Jon, Delila, and Miyoung all froze, swivelling their heads left and right, listening the growing sound of insects all around them. The rhythmic humming of flies, locusts, bees, and cicadas filled the air around Springtown, prompting every living soul that resided within the Safe Zone to pause, eyes widening in realization.

  Several Mortals felt a faint shiver crawl up the length of their spines.

  Raising their heads and peering up towards the skies above them.

  An unfathomably powerful eruption of swarm natured and wind natured spiritual energy rippling across the darkened skies. The image of an outrageously large structure burned itself into the minds of more than ten thousand Mortals and Knights. Thousands of insects, if not tens of thousands skittering around the outside of the floating structure, announcing their presence to the rest of the world.

  Fragments Of Eyes and Fragments Of Observation able to perceive hundreds of honeycomb-shaped entrances littering the lowest layer of the structure, supported through a stupendous amount of swarm natured spiritual energy. Insects spilling out from each of the entrances, gathering in clumps around the base of the floating structure.

  Miyoung felt her breath hitch.

  As did Maliq, Amadeus, Wilheim, Delila and Sariel.

  Their Fragments Of Mind trembling in the presence of this near-impossible existence. A floating hive capable of soaring through the skies. Although Xue Ying was able to carry a couple dozen individuals all at once across a few hundred kilometres, Maliq was required to rest every few hours after having his Void Mana Core drained of spiritual energy.

  The more weight the Piercing-Void Ship carried, the quicker his spiritual energy was expended.

  Given the size and sheer mass of the approaching object, the amount of mana needed to sustain flight would be-.

  Astronomical.

  Jon manifested the Thulian Rainspear in his hand, his expression darkening as he observed the floating hive. Minerva-Infiltration Eyes unable to even pierce through the veil of spiritual energy that engulfed the structure.

  “Delila…” Jon whispered, turning his focus towards the Administrator Of Thunder And Civilization. The older human woman gritting her teeth before activating one of her spiritual items.

  Knight Ranked Explosive-Sound Amplifier.

  “I don’t care what the hell you were doing before but assigned Spellcasters are to get their fucking asses towards each of the Imperial-Spell Towers! Remaining Spellcasters are to gather at the walls in their assigned locations! Guardians and Bulwarks are to form defensive lines around the base of each tower!”

  “Duellists and Vanguards are instead required to gather around key defensive locations! Rendezvous with your squad members at the gate you have been assigned! Healers and Supporters are to follow the same instructions!”

  Delila gritted her teeth, glancing towards the distant tree line.

  Through the effects of her Boundless Heaven Gate she was able to detect movements within three kilometres of the Memento Source Item. She did not even need to activate her Fragment Of Perception in order to discern the presence of even more insects in the distance.

  “Assume your positions atop the walls and battlements! Allow their effects to strengthen you while you fight! I am permitting the full use of extreme offensive concepts within the boundaries of Springtown! Summoned companions are to fight the insects that invade us from above!”

  “Leave the floating hive to the Princeps, he’ll carve a way through for the rest of us!”

  Her face turning red from the sheer amount of strain she had put her voice and throat too.

  “Am I understood Springtown!”

  The voices of hundreds of lutins, appaloscians, vermitons, humans and floresiensis’ all responding in unison.

  ““Understood!””

  Delila shifting her gaze towards Jon and Miyoung, deactivating her Explosive-Sound Amplifier.

  “Ignore the Western Gate for the time being. I’ll bring Maliq and Wilheim over her to support me instead. Let me borrow Ashvattha Rana and Schwarz Eis for a little, the latter in particular is perhaps the most adept at these kinds of defensive battles.”

  Her gaze softening for a fraction of a moment.

  “And don’t do anything stupid. If you find yourself in danger, don’t hesitate to retreat back to safety. I don’t want what happened to-. Never mind. Just don’t fucking die, all right?”

  Jon felt his grip tighten over the Thulian Rainspear, before gritting his teeth beneath Lethe and nodding his head. Although Delila did not mention Yueli or Vaa’mina’s names, he knew exactly what she was referring to.

  Flowing spiritual energy into his Fragment Of Tree and Fragment Of Summon, he allowed both the bodhi deva tree and ice devil spirit to appear in the courtyard beneath him.

  His gaze lingering on the White Devil Of The Ninth Circle, who just returned the look with her own blank expression. He could feel a faint flash of sadness emanate from within his Fragment Of Summon, but ignored it, turning his head towards Miyoung behind him.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “You’re good to go?” He asked.

  The cloaked woman flashing a grin in response.

  Weave natured spiritual energy flowed from Jon’s Mana Core into his Fragment Of Dragon, manifesting the Threaded-Heart Of Terminus Est behind him.

  The fifty-metre long figure of the epoch-heart dragon coiling around one of the Harcourts battlements. His magnificent figure drawing the eyes of dozens of Knights gathered around the Wonderous Citadel Dwelling, platinum-coloured scales gleaming despite the growing lack of natural light around them.

  The Archon Of Reigning Dragons mimicking his actions, flowing spiritual energy through her own Fragment Of Dragon.

  The Graceful Dragon Of Treasured Beauty manifesting herself around another battlement. Over forty-metres long and devoid of wings, the fua-heart dragon adorned in gorgeous azure-coloured scales and possessed deer-esque horns that seemed to amplify her beauty and grace.

  Through virtue of their presence alone Song Lian Yu and Long Shen Xi both seemed to attract the eyes of hundreds of Knights around them. The mythical figures of both the epoch-heart dragon and fua-heart dragon caused their Fragments Of Heart to pound within their chests, resonating with the concepts that formed them.

