The innermost chamber of the Hive-Womb Capital was enveloped in a freezing tide of ice and snow. Violent greed and surging lust was overwhelmed by pillars of frigid cold, expanding relentlessly in every direction imaginable.

  Some struck wooden-mouths and plant-jaws, engulfing them in a prison of freezing cold. Others collided against the majestic towers of springtime green, crashing against the spiritual barrier that surrounded the Spell effect, momentarily halting its merciless advancement.

  The ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ on the other hand could do nothing but activate all five of her abilities at the same time, hoping to deflect or even halt the effects of Jon’s Fragment Of Annihilation.

  [Admah; Severe Shidonai Of Wrathful Lust].

  [Sodom; Excessive Ashmedai Of Hungering Avarice].

  [Bountiful Ashmedai Art; Paradise Of Wrathful Hedonism].

  [Vanishing Shidonai Art; Temporal Displacement Sin].

  [Mindless Lust Art; Imaginary Purgatory Curse].

  Constrained by the limitations of her Lord-Ranked incarnation, the Angel Of Desire could only access these five abilities. One consisted of her Lord-Ranked lust-mutation, while another her Lord-Ranked greed mutation.

  Her vanishing shidonai art was how she prevented both the Angel Of Green and Angel Of Transformation from entering the Hive-Womb Capital. A conceptual barrier that isolated a specific timestream within a defined radius, inhibiting others that could not match the accelerated time, from entering.

  Bountiful ashmedai art was how she could exert control over the Voracious Swarm Mother. A form of mental manipulation that possessed concepts relating to ‘desire,’ ‘illusions,’ and ‘paradise,’ it was an extraordinarily effective method of controlling the actions and movements of specific targets, perverting their thoughts and emotions so that specific actions granted them pleasure or pain.

  In addition, to one ability that she had not transformed into a fragment pathway until after she became a Baron.

  Not a single one was defensive in nature. Not in the same way as Jon’s [Alnus-Viridis Wood Art; Majestic Trees Of Springtime Green]. Although her lust-mutation and greed-mutation could produce physical obstacles that could inhibit movement or thought to some degree, it lacked the same defensive concepts contained within Fragments Of Barrier or Fragments Of Shield.

  All the Tenth Sin Of Desire was capable of doing was layer her lust-mutation and greed-mutation on top of each other, mimicking the physical characteristics of shields and barriers, weaving them together to as to prevent the encroaching ice and snow.

  Warped pillars of ice pierced through her tides of flesh and blood; reproductive organs frozen solid, encased upon layers and layers of white-coloured snow. Arteries, veins, and tendons woven together to form makeshift blankets of pseudo-spiritual flesh. Vast amounts of chaotic ice natured spiritual energy eroding the two Lust Trait mutations, inflicting an unfathomable amount of damage onto the Tenth Sin Of Desire.

  It was akin to trying to halt a blizzard with nothing but one’s own flesh and blood.

  The ’Voracious Swarm Mother’ releasing a pain-filled scream in the process.

  White patches of freezing ice appearing up and down the length of her ninety-metre-long form. Frostbite setting in within a matter of seconds, eliminating all biological processes in her lower limbs. Several legs snapping clean off during her uncontrollable writhing, veins frozen solid preventing any blood from passing through.

  She withstood a Fragment Of Eradication head on, with nothing but two desire-type mutations. An unthinkable achievement, one that Jon, Miyoung, Avahni or even Shamael, Wilheim or Sariel would be able to replicate.

  “Y-You fucking primate! I-I’ll fucking kill you!”

  The ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ screamed at Jon, more than half of her compound eyes enveloped in ice and snow. Her vision distorted, alongside her sense of touch and taste.

  Although her original body might have been able to ignore the wounds inflicted onto her by a Fragment Of Eradication or Fragment Of Annihilation, her Lord-Ranked incarnation did not possess the effects necessary to resist Jon’s frozen end arts.

  Nor the debilitating effects inflicted by his Fragment Of Eradication.

  [Glacial Revelation]: Disrupts active abilities with the Spell Trait and Technique Trait. This effect cannot be resisted.

