Jon let out a short, sharp breath, calming the raging emotions within his Three Seas Of Knowledge. Although in this moment he wanted more than anything to stab a certain wine-incarnation fey through the chest, his growing hatred for Rhidian did not hamper his thought processes in the slightest.

  ‘Now is not the time to air out grievances.’

  ‘The Angel Of Green and Angel Of Transformation are two existences whose original forms transcend anything I could possibly imagine. Even if they are limited to the concepts they both possessed as a Sixth-Honoured Lord, my situation wouldn’t exactly be what one might call…’

  ‘Ideal, by any standard of the word.’

  Jon feeling his Fragment Of Summon tremble from within his Ice Mana Core, pausing for half-a-second before sighing, shrugging his shoulders before shaking his head.

  ‘I suppose we are equal then. Rhidian trying to kill me and Eis trying to kill Avahni.’

  The Shapeless Mask Of Thieving Lies had almost completely run out of lie natured spiritual energy, forcing Jon to release the control he possessed over [Mine Is The Iron And Gold, The Silver And Copper] and [Mine Is The Seven-Coloured Rainbows Of Light].

  It was interesting to note that he was capable of maintaining stolen abilities even after killing the individual that it belonged to. Something that he considered developing Lethe in a direction towards upon his ascension to Lordship.

  Although that did presuppose that he could survive whatever it is the Mother Of Verdant Night and Divine General Of Alteration would throw at him. Despite having the Angel Of Green creating his Fragment Of Alnus-Viridis Protection and Fragment Of Carnivorous Alnus-Viridis he was somewhat worried that the concepts she had placed within him would linger in the long-term.

  He did not believe for a second that the Angel Of Green granted him that Title during his time in the Sunlit-Inferno Lagoon without the intention of getting closer to Avahni. What the incarnation of an Angel, or a Half-Grand was doing within a System Introduction was beyond him, although in hindsight, made sense now knowing her true intentions.

  The sound of surging green and violent transformations echoed from just beyond the sole entrance to the chamber. Dull fluorescent glows emanating from the space where he had entered from.

  [Bestial Intuition] twitching as he noticed both the Phantasmal Marrow, Surging Creation and Second Monarch Of Spirit And Destruction stand at either side of him. Miyoung several feet behind him, wielding her Seven-Stringed Reignbow, nodding at him while activating her Fragment Of Draconic-Metamorphosis.

  “How much spiritual energy you got left Jon?” Ortlinde asked, extending one of her hands towards him. Tabitha Assail passed over to the lightning-spirit fey, transformed so that the weight and balance of the weapon better suited her.

  “Ice is pretty much gone. Wood and Spear not that far behind. War could be better too, although I haven’t had the need to resummon Glaucus quite yet. All I have left is the Hades-Draconian Shadow and Carcosa-Form Horrors.”

  “Fragment Of Slash isn’t quite up to standard of this fight, and neither is my Fragment Of Hunt or Fragment Of Eyes. Transforming them into fragment pathways isn’t viable until I become a Lord either.”

  Jon pausing for a few moments before remembering one other ability that he recently acquired. Although it was better served to regenerate his spiritual energy, something told him that he would need everything that he had at his disposal if he wanted to survive.

  “Oh, and my Fragment Of Thieving-Envy is also a viable option. Although each cast requires lifeforce rather than spiritual energy, lifeforce is something that I have in spades.”

  Jon gave a brief description of what his Worms Of Envy were capable of, alongside the unique debuffs that each were capable of inflicting. Jibril’s and Ortlinde’s expression turning thoughtful as they listened to each individual effect.

  Miyoung already knew the effects of said ability, having let Jon parasitize her Rose Mana Core for the initial duration of the battle. The Archon Of Reigning Dragons extended her hand outwards in order to manifest the Treasured Dragon Of Graceful Beauty.

  Avahni doing the same, allowing Tlaloc; Trinity-Souled Thunderous-Wisteria and Acalan; Abundant-Springtime Spirit-Bamboo to manifest behind her.

  Tlaloc, now with a Fragment Of Trinity integrated into him, and Acalan, now with a Fragment Of Spring integrated into her, amplified the effectiveness of their Mortal Ranked abilities while gaining new ones that better suited their Knight-level forms.

  Totlechatl; Stellar-Turquoise Parasite-Vine parasitizing Avahni herself; turquoise-stellar vine temporarily increasing the maximum spiritual energy reserves of her Fire Mana Core. Allowing the green-haired woman to summon Titus Claudius; Fire-Veined Behemoth Beetle.

  The appearance of the four other summoned companions caused Miyoung to peer at her strangely. Although after arriving within Springtown she had encountered others with Summon Mana Cores and multiple summoned companions, not a single one seemed to match the… grandeur that Avahni possessed.

