The sound of a wolf howl echoed throughout the Hive-Womb Capital.

  Jon, Avahni, Miyoung, Theodore and the Tenth Sin Of Desire lifting their heads in the direction of the Son Of Wolves And Murder, observing Regulus claw at his bloodied chest. His mind, nothing more than a disordered amalgamation of false memories and imprinted lies did not know what to believe without someone to pull at his strings.

  The loss of his Fragment Of Mind only amplified the growing distortions within his conscious and subconscious minds; haze-filled memories consisting of violent hunger and reckless destruction caused a catastrophic split between one section of his ‘self’ and another.

  One that he did not realize had formed after integrating his Fragment Of Marriage.

  His tongue hanging haphazardly along the side of his mouth; bright yellow eyes expanding and contracting without rhyme or reason.

  Nothing but a choking sense of helplessness seemed to fill his bloodied mouth as his gaze turned in the direction of-.

  “Jon.”

  “Help… me… please!”

  Jon almost snarling back at him, nearly washed away through the combined effects of the Wrathful-Lust Of Lingering Admah and Hungering-Avarice Of Violent Sodom. Although half-tempted to return the stolen Fragment Of Mind to Regulus, Jon decided against it instead shouting at him from across the chamber.

  “You want me to fucking help you!?”

  Tabitha Assail thrusting towards another oncoming wave of violent lust-mutation and surging greed-mutation. Manifold spear thrusts appearing alongside him, carving deep bloodied wounds into the organs and flesh all around him.

  Despite his Fragment Of Alnus-Viridis Protection preventing the mutations from crashing into Regulus, Raflea, and Shamael, more than two-thirds of the room had been engulfed in lustful organs and avaricious flesh.

  His head gesturing towards the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother,’ alongside the ‘Desire’ contained within it.

  “Then kill her!”

  “Kill her and I’ll even beg for Maliq to come help you!”

  “Kill her, and I won’t consider thrusting Assail straight through your chest!”

  Regulus, assuming the guise of his starless-wolf transformation, could not help gaze upon Jon and the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother,’ remembering the fight between them that had occurred not even an entire hour ago. Nicolai, Raflea, Shamael, Theodore and himself all fighting against the Matriarch Of Gluttonous Insects whitling her down for Theodore to land the final blow.

  The few connected neurons that Regulus had left within his half-disabled mind firing dozens of thoughts all at once, filling his being with a sense of purpose.

  Violent purpose.

  His figure hunched down low as his Fragment Of Transcendence and Fragment Of Maera-Metamorphosis worked in perfect harmony, enhancing his physical capabilities to the absolute zenith of Knighthood.

  [That Which Is Born Through Wolves].

  [Half-Wolf Transformation; Howling-Star Predator].

  Alongside a handful of other physical enhancement abilities.

  Fragments Of Destruction activated alongside Fragments Of Agility!

  Fragments Of Enhancement working in unison with Fragments Of Displacement!

  [Destruction Of The Wrathful Star].

  [Twofold Pain Art; Muscle-Shattering Agility].

  [Gluttonous Hunger Art; Maniacal Mouth Shadows].

  [Shifting Darkness Art; Negative Space Displacement].

  The veins around his wolf-transformed hind-legs almost bursting from beneath his fur-covered flesh. Wrath natured spiritual energy saturating his arms, legs and chest, imbuing with a powerful destructive might. Gluttonous mouths protruding from the long shadow cast behind him, extending their wolf-shaped maws towards the approaching lust and greed.

  His figure flickering, nothing more than a shifting mass of physical darkness.

  The traces of spiritual energy left behind more than enough for the Tenth Sin Of Desire to estimate the location for his intended displacement, eyes widening almost imperceptibly as the one Titled, Son Of Wolves And Hunger manifested directly before-.

  The violent howls of a wolf crashing into her lust and greed.

  Hungry-mouths devouring the organs and flesh produced from her desires; claws rending and bloodied teeth gnashing against the crashing waves of lust and greed.

  Jon too, feeling his eyes widen in shock, as Regulus started carving his way through the blood and viscera. He watched on from atop the walls of his Fragment Of Alnus-Viridis Protection as a certain starless-wolf tore his way through wrathful-lust and hungering-avarice.

  “Regulus you idiot! If you keep doing that then-.”

  A wolf-like growl escaping the lips of the Son Of Wolves And Hunger; Wolf Mana Core overloading the effects of his Fragment Of Maera-Metamorphosis, pushing him onto all fours and emphasizing the arch of his growing hunchback.