  [Ice Mountain Curse]: Reduces resistances towards ice-related damages, afflictions, and debuffs. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  [Frozen End Curse]: Inflicts a continuous ice-natured damage over time effect. Ice natured spiritual energy clings to the mind and spirit, gradually freezing them over time. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  [White Sea Curse]: Inflicts a continuous ice-natured damage over time effect. Ice natured spiritual energy flows into imaginary mental constructs, encroaching upon their transient nature. Additional stacks have an additive effect.

  Although Jon would have preferred to end the fight in a single instance of his frozen end arts, the Tenth Sin Of Desire was not dead.

  And there was no way in hell he would let someone else steal that System Acknowledged Feat away from him.

  His Tabitha-Cedarspear Arm tightening its grip around Tabitha Assail. His figure leaning forward for half-a-moment before he launched himself towards the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother.’ The frozen tides of blood and the ice-enveloped plant-mouths that devoured them giving him more than enough leverage to stand on, even as the sound of his boots crunched against the ice and snow.

  Hades-Draconian Shadow and Carcosa-Form Horrors billowing out behind him.

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  There was no hesitation in his actions.

  There was no sense of fear or uncertainty in his movements.

  There was not a single ounce of joy or anger bleeding into his thoughts.

  No sudden comprehension or random bout of enlightenment.

  Nothing but-.

  “If you kill my incarnation then I swear that my Court Of Decadence will hunt you down to the ends of your puny universe! Don’t you understand just how valuable that woman is!? The concepts contained within her Source are not related to ‘summoning’ or ‘beckoning’!”

  “But the concept of ‘Memento’ itself!”

  Wrathful-Lust and Hungering-Avarice freeing themselves from their prison of ice and snow. Producing more waves of organs and swirling currents of blood; each one launching themselves in the direction of this single human.

  The ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’ momentarily glancing upwards, feeling the Angel Of Green and Angel Of Transformation push deeper into the barrier she had formed around the Hive-Womb Capital. Fractures appearing along the length of her vanishing shidonai art, causing her to scream, overflowing her two mutations with as much spiritual energy as her incarnation was capable of withstanding.

  “Someone skilled in alchemy, creation, or refinement could extract the concepts contained within her to create Memento Source Items!? Fragments Of Memento would no longer be mythological treasures found once every few billion years!”

  “Can’t you imagine it!? Well can you!?”

  “Listen to me your fucking ape-.”

  Jon remaining silent even as he thrust Tabitha Assail forward, expanding the summoned weapon-mutation to its absolute utmost. The three-metre-long spear expanding to the width of an automobile, with a length exceeding that of even the Incarnation Of The Hunt.

  The enhancements granted to him through his various mutations, Spell effects and Titles increased the physical capabilities of his right-arm to a point that seemed beyond Knighthood. A thirty-metre-long spear thrusting forward with strength of a single man, piercing through lust and greed, splattering pierces of blood and flesh onto the ground around him.

  Piercing through the frozen organs that laid scattered around him.

  And straight through the head of the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother.’

  Break.

  Jon felt his Right-Arm Of Cedarspear Transformations penetrate through lust-warped flesh and bones, striking true and tearing an automobile-sized hole straight through the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother.’

  Tabitha Assail striking the wall of waxen biomass behind it, piercing through several feet of hardened biological matter, impaling the Sixth-Honoured Lord on the walls of its Memento Source Item. The Hive-Womb Capital trembling for half-a-moment in response to the attack, nothing more than a minor quake as Jon inflicted the final strike onto the beast.

  His eyes widening, as his vision was immediately filled with a flurry of system notifications.

  System Acknowledged Feat

  [3]: Defeated a Sixth-Honoured Lord as a Fourth-Veined Knight. Through the combination of a Fragment Of War, Fragment Of Hades-Draconian Shadow, Fragment Of Shapeless-Carcosa, Fragment Of Spellfrost Destruction, Fragment Of Carnivorous Alnus-Viridis, Fragment Of Superbia, Fragment Of Heart, Fragment Of Marrow, Fragment Of Prana and Fragment Of Annihilation, Jonathan Randall Guilliman slayed the System-generated Voracious Swarm Mother, landing the final key blow.

  This feat has been recorded by the System and grants him a unique reward in lieu of this exceptional achievement.

  Knight Title Fragment “Lordslayer”: Infinitesimally increases all damage inflicted onto Lords.

  Lord Title Fragment “Vanquisher”: Infinitesimally increases all damage inflicted onto Races that you have slain before.

