[A/N]: Two more chapters before the end of Book 1! Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to reading this far! I hope everyone enjoys!

Silence filled the riverbank as the Incarnation Of The Hunt and the Liver Of The Ginseng King stared at each other, the former baring his teeth, revealing to Jon the rows upon rows of serrated teeth contained within is enormous maw.

Jon could not help but glance towards the little ginseng king, his expression pale, still feeling the effects of over a dozen different debuffs throughout his organs, bleeding into his nervous and respiratory systems.

Jon glanced towards the Malum Hobgoblin, clutching at its base of its severed arm. Ler Setanta had cut off its arm halfway down the length of its forearm, causing the Knight Ranked creature to fall to its knees, screaming out in pain as more bright-yellow blood dripped down onto the once pale-white sands.

The eighteen-year-old watched as Wilheim, still atop Titus Claudius raised Luin above his head and charged towards the hobgoblin, tucking the two-metre-long cross-spear under his arm.

A foul-looking amalgamation of dirtied water and poisonous mud formed in Wilheim's opposite hand, [Cursed Lake Art; Tepid Mud Disaster] gathering into a single exercise ball-sized projectile. Gritting his teeth, Jon watched as Wilheim hurled his tepid mud disaster towards the Malum Hobgoblin crashing into it with a loud acidic hissing sound.

The Fragment Of Bog manifested a potent Spell after being integrated into Wilheim's Lake Mana Core, one capable of inflicting two different debuffs with a single cast.

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

Effect (Mortal): Chant, extending your hand outwards. Manifest a foul, impure amalgamation of acidic, dirtied water and toxic, poisonous mud capable of being hurled at enemies from a distance. This amalgamation of water and mud would explode upon contact, dealing lake natured damage to everything within a defined radius. Enemies struck with [Cursed Lake Art; Tepid Mud Disaster] will become inflicted with an instance of [Tepid Mud Poison] and [Cursed Lake Poison].

[Tepid Mud Poison]: Inflicts a continuous lake-damage natured over time effect. Lake natured spiritual energy absorbs water from the flesh and blood resulting in nausea, dehydration and organ damage.

[Cursed Lake Poison]: Inflicts a continuous lake-damage natured over time effect. Lake natured spiritual energy burns the skin and flesh, causing incredible irritation and bleeding rashes to appear across affected areas.

Jon could see the Malum Hobgoblin scream out as it rolled frantically around on the sands, trying to remove the tepid mud disaster that had crashed into it. Despite its incredible physical mass and its resistances towards corruption-related, fungi-related, and blood related damages, afflictions and debuffs, the Knight Ranked creature did not have any method of resisting Wilheim's Spell effects.

Jon could feel another burst of spiritual energy leak out from the hobgoblin, a type that he did not quite recognize almost not catching the rest of Ler Setanta's and Ru Luan Di's conversation.

"I could say the same thing about you, ginseng. To think, that the favoured son of the Immortal Ginseng Benedictus would one day perish and accept the request to become a summoned companion. One that consorts with… Mortals of all things." Ler Setanta did not glance at Jon, but the human knew that the Incarnation Of The Hunt was referring to him.

Jon could feel Ru Luan Di tap him on the shoulder, gesturing for him to not say anything. He could still feel the effects of foreign spiritual energy rampaging throughout his body, so Jon remained silent, knowing that most of his own spiritual energy was spent anyway.

The eighteen-year-old did not respond Ler Setanta, his expression remaining unmoved at his words. Jon just watched as the indomitus shastasaurus showed another grin, more and more rows of teeth now visible.

"The primate beside you did not like that one bit. I can tell. He has the same glint in his eyes that I did from when I was once a Mortal. An arrogance which saturates the flesh and blood. One which bleeds into the mind and spirit, drowning hopes and dreams in a sea of nightmares and desires."

"Tell me little ginseng, how is it that someone such as yourself has become acquainted with this primate?" Ler Setanta asked, its four-golden eyes staring straight into Jon's own. The Incarnation of The Hunt could see faint flecks of gold within the human's eyes, perceiving the numerous different mutations that had transformed his mortal characteristics.

Ru Luan Di did not make an outward change in expression.

"We are currently within the 37th universes System Integration. Not even one tenth of the allotted time has passed within, meaning that-."

The Liver Of The Ginseng King found himself being cut off, as the Incarnation Of The Hunt released another loud guffaw. The thick aegean blue scales that lined his back and underbelly quivering as Ler Setanta's shadow wriggled beneath him.