  The voice of the Angel Of Transformation whispering to him from the depths of his Three Seas Of Knowledge.

  “Leave him.”

  “He has accepted the full burden of the ‘concept of transformation.’ Without his Fragment Of Mind to temper the influences from his Wolf Mana Core, Pain Mana Core and Wrath Mana Core he can do nothing but accept his Fragment Of Maera-Metamorphosis in its entirety.”

  “The Son Of Wolves And Hunger will continue until he runs out of spiritual energy…”

  “Or until he dies. Whichever one comes first.”

  Jon softly wincing as he felt something press up against his Fragment Of Eruption. The feminine-sounding voice of the Angel Of Green whispering softly into his ears.

  “As much as I’d like to rectify the weakness in your Fragment Of Trap or Fragment Of Armour, neither one would do much against the Tenth Sin Of Desire. The Green-Coloured King synergizes best with concepts relating to ‘wood,’ ‘nature,’ ‘plants’ and ‘trees’.”

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  “Consider this small tidbit of advice, primate.”

  The Angel Of Green huffing slightly as she pried open both his Fragment Of Eruption and Fragment Of Carnivore. Jon clasping at his chest in pain, watching as [Carnivorous Wood Art; Thorn-Mouth Eruption] vanished from his status page.

  Wood Mana Core, shaped into the form of a bodhi-deva tree warping ever-so-slightly, expanding to more than twice its original size under the control over the Angel Of Green. The concepts contained within Green-Coloured King flowing from his greater Source into the stream of swirling concepts released from his shattered fragments.

  Metamorphosising into something… different.

  Courtesy of the Angel Of Transformation.

  “Everything is a concept. Every desire, thought, dream, idea, word and even colour can be broken down into multiple concepts or one single nomological law. Traps and even armour in the literal sense are not naturally occurring existences but are used by more than just ordinary homo adonis.”

  “Insects create sand traps, laying in wait for unsuspecting prey. Plants rely on scent and pheromones in order to lure in food sources. Insects produce chitinous-bone, protecting them from acidic saliva or even larger predators.

  “Plants too, produce poisonous leaves and wooden thorns to protect themselves from birds and insects. Sometimes even Races such as yourself.”

  “What is a ‘trap’? What is ‘armour’? Ask yourself this when you are ascending to Lordship and beyond.”

  [Mine Is The Wraiths And Spectres, The Ghosts And Ghouls] removed from his Shapeless Mask Of Thieving Lies. The Fragment Of Mind and Fragment Of Grave that he had stolen from Regulus returning to its original owner.

  Although, not impacting his chaotic psyche or broken mental construct. Still clawing his way closer and closer towards the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother.’ Lust and greed having no effect on a man, or wolf that had discarded the concepts that anchored his mind to ‘rationality’ and ‘common sense.’

  If the Tenth Sin Of Desire had access to her Gluttony Mana Core then-.

  The ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ lifting her head in the direction of the Princeps Of The Wandering Mutation. The familiar emanations of wood natured concepts overflowing from his Knight-Ranked flesh, extending forward, using his Fragment Of Alnus-Viridis Protection as the basis for his next Spell.

  Fragments Of Eruption, Fragments Of Carnivore and the concepts contained within the Knight Ranked Title, Green-Coloured King fusing together under the combined manipulations of the Divine General Of Alteration and the Mother Of Verdant Night.

  Fusing together to become-.

  “You connected his two fragments together?”

  “And here I thought you did not give out ‘boons’ to mere primates.”

  [Fragment Of Carnivorous Alnus-Viridis]

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

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

  Effect (Knight): Chant, while extending one hand outwards. Using the point of casting as the centre, the world around oneself shall burst forth with a series of plant-mouths and wooden-jaws within a defined radius. The [Alnus-Viridis Wood Art; Vast-Mouths Of Thorned Green] is an entwined spiritual-physical construct capable of dealing wood-natured damage and inflicting instances of [Viridis Carnivore Curse] and [Thorned Green Curse].

  The [Alnus-Viridis Wood Art; Vast-Mouths Of Thorned Green] is capable of consuming living matter in order to produce additional plant-mouths and wooden-jaws. The Spell effect will end after when all are destroyed or at the caster’s behest.

  When used in tandem with abilities that share the concept [Alnus Viridis] reduce the mana expenditure of [Alnus-Viridis Wood Art; Vast-Mouths Of Thorned Green] by twenty-percent.

  The number of plant-mouths and wooden-jaws manifested, in addition to their shape and width is determined through the amount of spiritual energy poured into it.