  Knowledge contained within the Voracious Swarm Mother.

  A seed of knowledge placed within his Fragment Of Mind, encased in some ward or formation that he was incapable of understanding. Despite this, Jon could feel that at the slightest touch of spiritual energy the seed would ‘bloom’, producing the knowledge that was contained within the Voracious Swarm Mother.

  Breath hitching as he desired to open the seed right this moment but instead turned his attention towards the corpse of the ‘Voracious Swarm Mother’.

  Or rather, the existence that had inserted itself into it.

  The effects of the [Vanishing Shidonai Art; Temporal Displacement Sin] dissipating, time resuming its usual flow within the Hive-Womb Capital.

  Jon collapsing onto one knee, panting heavily as both Ice Mana Core and Wood Mana Core had almost been completely drained of spiritual energy. With the exception of his Weave Mana Core and Knowledge Mana Core, his remaining four Mana Cores possessed around ten percent of their maximum reserves of spiritual energy.

  But still-.

  His Tabitha-Cedarspear Arm scrapping against the bloodied floors of Anesa Casia. Deep finger-sized spear slashes carved into the Hive-Womb Capital.

  Eyes sweeping across the chamber, Minerva-Infiltration Eyes observing for any traces of Theodore or Itsumade. His eyes lingering on Regulus’ unconscious form laying amidst the frozen plant-mouths. Fragment Of Maera-Metamorphosis no longer active, Wolf Mana Core devoid of spiritual energy.

  He laid beside Raflea, protectively enveloping her under his larger mass.

  Fragment Of Eyes ignoring the undyne and nadian, brows furrowed and teeth gritted as he stood back up on two feet. Three Seas Of Knowledge unable to hold back the surging waves and violent currents that swirled beneath its surface.

  “… Rhidian.”

  Avahni and Miyoung flinching in response to the expression on unadulterated hatred on Jon’s face. His golden-green eyes baring down on the Earth Father, Wine Incarnation, almost snarling at him as he condensed Tabitha Assail back down to its normal size.

  His tone cold; boreal even. Twisted into something between calm rationality and indiscriminate wrath.

  “Might telling me what that was all about?”

  Jibril, Xuanyuan, and Ortlinde protectively standing around Avahni, deciding also not to leave Miyoung out at this time. The wine-incarnation fey showing a slightly regretful expression, exposing his palms towards Jon, apologetically shaking his head from side-to-side.

  “Princeps-. Jon.”

  “I did what I thought was best to keep Avahni safe.”

  Jon stepped forward towards Rhidian, tightening his grip over Tabitha Assail. Feelings of hatred overflowing from his Three Seas Of Knowledge, aiming his thoughts in the direction of the wine-incarnation fey. The Earth Father, Wine Incarnation manifesting his Haze Of Flowing Stupor in response to his movements, allowing it to form a protective barrier between himself and Jon.

  “The Angel Of Green imparted you with boon did she not? What did she ask for in return for the concepts she granted you?”

  “You must have always known that something was different about Avahni, and the concepts contained within her Source! Individuals with multiple summoned companions are rare but not unheard of but those with six Memento Source wielding summoned companions!?”

  “I cannot trust you with Avahni’s safety or wellbeing until I know exactly what it is she promised-.”

  “Nothing.”

  Jon interrupted, halting his advancement. Shadow-mutation and fear-mutation stretching out behind him, as though alluding to the horrors that laid within. His Fragment Of Draconian-Shadow and Fragment Of Shapeless-Carcosa put Rhidian on edge; eyes glancing in the direction of surging green and violent transformations.

  “Neither the Angel Of Green, nor the Angel Of Transformation offered me anything, but the concepts required to form fragment pathways. The Angel Of Desire prevented both from entering the Hive-Womb Capital.”

  Jon’s gaze flickered towards Jibril, Ortlinde and Ru Luan Di, turning his back towards the Earth Father, Wine Incarnation. His breath slow and controlled, emotions reigned in by his Fragment Of Mind.

  Rhidian staring at Jon in surprise, seeing the human ignore him despite feeling the raging hatred he emanated for him.

  “If you want to make it up to me Rhidian…”

  Jon stared upwards towards the approaching Angels.

  “Then make yourself useful-.

  “And help me get another System Acknowledged Feat.”