The sound of water droplets echoed throughout Avahni's Mental Aquascape.

The form her mental construct took changed each time she entered the imaginary landscape, often appearing as a soft downpour whenever she was content, or as a raging storm whenever emotions such as anger or rage flooded her mind.

Right now, her Mental Aquascape took the form of an enormous waterfall, stretching farther than what her eyes could perceive. Just staring up at incredible cascade of water, Avahni could feel information flow into her conscious and subconscious minds as it crashed into an unimaginably large lake beneath her feet.

The green-haired lutin could not help but let out a small sigh, reaching up towards the waterfall, but unable to grasp just how high the construct was.

The source was right in front of her, but she was unable to catch up to it, almost too far away for her to grasp it in her hands.

'I feel so… useless…' Avahni thought to herself, opening her eyes and focusing back on the fight in front of her.

She watched as Jon's figure disappeared, slashing out as her approached the Malum Hobgoblin, manifested dozens of neon-pink cuts in the air wherever the human ran through.

Lances of bright pink spiritual energy shot forth, crashing into the beast, often missing at times but dealing enough damage to pester the Knight Ranked beast, forcing it into close-quarters combat.

Even from several dozen metres away, behind the safety of the Earthen Treasury Womb, Avahni could smell the rotting scent of blood. Her form saturated in the soft golden-green glow of Ashvattha Rana, and Wilheim's [Celebration Of Thou Hallowed Halls].

The lutin was recovering as much water natured spiritual energy as her Water Mana Core could restore within a short period of time. Even Sariel, with [Thou Art The Monarch Of Lotus And Dreams] repeatedly cast the Fragment Of Spirit in an attempt to restore the vast majority of her spiritual energy.

The sounds of Jon fighting against the Malum Hobgoblin often broke her concentration, Wilheim and Shamael casting [Mountain Art; Earth Forest Erosion] and [Malignant Curse Arts; Withered Blood, Weakened Flesh] brought her focus back inwardly allowing the lutin to steady her breathing.

'Jon is fighting, and yet we're all just standing here, helping from afar… Please, please be the difference I need to make a difference… Ler Setanta.'

Avahni cradled the Fragment Of Ichthyosaur in her hands, a sense of warmth blossoming within her chest. It had nothing to do with the fact that the fragment clasped within her fingers would allow her to summon her "strongest" ability according to Ru Luan Di, and nothing to do with the fact that she could now summon another one of her "friends".

Jonathan, or Jon as the human preferred to be called, was someone who Avahni thought might kill her the moment she stepped out onto the riverbank and revealed herself towards.

Injured and in incredible pain in that moment, Jon ignored whatever basic instincts existed within him and kept her safe as she integrated the Fire Mana Core she had traded with the human for. He was someone that had shown himself to be pragmatic, but protective.

Dangerous, but not aggressive.

Strong, but not overwhelming.

Kind, above all else.

It did not matter whether Jon would receive the gift that Avahni planned on giving him, but from what Ru Luan Di was telling her, the human had yet to integrate his sixth Mana Core and ascend to the Sixth Initiation of Mortality.

The lutin had saved up a handful of fragments at Ru Luan Di and Titus Claudius' recommendation, including another Fragment Of Transcendence, Fragment Of Rend and Fragment Of Superbia. According to both the fire swarm beetle and the little ginseng king, Jon had integrated a number of sin-type fragments, including both a Fragment Of Ira and a Fragment Of Invidia.

Avahni did not see how the kind image of Jon in her mind could integrate fragments with such immoral or repugnant concepts, but thought it just showed how strong of will the human was, able to resist the temptation of sin and vice.

'Ru Luan Di suggested I integrate a Fragment Of Luxuria,' the lutin reminded herself.

Avahni heard the sounds of Jon scream across the riverbank, snapping her out of her own thoughts and back into reality. Despite the dark-red haze of Jon's Fragment Of Stealth obscuring his body, Avahni could see wisps of dark-purple fear natured spiritual energy tinging the outline of his form, enveloping him in horrifying and unnatural fears.

The sounds of his screams pulled at her heartstrings, but she knew that Jon trusted in her to manifest another summon with a Memento Source Fragment.

Her grip on the Fragment Of Ichthyosaur tightened as she watched Jon narrowly avoid a wild swing, performing feats that uninitiated Mortals could not even dream of achieving. His bones had been tempered with the harsh cold of winter, allowing Jon to stretch the limits of his human form.

There was a feeling of rawness within each step he took, each thrust or slash of his spear closer to perfection than the last. His footsteps were graceful and lacking excessive and outlandish movements seen Avahni had seen in films or theatre.

Jon excelled in disengaging from his opponent, the length of Luin granting him an advantage that even the enormous size of the Knight could not adapt to. Despite The Malum Hobgoblin possessing an enormous stature and blubberous physique, Ru Luan Di had informed her that the beast was more of a caster rather than a close-quarters combatant.

Even with the advantage of having more spiritual energy than Jon, and a base physical form whose strength would exceed that of a human, the hobgoblin had not taken advantage of the fact and instead integrated whatever manner of fragments it could get its hands on.

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'It might be the most impressive display of combat I have ever seen in my life.'

Avahni had in the impression in her mind that Jon was no longer just a human. He had moved beyond such an immature notion of thinking. Jon was a dull spear; one being sharpened upon a whetstone called a Malum Hobgoblin.

Avahni felt her Water Mana Core reach more than ninety percent its maximum capacity, nodding her head as she glanced towards Ru Luan Di and Titus Claudius. Both the little ginseng king and fire swarm beetle giving their summoner a small nod, gesturing for her to continue.

Taking a deep breath, the green-haired lutin raised the Fragment Of Ichthyosaur in her hands, chanting the extended invocation to summon the Incarnation Of The Hunt.

