Before Jon even had a moment to respond, he could hear Wilheim casting the chant associated with [Celebration Of Thou Hallowed Halls]. A pale golden-glow gathering around the palm of the floresiensis' hand, extended forward towards his human friend.

"I beseech you. The imperial warmth that dwells beneath. The radiant light that stretches beyond the horizon. Let the ones who formed the foundation revel in your embrace. Let the ones who built the walls find peace within your halls. Let the ones who guarded the gates find glory beneath your banner!"

The Spell manifested from his Fragment Of Hearth filled Jon with the soft and gentle warmth of a castle heart. The familiar effect description of Wilhiem's [Golden Warmth] buff appearing within the corner of his vision.

[Golden Warmth]: Blesses a target with the soft and gentle warmth of a castle hearth. Temporarily increases natural healing speed. Temporarily increases mana regeneration. Cleanses a single debuff or affliction from a willing target.

Although Jon did not have any debuffs or afflictions that the Spell could cleanse, the temporary increase to his natural healing speed and mana regenerations was something that Jon quite desperately needed. The effects of [One With Green] had long since vanished, and Jon did not have any more wood natured spiritual energy to activate [Green Is The Flesh, As Red Is The Blood].

Turning towards the short, hazelnut-skinned floresiensis, Jon patted him on the shoulder, giving him a small nod as he felt his form saturated with a nurturing castle natured spiritual energy.

"Thank you," Jon said quietly in Pluntian, watching as Wilheim shook his head is response.

"Friends remember?" Wilheim responded, the corners of his mouth turning upwards into a smile as he patted Jon's bicep, before noticing that his forearm had become purple and swollen.

Jon noticed that Wilheim was staring at the broken bone in his forearm. Despite the flashes of pain that burst in his hand and arm, Jon gave the shorter man a small thumbs up, shrugging his shoulders ignoring the urge to wince.

Wilheim gave the younger man an unimpressed look, seeing that his hands and fingers were in a similar state, bruised various shades of purple and a particular foul-looking yellow. His knuckles were bloodied, and numerous wounds could be seen all across his limbs and lower torso.

Patches of blood, both a familiar red and a dark green could be seen across Jon's clothes. His shirt was ruined, slashed to pieces and reeking of flesh and blood. The floresiensis glanced towards Jon's pants, noticing that his pockets were threatening to burst from the amount of things he had pushed into them.

Jon and Wilheim shared a glance for a moment, the former winking at the hazelnut-skinned man while the latter just raised an eyebrow, just now noticing the minute emanations of spiritual energy coming from Jon.

"Jon! Eat this, little Roland will help heal your wounds!", exclaimed Avahni, interrupting the shared glance the human and floresiensis were sharing.

The green-haired woman extended Ru Luan Di towards Jon, as if the little ginseng king itself was the answer to questions he did not ask. The Liver Of The Ginseng King let out a small sigh, shaking his head while trying to pry Avahni's fingers off his torso.

"Let the record show, that I did not give consent to be treated like this," said Ru Luan Di, glancing at Jon noticing that the human, while somewhat wounded and slightly tired, did not appear strained or weakened in the slightest.

Although Ru Luan Di could not feel the presence of the White Lady Of The Winter Castle, the flavour of knowledge natured spiritual energy associated with the Earthen Treasury Womb was unmistakeable.

Considering just how many wounds Jon had sustained while out fighting, it was possible that the human had come across some sort of small horde of beasts, or one particularly powerful Mortal Ranked creature.

With the correct fragments and Mana Cores, anyone could find their combat styles and abilities countered. Numerous echoes of spiritual energy clung to Jon's form, some of which belonged to the human.

Others seemed foreign and inherently malicious, a handful of which sat within the Fragment Of Incarnation the human had integrated into his Wood Mana Core. Although it was not the spiritual energy that Ru Luan Di would associate with a Knight, the sheer number of debuffs or afflictions half-clinging to Jon supposed that the human had fought numerous enemies at once.

Not to mention, the presence of numerous other types of spiritual energy emanating from his pockets.

Both Ru Luan Di and Wilheim glanced at Jon, noticing that the human just smiled at them, ignoring the obvious jingling of gemstones coming from his pockets. Despite their curiosity, both Wilheim and the little ginseng king kept their interest in check instead wondering what types of Mana Cores the human had brought back with him.