  [Viridis Carnivore Curse]: Inflicts a continuous wood-natured damage over time effect. Wood natured spiritual energy manifests gnawing wood spirits that devour blood and living tissue. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  [Thorned Green Curse]: Inflicts a continuous wood-natured damage over time effect. Wood natured spiritual energy manifests intangible thorns within wounds capable of piercing through flesh and bone. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  Jon ignored the trails of blood that seeped down from his burst eardrums, grinning while extending one hand forward. The revelation that he could connect fragments together similarly ignored as a System notification appeared in the corner of his vision.

  Knight Title Fragment “Ethos Of Alnus Viridis”: Increases the likelihood of connecting abilities that share the concept [Alnus Viridis].

  Knight Title Fragment “Blessed Of Verdant Night”: Increases the likelihood of concepts born from the [Mother Of Verdant Night].

  “Hmm. I did not mean to do that… It seems that the System is responding quicker than we initially expected.”

  “Then we must end this now, regardless of whether this Mutation-Blessed survives.”

  His feet unconsciously tapping against the spiritually-hardened wood barriers of his Fragment Of Alnus-Viridis Protection, activating the Fragment Of Carnivorous Alnus-Viridis within him. Wood Mana Core gleaming with a potent spiritual energy, the latter connecting with the former, reducing the amount of spiritual energy required in order to activate his vast-mouths of thorned green.

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

  Avahni and Miyoung both watched on in awe as Jon swung his arm forward, producing dozens of plant-mouths and wooden jaws from the half-corroded tree beneath his feet. Mouths in the shape of carnivorous-flytraps or draconic-beasts erupted from his majestic tower of springtime green, chomping down on the advancing tide of flesh and organs.

  Although Miyoung had not known Jon for that long, she had seen the effects of both his [Imperial Wood Art; Towering Tree Barrier] and [Carnivorous Wood Art; Thorned-Mouth Eruption] during the initial battle against the Hive-Womb Capital.

  The effects of his former abilities were nothing in comparison to the effects of his current ones. The sheer size of the manifested tree in front of her, alongside the voracious nature of the plant-mouths and wooden-jaws buried their ways into the depths of her Reckless Strength Palace, watching his Knight-level abilities clash against Lord-level mutations.

  ‘Was Jon… always holding his strength back?’ Miyoung wondered.

  Avahni on the other hand-.

  “The Angel Of Green… has granted Jon a ‘boon’.” Ru Luan Di muttered.

  Jibril, Xuanyuan, Rhidian, and Ortlinde narrowing their eyes at the Princeps Of The Wandering Mutation. Jon, whom most of them had grow to respect over the past year unleashed not just a series of new dual-fragment pathways granted to him through the machinations of the Angel Of Green but also knowledge far beyond someone of what his Rank should possess.

  Draconian-mouths devoured lungs and livers alike, feeding the majestic tower of springtime green that it was connected to. Producing more and more mouths to gorge on the approaching tides.

  Flytrap-shaped jaws chomped down on hearts and brains, gnashing their wooden teeth at the Tenth Sin Of Desire provocatively, as if to laugh at the Angel Of Desire. When one jaw was completely corroded by the lust-mutation and greed-mutation, three more would have grown back to take its place.

  It was a horrifyingly ugly sight. One that caused the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ to scream out in pain, Wrathful-Lust Of Lingering Admah and Hungering-Avarice Of Violent Sodom devoured by the plant-mouths and wooden jaws. With a mere five Lord-Ranked abilities at her disposal, the Tenth Sin Of Desire was pushed back by the Princeps Of The Wandering Mutation.

  Even with her triple-fragment pathways, their inherent effects were not offensive in nature.

  Something which Jon possessed in spades.

  “Phoebus Cressida! What the hell is it that you think that you’re doing!?”

  The Angel Of Desire addressing the Angel Of Green directly, snarling at the concepts contained within Jon’s Source. The Mother Of Verdant Night sneering at the Tenth Sin Of Desire from outside the Hive-Womb Capital.

  “You desired the Memento-Blessed so much that you ignored Transformation and I, trapping yourself here, within the Hive-Womb Capital. You can only blame yourself for being too eager and usurping the System’s control over the Voracious Swarm Mother.”

  “Accept your fate and the repercussions of your actions.”

  Dozens of compound-eyes widening in response to her words, feeling the familiar emanations of violently offensive concepts. Ice natured spiritual energy congregating into a single sphere of chaotic mana, swirling and freezing the surrounding trees and lust that surged towards the lone human.

  Jon’s sneer mimicking that of the Angel Of Green.

  “Die and be silent.”

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