  Dragon-type summoned companions were amongst the most desired, considering their outrageous natural strength at Mortality and Knighthood. Although hydra-type summons possessed a greater lifeforce and regenerative capability, and behemoth-type summons an even greater natural strength both paled in popularity to dragons.

  Song Lian Yu stared at Long Shen Xi for a half-moment, grinning before feeling Jon hop aboard his back, allowing his thoughts and emotions to spill over into his Fragment Of Dragon.

  “Don’t even think about it.” Was all Jon was willing to say on the matter, observing Miyoung climb atop Long Shen Xi, manifesting both the Seven-Stringed Reignbow in her hand and Aphetor; Boundless-Depth Quiver around her shoulder. Her Fragment Of Quiver serving as both her arrow-storage-space and general-storage space in general after ascending to Knighthood.

  The Heretical Chalk Protection appearing on his shoulders and head, white-coloured armour protecting his most vital organs. The two dragon-wielding Knights sharing one last glance, both their appearances obscured beneath their summoned armours.

  “Follow behind me. And shoot down anything that comes too close.” Was all he needed to say, allowing the epoch-heart dragon and fua-heart dragon to take to the skies, soaring up towards the enormous floating construct.

  Their ascent was accompanied by the manifestation of hundreds of other flying summoned companions. Four-winged eagles released ear-piercing cries, flapping their wings beside wind elementals and cloud-swimming whales.

  Daemonic imps and devilish-looking goblins soared using manifested wings or mystical-spiritual constructs. Dozens of different kinds of fey launching themselves airborne, through wings of spiritual fire or through virtue of their concepts alone.

  Within a matter of moments, the skies above Springtown were filled to the brim with summoned companions. Bees. Hawks. Phoenixes. Dragonflies. Pelicans. Crows. Ants. Sparrows. Pegasi. Butterflies. Vultures. Chimeras. Dozens of different kinds of summoned companions, manifested from an even wider variety of fragments and Mana Cores.

  Their presence causing the floating hive construct to stir, alongside the hundreds of skittering insects that crawled along its underside. The eye-ear-splitting sound of cicadas and wasps growing stronger in response to the surge of spiritual energy beneath them, baring their fanged maws and mandible-jaws hissing towards the approaching horde of summoned companions.

  Termites. Wasps. Moths. Ants. Locusts. Weevils. Crickets. Mayflies. Hornets. And even strange chimera-shaped amalgamations of each insect descended from the floating hive, the strength of their flesh and chitinous-exoskeleton able to match that of the average Knight!

  Some possessing acidic saliva capable of melting through Mortal constructs.

  Others a hypnotic wing-powder capable of causing hallucinations and delusions.

  Some able to devour their prey in order to produce Mortal-level children.

  While others were capable of shooting webs or corrosive substances from one of the many orifices that covered their upper and lower bodies.

  The number of descending insects increased by the dozen every passing second. Swarm natured spiritual energy humming in response, controlling each of the flesh constructs as if pawns on a chessboard.

  The Voracious Swarm Mother, concealed within the depths of her Hive-Womb Capital narrowing her eyes as she detected the presence of an expanding dusk-natured spiritual energy beneath her Memento Source Item.

  “Activate your abilities the moment they pass through Thermia!” As if on cue, Vritrium, the Shadow Of Cloudlight Obscurity, manifested his Memento Source Item in the skies between Springtown and the floating hive construct. Dusk-natured spiritual energy overflowing from his draconic-form and expanding into an enormous dark, purple-black cloud.

  Thermia; Sunless Cloud Obscurity was his Knight-level Memento Source Item.

  Taking the form of an expansive spiritual-cloud, Thermia restricted the effectiveness of all abilities that within itself which possessed either the Perception Trait or Sensory Trait. Given his mastery over the Memento Source Item, Vritrium was capable of controlling who was affected by the Sunless Cloud Obscurity.

  Inflicting instances of [Sunless Cloud Denial] and [Obscurity Maledictum] on those insects who dared approach Springtown.

  Thermia enveloped the Safe Zone below in a shrouded layer of clouded twilight. Hundreds, if not thousands of Mortal-level spiritual items illuminating the streets of Springtown, allowing those without Fragments Of Sight or Fragment Of Eyes to observe the surging insects approaching their walls.

  Ants. Beetles. Grasshoppers. Termites. And other flesh-abominations of multiple creatures swarming out from the forests around Springtown. Their relentless skittering of legs against soft-earth was akin to the galloping of horses during medieval warfare.

  The Knights and Mortals who manned the walls surrounding the Safe Zone watching as the oncoming swarm rushed towards them, their numbers unfathomable through the darkness and gloom.

  Of the ten thousand or so people within Springtown, a little less than half were Knights, ninety-percent of which were Veinless Knights. Of that remaining ten percent, nine-percent of which were First-Veined.

  Most had not yet elevated all of their Mortal Ranked abilities to Knighthood, let alone formed even a single dual-fragment pathway. Their strength laying in their Knight-level reserves of spiritual energy, alongside the numerous buffing effects that their spiritual items granted them.

  From the centre of Springtown, a certain green-haired woman looked up towards the Hive-Womb Capital above her, brows furrowed as she watched Ortlinde and Xuanyuan ascend up alongside Jon and Miyoung.

  A certain ginseng king sitting on her shoulder, shaking his head.

  “You have to wait until we return to the 37th universe Avahni. The concepts that are contained with your Source will not be concealed while ascending to Knighthood.”

  Ru Luan Di feeling the overwhelming sense of uselessness coming from his master and summoner. Something which was shared by everyone, including the Incarnation Of The Hunt and Virtuous Flame, Grand Creation.

  “I have no doubt that Jon and the others know about your… uniqueness. If you do not wait, and decide to ascend while under the direct purview of the System then…”

  ““They” will come.”