  Perhaps it was the effect of her Title, or the Aura produced by her Asherah-Life Hair. Or even the newly gained effects of her Athirat; Tree Of Mutative Rebirth.

  Jon on the other hand seemed to relish in the familiar presence of multiple summoned companions. Shamael, Sariel and he altogether possessed more than a dozen summoning-type abilities and Avahni, well…

  “They’re coming.” Ortlinde muttered, extending her Dumah-Monarch Spirit outwards and feeling the approaching concepts. Concepts of Alnus-Viridis which lingered within Jon existed alongside violent concepts of metamorphosis and surging concepts of blossoming green and tendrilled-plants.

  Jon, Avahni, Miyoung and all of their manifested summoned companions braced for the approaching tide. Their dwindling reserves of spiritual energy ignored as each one raised their weapons, tightening their grips on borrowed spears or spiritual bowstrings.

  Xuanyuan holding onto the hilt of his Imaginary Severance, clenching his fist tightly around the Memento Source Item before-.

  A flickering wisp of unnatured spiritual energy passed through his Marchosias-Void Heart.

  Attention System Introduced individuals!

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  Small realm designation “732-GFS” is currently experiencing widespread systemic failure. Individual designations “Raindream Evergarden,” “Thoros Ulrik-Cheltigar,” and “Phoebus Cressida” have broken through the barriers isolating small realm designation “732-GFS” resulting in spatial and temporal fragmentation.

  The System shall now implement safety measures in accordance with emergency protocol.

  Small realm designation “732-GFS” shall now be destroyed in accordance with emergency protocol. The remaining individuals participating in System Introduction small realm designation “732-GFS” shall be placed into major groupings and returned to unspecified worlds.

  The System apologies for the inconvenience and promises to award those 113,872 individuals within the small realm. The opportunity to discover Wonders and explore Dungeons will not be lost, nor slay the various System-generated Knights and Lords that wander the land.

  There shall be no more System messages.

  The countdown to the end of the System Introduction has been amended.

  Time remaining: 4 mins… 59 seconds… 58 seconds… 57 seconds…

  “Five minutes!” Jibril shouted.

  “All we have to do is survive for five minutes!”

  Jon grinning, licking his blood-soaked lips as he glanced towards Miyoung and Avahni. Both of them sharing his expression, smiling back at him as they both examined the System notification.

  ‘All we have to do is just survive for five whole minute-.’

  [Wrathful Alnus-Viridis Art; Sinful-Grass Thorns].

  Jon’s eyes widening in shock a piercing thorn of woven grass erupted from the space behind Miyoung. Fragment Of Instinct rushing to command his Fragment Of Shapeless-Carcosa to push the Archon Of Reigning Dragons out of the way.

  Both Miyoung and Avahni watching on in horror as Jon’s fear-mutation was impaled upon this entwined spiritual-physical construct. Spiritually-potent blood formed from weave natured spiritual energy splattering onto the ground behind him.

  Fragment Of Shapeless-Carcosa became dim and lightless as Jon’s Carcosa-Form Horrors became unable to sustain itself.

  The damage inflicted by the grass-thorn onto the Carcosa-Form Horrors reflecting back onto the owner of said fear-mutation, causing an enormous, arm-width hole to appear directly in the centre of Jon’s chest.

  Blood seeping into his Spirit-Protection Shirt, dripping down onto the remnants of his Fragment Of Alnus-Viridis Protection.

  “W-what the h-hell?” Jon managed to spit out, looking down at his chest, towards the gaping hole right next to his heart. The strength granted to him by his Murmur-Arhat Marrow and Seir-Perpetual Heart slipping, growing weaker and weaker as more and more blood dribbled down onto the ground below.

  [Green Is The Flesh, As Red Is The Blood] swiftly working to regenerate some of the damage inflicted onto him, unconsciously expending the final vestiges of his wood natured spiritual energy.

  The sounds of Miyoung’s voice echoing throughout the Hive-Womb Capital.

  “Jon!”

  Break.

  I dreamt that I was alone again.

  During my youth on Oceanus.

  I remember the volcanic vents that sprouted along the Nine Maelstroms filling my bones with a gentle and soothing warmth.

  I remember looking up towards the boundless night sky observing the sea of stars that stretched beyond the lightless horizon.

  I remember the taste of lion-whale meat on my tongue and the sense of satisfaction I earned from ending my first life.

  I remember the feeling of my first hunt and the sheer elation that it brought me.

  The boundless oceans which served as my domain, nurtured carefully under my hand. Sections of ocean devoid of life or light now flourished into kelp-forests and coral-kingdoms filled to the brim with all sorts of living beings.

  I remember the first time I encountered a ‘homo adonis.’

  The supposed “strongest” Race throughout the integrated universe.

  How their bones cracked under the pressure of my jaw.