"From the dark, murky waters of the Realm Of Abyssal Blue, to the nine burning suns of the Realm Of Scorched Red, I beseech your name and title. I call upon the Incarnation Of The Hunt, the one who dwells between the infinite sea of stars, the one who stands above the Throne."

Water natured spiritual energy surged within Avahni's lithe form, attracting the attention of every living being on the riverbank. Sariel and Shamael almost both paused their Spells, turning their heads and glancing towards the lutin, while Wilheim just gritted his teeth, whispering the chant for [Cursed Lake Art; Tepid Mud Disaster] while focusing on the Malum Hobgoblin.

Jon did not react to the spiritual energy, merely snarling at the Knight Ranked creature while avoiding another slash from its Carna Ascia.

"Armoured in the impenetrable aegean scales, born amidst the frozen midnight waters of a world without green. I call upon the Incarnation Of The Hunt, the one whose teeth would rend the flesh from Knights and Lords, whose claws would sunder the heavens and the earth!"

Avahni continued to chant, closing her eyes and focusing on the summoning ritual. Unbeknownst to everyone present, bar the Liver Of The Ginseng King, the river that flowed beside their campsite had halted its movements entirely, pausing itself, as if awaiting the arrival of something important.

The sounds of spiritual constructs slashing through flesh continued to echo throughout the riverbank, Jon screaming in pain as the Hatchet Of Rotten Flesh tore a deep gash across his non-dominant arm. Four different debuffs affecting him all at once, with nothing but the faint remnants of Avahni's fire natured spiritual energy left to counter it.

Tears of blood flowed down from Jon's eye, his pure-white hair turning half brown as his physical enhancements started to fail him.

"His form stretches across thirteen oceans and nine seas, his eyes containing within them the vast knowledge of ten thousand worlds, his breath containing the horrifying dreams of those he has devoured, absolving them of sin, virtue and karma! I call upon the Incarnation Of The Hunt, the one who vowed to swallow worlds, severing them from the cycle of reincarnation!"

Avahni's voice echoed throughout the riverbank, and the violent amount of water natured spiritual energy she was released caused the Malum Hobgoblin to pause, wincing as it ignored Jon land another strike against its thigh.

The Knight Ranked creature narrowed its eyes at the form of the green-haired creature standing behind that annoyingly bright tree, snarling as it smashed the earthen forest around it and charging straight towards her.

Wilheim, standing atop the back of Titus Claudius did not hesitate to activate his Fragment Of Transcendence, wielding a familiar, pink-coloured spear in his free hand. [That Which Is Born Through Castling] activated within the floresiensis, causing his physical and spiritual bodies to glow with a bright golden castle natured spiritual energy.

The effect of the Fragment Of Transcendence differed from person to person, but for Wilheim…

It was perhaps an ability which he thought could turn the tides.

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

Effect (Mortal): Enter a state of [Transcendent Castle], doubling the effects of all abilities. While in the state of [Transcendent Castle] reduce the mana expenditure of all abilities. Once [Transcendent Castle] ends, enter a state of [False Castle]

[Transcendent Castle]: Exchange the positions of oneself or inanimate objects within your field of view. [Transcendent Castle] does not expend spiritual energy, but rather stamina and lifeforce.

[False Castle]: Reduces all physical capabilities by half. Reduces all mana regenerations by half. Increases mana expenditures of all abilities. Reduces immunities to resistances and resistances to null. [False Castle] lasts for a duration equal to double the amount of time [Transcendent Castle] was active.

Jon stood there, half leaning against one of the broken stone pillars Wilheim had manifested, coughing out what he thought to be a piece of stomach. His hair clung to his forehead, the young man dripping in sweat as both his Seir-Glacial Heart and Murmur-Glacial Marrow quivered in overuse, as if a muscle he had pushed to failure.

Jon was not surprised when Wilheim summoned Luin from his hands, although could not muster the strength to resist the effects of [Transcendent Castle].

Looking up towards Wilheim mounted on the back of Titus Claudius, Jon could not help but smile, grinning through bloodstained teeth, looking to the skies above with awe and respect in his eyes. He did not notice a certain little ginseng roll up beside him, snapping one of its two remaining limbs as it tugged at the hem of his pants.

The human muttered something, with no-one but the Liver Of The Ginseng King present to hear his words.

"The monstrous leviathan whose visage wrought fear and annihilation! The forgotten beast who lurks beneath! The one who bears the [Incarnated Shadow Hunt], the instrument of quiet death, that brings the Ein Sof and Pandemonium to its knees!"

"I call upon your Ler Setanta! I call you to this mortal world, so that you may serve at thine behest and begin anew amongst mortals once more!"

Sands started rising around Avahni.

Rivers started flowing backwards.

Flowers shrivelled up in fear and leaves fell from their branches without even so much as a whisper.

The moment Avahni finished her chant, there was no glorious explosion of spiritual energy, nor any sign of the Incarnation Of The Hunt around her. Unlike the Shade-Seeking Moss Shield, or Custodian Of The Fire Swarm, or even the White Lady Of The Winter Castle, there was not a single trace of Ler Setanta anywhere within the river, nor across the sandy beaches.

Avahni paused opening her eyes and lifting her head.

Although it was night, and not a single star could be perceived within this inversed world, something obscured the distant flames of campfires across the small realm. Something huge and frightening swam through the skies above Avahni, its shadow darker than anything the lutin had ever seen before.

Even the Malum Hobgoblin paused its uncontrollable rampage, feeling the emanations of water natured spiritual energy above it.

For the first time in its life, the Malum Hobgoblin felt fear as it stared up and the enormous, monstrous form of the Incarnation Of The Hunt as it swam through the space above its head.

"I accept your call Avahni Rudras".

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