The indomitus shastasaurus laughed, as if hearing the funniest tale that would ever exist within the integrated universes. The sound was deep and grating, causing the sands beneath Jon's feet to tremble in response.

"A System Integration!? You must be joking Ru Luan Di! The System, letting me off all things run rampart amidst Mortals and Knights? You might as well have let the gate open and invited the wolf into bed with you… hmm?" Ler Setanta peered at Jon for a few moments, ignoring the building up of fungi natured spiritual energy behind it.

The Fragment Of Ichthyosaur sniffed the air around Jon a few times, its Ink Shadow Incarnation mimicking its actions, brushing up against Jon's Hades-Sagacity Shadow.

The sensation was strange and uncomfortable, but not one that seemed outwardly aggressive or hostile. [Monstrous Intuition] did not twitch or tremor at any point, giving Jon the impression that the indomitus shastasaurus was more curious than anything.

"Wood Trait mutation born from a Fragment Of Prana. Lifeforce-related. Interesting. Not to mention two Knowledge Trait mutations born from a Fragment Of Eyes and a Fragment Of Shadow. Perception and visual acuity. Perception and shadow manipulation. How peculiar.".

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The Incarnation Of The Hunt took another deep sniff, eyes twitching as it smelled a familiar scent.

"Fragment Of Avaritia. Fragment Of Invidia. Fragment Of Ira. Not to mention… the scent of the Angel Of Ice," Ler Setanta growled, causing Ru Luan Di to interject on Jon's behalf.

"A descendent of the Angel Of Ice. His summoned companion," Ru Luan Di interjected, watching as some of the anger building within those four-golden eyes dissipating slightly, just concealed beneath the surface.

Behind the Incarnation Of The Hunt, the Malum Hobgoblin roared, releasing an explosive wave of fungi natured spiritual energy. A dark-orange-green dome of spiritual energy expanded with the Knight Ranked creature as the point of casting, growing in all directions around itself and causing hundreds of thousands of tiny little mushrooms to sprout wherever this wave reached.

Wilheim, with wide eyes swiftly cast his [Light Of Thou Consecrated Shields], enveloping himself and Titus Claudius in a cube-shaped shield of castle natured spiritual energy.

Sariel, seeing the wave of fungi-natured spiritual energy launched towards her, gritted her teeth and overloaded [Thou Shalt Stand Before The Boundless Maw], manifesting a spiritual energy capable of enveloping both herself and Shamael and Avahni behind it.

Metzli shrouding all of Avahni's companions in another self-regenerating wood natured spiritual shield.

Ler Setanta turned, glancing towards the expanding wave of fungi-natured spiritual energy.

"Oh? A Fragment Of Apocalypse? You do not see those every day. Integrated into a Fungi Mana Core, and then combined with a Fragment Of Growth makes for quite the powerful ability… Perhaps I should have taken things more seriously then," said the indomitus shastasaurus, commanding his Ink Shadow Incarnation to surge, accelerating towards the hobgoblin.

The Incarnation Of The Hunt did not act himself, instead focusing on commanding Gae Balor from afar. His golden-eyes gleamed with malice as he controlled his Memento Source Fragment as if a puppeteer pulling upon the strings of his puppets.

Ler Setanta glanced at Jon, glancing towards his Fragment Of Incarnation and Fragment Of Avaritia.

"Watch carefully primate. This is the strength that Mortals should strive towards."

Jon furrowed his brows, observing the Ink Shadow Incarnation with a half-curious, half-annoyed expression on his face.

Avahni had once recited the effect description of her Fragment Of Ichthyosaur to him and Wilheim, glimpsing into the depths of his Sea Of Knowledge and remembering the name of its Memento Source Fragment.

'[Gae Balor; Incarnated Shadow Hunt] … do all Memento Source Fragments manifest themselves so differently?' Jon could not help but think to himself.

The thirty-metre long shadow swam over the growing fungus-natured apocalypse, becoming infected with numerous different types of debuffs. Despite the immaterial nature of shadows and their relationship with light and form, the effects of the Fragment Of Apocalypse caused Gae Balor to become warped, thousands of little mushrooms sprouting across the Ink Shadow Incarnation.

"Fragments Of Apocalypse require the caster to channel the effect without cessation so long as the ability is activated. Although one might cast other abilities or make use of other Techniques, that hobgoblin cannot move from its current location, thinking itself safe amidst its malformed Spell."

Despite the Ink Shadow Incarnation being born from a Memento Source Fragment, it possessed characteristics similar to Jon's [With Thou In Hand, Wood Shalt Live Forever] and [With Thou In Hand, Even War Will Be Dyed Yellow].

