towards the skies above the Hive-Womb Capital, allowing wisps of surging green and violent transformations to seep through the newly formed cracks in the Memento Source Item.

  “You can feel it can you not?”

  “The presence of the Angel Of Green and the Angel Of Transformation? If I were to stop myself now it would be the same as handing the Memento-Blessed over to one of them. What would be the point in granting my enemies such a boon when I could claim you for myself?”

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Her tone hushed; voice containing within it an unconcealed desire.

  “All three of you for myself?”

  Dozens of centipede-esque legs crawling forward as the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ rose up and assumed her full height. The humanoid upper-body of the Sixth-Honoured Lord once possessed the same chitinous exoskeleton that grew across the length of her flesh-creations.

  Now, was completely bare and unhidden, highlighting a form that seemed to ignite the desires of anyone that observed her. Androgynous, yet somehow feminine and delicate in Jon’s eyes.

  Masculine and powerful in Miyoung and Avahni’s

  Ortlinde responding with a subtle shake of her head.

  “We summoned companions are willing to make a deal with you. The stored riches that we accumulated over the course of our natural lives. The knowledge relating to various fragment pathways and the various requirements for specific Title Fragments.”

  “If you are willing to leave our master and her companions be, then we will offer all this without reservation.”

  The Tenth Sin Of Desire scoffing, rolling her eyes at the words Ortlinde had spoken.

  “What use would I, an Angel, have for the knowledge of Earls and Dukes?”

  “Even if you are all Memento Source wielding summoned companions, I doubt a single one of you even managed to become Sovereigns, let alone reach Thronehood. As someone that has stepped beyond the gates of divinity, what use would I have for fragments when standing before the Authorities and Domains of-.”

  “I’ll give you the location of the Immortal Ginseng Dynasty.” Ru Luan Di interrupted, hobbling towards Ortlinde on one limb, one of the few remaining summoned companions that decided to remain Mortal. His eyeless face observing the movements of the Tenth Sin Of Desire, watching as her figure loomed over his, eyes staring intently at his miniscule figure.

  The one Titled; Blackened Princess Of Virtue And Grace observing the Liver Of The Ginseng King, taking note of both his name and Mortal Title.

  “Ru Luan Di… now that is a name that I have not heard in quite some time…”

  The ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ softly tutting, chuckling wickedly as she halted her creeping advancement.

  “How… apt. The last scion of the Immortal Ginseng Dynasty reduced to a mere summoned companion. There are still those throughout the integrated universes that would chase you down to the ends of the cosmos little ginseng. Those of whom your ‘Fragment Of Incarnated-Summoning Transformation’ had destroyed.”

  “Both in mind and spirit.”

  The Tenth Sin Of Desire peering downwards at Ru Luan Di, licking her lips as her eyes roamed all across his miniature form. The concepts contained within him both fragile and incomplete, a mere shadow of his original form.

  “Why should I not just tell them about your existence and let then tear you apart, flesh from spirit, concepts from Source?”

  The Liver Of The Ginseng King flashing what Jon thought to be a smile, stepped forward, approaching the enormous Sixth-Honoured Lord.

  “Because then you will lose both the Memento-Blessed and the location of the Immortal Ginseng Dynasty. All the time, effort, and concepts that you have placed into breaking into the System Introduction will go to waste, leaving you with nothing but a half-broken Authority and a nascent Domain irreversibly damaged.”

  “The Angel Of Destruction and the Angel Of Devotion will not let you take me.”

  “And by extension, will not let you take Avahni.”

  “Do you dare to contend with the two of them, ‘Desire’?”

  The Tenth Sin Of Desire locked eyes with the Mortal form of the Liver Of The Ginseng King, staring at him with an emotionless expression on her face. The corruptive wisps of lust natured spiritual energy which corroded the walls and floors of Anessa Casia around them grew slightly stronger, further perverting the insects and flesh constructs that waddled around Jon and the others.

  This continued for almost half-a-minute, before the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ smiled, releasing a grumble, somewhere between a purr and a growl.

  “You… are somehow everything the stories say that you are Ru Luan Di.”

  The little ginseng king giving the Angel Of Desire a small nod.

  “I appreciate the compliment.”

  The Tenth Sin Of Desire shaking her head in response, retreating backwards more than a dozen metres. The flesh constructs around her parting themselves from one another, allowing her space to walk through Anessa Casia unimpeded.

  Her gaze once again lifting upwards towards the skies above Springtown. Feeling the violent emanations of the Angel Of Green and Angel Of Transformation lingering outside the Hive-Womb Capital. Their incarnations poking and prodding the swarm-lust mana that she had enveloped around the Memento Source Item, trying to find a safe method of entering.

  ‘Safe… method…’ Jon thought to himself.

  His golden-green eyes flashing with a verdant burst of spiritual energy, unbeknownst to everyone around him. The ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ nodding her head in the direction of both Ru Luan Di and Ortlinde, using one of her many insect-limbs to gesture towards the approaching Angels.

  “We have an accord then, Imperator Of Incarnations.”