'This earthy feeling, but somewhat solid too… perhaps a Stone Mana Core? And this veil that [With Eyes That Pierce Through The White Winter Plain] cannot see through… a Darkness Mana Core perhaps?', Wilheim thought to himself, tapping his chin as he watched Ashvattha Rana manifest herself, obscuring Jon's form as he stripped off his clothes and dipped into the frigid river water.

Although obscured, the sound of Jon's voice echoed throughout the riverbank as his half-opened wounds came into contact with the cold waters. An overexaggerated combination of pleasure and pain.

Avahni noticed that while Shamael narrowed his eyes towards the space where Jon once stood, his green-skinned companion could not help but blush, seeing the human remove his clothing without caring for the presence of the others around him.

Avahni had noticed that over the past few days both Sariel and Shamael seemed somewhat guarded while Jon was present. Although she knew that Jon did not possess any sort of ability with the Aura Trait, Sariel had told her that it was a feeling that she could not quite put into words.

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It was neither his spiritual energy, nor one of the abilities he had manifested.

'I wonder if it is because of that Source thing that Xochitl mentioned before,' Avahni thought to herself.

On the other side of the campfire, Wilheim continued to extend his perceptions outward, trying to determine what manner of spiritual energies were being released from the across the riverbank.

There were too many different types of spiritual energy present.

Wilheim could not determine what manner of Mana Cores Jon had brought back with him, often perceiving multiple different types of spiritual energy all at once, or even confusing it with the spiritual energy that Jon inadvertently released from whatever Passive Trait abilities he had manifested.

Wilheim did not know what manner of build Jon was trying to construct, although had a rough idea of all the Mana Cores that the human had integrated thus far. Jon possessed some sort of mental resistance ability which prevented his Fragment Of Inspection from working as the Spell intended, but his summoned weapons and companions possessed no such ability.

[Ashvattha Rana; Earthen Treasury Womb] was manifested from a Fragment Of Tree and Knowledge Mana Core.

[Behold Thy Luminous Spear, Clad In Green Radiance] was manifested from a Fragment Of Spear and a Wood Mana Core.

[Schwarz Eis; White Lady Of The Winter Castle] was manifested from a Fragment Of Summon and an Ice Mana Core.

In addition to these three, there was also the metallic-silver Mana Core Jon had received as a task reward, one that he had integrated moments after obtaining it. Although Wilheim was not certain, the floresiensis concluded that this particular Mana Core was more than likely a Spear Mana Core.

At the end of the day it was just a guess, but one fitting considering that Jon possessed Assail; Spear Of Verdant Cedar.

There was also the silverish-red Mana Core that Avahni had given him. One which Wilheim had eventually found out was a War Mana Core. The combination of a Spear Mana Core and War Mana Core opened up some interesting avenues in terms of synergistic effects and possible future developments.

On the other hand, a Knowledge Mana Core and War Mana Core seemed quite compatible with one another as well, considering it was knowledge and information which often determined victories and defeats back on Concordia.

Wilheim was not quite sure where his Ice Mana Core or Wood Mana Core fit into this equation, but at the very least, other than his Ice Mana Core, the others seemed quite suitable for the young human.

'Perhaps a Time Mana Core as his final one? Growth comes with time, and ice often grows colder and stronger over time. Knowledge is accumulated over time, while spears and wars… on second thought, perhaps not,' Wilheim frowned, glancing at the human bathing under the soft golden-green glow of the Earthen Treasury Womb.

Jon was at the very least, a Mortal of the Fifth Initiation.

Noticing Sariel and Shamael across the campfire staring at Jon with varying degrees of expressions on their faces, Wilheim sent the two satanas an odd look before moving his attention back towards the status page in front of him.