Born from the lifeforce of an individual and tied to the spiritual energy, Gae Balor did possess one quality that differed from Jon's Archetype Green and Archetype Avarice. It was not able to transfer debuffs away from Ler Setanta but instead possessed a tangible physical form capable of striking enemies.

"In the future, you should be ignore the "transferring" effects of your abilities. Pseudo-independent spiritual constructs have so much more potential than just a wastebin to throw debuffs and afflictions into. They are born from personality traits, are they not? So why treat them as anything less than you would an arm or a leg?"

Bursting forth from the two dimensional space it once occupied, the Ink Shadow Incarnation rose up from the space underneath the Malum Hobgoblin's feet, enveloped within layers upon layers of flesh-devouring mushrooms and spirit-consuming fungi.

The hobgoblin, having whatever ability manifested from its Fragment Of Apocalypse interrupted due to Gae Balor, immediately activated its Fragment Of Surge and Fragment Of Acceleration. Its flesh and muscles swelled with strength, blood continuously flowing towards its extremities.

The Knight Ranked creature, stuck between the enormous maw of the Ink Shadow Incarnation, struggled to find purchase on the insides of its mouth. With but a single hand, and rows upon rows of serrated teeth piercing into its flesh, the beast struggled to maintain the focus required to keep its abilities active.

The Malum Hobgoblin was inflicted with dozens of instances of [Swallowed Blue], reducing its mana regeneration several times over despite it being a Mortal Ranked debuff.

"The Liver Of The Ginseng King once possessed seven incarnations, each capable of bringing fire and ruin to continents across dozens of worlds. All the while sitting atop his Primeval Jade Throne, being fed delicacies from throughout the integrated universes."

Jon could not help but glance towards Ru Luan Di, noticing that the little ginseng king was being suspiciously quiet. The eighteen-year-old was not sure whether the Jade Primeval Throne was another Title that Ru Luan Di possessed or the name of a Memento Source Fragment.

"… I am not that person anymore Ler Setanta," the little ginseng king whispered.

The Incarnation Of The Hunt growled at the Liver Of The Ginseng King, narrowing its four golden eyes at the miniscule-looking ginseng in front of it. All the white, the Ink Shadow Incarnation continued to apply pressure on the Malum Hobgoblin, trapped within its enormous maw and unable to muster any sort of spiritual energy.

The strength that the indomitus shastasaurus possessed was incomprehensible. It was a mutation that allowed it to grow almost twice the size of an ordinary members of its species, with an enlarged heart capable of pumping blood at incredible speeds, and a digestive system several times more powerful than the average shastasaurus.

Ler Setanta was an outlier of its species. Something that occurred once every ten thousand years, capable of killing Mortals without even a single Mana Core, and Knights while still burdened with Mortality.

"Yes you are Ru Luan Di. Don't you dare deny it. Everyone has the capacity for brutality and atrocities. Some are better at hiding it. While others, like this primate here, has not even realized his desire for greater violence, buried beneath this conscionable persona of his."

Jon stared the Incarnation Of The Hunt dead in the eyes, watching as the enormous crocodile-dinosaur looking creature smiled, an obvious maliciousness flashing through those golden eyes of his.

"I am nothing like you." Said Jon.

Ler Setanta did not respond, instead commanding its Ink Shadow Incarnation to crush the hobgoblin within its maw. The sounds of blood and flesh being squished and crushed echoed throughout the riverbank. Bones and viscera exploded outwards from the Ink Shadow Incarnation, splattering across the mushroom-covered sands beneath.

The senseless violence caused Avahni to scrunch up her face in disgust, and for Sariel to look away, unable to gaze at the slow-painful death Ler Setanta gave the beast. Pain-filled screams echoed throughout this minute section of the small realm, the sadistic laugher of the Incarnation Of The Hunt matching it, causing Wilheim to stare at the beast with an obvious expression of anger on his face.

Jon felt something within him churn but did not make an obvious change to his expression.

The screams of the Malum Hobgoblin buried itself deeper and deeper into the mental constructs of everyone present.

Jon's Sea Of Knowledge.

Wilheim's Mental Sylvascape.

Avahni's Mental Aquascape.

Sariel's Throne Of Distortion.

Shamael's non-existent mental construct.

Ler Setanta matched Jon's stare, still laughing even after killing the Malum Hobgoblin.

"Give it time, little primate. Eventually, everyone ends up like me."

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