  “I exchange for leaving the Memento-Blessed, Mutation-Blessed, and Beauty-Blessed alone, you will hand over the location of the Immortal Ginseng Dynasty as well as any information relating to structure and formations contained within. Additionally, the knowledge relating to the formation of your Titles; Imperator Of Incarnations and Primeval Jade Throne will also needed to be handed over.”

  The little ginseng king nodded in response.

  “Acceptable.”

  Jibril and Ortlinde glanced at Ru Luan Di, suppressing the urge to retort the Angel Of Desire. The Phantasmal Marrow, Surging Creation and the Second Monarch Of Spirit And Destruction knew just how valuable said information was but did not speak out of fear that ‘Desire’ would well…

  Desire more.

  Ortlinde had become a Sovereign over the course of her natural life.

  While Jibril herself had also reached Thronehood and touched upon the gates of divinity.

  If the Tenth Sin Of Desire were to also find out about these, there was no doubt in either of their minds that she would bargain for more than just Ru Luan Di’s accumulated concepts.

  “Safe… method…” Jon muttered, something stirring within his greater Source.

  “This agreement will last until the end of this System Introduction. I know that travel into the 37th universe will have to wait until the first Sixth-Honoured Lord ascends to Barony but as you stated earlier, the Court Of Decadence will be more than capable of sending a few younger members to bring back the Memento-Blessed.”

  The Angel Of Desire grinning as she expanded the swarm-lust barrier formed through her Avaricious Incarnation Of Corruptive-Gomorrah. A seven-fragment pathway that had wormed its way into the mindless flesh of the Voracious Swarm Mother.

  The Angel flashed Ru Luan Di another malicious-looking smile, before pausing, noticing a wisp of green appear in the corner of her vision. Dozens of compound eyes widening in horror as the focus of her attention shifted towards the Princeps Of The Wandering-.

  “Safe… method…” Jon muttered, clutching at his Seir-Perpetual Heart as his vision was overwhelmed with hundreds, if not thousands of different notifications. Although the vast majority of which was debuff or affliction notices, amongst the sea of debilitating effects was a small handful of Title Fragments.

  Knight Title Fragment “Green-Coloured King”: Increases the effectiveness of all abilities with the Wood Trait or Plant Trait.

  Knight Title Fragment “Alnus Viridis Dominatus”: Concepts and notions related to ‘wood’, ‘plants’ and ‘green’ become infinitesimally easier to understand and comprehend.

  The Tenth Sin Of Desire screeching, feeling the presence of the Angel Of Green fill the Hive-Womb Capital. Her conceptual barrier of swarming-lust useless, as dozens of surging concepts exploded outwards from within Jon’s Source.

  “You! How can this be!?”

  Wrathful-Lust Of Lingering Admah and Hungering-Avarice Of Violent Sodom surging outwards, manifesting themselves physically in the form of self-replicating flesh and reproductive organs. Literal ocean-waves of muscle and blood flowing outwards towards Jon, Miyoung, and Avahni.

  “Why the hell do you have her concepts within you!? How the hell did ‘Green’ get around the System restrictions!?”

  Jon felt his breath hitch as Rhidian placed a hand on his shoulder. His vision hazy and unfocused; Three Seas Of Knowledge in a chaotic and violent disorder. He did not even realize that the Earth Father, Wine Incarnation had pushed him out of the barrier he and the others had formed.

  “Jon!”

  Both Miyoung and Avahni screaming at him, extending their hands outwards as if to try and pull him back in. Xuanyuan and Jibril pulling the two of them back into the barrier, expressions devoid of regret or mercy.

  Jon could do nothing but crash into the ground before the Tenth Sin Of Desire, eyes widening in shock as he gazed towards the approaching waves of flesh and organs. Lust-mutation and greed-mutation advancing towards him, overflowing with both rage and burning anger.

  ‘Why?’

  [Mine Is The Three Seas Of Knowledge] regaining control of all his mental faculties mere seconds before the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ struck him down. The blossoming concepts integrated into his greater Source swirling and colliding against one another, birthing new mutations and storing them within himself.

  ‘Why is this happening?’

  Minerva-Infiltration Eyes observing the crashing mass of blood and flesh, perceiving eyes, arteries, hearts, wombs and even warped phallus’ corrupting the Hive-Womb Capital around him. The Tenth Sin Of Desire intent on overwriting all of the concepts that ‘Green’ and ‘Transformation’ had released into the chamber.

  ‘Why did they push me out?’

  ‘Why is this happening to me?’

  Jon thought that he could do nothing.

  Nothing but watch as he was engulfed in the lust-mutation and greed-mutation.

  Helel-Star Pride surging within his chest, desiring him to manifest it once more. It’s voice obscured beneath a growing mass of surging green and violent transformations.

  “… ‘Desire’ has gone too far. If it was not for you ‘Green’ then I fear that we would have lost our chance at the Memento-Blessed.”

  “Agreed ‘Transformation.’ Although I do not often grant boons to mammals or sapients, I am willing to make an exception just this once.”

  Voices emanating from the depths of his Sea Of Hadal.

  “I suppose I should too, considering how compatible ‘mutations’ and ‘transformations’ can be.”

  “I wonder what kind of concepts he will choose to birth, using ‘green’ and ‘transformations’ as the basis.”

  “… I guess we shall see then, won’t we.”

  “Yes… we will.”