  How their flesh tore as easily as the vulture-sharks that could threaten my lesser kin.

  I learnt the concept of ‘pride’ and relished in the concept of ‘wrath.’

  “Ler… Anta…”

  I remember encountering Jibril, or rather Fire-Creation Daughter; Jibril.

  The battles that we fought and the adventures that we shared together.

  The formation of Ein; Throne-Creation Fire and Gae Balor; Incarnated Shadow Hunt. The horrifying strength of Memento Source Items and how the concepts contained within can elevate into something… truly unfathomable.

  I remember encountering the Liver Of The Ginseng King.

  Disagreeing with his belief of non-rebirth.

  I remember fighting alongside the Three Daughters Of Destruction.

  Their unique Source-connection which allowed them to share concepts between one another, even across vast distances and temporal displacement.

  I remember standing upon the precipice of Thronehood and transcendence. Opening the gates of divinity and ascending to the Title of-.

  “Setanta.”

  I felt my aegean-scales shift, someone disturbing my blissful dream.

  Four golden-coloured eyes peering up towards the surface, peering up towards the ocean of water natured spiritual energy above me. Myriad streams and rivers littered the surface of the Mental Aquascape, forming a confluence of water sources that some might consider… beautiful.

  Waterfalls stretching towards the boundless stars.

  Geysers that seemed to stretch their superheated droplets towards the shining moon.

  Whirlpools that seemed to contain within them dreams and desires beyond imagination.

  This was the depths of-.

  “Setanta!”

  Enormous sword-like claws stirring within the depths of Avahni’s Mental Aquascape. Fangs that seemed sharper than mortal spears and harder than mortal metals reflected the cold desires of the Imaginary Princess Of The Round Table.

  An uncontrollable sense of rage filling his flesh and bones, tempered by tens of thousands of years of murder and destruction. The wrathful desires which Ler Setanta thought he had long since discarded transforming his mortal flesh into something more.

  Much more.

  The Incarnation Of The Hunt rising up towards the surface, hearing the voice of his master and summoner. The emotions that filled her Fragment Of Mind brought him peace amidst concepts of wrath and anger.

  A Fragment that had been disturbed upon the near-death of the Princeps Of The Wandering Mutation. A feeling a hate and anger so potent he could almost taste it bleed into him from her Fragment Of Mind, polluting the waters of her Mental Aquascape.

  The corners of his mouth curling upwards.

  A malicious-looking grin threatening to exceed the length of his dinosauric face.

  He had finally adjusted to the new concepts contained within his Fragment Of Xian.

  Although somewhat of a different approach to what Jibril and Avahni expected him to take, the Fragment Of Xian contained within it concepts far enough away from his original path so that it would not interfere with Avahni’s potential development.

  Although technically related to the Immortal Mana Core that he once possessed, it was much closer to concepts relating to ‘enlightenment,’ and ‘knowledge,’ rather than just ‘lifeforce’ and ‘longevity.’

  When the day came that Avahni would transform him into a fragment pathway, he hoped that this Fragment Of Xian would be enough to rid himself of his wrathful predilections and tendencies. She would need to discover or create concepts on her own if she wanted to catch up with Jon and the others.

  ‘But until then-.’

  The Incarnation Of The Hunt manifesting himself before the Angel Of Green and Angel Of Transformation, releasing a roaring bellow as his concepts rippled throughout the Hive-Womb Capital. Two Lord-Ranked incarnations widening their inhuman-looking eyes in shock, observing the monstrous form of a xian shastasaurus.

  The Wandering Incarnation Of Aegean Xian slashing his horrifyingly long claws towards the Mother Of Verdant Night and the Divine General Of Alteration. Water natured spiritual energy gathering around his razor-sharp limbs, producing myriad water slashes that carved through blossoming plants and spirit-transformed flesh.

  “No-. It can’t be, you’re-.”

  Ler Setanta grinning, slashing his armoured tail in the direction of the Angel Of Transformation, sending the Lord-Ranked incarnation flying backwards into the Angel Of Green.

  “That’s right!” Ler Setanta roared.

  “Phoebus Cressida! Thoros Ulrik-Cheltigar!”

  “If you want to get your hands on my master-.

  Gae Balor surging beneath him. Growing even larger to match his seventy-metre-long form. Four golden-coloured eyes, belonging to the one once granted the moniker; Angel Of The Abyss, bared down upon the two other Angels standing before him.

  No longer the Maw That Announces The End Of The World.

  No longer the Shadow Beneath The Lies And Waves.

  No longer the Thearch Of Violence And Water.

  No longer the Beast That Dwells Within And Without.

  But now, the Wandering Incarnation Of Aegean Xian.

  “Then you’ll have to get through me first.”

  Time remaining: 4 minute… 9 seconds… 8 seconds… 7 seconds…