Name: Wilheim Freytal-Isenburg Age: 72 Rank: Mortal Tier: Fifth Initiation Title: N/A

Mana Core(s):

[1]: Castle [Fragment Of Protection] [Preservation Of Thou Sacred Ramparts] (Castle, Protection, Spell, Defensive, Enhancement, Buff)

[Fragment Of Hearth] [Celebration Of Thou Hallowed Halls] (Castle, Hearth, Spell, Regeneration, Cleanse, Enhancement, Buff)

[Fragment Of Strength] [Strength Of Thou Impenetrable Soul] (Castle, Strength, Spell, Enhancement, Buff)

[Fragment Of Wall] [Light Of Thou Consecrated Shields] (Castle, Wall, Spell, Shield, Defensive, Buff)

[Fragment Of Transcendence] [That Which Is Born Through Castling] (Castle, Transcendence, Ability, Spell, Technique, Enhancement, Buff, Debuff, Self)

[Fragment Of Manor] [Harcourt; Wondrous Forest Dwelling] (Castle, Manor, Summon, Ability, Spell, Buff)

[2]: Mountain [Fragment Of Marrow] [Ours Is The Blood That Courses Through The Mountain] (Mountain, Marrow, Mutation, Passive, Ability, Enhancement, Buff)

[Fragment Of Rime] [Mountain Art; Weight Of The Frozen Peaks] (Mountain, Rime, Spell, Debuff)

[Fragment Of Pillars] [Mountain Art; Earth Forest Erosion] (Mountain, Pillars, Spell, Debuff)

[Fragment Of Brumal] [Mountain Art; Winterous Land Of Ice And Snow] [Mountain, Brumal, Spell, Debuff)

[3]: Tundra [Fragment Of Inspection] [With Eyes That Pierce Through The White Winter Plain] (Tundra, Inspection, Perception, Sensory, Spell, Buff]

[Fragment Of White] [Walking Beyond The White Horizon] (Tundra, White, Spell, Concealment, Buff]

[4]: Forest [Fragment Of Heart] [Mournful Dirge Of The Lonesome Tree] (Forest, Heart, Mutation, Ability, Passive)

[Fragment Of Mind] [Mine Is The Leaves And Trees, The Roots And Flowers] (Forest, Mind, Passive, Ability, Enhancement, Resistance, Self)

[5]: Lake [Fragment Of Spirit] [Thou Art The Monarch Of Lakes And Tranquillity] (Lake, Spirit, Mutation, Spell, Enhancement, Buff)

[Fragment Of Spring] [Blessed Lake Art; Graceful Overflowing Pond] (Lake, Spring, Spell, Recovery, Buff)

[Fragment Of Bog] [Cursed Lake Art; Tepid Mud Disaster] (Lake, Bog, Spell, Debuff)

[6]:

Wilheim had come quite a long way since meeting both Jon and Avahni. The inexperienced floresiensis which had once run away from an encounter with a certain white hound-faced bear now possessed even more fragments than what the beast possessed.

Five Mana Cores.

Seventeen fragments.

It was quite the achievement all things considered, even while comparing himself to Avahni, who was still at the Fourth Initiation but with eighteen integrated fragments. Other than perhaps Jon, whose total number of integrated fragments remained unknown, Wilheim was the closest person to reaching Knighthood.

'It is not enough', Wilheim thought while biting his lip.

It was unrealistic to think that there would never be anyone who was stronger than himself. Or smarter than himself, or even more wise than himself.

But Wilheim would never concede first place, when measuring how much dedication and effort he would put into something that interested him.

And right this moment, there was nothing that the floresiensis wanted more than to learn.

Although he had completed the ninth mandatory task after learning everything Avahni could teach him about Nain, Wilheim had already started learning both English from Jon and Vaayli from Shamael. He wanted to ask Ru Luan Di to teach him whatever language he had imparted upon Jon, but without going through the same learning process the human did.

Wilheim was fascinated with the languages and cultures of those around him.

The floresiensis had long since made up his mind regarding the decision he would give Jon. Wilheim desired knowledge, while Jon desired everything around him.

He was quite the avaricious individual, but one that Wilheim was glad he could call a friend.

He almost did not notice the gemstone sent flying his way. [With Eyes That Pierce Through The White Winter Plain] allowing him to perceive the object, raising one of his hands to catch the fingernail-sized gemstone.

Fragment Of "Grace" detected.

Would you like to integrate this into your Mountain Mana Core, Tundra Mana Core, Forest Mana Core, or Lake Mana Core?

Y/N

Lifting his head, he noticed Jon wink at him from behind Ashvattha Rana's enormous form, dressing himself in a set of clothes that the bodhi tree had retrieved for him.

Wilheim's smile grew just that little bit larger, shaking his head as he cradled the fragment in his hand.

'Easiest decision I've ever made'.

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